The Kelleher Maritime Agency (KMA!!) announced today that a drought which had lasted several years has been broken. On the second day of the July new moon low tides, Ed Kelleher, fishing from Palm Beach near Watsonville, landed a California Halibut, after something of a struggle. The Halibut took a POS Fly tied on a #1 Gamakatsu hook, with black dumbbell eyes.
The fish, when measured, turned out to be somewhat less than the legal minimum size of twenty two inches, and was promptly released. No other fish were landed, hooked, touched, or otherwise molested during the three hour fishing session which lasted from 0615 to 0915. A companion (unnamed), who planned to fish, ended up practicing casting a strike indicator for three hours, because he forgot his fishing license. No fish molested the strike indicator.
Mr Kelleher’s last fish landed in the surf was some years ago, and was a foul hooked barred surf perch, which was notably smaller than today’s Halibut. Pictures of the happy angler and today’s fish are attached.
