Today I met first time fly fisher Conor down at Island Beach State Park. Prior to his arrival I scouted out some locations where we could get some fly casting lessons in. The winds were S-SW making the bay, and the ocean, a tough go for a first timer. I found a park in Seaside Park that was king of protected by the bungalows that lined the surrounding streets. We went through some instruction and a series of drills including using the Orvis Practicaster HERE which really put the finishing touches on our lesson.
We moved to the bay and brought our foundations in fly casting to the water. The winds didn't help no matter which way we turned. Conor did great and soon was able to "feel" a good cast versus a bad one, even before the cast was completed. A quick jump across the road and we hunkered down below the wind at Area 21 and we spent some time reading the beach structure and then covering a bowl from top to bottom on the incoming tide.
In a week or so Conor is driving to Alaska ( Is that possible?) where he'll sure find time to wet a line. On his way back to Pennsy a Jackson Hole stop and a drift trip with college friends will be a great experience as he begins his journey in fly fishing.
