Lessons Learned...OBX

So, I've been wondering since I got back from NC what I did wrong. Why was it I only hooked up once but saw an amazing amount of fish from puppy Red Drum to 5' Houndfish, from Flounder to Speckled Trout. I had all the right reports, all the right flies, all the right equipment. I hit the right spots based on tides and recommendations, listened to seasoned OBX fly fisherman and locals.

Then it dawned on me, I listened to locals. Of the 8 tackle shops I went into, I got reports and recommendations from every person there, but when it came to asking about fly fishing, everyone laughed or snarled. All but one, Ryan, the owner of Hatteras Jack in Rodanthe, about a half mile down the road from our house. He said he had fly fished before and had a Google Maps picture in his head of all the big backcountry holes. Unfortunately, I got this report on our second to last day and actually spent our last day packing and enjoying some family time.

Either way, I had an absolute blast and enjoyed every moment in the Outer Banks. It was a great vacation spent enjoying firsts with my daughter, family, and self. I got to learn a bunch about my new GoPro and even refined my saltwater fly fishing skills. Although I was handed a huge skunk, I have to say a bad day of fishing in OBX is better than a good day of fishing here. The sights, sounds, smells, and simply atmosphere makes one almost want to pack up and find a house down there.

When it comes to redemption, it shall be in the form of a revisit next summer. As for this summer, a lot is ahead for the TLTFF crew. We plan on not only hitting up our honey holes harder than ever, but exploring new waters and giving thorough reports for you guys, but also hooking up with new species on the fly (for us), tossing lines with old and new friends, filming footage never captured by ourselves, and as always, keeping you entertained and hooked making you want to come back for more.

Anyone looking to fish with the TLTFF crew, hit us up at tightlinedtalesofaflyfisherman@gmail.com. Although our schedules get crazy sometimes, we are always willing to work things out and find time to fish. Happy summer everyone, get ready, set, here we gooooo!

Boom...Morgan