THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408110180
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 50 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Ford Reid
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
When the first wisps of bright pink and pale orange appear at the horizon and the early bird sets out to get the fish, the beach is in a different universe from what it will be later in the day.
An overnight tide has left the sand free of foot prints, tire tracks and other signs of humankind and, with just a little imagination, the morning angler can see what the Indians saw when the first white settlers were still hoveled on the mean streets of London.
The ocean then seems as timeless as it in fact is and the shore birds, fish and big mammals are reminders that Earth could survive very nicely without us, thank you very much.
I used to be convinced that the break of dawn was the best time, practically the only time to catch fish in the surf. Experience has taught me that, other things being equal, tide is probably more important than time.
But in the summer, when fish retreat to deeper water as the sun warms the surf, there is no doubt that the best chances come early and late.
I am forced to admit now that a chance of angling success is only one of the reasons that I am willing to awake way before sunrise, then drive for miles in the dark to be standing in the wash at first light.
It is a magical time of day, a sort of spring in miniature, when everything appears to come alive again and to glory in a fresh start.
Early in the day, there is more to see, or perhaps you only see more clearly.
The porpoises come closer to shore, sometimes sticking in the same places, minute after minute, while the older ones feed and the younger ones play, leaping and body surfing until an elder tells them it is time to move along.
The birds work harder. Especially the terns, which work over great patches of water, squealing and squawking, diving at every morning thing small enough to fit in a beak.
The fish jump higher, and more often, as if each one has to confirm for himself that another day has begun.
And the fish bite, too.
In the morning, I like to go down to the water with a light rod and a couple of small, metal lures of the Hopkins type. These lures can be worked at any depth, from the bottom to right on the surface, which allows the angler great variety without carrying a bunch of stuff.
I cast as I walk, working along the edge of the sand bar and paying particular attention to any inshore hole.
Of course, any place where fish are jumping is worth a shot. They may be celebrating a new day, but they may be trying to escape a bluefish or a trout, too.
By the time the sun is well into the eastern sky, I'm ready for breakfast, whether I've caught any or not.
And whether I've hooked a dozen or gotten skunked, I've gotten a good head start on the day. MEMO: Ford Reid's fishing column appears weekly in The Carolina Coast. Send
comments and questions to him at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959.
by CNB