Last week I had the pleasure of guiding Asier and Moncho. They wanted to learn more about linea engrasada (greased line) fishing for striped bass. What was remarkable about the session was that they came all the way from Spain to do it. I’d like to tell you we slayed legions of bass, but we saw only one fish caught in the two hours we were on the water.
But if there ever was an outing where catching was truly secondary, this was it. Moncho speaks limited English (and I know even less Spanish), so Asier served as an able translator. We talked fishing, greased line, Ken Abrames, asked and answered questions, drew diagrams in the sand, exchanged flies and hooks and cigars, laughed at our communication gaps — what an appropriate way to spend the the day after Thanksgiving.
Asier recently posted this in the comments section of my guide service link. I am both honored and humbled by his words. “We come from Spain to learn with Steve, we only spend two hours with him… much more than enough to convince me he is the kind of guide always wanted, the knowledge, the philosophy, attitude, positivism, and of course the way he teach… How much he teach us in two hours in the sea, I can´t imagine how much he can teach in the river…. I really would like to come back and…. let’s try… more!!!!! Thanks Steve, people like you make sense to fishing.”
Three amigos. Moncho is on the left, Asier on the right.
currentseams.com 
Again Thanks Steve, and Thanks to all the people like you, who share his knowledge, and understand the stripers like a Perfect Fish….. 🙂
Many thanks for your time. Great lesson of fishing!!
Very cool! Asier & Moncho – do you saltwater fly fish in Spain? What species of fish do you chase? Always exciting to learn about fishing around the world!
Will
Will,
Yes we do saltwater fly fishing, but I don´t found any saltwater fish so interesting like the sea bass, we also founds bluefine, but I don´t feel so interesting like the sea bass or striped bass.
In Europe we have, what we called sea bass, ( lubina ) en español, Dicentrarchus labrax. Same family than the striped bass Morone Saxatilis.
This fishes are not only similar, are almost the same, the only two differences I found is the size, our bass is very difficult to found bigger than 20 pounds, and the second our fish is silver blue, and your is striped….. this are the diffeerence I found, even for eat is the same flavor and taste.
Another big difference is we have less quantity of them, very few, this made more difficult
to found the and to catch them.
We arraive to Steve, from my friend and Yoda, 🙂 Xabier, who was reading stripermoon forum (fisrt and second) K.A. books ….and he followed very closely everything that happenes around this people.
Unfortunatlly he could not come, but he is the person who has really read, learned and developed what this people in his days shared.
And again we only can be grateful to this people because they share their knowledge…
That, is really interesting Asier. It’s fantastic to hear about fishing in other areas of the world! Best of luck fishing at home, and, should you come back state side, here a well. Glad you enjoyed “our” New England Waters!
Will