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| FishWire Coordinator: | Mark Cahill |
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| Experience and How to Get It
In the early to mid-seventies, I spent many days on the water with people like Spider Andresen, Bob Bauer, Paul Kaukonen, Doug Fischer, Skip Tripp, and many other guides who's names I've since forgotten. I was lucky enough to have a father who knew the importance of spending time on the water with his son, and who realized the best way to learn the sport was to fish with the very best. Each of these guys had a unique style (and many of them were downright characters), and there's a little bit of all of them in my style today. My point is this: there is no better way for you to increase your experience level (and your enjoyment of the sport) than by fishing with guides. They're the folks that are on the water all the time, that can show you the nuances of rigging, pass on the knowledge of where and when to fish particular places and help you get your saltwater fly fishing act together. They'll also help you with your casting, if you'll let them. So let's think about all those dollars. If you were to simply spend them on guided trips instead, you'd increase your likelyhood of catching fish, increase your enjoyment, and in the long run, be a whole lot happier. The boat payments alone for a year will enable you to take 2-3 guided trips a month. Plus, if you split the trips with another angler, you could be fishing 6 or more times a month with a guide. If I'm fishing a new area, or going on a vacation somewhere I've never fished, I'll take at least the first day out with a guide to get acquainted with the area. It gets me pointed in the right direction, even if I'm going to be fishing the rest of the time on my own. There are also specific types of fishing which I just can't justify gearing up for. Particularly, I don't see myself pulling together enough gear to chase school bluefin tuna with a fly rod. The window of opportunity is simply too short for me, I'd much rather increase my probability of getting into the fish by going with an expert, and if the gear is going to get trashed (and yes, BFT will trash equipment like no other species), it's going to be their equipment. Getting the most from your guided trip... Capt. Wayne Frieden of Reel Dream Charters provided this short list of tips to help you get the most out of guided trip. Here are a few suggestions to get the most out of a guided trip: 1. Before you book a charter, ask about the guide's experience, boat, tackle, Wayne That's it - on to the reports! Don't forget to send me your own reports, and until next week...
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If I were new to the sport, I'd think long and hard before I bought my first boat. Boats are great tools, but the big secret is they are also a horrendous pain in the... They name them after women because in many way's owning one is like having a second wife. You find yourself with a lot less time on your hands and even less money in your wallet. Personally, if I was looking at shelling out bucks for a boat I would ask myself the following questions:
On the technical side...Boston Metropolitan Regions
| NEWS |
| The dreaded summer doldrums are upon us. Look for the fish in deeper colder water and offshore. Luckily, along much of the coast you'll find blues amongst the lobster pots. Some school bluefin at Stellwagen, but not enough to target. Fish the rocks with flies that'll get down. If you're not feeling a bit like a vampire at this time of year, you're not truly striper fishing. Catch 'em up! |
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Boston Harbor
Capt. Wayne Frieden emailed this report in. It looks like Lisa from Goodwin-Proctor got the first fish of our dreams! Sunday, June 6, 2003: Rich Riccelli, his girlfriend Andrea Molnarov, Until next time,we'll see you out there... At Draggin' Fly Charters, Capt. Bill Smith reports: Sunday, June 29, Duane Preble of Kennybunkport, Me. was aboard the Draggin' Fly for his annual trip. Duane, an avid hunter and fisher, prefers to use light tackle. Since his partner had to cancel at the last moment, he invited Captain Bill's wife, Mary to join them. The crew pushed off before sunrise, hoping to catch the dawn bite. Captain Bill set up to work the rocky shoreline at the west end of Peddocks Island. Duane was the first to score, landing a fat 35 inch fish. On the next drift, Mary caught a 30 inch bass. After the turn of the tide, Duane and Mary caught a number of small bluefish and three more legal size bass. The lures of choice were Bass Assassin Shads. Whyfly tempted fate and took to the harbor last Thursday: Went out Thursday night, not a sole in the harbor. Headed to deer island, drifted the rift at the tide change. Landed 4 fish. 1 with a fly rod on a h&h. Other three with a light tackle spinning rod using a chad biggest of the bunch was 32" all made it back to fight another day. Would have / could have had another 3 - 4 but f'd up setting the hook and the fish laughed at me all the way back to their hiding spot. Went back out Saturday night .... nothing. Tried 3 - 4 spots and couldn't find a fish to take anything. People all around using everything from chum to live herring and no one looked to have a fish. better luck next time.....
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Saturday, June 5, 2003: Had the pleasure of taking Yung Lee, his
Tuesday, July 8, 2003: Had the pleasure of taking some folks out in the
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South Shore
H-Buoy - blues with stripers beneath. Rocks around Minot should be holding big bass. Figure on using a sinking line and giving it plenty of time to sink. Big flies ought to do it. Look for stripers along the outer beaches, esp. Duxbury Beach. Be sure to check things out at low tide if you haven't previously to find those holes! Powder Point bridge is producing, but I think it's slowing up as the water warms. Mary Ann's rocks will hopefully be seeing some of those larger stripers that have been prowling the canal the past few days. During daylight hours, look for blues marauding in the open water offshore. My appreciation for the "off the record" reports this week. Hope you all have your secret decoder rings handy...
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North Shore
Capt. Derek Spingler reports from First Light Anglers: July 6th- Well it looks like summer has finally arrived, bringing with it warmer air and water temps then we have seen all season. Although not quite the doldrums yet, the fishing has definitely become a lot more challenging. Action on the fly and plug is really only productive during the low light. Once the sun gets up too high, you are really working for the fish in the rocks. The only other option is to go look for fish on the flats or rock and sand margins and try a bit of sight casting. This is always a huge challenge, however, when successful it is fantastically rewarding. The 4th of July is typically the start of decent sight fishing off the front side of Crane's Beach. I have not heard any banner reports, but the fish are there and can provide "fish of a lifetime" opportunities. We have had the most luck with small Ray's flies and crab patterns. Salem Sound definitely still has fish in rocks, just not in huge numbers. The key is to jump around a bit and try and focus on areas with the most whitewater. The fish are up on the surface doing their "sipping" routine, however, they have been willing to take the fly, which is a bit of a surprise. We are still finding some decent fish in the boulder fields early in the morning, but that may change with commercial season now being open. In the last week we have been running east a bit and fishing more and more off of Rockport and Gloucester. The water has been a bit cooler there and sometimes that has been critical. The bluefish have been around in decent numbers and at times have been a welcome sight when the bass fishing is slow during the brighter times of the day. There have been loads of little bluefish up inside the rivers and a handful of shore anglers have been having fun fishing poppers for them. With all the light winds we have had lately we have also been chasing some of the larger bluefish tailing on the surface in Ipswich Bay and off of Halfway Rock. It is really a hit or miss affair but when they are up tailing it is great fun to try and hook them on the fly. As always, please feel free to call the shop for up to date fishing reports, as we are still out on the water every day chasing fish. Take care, Capt.'s Derek and Nat reports@firstlightanglers.com Senorbim had this: No. Shore finicky finners report Two 18" schoolies (on the fly) and a 4-lb blue that took a mackerel fillet are all we can brag about. And these were not finning but down deep in the wash. Had a nice one on Tues., drag howling pretty good, but he got off when he tangled with a bait line that couldn't be reeled in in time. That's what we get for fly fishing and bait fishing at the same time! <gasp> With all the fish at race pt. and in the canal we should experience a convergence shortly... bring on the full moon... Tye-Dye-Fly-Guy had this: Fished jetty at high outgoing tide at dane street beach. lots of birds diving for bait. no swirls. kids throwing rocks at me (easy target). fished two hours, threw everything i had and nadda! my first day out of the rivers, the water was nice and i wet waded it. any ideas about how those dredging rigs off shore are affecting the game fish. my thought was that they were stirring up crustaceons and adding to the attraction. perhaps too much and the sax gang are hanging just off shore more in the channell. i will try again but nice still night it was and seemed too fishy to go skunked. the only problem with obsession is the compulsion to go out and do it again. im haunted by imagination and the fact i havent had a keeper on in almost a month. perhaps im glad i remain anonymous as i whine. i will serve cheese with it next time. BTW i fished pavillion with poppers on mon night. one guy with clams on did well with three keeper fish before i got there. i just thougtht it was sad to watch him run around with 28.0001 inch fish, call it a 30 pounder and watch him try and give it too somebody while the fished starved for air. i told him to throw it back and he looked at me like im the strangest thing hes ever seen. so he kept three fish, and i just wish i had my cell phone to call the idiot wagon to come down and pick this guy up. 40 something guy running around waving a fish like a 5 year old. not cute, just nauseating. jealous? not really I dont think so. |
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The Merrimack River
Capt Charlie Crue at Channel Edge Charters got out for some fishing on his own this week. Here's his report: This morning I was able to go out and enjoy the sport for myself since I did not have a charter client. It was a very nice morning as far as weather, with cool temperatures and some cloud cover that turned to rain as I was docking the boat. The striper fishing was great. Not big fish but many respectable schoolies in the mid-twenty inch range. Time like that allow for contemplation of the great fishery that we have here on the Merrimack River. I have heard many fishermen say that it is really extraordinary fishing around here. I am attaching as photo of a boat that was run up onto the South Jetty on July 4. Several people were hurt. The operator ran right onto the jetty at high tide. Drinking and driving boats or an automobile doesn't pay! Fishing has continued to be quite good. My clients, on Monday, brought home two keepers to enjoy. The fish were in the mid-thirty inch range. We are still getting snapper blues and shad that hit our striper flies. It has been happening down by the north end of Plum Island on the low out going tide. I took a ride up the river to eagle Island this morning and marked many fish bu8t no action. They may have been spawned out shad. |
Let's talk about embarassment. How would you like to be the guy that put his boat up on the jetty last weekend after an arguement with a bad icecube. Word is that six people were on the boat and that 4 were injured, two seriously enough to be taken to Anna Jaques Hospital. We should get the lottery started right now as to how long it will take them to get the boat off the rocks. She gives new definition to the term "high and dry." Photo by Mark White.
Merrimack River Report #9 July 9, 2003
I saw some fishermen out drifting sand eels for fluke across from the Channel Marker Marina. I don't know if they were successful. I have taken fluke on a deep dragging fly in the past.