Boston
Metropolitan
Region

January 16th, 2004

The Luck Factory

Featured Affiliate

Orvis Fly Tying Materials

As we move into the Fall run (and there are reasons to believe it is gearing up right now), we're probably in a better position than we've ever been to hook up with that fish of a lifetime. All summer long we've had reports, some verified, some unverified of big fish being taken. I expect we're going to hear a lot more reports of tremendous catches in the next couple weeks. My question to you is this: when lady luck comes calling will you be ready?

Let's face facts, the difference between success and failure in our sport is slim. One poorly tied knot, nicked leader or missed hit and you're talking "maybe next time" vs. "we were lucky." The truth is that truly squared away fly fishermen manufacture their own luck. They do what it takes to be in the right place at the right time, with gear they can be confident in and are practiced in the skills of our sport to the point that they are second nature. As General Patton used to say, "more sweat on the training field, less blood on the battlefield."

Here are some tips that will help you be prepared to be "lucky."

1. Use only gear which you have 100% confidence in. I bought a reel a few years back which many RT readers use today. First time I used it, the drag blew out on a small fish. Even though the reel was fixed within a couple days, it hasn't seen the water since. I don't trust it so it sits on my workbench with a couple other odds and ends. It's of no use to me.

2. Check and re-check your knots. Yes, most of us are in tune with checking our leaders. How many of you have checked your flyline to backing connection lately? Pre-tie your leaders and trash any knot that doesn't look exactly perfect. Give all your knots a strong test pull.

3. Pay attention - keep your eyes and ears open. On the water, watch and listen for signs of fish taking up residence. Off the water, amass as much intelligence from friends, shops, etc. as you can get. This knowledge will help you to be in the right place at the right time.

4. The conditions around us constantly change, and you should be ready to adapt your approach to the situation at hand.

5. Try to fish with guys who are more experienced than you are. Your time on the water is precious. Learn from the best. Never stop learning.

6. Have a plan. Stick to the plan, but never be a slave to your plan. When things go wrong, don't be afraid to go to plans b, c, d, e, etc.

7. Fish at the right time. That right time is any moment you can possibly fish. Sure, I prefer to fish a nice outgoing tide. But I will also fish an incoming, a slack, at day, at night. In short, lady luck isn't going to come calling if you are sitting on your barcolounger watching Friends and eating pork rinds. If you aren't fishing, you can't be catching!

As my dad used to say "I worked thirty years to become an overnight success." Get out there and make your own luck.

Don't forget to send me your own reports, and until next week...

Tight Lines!

Mark Cahill

Boston Harbor

Capt. Wayne Frieden reports:

Sunday, August 10, 2003: Ed Constantini, Jerry Thompson and his two sons Jake and Jeffrey fished with me for both weekend days on their annual striped bass pilgrimage from Minnesota. Although we caught fish on Saturday, the fishing was somewhat slow and the bass never came up on the flats like the day before. We did find huge schools of bait (herring and silversides) with no bass underneath. Conditions were FAC and we managed to avoid the  thunderstorms. Sunday was a different day completely. The wind had picked up and was blowing @ 15-20 in the early morning but the fishing had also picked up significantly. We found fish on top in Dorchester at first light for @ 2 hours. There was a mix of bass and small blues that would hit large soft plastic baits (Bass Assassin's and Sluggos) and Seaducers and large half & half's in white, gray/lavender/white. Ran outside and north after things quieted down inside but didn't find anything going on. Decided to fish certain rocky areas around some of the islands and one of ther flats for the remainder of the morning.

Tuesday, August 12, 2003: Despite dense areas of fog today, the fishing during the early stage of the incoming tide was excellent with keeper bass caught in a few different areas. The fish were on top in Dorchester but didn't stay up as long as they did on Sunday. The good news is that there is plenty of bait and lots of fresh fish inside the Harbor. The fishing to the north (i.e. Lynn Harbor, etc...) remains on the slow side.

Thursday, August 14, 2003: There was a brief early morning bite today but a change in the weather with brisk NW winds made for a slow morning of fishing. Hopefully, the weekend tides will produce better action.

Thursday, August 22, 2003: I'm getting "psychologically " prepared to return to my position as school psychologist at Duxbury High by being out on the water as much as possible. Despite what you have heard, the Harbor is not as "dead as Elvis" but the fishing has been spotty. The again, some folks don't think Elvis is dead! The late afternoons are very tough. I fished a large flat strewn with boulders last evening (@5-7pm) and  got one nice fat fish on a black half & half. Tuesday afternoon, at @ 1:00 pm, I found a good size school of bass in one of the bays. I proceeded to catch 6 small stripers in short order until the wind picked up and the school seemed to vanish! Today, we were on a nice school of 5-6 lb. blues outside the harbor on the outgoing tide. Conditions were FAC and the bluefish were feeding on small to medium size herring. Large poppers or 4-5" flies fished on fast sinking lines did the trick. On my way in, I located a large school of bass (some small blues mixed in) sporadically feeding in one of the bays. These fish were somewaht spooky when crusing just beneath the surface. However, I hooked up when I managed to get a jig or a fly into the fray when the bass came up on the bait.

Well, it's a few more days of "freedom" for me then back to the office on the 25th. I'll continue to charter on weekends and late afternoons as daylight and weather permit. I still have a fair number of available dates through Columbus Day. So, if you're hankerin' to fish Boston before it's all over give me a holler. The best is yet to come...
 

Until next time,we'll see you out there...
 

Capt. Wayne
 

Capt. Wayne Frieden
Reel Dream Charters
fish@reeldreamcharters.com
PO Box 274
Scituate, MA 02066-0274
617-909-7122

Capt. Bill Smith of Draggin' Fly reports:

Monday, JT Rosnock of Milton and his nine year old son, Jack were aboard.
The Draggin' Fly left dock later than normal because of the minus tide. JT
connected with the first bass using a chartreuse passion fly just outside the
Back River. The bass drove the bait in such shallow water that Captain Bill
could not get the Draggin' Fly close enough to reach them.
   
In Quincy Bay, another pod of bass was encountered. This time Jack proved
that he was as good an angler as his dad. Casting a Bass Assassin, he hooked
a nice bass on the first drift. Moving into Boston, the crew found that they
were too late-the bite was over. JT hooked a very large fish on the Deer Island
flats that ran through much of the backing before he could turn the fish.
When things looked good with JT retrieving all his backing and some running line,
the fish took off again into some lobster gear. That's the end of the story.

Phil Strazula of Norwell and Bill Rovelto of Hanover invited newcomer
Tony Botts of Middleboro to experience "Hahba Bassin'" on Tuesday. The crew met
Captain Bill well before dawn. Fishing Bass Assassins along the Castle Island
Ledges got plenty of attention. As the sun came up, the fish began to school
and attack bait. Action was red hot until slack tide. No one kept count of the
number of fish but they were well into double digits. On the incoming tide, the
Draggin' Fly fished the Deer Island flats and caught a few more bass up to
legal size. Moving back into Quincy, the thick fog rolled in, so Captain Bill
decided to fish some rock structure along Long Island. A good decision, as the
crew intercepted a nice pod of bass. action lasted throughout the morning.

Wednesday, seasonal clients, Damon Reed of Norwell and John Kieley of New
Hampshire were on board for their weekly trip. The fog made it difficult to
find fish but Captain Bill put anglers into school size fish. At low water,
Damon hooked a very hot fish that ran out over 100 yards of backing and put a
major strain on his 9 weight fly rod. The fish measured 38 inches and it was
released. Not to be outdone, John landed a 36 inch bass. It looked like Damon was
going to take honors as top rod, when a large bass engulfed John' chartreuse
Grizzly Fly. Fishing in very shallow water of the Deer Island flats, this
fished used every inch of its body to gain its freedom. This fish also measured 38
inches and it too was released after a quick photo session.

Jack Fallon of Milford, NH brought along his teenage son, Nick and Nate
Parker for a light tackle trip on Thursday morning. Pushing off in the dark,
the Draggin' Fly ran to Boston to catch the dawn bite. The boys, who had done
some freshwater fishing, were surprised how strong stripers can be. The first
stop produced some good action on Bass Assassins. At the bottom of the tide,
Jack hit a big bass in very shallow water that put on quite a show fighting on
the surface. This fish managed to throw the hook. Nate was the next to connect.
His fish ran out almost 100 yards of line before entangling itself in some
lobster gear. During the rest of they trip, the Fallon crew picked at small bass.

Tom Nowak of Medfield entertained Dr. Sary Aranki and his young son,
Alex. There were no fish in Dorchester where the Draggin' Fly had been hitting
them over the past several days. Moving into they shallow waters of Quincy Bay,
Tom was the first to connect with a near legal size bass. Alex caught a small
bass, as did his dad. Action was on soft jerk baits. At slack water, Captain
Bill worked the Castle Island ledges, where Alex and Dr. Aranki had a lot of
practice catching and releasing small bass. After the tide turned, the crew cast
Bass Assassin Shads along Wollaston Beach, catching several bass and blues
before heading back to Rowes Wharf.

Saturday, Brian Shura and Chris Martin met Captain Bill before dawn with
the goal of finding some nocturnal bass. Chris connected with a bluefish on
the first drift and he managed to land it before it cut through his Bass
Assassin. Brian caught a small bass before getting cut off by a blue. In Boston,
Brian and Chris caught and released several bass up to legal size. After the turn
of the tide, the crew moved into Wollaston Beach. The fish were much less
cooperative than the previous day. They made a slap at the lures but missed they
hook on several occasions.

Biminin Twist reports:

Friday August 15th.  Out many hours in Quincy Bay by Hangman Island.
Casting into large schools of Silversides for at least an hour.  Nothing.
Also moved in to shallow waters for a while, still nothing.  Very slow day.

Monday August 18th - Tried Governors Flats, the Graves, the B Buoy, and
generally all around to no avail, until.... right at sundown a large school
of Bass started surface feeding near the end of the airport pier.  The trip
was saved.

South Shore

The word is in that there are lots of fish in Plymouth and their on the feed.  Expect things to only get better.

From Tom LaLiberte last week:

Bay Side Marine Tournament this weekend. Lots of new boats in area. What
worked...chunking macks...33" and 37" fish. Flyrods and artificals not too
successful during early AM. No fish showing from Captain's flats to Kingston to
Plymouth.

Tom LaLiberte

North Shore

Reports have things slowing up in the past week.  Since the Merrimack has really improved this week, I'd expect this to change dramatically in the next couple days.  Look for the fish to put on the feed bag in the next two weeks.

The Merrimack River

Capt. Charlie Crue reports: