Introduce yourself

[Maineiac]

Hi my name is Peter P. I am married (6th Anniv. 2/14/04) and have one son from a previous relationship. I have lived my whole life here in Old Orchard Beach. When I am not involved with my son's sports I fish for Striped Bass. Early season I chase schoolies with a fly rod. Later on I chuck clams in the surf for the big ones. Best fly rod caught Striper is 32". On a quest for a 40" on the fly. Best surf caught Striper is 41". Been fishing since I was little. Dad would take me trout fishing in norther Maine every summer. Caught a 24" Brookie on a Hornberg when I was 12 yrs. old. Since then I have been hooked on fishing. When I call in sick to work I usually go fishing.

[Dpollipo]

I'm David Pollack. currently of Wakefield, RI. New to the area and new to the site, I've been fishing for 64 years (and I remember that first fish, a Sheepshead Porgy, in my Grandfather's hands) and fly fishing for almost 30 years.

I was raised in New York City, took up fly fishing when I lived in Pittsburgh and had lived in the Cleveland area for 25 years before moving to Rhode Island. There's fabulous winter steelheading in Ohio, and good large mouth bass fishing, and good trout fishing if you are willing to travel two or three hours. Lake Erie has fine walleye fishing but I stayed with my fly rods and didn't spend much time on the lake.

I'm a fishing addict, and have caught quite a few species in quite a few places, hot, warm, cold and frigid. I fell in love with the fly rod the first time I handled one, and hadn't used anything but fly tackle for more than two decades until last July, when I moved back to the East Coast. I continue to use fly rods for almost all of my fishing. Last September I walked out to the rocks at Nappatree Point and tried to reach fish busting in the surf with the wind quartering 25 mph and higher in to my right shoulder. Two results: I managed one schoolie, and, second, went home and broke out the antique surf spinning tackle. I still use the fly rods whenever and whereever practical, but I will pick up the other tools when conditions call for them.

[JakeFF]

Hi I'm Bob H, from Hanover, i grew up in Jamaica Plain and thus learned to fish at Jamaica Pond when i was young {7 yrs old}, don't know if anyone remebers Al Curtis, the minder of the boat house there....he was a character to say the least, but once he got to know you he was a gentle and knowledgeable guy when it came to fishing the pond.
I now do most of my fishing out of the North River in my 15 ft whaler, and spend 50/50 flyfishing/ tube and worm. Some days i can get out of the mouth, which can be trecherous at times, so you have to pick your spots in a small boat. If i can't get out there are plenty of fish in the river. I also have a life long friend of mine whom i have fished with, he lives in NH and gets down from time to time. We have been going to the Salmon River for ten years together as well, he is 100 per cent FF...and makes a face at me when i pick up my tube and worm, even after i pull in a few keepers on it..i can't get him to try it. I must say that i have a very understanding wife, no kids, and when it come times for my little fishing outings she is very understanding. I work for a Chemical Co as an outside salesman {Maintenance House Keeping Chems.} I am also a call firefighter in the town i live in.
I also at times am looking for company to go out some mornings, so i will post when that time comes.
Stay...Warm..and go Pats!

[mansfieldsign]

My name’s Phil, I’m married with 4 great kids, (3 boys and a girl ,16-10). I‘m interested in wooden boats, old and new, and also enjoy a number of outdoor activities with my family. If not fishing or camping on the cape, we head DownEast to a family home on Eggemoggin Reach, Deer Isle, ME. Certainly, a different pace up there.
My cubicle gig lasted 19 years, and was spent working for a large aerospace defense contractor which, after a merger, moved out of state in the late 90’s. Deciding not relocate or start over in the field, I went full-time into a small lettering graphics & commercial sign business that I owned while working as an engineer. To make it work on a larger scale , we provide custom signage and graphics for tradeshows, retail, vehicle/boat graphics, and municipal properties, etc. However, since I started reading the RT Flytying Forum, I increasingly inspect our materials for potential tying use. The holographic films we cut in the plotters offer some neat looking strands-- more on that subject down the road.
This past season, I was able to get a few hours during the week OTW. –felt great if I got out, now it will be for my flyfishing practice. We like to fish from a beamy, 16’ boat we built a couple of years ago so, if anyone ever wants to go, no problem. I’m sure it would help me out too.
I’m excited about flyfishing & tying, because of the required observation skills and detail that this sport seems to require from a willing angler. We’re now acquiring some quality fly fishing equipment because of all your great suggestions. It may not be discernable yet, but I’ve picked-up a few pointers and taken some great notes. To post a hook-up report would be nice also. The boys and I want to start our 04 fishing season camping on Washburn Island and flyfishing Waquoit Bay, so let’s hope for some reasonable spring weather.
A very special thanks to the RT Site Team, and all the guys/gals who have kindly responded my questions and posts. You’ve all been very helpful.
Care, Phil

[bdowning]

My name is Bill and I've been on R-T since its inception. It's the best of all of the fishing web sites, IMHO.

As for SWF, I got interested late in the game and didn't really start fishing the salt at all until the mid 80s. Back then, it was all bluefish, all the time, and hooking stripers was somewhat of an incidental catch. Not many people flyfished and ground fishing for cod, haddock, and tautog seemed a lot more popular than it is now. I went out on a lot of ground fishing charters and head boats. Bonito and albies were unknown to me until 6 or 7 years ago. Man, have things changed!

Strangely, I started as a 100 % hardcore flyfisherman and gradually switched over to spinning. Usually it's the other way around. Now I flyfish maybe 20 % of the time, with bait and spinning taking up the rest. As for fishing areas, I'm all over the map, but the Canal takes up a good chunk of my time throughout the season, mostly because it is close and because of demands on my time. I'm almost exclusively a night fisherman from mid-June through mid-September.

I think the main reason I like fishing is that it's a problem-solving exercise with a different solution each time out, plus it gets me out of the house and into a relaxing natural environment. I also enjoy helping other people discover how to fish an area and read the water, no matter where they are.

I've also done quite a bit of flyfishing for salmon/steelhead in Alaska.

My real career is fishing, but in my spare time I write and produce marketing collateral, documentation, and training materials.

-bd

[edsly42]

my name is ed sylvester and i am addicted to fishing. Im 22 and live half my time in scituate ma w/ my family and half at amherst college where i am one semester from graduating. started fishing for bluegill w/ worms probably when i was 5 or 6. started flyfishing when i was 10, tying the same year. started in the salt when i was 14. first flyfishing experiences were trial by fire, spending 8 hour days waist deep in a usually very cold big cliff pond trying to fool trout under the tutelage of my fishing mentor, Paul Lewis. great guy and I owe him alot for his patience and knowledge. thought stripers were the greatest thing when i first caught a few in june, 96. these big strong fish that could be caught so much easier than those damn trout. since then i have polished both my fresh and salt game and do pretty well at each, although like probably most of you, i feel like i am spread too thin to fish as much as i would like. I consider the mouth of the north river from shore as my home water, an amazing expanse of flats, mussle beds and channels that can hold lots of fish. and as i write this i am trying to decide whether to try and get a job in finance right out of school or take a year or two to go to the vineyard or out to the rockies to fish and be otherwise generally unproductive to society. its not such a bad situation to be in.
Thanks alot to all the people who contribute to this board. it is an awesome resource and I really appreciate all the shared info.
ed

[kennebunkangler]

My name is Greg Renna, I'm a 26 year old engineering living in Kennebunkport, ME. I've been on the southern maine coast only a year now so my addiction to stripers is recent, however I've been battleing a chronic trout addiction for around 18 years. Now that I'm located in Maine within ear shot of blitzing fish, I'm on the water a minimum of 6 days a week from late may thru October. When I'm not at work, I can be found wading the Mousam, york and ogunquit rivers with a fly rod in one hand and a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other. Next time your fishing the southern maine coast look for my car (silver VW passat wagon, can't fit a nine footer in the sedan) and say hello, I'd love to meet some of the people I hear from everyday on reel-time.

[PeterSorensen]

Hello, my nickname is BigPete, I'm 52 and I have been fly fishing the Plymouth/Duxbury area for many years and know many of the folks who post here. I wasn't able to flyfish last season due to issues with the muscles after a multiple discectomy with plating and fusion on the C4,5&6. Got the neck all fixed and tore my friggin rotator cuff while doing PT. Gettin that fixed tomorrow and should be ready to go this season. I have been known to do my share of drifting herring and caught lots of big fish this last season. I have met lots of great people through this board and hope to get together with a few of you guys and fish this year. Have a boat 1/2 mile from house on a slip in the Jones river and fish all the time I don't have to work.

[CharlieP]

My name is Charlie Puopolo and this place is fantastic. I teach Middle School science, live in Woburn and have been fishing since I was a kid. My Dad started me off fishing for flounder and in high school a friend and I were introduced into freshwater bass fishing with shiners. He is the one who planted the flyfishing bug in my ear and we got our first fly setups. "What kind of masochist came up with all of these knots??" I have since made my piece with them. At the same time I started spin fishing for blues in Boston. Frequent trips to the Rangeley Lakes Region for brookies and landlocks afforded me the opportunity of meeting one of my best friends, Neil. He lives about 30 miles from me and we met 230 miles away. I can just about guarantee that you guys have similar friendships. He introduced me to flyrodding for stripers and blues and it has been down hill for me ever since . I have met some fantastic people on the water, shared it with friends and best of all my Dad.

I just celebrated my first anniversary of a bone marrow transplant. All last winter and spring when I couldn't even get out of the house, let alone fish or tie, I spent hours reading through your posts and comments. Thanks. However I have a bone to pick with some of you...Shaun and Sam? You have planted the kayaking bug. I think I am obsessing. Thankfully I have an understanding fiancee.

Looking forward to seeing you guys on the water.

[aws]

My name is Andrew. I'm a graduate student up at Dartmouth College and like most of you, am addicted to fishing of all kinds. I'm getting my PhD in soil/water chemistry, so if I manage to ever finish, l hope to have a career that keeps me somewhat involved in water quality issues and to some degree protecting our fishing related resources. I've been fly fishing for about 18 years, FF the salt for around 12. I grew up fishing the flats of the northside of the cape, and that remains my favorite place to fish. Now that I moved back east(had been living in the Rockies prior to grad school) and am within 3 hrs of that area(w/ no traffic), I am usually on the cape every weekend from May through Sept. Last year I tried fishing from a kayak and loved it. Got a good deal on a pungo this winter, so I imagine I will be utilizing that tool often this season. I also do quite a bit of spearfishing for tautog in the summer, which I find to be a good time to observe bass behavior in rock piles, while chasing a tastier fish. Also love bonito, albies and blues, and am very intrigued by the skip jack and spanish mack reports posted here. I do quite a bit of smallie/pike and trout fishing up here during the week. I tie trout flies, but have not yet bought materials for the salt. If I have time away from school and the ski slopes this winter, I hope to start tying bass flies. Love reel-time and have got quite a few useful tips over the past year since I found out about it. I try to post reports if I have noticed something that I think might help others.

[SamRiley]

Originally Posted by CharlieP

However I have a bone to pick with some of you...Shaun and Sam? You have planted the kayaking bug. I think I am obsessing. Thankfully I have an understanding fiancee.

Another has fallen victim to our siren song

Buy a yak... you won't regret it. Shoot us a PM if you would like to wet a paddle together some time.

[tmillerzzz]

Tim Miller AKA Tmillerzzz, Pembroke NH, 38 Yrs old. Married and “trying” to start a family. Am a Sr. Network Engineer for MCI, mostly Sniffer work/Data Center/Application troubleshooting. Work four 10s Mon->Thur and fish most Fridays and at least one weekend day, two if my wife wants to get out. She fishes when she can see them.

Born and raised on Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River in New Johnsonville TN. Fished for Bucket Mouth bass, Catfish, Bluegill, etc… Gigged Carp and Gar, snagged Spoonbills, Ran Trotlines and Toe Dug for Mussels… Saw a 70lb Blue cat caught on a half bar of Ivory soap…. Fished since I was old enough to go. My Brother taught me everything about fishing. My Father was a hunter.. Sure do miss Dove hunting.

Moved to NH in 1988, tried bass fishing for a while, just wasn’t the same as down in TN. So I bought an 8’ spinning rod, loaded it up with 17lb. Stren and a 1 Oz white bucktail jig. Got my first striper right at my feet in the white water off of Rye Ledge. I was hooked.

Ended up living on the water on Dover Point with a 12’ alum boat and a pair of oars. Learned to row the currents of the Pisqataqua, catch lobsters, pick mussels and FF for stripers. Got my first FF striper on a 5wt. Browning glass rod, Martin reel, 5 wt. Floating line and a Tru-Turn Jelly worm hook with the hair from a bucktail jig epoxied to it…… no lie.

Found Reel-time at this point… 92 maybe? Asked a lot of questions. Got guidance from a great group.

1 week later I had a Cortland 9’ 9 wt., Lee Wulff line and SA 1011 reel. Spent a couple years Fishen during the day and working nights at DEC… back in the single/party days.

Moved to Colorado Springs for 3 years, caught a lot of trout but longed for the ocean. Moved my job back to NH in April of 02 and am happy as a clam.

Now have an 18’ Nitro CC that I trailer to Great Bay Marine. I fish between Hampton and York Harbor. Spend 90% of my time in the Pisqataqua. 90% FF and the rest light spinning rod for schoolies.

My favorite fishing is when my father visits in the fall. We don’t go after big fish, just catch schoolies, laugh, talk and take pictures. Already dreading the day we can’t do that.

My down time is between Striper fishing and Ice fishing. Typically ice fish 2 to 3 times a week. Target mostly Bass/Pickerel in the smaller ponds that require a little hike into. I like the exercise of pulling a 100 lb. Sled a mile and enjoy the solitude of sitting on a couple acres of frozen water on a 5 gallon bucket.

[Slater]

I'm Slater. Recently moved to Medford, MA. I'm 34 with an understanding wife who fishes occasionally and a 1-year old little girl. I'm a real estate consultant working in Boston. Luckily, my work takes me to the Cape, the Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and other coastal destinations on occasion.

I grew up in Rhode Island on the West Passage of Narragansett Bay (Wickford and Sauderstown). Spent Augusts in the summer sailing with the family from Rhody to Nantucket and all point in between. I never got the saling bug though - always want to fish instead. First started fishing on these trips with a drop line then spinning gear. Hot dogs were first bait of choice. Favorite memories include squid jigging in Menemsha (love that place), bass and blues busting pogies so thick you could walk across 'em in Hadley's Harbor, and the rogue weakfish that nearly pulled my younger brother (6ish at the time) over the side of the sailboat in Tarpaulin Cove. in 25+ years since I've never seen a weakfish caught along the Elizabeths.

Been going to Cuttyhunk for 30 years where we have a family place. Some of my greatest days have come on the shores and in boats around the island. Caught my largest bass on the fly (to date ) on the rocky shores of Cannapitsit Channel (38", 24#) a few years ago.

Started flyfishing out west in Wyoming in 1990. Bought my first SW setup (Orvis 9', 9wt with a SA 8/9 reel and cortland intermediate line) in 1994 at Coop's Bait and Tackle on MV.

I fish all techniques and all over the place - time permitting. Probably flyfish 25% of the time. I usually try to get at least one trip to Nantucket, MV, South County, Newport, and Cape Ann in each season along with my several trips to Cuttyhunk. Sold the boat last season and am looking at getting a new one this year. I now have a place to park a trailer at the new house.

Been on RT since mid '90s. Wow, has the BBS come a long way...

I've had some fun the past two years shooting videos while fishing. I got some great footage in 2002. This past year was less fruitful but I've got a few nuggets to share in the near future. You can see some of the old stuff here.

Thanks to Mark & Co. for continually improving a great site.

[hydroTechNoCrat]

My name is Dom and I have been fly fishing since the mid 1960s. My first rod was a fly rod. I thought my dad had made a mistake when he brought it home. It didn’t look like any of the other kids rods.

I remember fishing off the pier in Nantucket with it for flounder (Unfortunately we were not the rich variety of Nantucket summer people). The pier was a major hang out for kids. They all had spinning rods or Zebco 202s. The way they looked at me I think they saw my father buying me a fly rod as a form of child abuse. By that time though, I didn’t care. I was hooked on the deft and stealth of fly-fishing.

I currently live in Cambridge and work for a software systems integrator in Concord. The software developers start rolling in around 10 am. In the summertime I can fish the haba and still be the first guy in the office in the morning!

I have a CC moored in Dot Bay and fish the harbor a lot. I have friends in Truro and wade fish that area as well as Chatham for obvious reasons. I plan to trailer my boat a lot more this year. I am always happy to take passengers.

I started logging on to reel-time in 1997 to check the fishing reports. At that time I was going to Nantucket each weekend in the summer with my ex girlfriend who has a house there. (She is one of those rich Nantucketers.) I hooked up with a Cross Rip guide for a shore trip and we got into a school of 28” inch stripers marauding bait on the bay side near Wauwinet. When one of those fish took me into my backing I knew I was hooked on saltwater fly-fishing.

Reel-time was a great site in 1997 and it is an even better site now. Thanks Mark & Co.

Dom

[Vic T]

Hi,

I am Vic Trodella and live in Freeport, Maine. I've been flyfishing for 40 years and exclusively for the last 18 years. Gave up all freshwater fishing and gear when I caught my fish striper in the salt and have never looked back! I fish the coast of Maine and the outer sections of Cape Cod mostly, but lately have become addicted to bonefishing in the Bahamas. It may ruin me for everything else! Stalking bones on tropical flats is as close to heaven as I could imagine. I tie hundreds of flies because I can't stop myself in our long winter up here. I am an architect, own my own business, and specialize in waterfront homes and health care architecture. This really is a great website!
Tight lines and fair winds.