switching gears 10.20.12

Photo courtesy of Harold Sinclair-www.fishermanstrail.com

 

 

With albie reports dwindling down(especially from shore), I met my buddy Harold up in Rhody for an evening of chasing stripers. We met at a spot new to me, only to find not much going on fishing wise. As you can see in the photo it is an amazing place, the sound of the surf clashing with the outflow was incredible, in a good way.

I moved to another spot between a couple salt ponds, and I found feeding fish. I had a great vantage point and could see the school of mullet being harassed by good size stripers. I waded up current of the pod and swung flies of all different colors, sizes and sink rates, with only a dink and a snagged mullet to show for my efforts. The bigger fish were keyed in on the mullet and I couldn't get them to eat any of my flies.

Redemption

One of my goals this year was to get an ablie from shore, so as soon as they appeared I devoted all the time I could to put myself in the right place at the right time, which amounted to 1 day a week, heading up to Rhode Island before the crack of dawn. I had at least a dozen solid shots, including a pod of 4 that followed my fly into the rocks below my feet, only to turn off and speed away. I managed to get a few different flies in the middle of feeding albies, with only one take to show for it. After 4 weekends of failed attempts to get my albie, I had to escalate my efforts before Albert leaves for the year.

We had some good friends invite us up for a weekend trip to the cape, the weather on saturday looked like it might hold out, I called up my buddy Alan who I go out with from time to time, and he said we had a good shot at some albies out at Monomoy. We launched at our usual spot and headed south looking for Albies. As soon as we rounded the corner there were birds working and albies under them, along with some blues. It was really a neat site to see the green lazers zipping around in the faces of the waves of the rips. Here's a few pics from the journey:

Photo courtesy of Harold Sinclair-www.fishermanstrail.com

chovy clousers

Simple chovy clousers here:
Mustad c68sz #2 hooks, mono thread
differing sizes of dumbell eyes
bunny throat tied in behind dumbell
sparse pink BT, under a small clump of cream marabou, under a small clump of bonefish tan angel hair

Somethin else

to offer Albert...
A little more impressionistic offering, what the other lacks in movement this will make up for...
Mustad c68sz size 1
BT high tie
Ice wing
4 turns of medium palmer chenille
3 turns of folded or doubled maribou
bleached peacock topping
JC eyes

Somethin for Albert

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Fat Albert...It wont be long now.
I think this will be the first fly I tie on, unless the peanuts outnumber the chovies.

Eagle Claw 254SS size 1
Craft Fur wing
Senyos laser dub throat
Bay Anchovy Fleye Foil(Thanks Bob!)
CCG

 

Chatham/Orleans 2012

It has been such a busy year with work, and before I knew it, family vacation was upon us. It was so great to get away for a little over a week. Most years we stay in Chatham, but the house we had grown accustomed to staying at wasn't available for our time, so we had to look around and found a great place in Orleans, right near pleasant bay.

As soon as we unloaded our vehicles upon arrival saturday afternoon, I took my nephew to scout out a few spots close to home base. It was a gorgeous day, with high sun, no clouds, and no wind, which made it bug city. We didnt find any fish the first night of fishing, so I was eager to get a few hours sleep and get out for first light. I decided to check a spot in Chatham Harbor, unfortunately no signs of life, but it was an amazing sunrise coming up over North Island.

The weather continued to be great for going to the beach for another day, but the weather shifted and the wind picked up. I was poking around Stage Harbor and found some fish popping on something, I couldnt tell what it was at first, but turned out to be small squid. That night I got a few hits and I could see there were some good sized fish mixed in, but couldnt bring any to hand.

I went out the next evening, right before dark with my 7 wt and a yellow gurgler to fish sod banks as the tide was moving out. On my second cast I'm working the gurgler pretty quick and as I got it within 10', I always pause before recasting it, as soon as it stopped the fish below smashed it.

 I caught another fish and the action died down after the second fish.

The remaining days would be cloudy with the threat of rain,( no more beach days) so I did some day time fishing in a little tucked away spot on Pleasant Bay. I tied into a few fish around the size of the one above, including some feisty blues which took some of my gurglers with them. Interestingly enough, the only color that worked was yellow...after losing a yellow gurgler to a blue, I tied on a white one. No action, no follows, nada. Put on another yellow gurgler, first cast, fish on!

One of the nights I was out I hooked into something that went nuts, jumping and thrashing more wildly than a typical blue, it turned out to be the biggest Shad I've ever caught(I dont catch alot, but they are fun bycatch), it must have been 24" long, it ate a spawning shrimp.

The last night was the best, not in terms of size, just an interesting scene. I arrived at one of my favorite sod banks in Chatham, only to find it flooded by about a foot higher than normal. The full moon was building and the tides were growing...the fish were there, tailing and popping at the same time. The water was 1.5-2' deep and I believe the fish were rooting around the grass chasing shrimp and small(dime size)crabs, and the ones fleeing to the skies were being targeted as well. I tied on another spawning shrimp and on my first cast, a feisty striper of about 24-25" nailed it and took off towards deeper water at the edge of the sod bank. After a quick release, next cast, fish on! This continued for another 15 minutes as the tide dropped and the fish moved on.

All in all, I didnt tie into anything sizeable, but I caught fish most days and fishing gurglers is alot of fun. I also came back in one piece, crazy whats goin on with the shark situation up there.

Sight fishing...day and night

I just cant stop sight fishing...I went out with a couple buddies last night to fish a local worm hatch, the worms came off thick and the fish showed up. There was a fair number of fish around, but not as many as I expected. I got 4 fish on worm patterns, here is the fish of the night.

Last week I got a call from my buddy, Ryan who told me I need to get up to the flats to do some sight fishing. I was able to get a buddy to come with, so we set out at 6am to the Rhode Island border. On the second flat we worked I got a 28-30" striper to eat a crab pattern in 2' of water. The fish bolted across the flat, I slowed it down when I saw my backing about to head out the guides, the fish surfaced, shook its head and did a barrel roll and just like that, my line came flying back at me, DOH!!!

So we continued to work that flat, and within a few minutes we spotted a couple similar sized fish cruising around. I threw a cast but the fish changed direction mid cast, I was about to recast when I see a big shadow heading toward my fly. The fish came up and slurped the crab in and we were on. As soon as she knew she was hooked she rolled on the surface and I could see just how big she was. After a few minutes of back and forth, I had her beside the boat, we snapped a few pics and sent her back.

                         Look at the shoulders on that girl!

A little while later, My buddy Pete hooked into a nice bluefish who put on a tailwalking show any Tarpon would be proud of. I had a couple other eats but they came unbuttoned after their first run. I had a few refusals as well, what exciting fishing it is.

Sight fishing...after dark

Every year I look forward to fishing the worm hatches around here. In the past, I have mainly targeted the buildup to the new moon, while not seeing much on the full moons. There are 3 spots that I frequent when I have an inkling that worms may be around doing their dance, and 2 nights ago I was nearby one of them, swinging some big flatwings to no avail. After enduring a skunking, I decided to check one of my worm spots, in hopes that maybe, just maybe there may be some worms or maybe some shrimp.

This particular spot, has a great vantage point, with lights nearby and behind to illuminate the water, albeit subtly. As I walked up, all I could see was alot of quiet commotion in the water, as I got close I realized it was millions of worms, swarming in every direction. The tide had already moved out quite a bit, there were some small fish popping and chasing the worms, but I didnt even have any worm patterns with me. So armed with the knowledge that we are on a buildup to a full moon, warm water temps, and worms out the previous night, I had to tie up some flies and hit this spot last night, and I'm glad I did.

When I first arrived, there weren't many worms or fish, but before too long, big stripers invaded and were the most aggressive I've ever seen stripers act during one of these hatches. The first fish I tied into was in the 36-38" class, I watched this fish approach and laid out a short cast 5' in front of it, one quick twitch and she was headed for my fly, she never hesitated and slurped it in. I set the hook, she gave a couple massive headshakes and bolted for deeper water. After a great fight with a bit of back and forth, I had her 3' from my feet, she made one last bolt for freedom and took my fly with her as a souvenier, as my tippet popped. After settling down(I was shaking) with a smoke, the fish quickly got back to feeding and I was tight to my next fish shortly. While this fish was smaller than the first I hooked, it still put up a great fight.

After releasing this fish, the fish disappeared for a few minutes. I thought it may have been done for the night, but they were back. I hooked another fish, guessing around 34-36", it bolted directly for a piling and broke me off on his first run. I got one more about the size of the one above. By this time the action slowed enough to call it a night and I was home before midnight.

Lovin my new spot...

This has been an interesting season, caught my first few bass in March...a great fish in April...My usual spots haven't been producing as usual for the time of year...my wading boots have been MIA since I sent them to Simms over a month ago because the soles fell off...but as a result of all those things that kept me shorebound which forced me to go to spots I may not normally go, I have had an awesome spring with fish between the 28"-38" range.

I had a meeting with a client this afternoon who lives within walking distance to my spot, so after my meeting I decided to take a few casts before heading home. On my second cast I was rewarded with the fish above, great way to end the day!

I'm really looking forward to getting my wading boots back soon so I can get to a few of my wading spots, and swing some big flatwings.

New spot...new personal best

I got out yesterday, trying out a new spot up river, this fish put up a hell of a fight. Sort of makes up for a fair number of skunkings so far this spring.

March Madness

My kind of madness

I've had 2 unsuccesful trips chasing stripes so far this month, but today was my day. Its already been an intersting month with warm temps, Forsythia's are popping already, the ospreys are back, all signs stripers should be nearby.

Both fish took large(7"-8") tented wing patterns, and I sadly lost both to the oyster beds.

Hey Mickey!

I was humming this tune to myself after hooking the first fish of the season this afternoon. I got on the water around 2, lots of stoneflies coming off, some fish rising. I started swinging a black bugger, then indicator nymphing, then a couple dry flies, all with no luck. I was just about ready to call it a day, when I saw a small Mickey Finn in my box I tied last year, so I decided to try it out. First cast, wham, fish on, the first of 2012. I got 3 more, and finally lost the beat up fly to a tree on an errant roll cast. Final tally on the day was one brown and 3 rainbows, all of which provided nice little aerial shows. It is great to be out this early in the year catching fish.

Crab apple variant

I was having a chat with a buddy about crab patterns, which got me to looking at the crab apple tied originally by John Morin. This is my take on it.
Owner AKI 3/0 hook
spirit river eyes
tan cross cut rabit
Pheasant claws and carapace
dry fly hackle legs
3 dumbells to sink like a stone
clear cure goo over carapace

Variant

same recipe as below, except arctic fox zonker under marabou in golden olive

Yo David!

I was at Compleat Angler today gettin a few things and showing some recent ties. I was inspired by a tie left by Mr. Nelson, I really loved the profile and movement, it also weighs next to nothing. Thanks for the inspiration, we gotta fish these this spring.
I had to whip up something similar for my quiver.
3/0 Mustad c68sz
bucktail high tie
white cashmere goat
ice wing
uv polar chenille palmered along shank
finn raccoon spun in a loop and wound
marabou collar doubled and palmered
JC eyes

Pheasant shell crab variant

So I've had some time at the vise recently, I've been in this mode of combining elements from different flies, Here is the first of a few: