flyangler

Fly fished the mouth of the Pawcatuck River starting 5:00am. Picked up several stripers in the 24 to 28 inch range. Found fish around rock piles. Lost 4 flies to bluefish that were mixed in with the stripers. Tried outside Sandy Point. Only caught one striper. The surface was glass smooth with no wind. Fish spooked easily.
Top fly was chartreuse Blonde sixe 2/0.

Bluefish and stripers feeding on nickle sized butterfish and peanut bunker

With a recent report of Bonito in the waters around Gardiners Island, left the dock at 1st light :30 this morning. Anticipation was high for the first Bonito of the season. The conditions were excellent for spying the green /blue flash. We started castin in a reliable rip just south of the Ruins, with only cutoffs from bluefish. We motored off the eastern shore of Gardiners with the binoculars trained on the water ahead for sighns of birds and Bonito. After an hour of searching and some blind casting we moved over to the Western shore. We found several schools of bluefish blitzing bait on the surface but no signs of our quarry. After catching a few bluefish, we revered our search direction, but the bones proved elusive. Caught a few more bluefish including one that snapped an old 10wt.

Headed out in a lifting fog just after 6AM this morning. As I approached the middle of Niantic Bay, I saw a large 3 Masted Schooner about 1 mile outside the Bay. Even in the foggy conditions i was able to make out the distinguished orange slash just aft of the bow. The Bark Eage was anchored and security boats were patrolling around it. Headed west to Black Point and found surfacew feeding stripers in the rip. Fish averaged about 26 inches with 3 that were 30, 32, and 33 inches. All fish were taken on a olive Flat-wing Deceiver fished on a intermediate line. Just to the west a schooner appeared and was headed east under sail. This saling ship was Ocean classroom returning from a summer cruise full of students. The Eagle was to escort her home to New London. A great morning... flat conditions, got to see two beautiful sailing ships and even caught a few fish!

Fly Fishing the Rips off the East end of Nantucket Island for Stripers and Bluefish. Herring and Squid flies were best during the post dawn bite. Used full sinking lines on 10WT.

Surface feeding stripers just after dawn.

Fly Rodding the Flats for stripers using epoxy sand eel imitations

Plum Island and the Sluiceway

Left the dock this morning just about 1st light. Headed SE toward the Bartletts Tower. No signs of fish feeding so continued on about the same heading to Race Rock. A few birds signaled surface feeding fish on the east side of the Rock. Hooked up on my third cast and was cut off before I could lip the bluefish on the
Boca. Hooked up a couple more times before the fish left the area.
Motored east close to the Fishers Island airport. Spent the next hour sightcasting to stripers in the shallows near the airport. Caught one nice fish that measured at 33 inches.
Checked out a few rock piles on the way in with no success.
Used Platium Blonde 1/0 and olive flatwing deceiver. Water tempature at the Rock was 57* on outgoing tide.

Headed out this morning just before 1st light. After checking a favorite rockpile outside Niantic Bay, motored due south to Little Gull. Af few birds were working in the rip. Started casting gray/white flatwing Deceiver on sinking line around the rocks out front of the Island. Quickly hooked up with a 29 inch striper full of sealice. For the next 30 minutes or so, action was consistent with fish ranging from 24 to 32 inches. Switched up occasionally to an intermediate rod when the bird activity increased with zero success. All fish hooked were down in the rocks between 5 and 10 feet of water. Two top flies were the previously mentioned flat wing and a platinum blonde. Both flies were 2/0.

On the way back found some surface activity southeast of the Bartlett Tower. Lost two flies to bluefish that were doing their thing on the surface. The mini blitz lasted only a few minutes as the Orient Point ferry was steaming our way.

Sea conditions were flat with no wind. Water temperature at Little Gull was 57 degrees.