Easter Weekend Bass

Saturday of easter weekend was almost a wash.  I woke up to rain and wind and fishing didn't seem like an option.  I made some coffee and sat down at the vise to tie some flies I have had in my head.  I tied a half dozen "mushmouths", a pattern by Dave Skok, a well known New England fly tier, fly fisherman and photographer. I added a couple clouser minnows to the done pile and took a ride to bass pro shops in Foxboro to kill time and restock on thread. 

I drove back to CT for the evening and got back with just enough time for my brother and I to fish a local lake for the last hour or so of light. We went old school and fished from a canoe with not much besides two spinning rods and a few lures.  Bill had all the success, landing 3 smallmouth bass, all on a small crankbait.

By 5 am this morning we were hitched up to our friend Chris's boat and heading south along the river to Old Saybrook.  We launched in a dense fog that never lifted and headed to a few early season schoolie haunts after hearing reports that they were here.  The water was high, filled with debris, and a chocolaty brown color.  It was a slow ride south and without a compass and gps, we might still be out there! Spot number one yielded no results, we didn't even see fish spook off the shallow flats like we normally would when they arive.  Spot two brought a quick bite for Bill, a striper about 22" long (this would be our only fish of the morning). We fished a while longer and called it a morning. I think the water needs to drop and clear up a bit, as well as probably warm up a few degrees before the bite turns on.

Bill with a pound and a half smallmouth

 

A foggy steam out.

Bill's striper 

Time to Fish

I was able to fish a couple times this week, a little less than I like, but it's only the beginning!  Both times I fished solo from my kayak. I started last weekend on a small freshwater pond in my hometown.  It's generally a good bet for an early spring bite for a variety of species.  Fishing was a little slower than usual, and the water was still cold, but  I managed to catch several pickeral and two small largemouth bass, all fell for a small black and gold floating rapala plug.

Thursday I fly fished for holdover stripers in RI.  It was a calm warm day and it was too nice not to go out.  I stuck with one fly, a 6" olive over white mega mushy (the small version).  I have found that fishing these larger flies produces a lot of strikes, but a lower hook-up ratio than most smaller patterns.  I missed quite a few takes, but was able to land two stripers, the first was right around keeper size (28") and the second was about 20".  Not long after sunset the bite stopped completely and I called it a night. 

Some photos from the week.

 Not the most desirable species, but my first fish of the year!

A small largemouth

First striper of the year

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posting has been slow lately for good reason, there isn't much to do! The weather has still been on the cold side, with plenty of rain and even a little snow in the mix too.  Spring is definitely close to being in full swing, but a hint of winter is still in the air.

Soon striped bass will begin to flood into the rivers, salt ponds, and other estuaries and thus keep me occupied for the months to follow. Fly fishing for stripers has become an obsession of mine over the years and each year the itch gets worse.

Besides these migratory bass, small populations of resident or "holdover" stripers exist in a few places around CT and RI and offer an earlier option to catch fish each year.  Colder water and air temperatures can make it more difficult, but it can be rewarding.  I tagged along with a couple friends earlier this week to chase a few of these resident bass. It was a nice afternoon to be on the water, but only one fish cooperated and ate John's olive over white deceiver.

I tried to match the meal of choice for the bass, a herring, with an appropriate fly.  I matched the fly with my beer of choice while taking a break from the fishing.