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.