RED WIGGLERS June 25, 2009 - With all the snotty weather we've been experiencing during the latter portion of June, for the most part fly anglers have been very limited in opportunity. Not only does it disable the fisherman for the duration of the event, but it can also dirty the water for a number of tides rendering it virtually unfishable. Unable to fish on Saturday I personally experienced my first DNF (did not fish) weekend of the entire season (witness the gale of Sunday). With water temperatures averaging 2 to 5 degrees below normal along the north Atlantic seaboard, we are continually fielding stellar reports of clamworm activity within the breachways of Rhode Island. While it does seem a bit late in the season, hatching has been occurring sometime between 8:30-9:30 PM. One customer in particular has been frequenting Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown and I had the opportunity to query him regarding his most recent campaigns. Todd schedules his weekday visits to coincide with the period of utmost activity and canvasses the pond with the assistance of a 16' sea kayak, waiting in ambush until the action commences. I could tell by the fly tying materials that lay on the counter (rusty brown, orange grizzly and blood red zonker strips) that the flies to be constructed would be very similar to the imitations that have been quite successful during the worm hatches of Cape Cod. Todd prefers to spin a head of black deer hair, erect a body of chenille (in a color to match the tail) and obviously complete the fly with a tail of rabbit strip. By tying the fly in this manner, it enables the angler to abstractedly "wake" the mimic, a technique that can be deadly on random evenings when more traditional methods receive little attention. Prolific hatching can often encourage striped bass to "surface feed", similar to a brown trout rising to an emerging nymph so Todd implies that a floating line is all that is required during his sessions. Along with classic "sight fishing" this endeavor is truly the most rewarding form of saltwater fly angling one can hope to experience. Todd's best fish to date is a portly 37" female that confidently masticated his clamworm imitation, a true fly fishing trophy in anyone's book. Good fishing and safe
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