ODDITY

June 18, 2010 - We recently fielded an email authored by our customer, Scot Wiinikka. Its contents contained a photograph of a rather well proportioned striped bass with a few stitches in its abdomen in the vicinity of where a tag would normally occupy. I have to admit that in my many years of saltwater angling I have landed a number of tagged bass but have never encountered a specimen with hand drawn stitches on any part of it’s body (see photo). The striper was landed during a weekday session on the Merrimack River and raises the question, is anyone familiar with the reasoning behind this oddity? Scot, as well as others, would love to know. 

SCALES TALES
Jeff Scales, Ryan Halliday and Jon Williams made a valiant attempt to conquer Cape Cod this past weekend and file this report…

“Just a quick report. I went on a fishing bender this past weekend. I fished 3 low tides wading at Brewster Flats (Saturday morning, Saturday evening and Sunday morning). We got progressively better catching fish on each outing but the only big fish I saw were taken with freshly raked sandeels by the conventional guys. I tried some really sparse, very good looking sandeel surf candies that I tied up. I was committed to catching a fish on my new work, then "desperation" set in and I decided I just didn't want to get skunked my first time at Brewster so I tied on an olive over white bunny and took my first fish 2 or 3 casts later.”

”I also fished Follins Pond for my first Saturday night after the tide came in at Brewster. The action was pretty good but small. Then, on our way home Sunday afternoon we tried a dropping tide at Old Harbor Creek and I got the skunk (only saw 1 fish caught).”

”Back to Follins, we parked in a lot at what I believe is a boat ramp (Ryan could say in more detail). We walked over to the left and fished out in front of some sort of bird platform (probably an osprey or something). The water was dead calm, no real wind or current to move the water around. I wasn't confident we would catch anything with the water so still but we did. Do you recommend moving further up? I guess I'm asking as I was expecting more of a river and less of a still pond. I'm going back to the Cape this weekend and my goal is to take something up top, floating lines and crease flies are on the menu.” 

NEW BLOG
Our customer, Craig Masterman has recently initiated a new blog dedicated to saltwater fly-fishing here in the northeast. The address is http://waitingtoflyfish.blogspot.com and well worth a visit. 

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB