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| 6 ARNOLD ROAD, COVENTRY, RHODE ISLAND 02816 |
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TStrategies
For Fly/Light Tackle Fishing
by Capt. Jim White |
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Strategies is a column
by RISAA member, Capt. Jim White, a fly-fishing/light tackle specialist
who operates "White Ghost Guide Service" and fishes Narragansett
Bay. Jim is an endorsed professional of Triton Boats and Evinrude
Outboards, and a professional outdoor writer/photographer who's work
has appeared in The Fisherman magazine and many national publications.
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| Targeting
Big Fly Rod Stripers |
| Large striped bass don't come easily when you are
fly-fishing. In fact, it can be pretty hard to land and or even
find fish much more than 10-pounds on a regular basis. If you
aren't rigged and ready when that one big fish comes along your chances
drop once again, and you will likely loose your trophy. To begin with, the time frame to catch a really big striper that is in the high teens to over 30 pounds is extremely limited. The window of opportunity is very small when compared to the entire season. So fishing during those peak times becomes critical to landing or even hooking a really big fish. Over the last ten years we have boated seventeen stripers over 30 pounds and 149 bass between 20 and 29 pounds. Catching a 30 pound fish on fly fishing gear is akin to landing a fifty-pounder on a wire line outfit. It takes hard work, dedication, preparation, patience, and years of knowledge of the areas you are fishing. As one old timer told me many, many years ago when I viewed his catch at the dock on morning. "Boy you were really lucky last night mister," I said. "That's a nice mess of fish you got." His reply was, "I worked hard for forty years to learn this kid, there ain't no luck involved." Truer words were never spoken. Another old saying is that; "Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity." The better prepared you, are the more fish you are going to find and land. FISH
AT THE BEST TIME
When asked about how to go about doing this I
tell anglers to fish during the primetimes. Prime time is spring,
fall, around the moons and during the night on the best tides. Off the
top of my head, I'd say it doesn't total much more than 65 or so days
for the entire season from beginning to end. Given days for bad
weather and you can cut that time even further. So, when the time
comes, you need to be there, fish hard, long and be prepared.PROPER
TACKLE
As for tackle, we use only 10-weight fly rods.
The Thomas & Thomas Vector and Horizon series have the power and
backbone to handle the wind and big fish. The ten-weight has the power
to punch through the wind and the power to pull fish away from boulders
and other obstructions when big fish are encountered.A full sink or shooting head systems is also a necessary line to have and to learn how to use efficiently and effectively. Many of our fish - if not almost all - are taken well below the 12-foot range down to 25 feet, which seems to be beyond many anglers' ability. The better you can cast, control your line and fly, the more fish you will catch. USE BIG FLIES
When selecting flies use BIG flies. Some guy's
jaws drop when they see what I'm asking them to throw. If you use
a three or four-inch fly the majority of fish you will catch will be
three or four pounds. Not really, and not necessarily always true, but
it is as close to being a truism as possible.Flies should be large, with lots of action and movement, and huge eyes. Our flies aren't the kind that you would frame and hang up, but they catch fish. Function is more important than appearance. Let the fish dictate to you what they are willing to eat. Experiment with different styles and patterns. Shape, movement and contrast are more important than having an exact duplicate or replica. GLOW
LINE AT NIGHT
If you fish at night, Rio's new glow line has
worked out very well for us. You can charge it with a flashlight or the
boats lighting system. Aboard our Triton, we can turn the
spreader lights on, and the line glows for a half-hour or more. This
allows you to see the line and where you are casting. It's going to be
a very effective tool for night fishing as lots of anglers don't like
fly fishing after dark. I haven't found this glowing to effect the
fishing one bit thus far. We simply use a longer leader of fluorocarbon
material.When fishing at night we use big eel patterns for below surface conditions and floating water-movers for surface duty on calm nights. This is one of the few times we use a floating line when using this type of fly. These flies are tied six to twelve inches long with lots of movement in the tail section. Fishing in the proper place and at the proper time, with the right gear and the right fly just may land you a big trophy fish. Putting in the time and fishing hard, there is no substitute. |
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