The 2013 season started in May with the annual cinder worm hatches. We had reasonably good hatches in several of our South County (RI) salt ponds throughout the five week period that extends into the first week of June, but the emergences were not as prolific and long lasting as they are in a typical year. There are many theories as to why this was the case, but in my estimation the high volumes of rain we experienced in addition to sustained stormy weather contributed to the situation. Granted these salt ponds are large bodies of water but when we get sustained heavy volumes of rain, in my opinion that can make minor changes to the salinity of the water slightly- perhaps just enough to impact the worm emergence. May air temperatures were also cooler than the norm and therefore water temperatures were running lower than is typical for that time of year and colder water delays the arrival of the stripers as they migrate north, in addition to retarding the emergence of the cinder worms. I try to be as fair as I can to my clients as respects fishing conditions, unlike many other captains who will take clients fishing irrespective of the "catching" conditions- it's how I operate. As a consequence of these atypical conditions I recommended to several clients who had booked trips that we not go and instead reschedule as best we could. Don't get me wrong, we had many "epic" nights and many that were very good, it's just that on balance it was an off year. This was the first year that I rented a slip in one of our salt ponds for the month of May and the first week in June, rather than dragging the boat back and forth to Newport each day. I also took a campsite in nearby Burlingame State Park for four weeks. This made my daily commute to the salt pond a ten minute round trip exercise rather than two hours. It was very comfortable (and dry) in our camper. 

Steve Key Worm Hatch 5.13

Dave Stepper Worm Hatch 5.13

June brought really superb top water fishing in the Newport area. We hit the sand eel emergence square on the head. Waters from Ft. Adams onto the Brenton Reef were loaded with sand eels and surface feeding bass at all times of the day. Sand eel emergences were also very good inside Newport Harbor from Ft. Adams to the southeast corner of Newport Harbor. The harbor outings were best as light fell and stayed strong into the late night hours.

Dr Jack DiPalma- Brenton Reef

July and August (typically warm water months) were also very good for striper fishing. These months in our near coastal waters are typically slow for the shallow water fly and light tackle angler, however the waters from Castle Hill out onto the Brenton Reef and east along Prices Neck extending to Land's End and Rough Point stayed reasonably cool to hold shallow-water bass. My Mako 2201 Inshore Bay Boat draws very little water and is extremely maneuverable affording me the opportunity to operate in waters and near structure that many boats and captains will not venture near. The intermediate lines got a real workout as bass were typically holding in the upper level of the water column and in many cases finning on top near bait laden structure. We had a ball. On many late afternoons we experienced very calm water conditions and I was able to navigate inside many of the reefs and ledges in front of Rough Point and around the corner beneath the Cliff Walk. With the main engine out of the water and navigating with the remote controlled bow mounted trolling motor, I was able get in very close to very shallow and top water stripers.

Lt. Phil Gordley- USN- Castle Hill

Soft Evenings on Ningret Pond

I also had an opportunity to camp and fish on the Housatonic River in western Connecticut for a week in late July. The smallmouth bass fishing (coupled with some nice Rainbow trout) was a ton of fun. It's always refreshing to get out of the harsh sun and saltwater environment and wade into the sweet water.  Great stuff.

As September rolled in we were anticipating big things with the False Albacore fishing in hopes that we could again experience the great "tunoid" angling we had in 2012. As epic as 2012 was, this year was at the opposite end of the spectrum. It was not for a lack of bait as we had lots of bay anchovy and silversides and the bass fishing remained spectacular, but the False Albacore were all but missing although Bonito fishing was better than most years. In spite of this, great bass fishing continued through the balance of September into October, before the high winds and big seas effectively shut down the fall fishing earlier than the norm. The big southerly migration of stripers, blues, false albacore and bonito that we refer to as the "fall run" was also disappointing. Surely those fish passed through (or near) our inshore waters but a good degree of that no doubt occurred when it was just too rough to get onto the ocean to intercept them (many afternoons from shore I witnessed acres of breaking fish under diving  birds, but in very rough and windy waters). Anglers fishing the Watch Hill Reefs and Montauk Point were also disappointed. Fishing in those waters, which is typically off the charts, was lackluster at best. When Montauk in the fall is a disappointment as it was this year, something is really out of kilter. So fishing goes.  

Ray DeRosa- 9.13- Brenton Reef

Bill Taylor- Bass Pro- Bonito- 9.13

All of my scheduled charters for 2013 were concluded by mid-October. That came with mixed emotions. From the business side it's self evident why, however from the perspective of being able to do some personal fishing it was a bonus. I had some great fishing for top water stripers from my 16' Lund inside Newport Harbor, and the wade fishing in several shore spots was terrific. In fact the Narrow River in Narragansett fished really great throughout November.

So 2013 certainly had it's fair share of angling challenges but also offered some really great fishing.  I'm looking forward to the off-season speaking opportunities and the fly tying and equipment maintenance and upgrade activities. Late March and early April fishing for trout (Cape Cod), northern pike and largemouth bass will be here before we know it.  

The following is a review of what's critical:

Fly Reel & Spare Spools:

Use a line winder and remove all the fly line from your reels and spare spools (or carefully coil the fly line by hand). Anglers Image makes a simple, low cost line winder.   http://anglersimage.net/compiled/Page%206-i12.html  Preferably use a high speed line winder with an electric drill to remove the fly line and the backing. A product called "Smart Spooler" is particularly good for both removing and re-spooling fly line and backing:  http://burfish.com/catalog/smartspooler.html 

Once the lines (and backing) are removed, thoroughly clean the reel and spools using hot water, mild soap, a spare tooth brush (mark it so you don't end up using it later to brush your chops) and a clean rag. The following YouTube video by Captain Bruce Chard may assist in the steps for both a short and longer term cleaning regimen.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FqTtN8P4lk&feature=player_detailpage 

I keep my fly reels and spools organized in compartmentalized reel cases. As a fly fishing guide I have several of these and they are great for keeping equipment organized and protected. I have separate cases for fresh and saltwater reels and spare spools. You can easily overspend in this category and it's totally unnecessary:  A very good choice is Bass Pro's Reel Tote: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Reel-Tote/product/37514/ 

For fly, spin and baitcasting reels, purchase a reel cleaning kit that contains the simple tools, solvents, oil and grease your reel needs to say healthy: http://www.basspro.com/Ardent-Reel-Kleen-Reel-Cleaning-Kit/product/96599/ Always save your reel's maintenance instructions as they become very helpful in learning the specific lubrication points for your equipment. If you're not the type of angler who likes to personally maintain your equipment, find a local shop that is qualified to work on your reels and get your equipment to them sooner than later while they are not busy.

Fly Lines and Backing:

Inspect your fly line backing closely. Dacron and Gel Spun backing is very durable however it can become damaged from exposure to the elements or if a fish takes you deep into structure during the fight and your line rubs against abrasive surfaces. If it is frayed in spots or simply has not been replaced for some time, replace it with fresh backing... it's cheap insurance to prevent losing the fish of your lifetime. In most cases 30 lb Dacron backing is perfectly adequate for saltwater fishing. (Use 20lb for freshwater). If you desire a thinner backing that will allow more line to be added to your large arbor spools, Gel Spun is a good choice, albeit a bit more pricey. In most cases, 200 yards of backing is plenty for stripers, bluefish, false albacore and bonito. For other faster and longer running fish, best to consult with an expert shop or guide who can advise what's necessary.  http://www.basspro.com/Backing/_/C-4294535596?taCategory=Backing&taSearchTerm=fly%20line%20backing

Inspect your fly line closely, particularly the first 30-40 feet, for cracks in the plastic coating. Repeated casting and exposure to salt, sand, and the sun's UV rays will take a heavy toll on fly lines. If your line has cracks, it will likely be to the "head" section of the line and the line should be replaced. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&searchTerm=fly+lines 

(You may want to cut off the head section of the fly line and retain the running line portion for fashioning shooting head systems.)  If the fly line is undamaged clean it with warm soapy water and apply a dressing.  Regular cleaning and dressing of your fly lines is absolutely critical in preserving your investment. http://www.basspro.com/Umpqua-Glide-Fly-Line-Dressing-Kit/product/20694/ 

Rather than rewinding your fly lines back onto the spools, wind the lines into large coils and secure the coils using pipe cleaner ties. Label large plastic re-sealable food bags with the specifics of each line (line type- floating, intermediate, fast sinking etc, and weight) and store the lines in a cool, dry location. Keep these lines stored until spring when you will wind them back onto the reel and spools using your line winder or by hand. Storing lines in large coils will mitigate line memory so that come spring you are not dealing with "slinky toy" coiled lines resulting from being tightly wound on your spools during the off season. I would also suggest that you discard all leaders/tippets tied to your fly lines and await the arrival of spring to replace them with fresh material.

Spinning and Baitcasting Lines:

As a fishing guide the lines on my spinning and baitcasting reels take a beating. I go back and forth between using monofilament and braid. Both have good and bad qualities. Monofilament is inexpensive and tangles less frequently than braided line. Mono's primary downfall from my perspective is that it does not cast as far as braid and has too much stretch (nearly 20%). Braided line permits very long distance casts, it's strength to diameter ratio is a real plus, it does not stretch under load and it creates a super sensitive connection between the angler and the fish, however it is prone to easily developing wind knots and it may be prohibitively expensive to replace each season. As for monofilament line maintenance, I simply replace it with fresh line on all reels after each season. As for braid, I replace it when I need to.

In both cases for removing old line from reels, I use empty line spools and attach them to a variable speed drill using a "MacGyver"-type bit or the line winder mentioned earlier in this article. On the spinning reels I secure the open bail with a hair tie to prevent it from accidentally tripping while the line is being rewound onto the waste spool or line winder. In both cases the use of a line winder for adding new line makes the job a lot easier. Remember to recycle your lines to prevent injury to animals and damage to the environment.

Baitcast Line Winder: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XPS-Aluminum-Line-Winder-for-Baitcast-Reels/product/104172/ 

Spin casting line winder: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XPS-Aluminum-Line-Winder-for-Spinning-Reels/product/20677/ 

Fly, Spinning and Baitcasting Rods:

Use an old but clean toothbrush and with hot soapy water clean the reel seat, the fittings  that secure the reel to the reel seat and the screw threads of the reel seat. Clean around all of the guides and the tip top. If the cork grip is discolored, or slick with an oily residue- use a very fine grit sandpaper or 0000 steel wool and carefully rub down the grip to restore it's color and smooth surface. (Use masking tape to cover the rod blank and the reel seat immediately adjacent the cork grip to guard against scratching). If there are cracks in the cork or sections where the cork filler dislodged, mix cork dust (sand a wine bottle cork and collect the fine dust) with waterproof glue (Elmer's), and using a flat wooden stick or a coffee stirrer, push the paste into the cracks and pits. Wait 24 hrs to allow the cork/glue slurry to cure and then carefully sand the grip with fine grit sand paper to return it to nearly new condition. Wipe down your rod sections with a clean cloth soaked in hot soapy water (use a mild soap). I like to then polish each rod section with a furniture spray wax such as Pledge. Spray the wax onto a clean dry cloth and polish each rod section. For multi-piece rods, apply beeswax, bowstring wax (or paraffin wax at a minimum) to each male ferrule of the rod sections. (The wax keeps the rod sections from coming loose after repeated casting). For fly rods, store the rod sections in a rod sock and secure everything into the appropriate rod tube. If your rod tubes have a description of the rod on the exterior make sure you've got the right rod in the right tube, otherwise you might be in for a surprise when it's time to fish. Pay attention to the details. Store the tube in a cool and dry environment. For one-piece rods, several storage related products are very helpful in organizing and protecting your investments. Most anglers will store their rods with the reels attached and that's fine as long as it's done carefully. Most anglers however simply gather the rods together and prop them in a corner of the basement or garage so they are stacked on top of one another. I have several alternative suggestions:

1.      Remove all terminal tackle and wind all the line onto the spool and secure the line with a rubber band or ladies hair tie.

2.       Slip rod socks over each rod to protect the blank and guides from damage. Most of our rods these days are constructed of graphite. If these rod blanks are scratched or nicked they can easily fail under the load of a fish or during the casting process. Protect your rods with simple covers: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-XTS-Rod-Socks/product/1205300955/ 

3.      Rather than propping the rods leaning against one another, develop a system for storage, whether it's overhead or standup design. I recommend vertical storage systems in rod carousels. They don't use much space, and they rotate making it very easy to remove specific rods without sorting through the "pickup sticks" type storage. http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Spinning-Floor-Rod-Rack/product/10215368/ 

4.      Where necessary, replace worn or broken guides on your rods. The following link will take you to a You Tube video that explains the repair process. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki0GviM6WI0 

Zippers: Take particular care with any clothing items and gear bags that have zippers. Zippers exposed directly to salt water and salt air can get encrusted and lock up, and when you forcibly try to free them because you're in a hurry, the zipper head or slide will often break. The following link will take you to a blog on my website that offers tips on how to remove salt, clean and maintain zippers exposed to the salt environment. http://www.skinnywaterchartersri.com/SWC-Blog.html?entry=zip-it-up 

These suggestions cover much of what anglers should pay attention to as they prepare to put their equipment away for the winter months. Like your car or your house, regular maintenance will help ensure that your equipment will last longer, look better and be ready for next year's fishing season.

For additional tips, suggestions and announcements from Skinny Water Charters, visit my website at www.SkinnyWaterChartersRI.com.  

Switch Rods in the Salt

About every other year I take a trip west with a couple of friends to fly fish for a week or so. We no longer bring onto the airplane any of our fly fishing equipment and clothing we'll need for the trip, instead we box virtually everything and ship it via UPS to either the lodge where we are staying or to the local UPS store in the nearest town to where we'll be fishing. Given the prices airlines now charge for checking bags, it's cheaper and more reliable to go the UPS route plus it's just more relaxing to not carry stuff or worry if it's going to get to our destination on time.

Before we started this revised approach to shipping our gear, like many fly anglers we attempted to bring onto the plane a carry-on bag that included fly reels, fly boxes, tippet spools, vest, waders and boots. We'd also bring an assortment of fly rods of various lengths and weights for varying stream and wind conditions that were stored in aluminum tubes (you can never bring too many rods, what if...?) Most of us got into this practice so that if the airline temporarily lost our bags we could still fish for a few days before the bags were discovered and shipped to where we were lodging. One year in the old days I was deplaning in Salt Lake City to meet my connecting flight to Billings, MT. I was carrying a bundle of four rods in their short tubes when this guy in line behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and he asked if those were fly rods in the tubes (!) I could tell just by looking at this guy who sported a pretty pastel golf shirt with a country club logo, and "Titleist" embroidered on his hat, that his inane question and my anticipated response was a setup for a zinger. So I played his game. "Yes" I answered, and sure enough then came the hook (or slice) as the case may be. Smugly he asked, "Why on earth would you need four fly rods to catch a fish". Then it was my turn..."for the same reason you as a golfer might need fourteen clubs to make a Birdie". I have to give the guy credit, for being softly insulted he smiled and wished me good luck.

Since that time, like most of us, I have continued to add more rods and reels to my inventory without selling or giving away much of anything (I'm trying to change that). Part of my weak excuse is that I am a fly fishing guide and am expected to have redundancies (just in case), and as a Pro Guide I also need to carry on the boat the latest equipment manufactured by companies that currently endorse my business (this stuff mounts up). The other reason is that I'm also a hoarder.  

Rods made by (or for) Sage, Redington, Orvis, T&T, Bass Pro, Temple Fork, Loomis etc. all do a good job at casting a fly line. Of course they all vary in construction, finish, weight, blank material and wrapping color etc- but in the hands of a reasonably good fly caster- they all get the job done, reasonably well. Generally we think in terms of using shorter more delicate rods for casting shorter distances and in environments that preclude using the standard 8 to 9 foot rod, a brush-crowded and narrow stream, for example. Generally we don't think much, if at all, about using rods longer than the standard 9 feet for casting longer distances. For those of us that fish primarily from a boat, we default to using the 9 foot rod because we can drive the boat closer to the fish as necessary precluding the need to routinely make 70 foot and longer casts. That however is not the case for the shore-bound fly caster. With a 9 foot rod the lion's share of fly casters will be unable to reach the fish that are beyond 70 feet and when you factor in wind, apart from all but a tailwind, the average fly caster will be unable to cast even that far. So what happens, if you are one of those anglers?, you either don't catch those fish with the fly rod, or you resort to using a spinning rod (which is just fine by the way).

Herein lies the analogy to the wise guy with the pretty golf shirt. Facing a head wind on the tee and a target that's some distance away, the golfer is going to use a club that is powerful (like a driver) that can exert a lot of energy on the golf ball to achieve maximum distance, or if it's a shorter distance to the green but still a long way, he might use a two or three iron with a shallow angled blade to keep the ball at a lower and flatter trajectory particularly if wind is an issue. The choice of which club to use is in keeping with the how far and accurate the shot must be. In fly casting we use the shorter and lighter weight rods when we are close-in and when the presentation needs to be precise and delicate. For the longest casts, however, generally we default to using our 9 foot rods and hope we can get the distance we need to reach the fish.

Longer rods for longer distances... what a revelation!  

Sage One Switch Rod (hot linked)

  Here are three scenarios I see played out frequently:

1.      Anglers are wade fishing an estuary/ salt river. Those with 9 foot rods are casting into a headwind to a well defined seam where slow water meets a current. Stripers are holding at the seam and beyond to the opposite bank. Repeated 55 foot casts yield no takes, occasionally an angler makes a better cast with a narrow loop, the fly line punches through the wind and the fly lands at the 65 foot seam... hookup. There are also fish rising at the far bank, a 90 foot cast...even on their best day, anglers with 9 foot rods can only watch and wonder how nice it would be to reach those fish, or alternatively find a place to cross the river and then make short casts to those fish that are now much closer.

2.      Anglers are wade fishing in the surf and facing a head wind. The fish are at 80 feet and on the opposite side of a three foot shore break. These fish are certainly within range of a spinning rod but you didn't bring one and/or you're a fly fishing purist and would never think of using one (foolish but they exist in big numbers, eh~ to each their own). Using your 9 foot~ 9 weight single handed rod, while facing the wind, puts your best cast at 60 feet and your line piles up in the waves.

3.      Anglers wade fishing in our salt ponds during our infamous "worm hatches". Fish are actively taking worms at 65 feet or further from the waist deep angler. Wind is not a factor but having little or no back cast room due to brush and small trees behind the angler, they do their best with high back casts or ineffective roll casts to push the fly the required distance, but the fly still falls short...way short. More watching and wishing the ability to reach those fish. Why didn't I bring my little boat?

In these scenarios, the angler using an 11 foot two-hand Switch rod, and a reel loaded with a line specifically engineered for use with the Switch rod, can make effortless single and double hand casts using both the standard overhead, the standard Switch Cast (aka Forward Spey Cast) as well as any number of other Spey casts (Single, Double, Snake Roll, Snap T, Snap Z, Circle, the list goes on). This rod and line combination enables the angler to easily reach those fish at 65 and 90 feet and once proficient, an angler can cast 100 feet and beyond. A Switch line has a long floating head (50-60 feet) and has at the fly end, a welded loop. To the loop the angler attaches a standard leader using the loop to loop method for top water presentations and alternatively for deeper presentations, varying lengths of slow intermediate sinking tip and fast sinking tips plus a short section of leader. With a Switch rod the angler can easily cover much more water than the poor guy toughing it out with the 9 foot rod. It's truly amazing how much additional distance the angler can achieve with a two foot increase in rod length, combined with the two-handed grip and a technical fly line that permits nearly effortless casting.

In summary, recall those times on the water when the fish were out of range of your longest casts, recall the analogy of the golfer who selects a different club to achieve the distance required, consider the extra rods in your inventory that you rarely use. You really should give some serious thought to selling a couple of those nine foot rods, and buying a Switch. If you are primarily a wading angler, the Switch will significantly expand your range enabling you to cast to water that historically you could only hope to reach, while at the same time enabling you to cast the shorter distances that may be holding fish. I am still strong enough to carry a golf bag with fourteen clubs to assure I am adequately equipped for the short and the long game. My father was a lot smarter, in his later years he used one golf club and with a small wrench he could adjust the angle of the head by changing the pitch of the blade to convert the club face to what was needed for most any hole. The Switch rod provides similar utility enabling the angler to easily make short, mid-range and very long casts in all types of conditions, while simultaneously protecting the casting shoulder, arm, elbow and wrist. With a Switch rod you're going to have a lot more fun than you can imagine. 

Rio Products maintains a space on their website entitled Spey Central. Click here to access: http://www.rioproducts.com/spey-central/ 

Additionally, the following link will refer you to a You Tube video illustrating traditional Spey and Switch rod casting and discusses in fair detail the variety of lines that can be used with the two-handed rod. (At 7:27 in the following video from RIO Products, Switch rod lines are discussed).

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fjdfiNjj0E&feature=player_embedded

*      Sight fishing for Striped Bass    

Tom Rosenbauer-Orvis- Capt. Jim Barr

*      A  "Right of Spring" in Rhode Island

*      Aquatic worm emergence in salt ponds

*      Annual event beginning early May thru mid-June

*      Top water "dry fly" type angling- fly & spinning rods

*      Short range casting - sometimes simply "dapping" works

*      Worms begin emerging around 3:30 pm, bass soon after  *      Most afternoons the fishing continues into the dark

*      Mix of fish from 12" to 40"

*      Flat water conditions and no wind

With this newsletter I have the following dates open: May 6-15, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30-31 and the first week of June. I expect that most of these dates will be booked by the end of January if not before. If you've never fished a good worm hatch, you are missing a phenomenal experience. I  refer to it as the closest thing to dry fly fishing in salt water. 

Davos Diva- "tub tested"

Bob Rabiner, is a good friend from Tiverton, RI. He's also an inventor, entrepreneur, fly fisherman, sailor, power boater and... a very creative fly tyer. He is on a business trip as I write this introduction and of late on some of his extended business trips abroad, he packs his vise and a small inventory of tools and fly tying materials... and he experiments with developing new saltwater patterns. We were in touch via Facebook yesterday and he emailed me several photos he took of a shrimp fly pattern he was experimenting with while staying in Davos, Switzerland. "New" means different things to different people and although there is nothing new per se to saltwater shrimp patterns, Bob's choice of materials, design and use of materials in the construction of this pattern was new to me and to him...so we hereby declare it "New". Now as soon as readers view this pattern I would expect a certain percentage will throw up their hands and exclaim that there's nothing new here and what's the big deal. Well there's no big deal, it just happens to be a gorgeous little pattern that in my professional estimation, will be a killer pattern in the northeast saltwater environment where a variety of shrimp are the prey of primarily striped bass. Via email Bob and I went back and forth a bit about how it was constructed and our thoughts about how it would ride in the water and although I am sure it's evolving as he finds more time to devote to the project, here's the prototype. The reader will be happy to know that the fly has been "tank tested" in Bob's hotel bathtub which, granted, was filled with fresh water and at just over 5,000 feet in elevation is slightly north of sea level...oddities aside, I think it looks great and Bob gave me the opportunity to share it with you. For sure this pattern in a variety of colors and sizes will be in our fly boxes for the 2014 season.

Davos Diva

Hook:         2/0 saltwater short shank

Thread:      Monofilament- fine

Body/Carapace: (in order)

2. Synthetic White Bucktail tied long on the underside of the hook and extending beyond the hook eye to create the tail

3. Several more applications (little bits at a time) of Ice Wing Fiber on the sides of the hook shank to build up the body

4. Carapace- Green Ice Wing Fiber tied on top in very sparse applications

Eye Stems: 30 lb Monofilament tied in-each side of body and extending into the carapace area.

Eyes:           Black glass beads from Michael's craft store- slipped over the mono and epoxied      

Throat:        Pink Marabou tuft  

Soap:           Optional