Plenty of sand eels around Block Island, The largest and densest schools of baitfish are at the northeast side of the island near Clay Head. Smaller schools of bait are located between Southwest Point to Black Rock on the south side. There is good striper fishing in the evenings with calm conditions and full moon this week. Nothing large, most stripers are cookie cutter size in the eight pound range. They get in their selective periods and feed rather quickly. Action tends to be short lived as they fill up rather quickly. A meal is easy these days. Most of the bait is hanging over 60 foot contour. When the current changes lots of sand eels move in to the twenty foot range making it better for fly casters.
The North Rip has been rather quiet this week. The sand eels seem to be staying away from the stronger currents of the full moon and rip wash.
Captain’s Log:
Joe Herbert and Ted Stebbins teamed up again to fish the North Rip one afternoon this week. Nothing spectacular as far as large numbers of stripers. We had breaking fish is shallow water on the down side of the bar. Plenty of sand eels near the surface with diving gulls over them. I’ve always thought the best part of fly fishing is shooting a fly to a target. You get instant feedback if you’re doing it right or not.
Ted and Joe enjoying the friendship and fishing together. Life is good when you have an outlet to relax for awhile before getting back to the everyday grind.
Saturday’s trip to the island had all the hallmarks of a Monte Python movie complete with strange twists and hilarious banter. We didn’t need a canned laughter track with Sean Murphy onboard. For instance, Sean had us all playing thespians in a remake of a Discover Channel Documentary. We were the “SEA SHEPARD” protecting the sand eel species from the desecration of the Japanese cannery. In reality, the rest of us just needed separation from his wild illusions. A better line would have been, “What we need is a bigger boat.”
Mark Dysinger always plays the straight man when these two guys get together. All the classical comedy teams like Abet and Costello had a certain chemistry and these two guys are no different. If you were to ask Sean if his life has improved thru chemistry you’re apt to get a remark like, Yeah! I lived thru the eighties, what do you expect? And Mark might say, “It still hasn’t worn off.” Sean sets up each scenario and Mark finishes it off with a retort right on the mark. The two are inseparable friends both as fly fishermen and behind the tying table. When it comes to fly fishing both have an intense pleasure second to none.
What an eclectic day on the water as far as species. They caught stripers, bluefish, pollack, scup, even a sand eel on a fly. Action was spotty and short lived in every place we stopped. We would find working birds and fish all morning, but they would be up and down so quickly. We would catch a few in each place before they sounded and moved on. We circumnavigated the island in the morning than headed to the Charlestown Breachway/south shore during the tide change of the afternoon. A day well spent, well traveled.
Mark and Sean always have a fun time together, but are serious when it comes to fly fishing for stripers.
Mark displays a nice schoolie covered with sea lice before returning it back to the sea.
Sean caught this nice striper near noon south of the island in twenty feet of water.
