Arrived back from the States today and thought I'd post a few pics. As is often the case with my pictures the content may be quite good but the picture will be shit, bear with me!!
Arrived in Boston last Thursday about 8PM their time to pick up a car to drive to Rhode Island for a few days fishing. On leaving Boston with the worlds worst GPS we set off south to attempt to find our hotel and drove straight into the remains of Hurricane Igor, worst rain I've ever driven in, wrong side of the road, pants American car etc, was an intersting drive. Needless to say I did not try to get any pictures. Their road system is all f**ked up!
Got to our hotel eventually and called our guide Captin Jim Barr (more on Jim later), prospects for our three days fishing were not good, we decided on a half day (afternoon session) on Friday and set off to find the non existent bar, Orvis had booked us into a dry hotel. We found one
1st days fishing on Friday did not look good, gale force wind and very rough seas but we hit Narragansett Bay with our Guide Jim in his Mako 2201, serious manshit boat
Was touch and go when we got there, sea was on the point of being dangerous but we went out with the intention of fishing withing the bay. after about 30 mins of motoring round we hit a shoal of bluefish battering bait. First cast got a hook up and the fish bit me off at the net, quick change to a wire leader and several fish were landed, most in the 3 to 4lb class.
Were were on 10wt Helios and these things still went, really went for their size.
Eventually the fish moved on and so did we to a mark that usually produces striped bass. We fished a sand bar casting into about 3' of water from the boat which had been set up to drift. Within a few casts we both had fish, this time striped bass.
The best of which was Stu's 30" fish which went nuts, others were all about the same size as my fish. Moved a lot of fish and had a few good takes to surface poppers although no hooks ups on top.
Other things caught that day included
Scup
and
Starfish
Saturday was forecast to be much better but we had a bigger swell than Friday, very unfomfortable to fish (almost impossible to stay standing whilst trying to cast) and we struggled due to baitfish being scattered by the rough seas, first fish caught was the best of the day. An 11lb bluefish which is something special on fly particularly when caught without wire.
This took quite some time to get in
http://www.youtube.com/v/Zzgsfp9iGvs?hl=en&fs=1Only other fish we hit that day were a few smaller stripers as the light was fading away.
Sunday we fished an estuary at the wrong point of the tide, I know this as the stripers started to move in just as we had to leave for the 4 hour drive north to Vermont, not altogether unproductive as I managed to bag a new species on the fly
Although the fishing in Vermont was not too hot when we were there it is very much worth a visit, beautiful place, friendly people and nice pace of life.
Trees were just starting to change, few weeks later and I'm sure it would have been fairly spectacular. Cool wild life, wild turkeys running about the place and where we stayed frequently gets bears in the garden.
Got to fish on the Battenkill River but unfortunately it was at an all time low and, on the evening I get down to fish it was the only "good fishing evening" there had been for several weeks and it was mobbed, 8 guys within a 60 yard stretch so we did not hang about long, all other pools were similarly occupied. Nice river and I will go back to fish it again, saw some nice fish from bridges but unfortunately not when I was fishing, only got one shot at it really as there was too much work related stuff going on.
Tours of the Rod shop are available to the public and well worth it if anyone is ever anywhere near Manchester VT
Captin Jim Barr
Jim is an Orvis endorsed guide and runs Skinny Water Charters RI, by far the best and most professional guide I have fished with to date. If anyone is ever in Rhode Island he is well worth booking for a day, I'd like to find a way of getting over there for a weeks fishing with him, would rather spend cash doing that than booking a weeks salmon fishing anywhere.
Battenkill River - taken on the way home
BIIIG Trout
Cheers
Ben
