Ripping Albie VideoHi Speed Only
Zzzzzzzzzz!That’s all I could hear for a couple days before my first albie fly fishing trip. I really couldn’t wait for the heart pumping, reel screaming action I had always dreamed about. Jeremy picked me up and we were in Rhode Island in no time. The sun was peaking out from the night clouds and we hopped on the Block Island ferry. We arrived and bait was everywhere. Jeremy was convinced we we were all set and went to the spotWe both start blind casting and I caught a fluke, which looked exactly like a doormat when I took it out of the water. Jeremy thought is was hilarious! He said, “Austin, you are the only one I have ever known to go fly fishing for Albies and hook up to a Fluke.” A Fluke is similar to a flounder, except that it has a jaw and regular sized mouth. Much like a Halibut, but much smaller. Shortly after I released the Fluke and we got through laughing about that,
Jeremy yells “I just saw one bust!”. I couldn’t see them from all the way across the river, but they moved closer. “There they are again!” he said, pointing out to a big red channel marker and I saw them. I positioned myself on the flat which had relatively good wind cover. I started blind casting. DOOSH DOOSH! There he is! 1:00 o clock! My fly got stuck on a rock, are you kidding me!? I got my chance with another pod of fish. I put my fly right in their faces but nothing took it.
Saturday, we saw nothing busting, the rain and wind was basically intollorable. Just as we were getting back on the ferry to go to back the mainland, an Albie came up at the docks. “We’re staying!” Jeremy said. We fly fished the docks for only minutes when I heard a yell. “Austin, I got one!” I began sprinting down the docks to were jeremy was, opened up the camera, and managed to get a little bit of the blistering run before the fish broke off in the pilings. Jeremy knew he wasn’t gonna land it so it wasn’t a major dissapointment. He was way into the backing and we were amazed, it was truly a thrill, even for me!
Sunday we got on the ferry again because the mainland had been torn up by days of heavy surf. We met some really hardcore people. I remember getting out of the car and feeling the blistering, cold wind in the pitch black and yet there were tons of guys on the wall and they had been fishing all night. We also met this old guy and his gang in yellow slickers just being brudal on people. “Look at that idiot taking a swim!” an old guy said with his old pointy nose moving about. I’m guessing he was like 80, and an 80 year old saying that was just hilarious. Right as we were about to take a cab to a different spot on the island jeremy yelled “there they are!” The Albies were just exploding while I was taking my seat in the cab.
Sunday was a complete washout and we woke up early. As we were walking into town so that Jeremy could get a cup o’ java, we stopped at a little brige and looked into the salt pond. “Whats that sound?” Jeremy asked. “Just sound like a rock knocking up against another rock” I said. We asked the same question to each other for about another minute then looked under the bridge. “There they are!” The Albies were driving the bait up beside the wall of the bridge. I got into casting position and laid out the perfect cast into the fleeing bait. Eat it, eat it! The fish were so keyed onto the bait they wouldn’t touch my fly. I was so mad, those were the Albies and I had them in front of me for about 2 minutes before they dissapeared. Later on while blind casting, I had my first short strike and it ripped the line outta my hand.
So, we got our chance at fish everyday. We had some good laughs and I learned so much about Albie fly fishing. I will always keep in mind that someday, the Albies will be plentiful and I will get a cast into the pod of albies and one will take hard and rip me way way into my backing, I will bring him in and I will have caught my Albie. In my opinion, this is one of the best things about fly fishing. If you work hard at something, it will most likely happen and the reward will be sweet.
oh man…that was a trip to be remembered. EVERYONE bailed – and i don’t blame them – the weather was horrible – but we still managed to cast into albies every day. i gotta hand it to fisherboy – he hung in there tough. driving rain, wind and the painful agonizing waiting that comes along with albie fly fishing. oh yeah, sometimes it can be downright outrageous and the albies and bonito are taking over the waters – but MOST of the time it is a waiting game and they are infamous for their antics. As soon as you leave a spot they show up – and right when you get to your new spot – they were just there. It’s always the way it goes – except for those exceptional occassions on harkers island, montauk, vineyard, block island, rhode island etc…when you are lucky enough to be surrounding by busting albies or bonito for a good part of the day – but weather and all sorts of tidal and temperature and water clarity factors play their part. and, it takes alot of the start to be aligned for everything to be just right.
it was awesome though when we hooked that one fish – i saw him bust on some bait right near a dock piling when we were getting on the ferry. i was so desperate and i thought, “i know if i hook him he is gonna rip me right into the docks. and i might lose my fly line.” guess what! that is exactly what happened – except he was kind enough to rip me way into my backing and break me off – leaving my flyline intact.
…… he did rip though – my real was really screaming and it will be enough of a memory to hold me over until my albie adventures take me to harkers island north carolina, montauk or florida – i will chase them right down south if i need to —- and in due time —- they will return back here to the northeast coast – and if all goes well – the global warming might just raise the ocean temps a degree or so and then the albies will tear up and down the coast of maine — then i won’t have to chase them – but until then – i don’t mind chasing em.
oh yeah….fisherboy….that is a first for me..i have heard of guys catching halibut, flounder and fluke on the fly – but not me and i have never actually seen it. only you could show up to the albie run and catch a ground fish. that is tooooo funny. that would be like dry fly fishing on the delaware river and catching a catfish…..it made for a good laugh though — and your probably one of not too many fly fisherman who have caught that species on the fly.
We have all had plenty of outings when that one fish makes all the difference on a trip. The fact of the matter is if you don’t go you don’t know. Glad you guys had a lot of laughs and were able to enjoy your time out in the elements. They will be back and so will you.
Austin,
Catching a ground fish on a fly. Now that is a fluke. (pun intended) Suppose if that fish could talk he would be telling the other flukes of how he was duped by a fly fisherman, or do you think he would be to embarrased to tell the tale.
I wish I had been able to make the trip. Even though the weather turned so nasty it would have been great to see the albie on.
Look forward to fishing with you soon.
Sounds like a nice trip guys.
For what it’s worth, I’ve caught a bunch of flounder at higgins beach.
..on the fly.
They have a distinct feel to them on the long rod.
it’s like someone has shocked them with electricity and they just flop like nuts while on the hook. foolish things.