Many of the books I had about saltwater fly fishing were dedicated to fishingthe Northeastern shores of the USA.Due to various circumstances, I always ended up in the deep south fishing the Gulf coastbeaches of Southwest Florida.This year it was time for something different. I had to get one of those striped bass whichWere described so often in the books I read.It was time to do research on where to go and what better source than Flies And Fins. After discussing locations with Jeremy of Flies And Fins it became clear that the state of Rhode Island would be a good choice for me.Travel arrangements were made and in the middle of September I was on route to the USA.From Amsterdam I went to Iceland and changed planes with Boston, Ma. being my final destination.While on approach to Boston’s Logan Airport I saw the first signs that this would be a good trip. From the airplane window, while flying over Boston Harbor, I saw a huge school of baitfish being harassed by predators.The last leg of my tour brought me into Rhode Island and the next morning I was on a boat with Jeremy in search of my first striper.It did not take long before we saw feeding stripers and to my surprise these fishwere more picky than I had expected.It took some time to get used to the environment but after a while that familiar tug onThe line was felt, first striper on!We found some good spots and had numerous shots at fish before the tides becameunfavourable. We ended the day on the flats which was a perfect ending since we could sight cast tothe fish.There was even an adventure part to this first day when the engine went dead and wedrifted toward a small island in the bay we fished.Luckily we were able to wave over a passing boat that was kind enough to give us a tow to the boat ramp before dark.Jeremy gave me the grand Rhode Island tour by showing me every imaginable environmentwhere stripers could be caught.We fished from the beaches, ponds, rocky shores, marshes and flats in search of stripers, bluefish and tunoids.It was great to see so many different places in a short time and it really showed me what a grand place Rhode Island truly is.After a couple days of fishing, Jeremy went back home to Maine and I fished the local points of interest near mymotel. Since the weather was so summer-like the beaches were not that good for me, I had expected some more bait schools around.The great thing about fishing was, however, the unpredictable character of migration and weather patterns. So all you could to was to adjust to the circumstances.It did not take me long to find a few places that held fish most of the time.My first week had a steep learning curve but so did the last. Even though I fished the northeast for the first time I did pretty well in my book and learned a lot by talking to the locals and putting in quality time fly fishing from shore.So I have to thank Jeremy alot for showing me around and tolerating some of my character flaws like ordering Mediterranean pizzas or my refusals to walk over slippery rocks withTeva sandals. Next time I will be better prepared wearing my white diamond covered golf shoes and people will look in awe when I hop from rock to rock!Rhode Island is a great place, very pretty and a place I will surely visit again.
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
Marcel,
Outside of the constant whining and ordering weird specialty pizza’s … I had a blast fishing with you. Once again, flies and fins has connected me to people and fishing experiences that would never have had. It was my pleasure to help you find your first striped bass … and I look forward to the day when I get a chance to cross the big pond and fish with you and your crew in denmark or germany or wherever. I would love to try my luck at some of the sea run brown trout fishing that you guys do over there. Anyway, I am so glad that it all worked out. You accomplished your goal of catching a striper. We got to fish together for a couple days and then you figured out all sorts of new spots on your own and had some great luck at night, on the flats, off the rocks, off the beaches etc.. What made it so fun for me, was your enthusiasm for fly fishing. We chased fish from Sun-up until sun-down, had a ton of laughs, hooked a bunch, lost a bunch and caught a bunch. Doesn’t get much better than that! Hope you get to come back next year … see you then!
Marcel, Great story glad you were able to get your first northeast striped bass. a little different from the southern salt that I am used to seeing you in. Great story.
Well, outside of your whining when losing 8 bucks flies you where OK too 🙂
Had a great time down in RI and must say
I was very fortunate to have you as a guide to the Northeastern type of saltwater fishing.
Furthermore it was great to meet other FF members like Shaq and Striper69 in real life down there.
I will do my best to go back next year and when you make it down here you know where to go…
Thanks to share your salt fly fishing dream !
Nice movie too…
We would like to be on your place !
Alx
very cool marcel! glad you hit it right and had a ton of action, good story too.
Marcel,
Glad your trip to the USA was a success!!!
Cool to see folks from the fliesandfins community sharing what they know, catching fish, and having a good time…
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for a tall guy wandering the coast with diamond covered golf shoes, and an 8 weight.
Great job on catching your first striper they really are beautiful fish. Great video too. Alex
Great trip Marcel. I’m happy you had a good time. You were definately in good hands with J-man as guide.
I would have enjyed fishing the Kennebec with you, but I understand you couldn’t do it all at one trip…perhaps next time. Or, maybe we’ll see you back in Naples…?
Have a good winter.
Marsh
Great trip Marcel en great movie Jeremy, loved to see the blitz. How long did you go Marcel, and can we expect some sort of report in the VNV, saw the repot on “prikbord”
Hope to cross the great briny deep one day and fish in the surf for stripers. It will be a whole new experience to the seabass we have here in the Netherlands. Maybe a trip next year Zeebaars, before New Zeeland???
And Jeremy, if ever you come over to Holland I think several people on this forum will be happy to show you around.
Flyfishing connects people in a great way.
Hi Marcel
Looks like you had a good time…I have to try that.
The salt sure is a magical place and you captured it well. Nice report.
Nice report of your trip Marcel , glad you caught that “one” striper. ( couldn’t you send some to Hoek van Holland ?)
Nice video also , wish our seabass would hunt that way more often….
Zeebaars,
Cornelis
There are still to many nets around “Hoek van Holland” but maybe something to consider in the future.
That troutpond at Bernisse used to have Stripers in their ponds right ? wondered what happened to those fish.