7/28/12 Shamrock Charter Boat

** Not fly fishing related***

Yesterday we went out on my Father In Law's annual company fishing trip on the Shamrock out of New Rochelle. Normally we target Bluefish but this year they were not biting, which was pretty upsetting considering that we chugged all the way to the coast of Stamford to find a nice school of them, then we fished the school for about an hour!  First fish wasn't on board until about 11am, which is drastically different than the 8 - 8:30 that we're used to.  On top of all that the water was REALLY rough and we were getting tossed around.  Here is my buddy Ed who was feeling the effects of the back and forth movement!

The captain and the crew made a decision to have us switch over to Fluke, because we were more likely to catch multiple fish and we can do it in Oyster Bay, where the water is calm.  So off we went to the cove in Long Island to fish for Fluke.  Along the way, those who had been partying pretty hard all morning fell victim to a nap, and I seized the opportunity to snag a very rare picture:

Once we got to Oyster Bay, we had multiple fish on the boat very quickly and just like that the day had turned around.  We fished though the rain, wind, and flurry of Sea Robins that we constantly taking our bait and getting in the way of catching Fluke, but all in all it was a great day.  I rounded out with 7 Fluke and a dozen or so Sea Robins.

And wouldn't you know it but once we got to calmer water and started catching some fish, Ed was much more lively!

Nicole cooked up the Fluke when I got home and it was tastier than I thought. With a homemade tartar sauce, and a light mixture of ketchup and hot sauce to vary the flavors, I really enjoyed the fresh Fluke meal. It was much better than the usual Bluefish that we catch, that's for sure!

All in all another great trip out on the Shamrock, and I'm already looking forward to next years trip, whether Bluefish, Fluke, or anything else the skipper thinks is worth fishing.

However I am looking to get back to the fly rod very soon!!!

East Branch Croton Res - Late July 2012

I went out on the East Branch of the Croton Res again this morning, it was simply beautiful out there with some light rainfall the day/night before.  The water is still cold but the levels are certainly dropping. I attempted Nymphing for the first time with not much to show for it but a handful of tangles, snags and a half dozen lost flies... Part of the learning process I guess.  I also wanted to try streamers, as I'd like to start using them for prospecting new streams and rivers.  I found a nice new hole that was created from a tree that fell from earlier in the month and to my surprise, fish on!  The fish hit the streamer and jumped out of the water immediately, it was quite the rush but it didn't take much to bring in the 10 inch brown trout.  

And of course, a safe release for the fish.

My Gear

I recently was cleaning up and reorganizing my gear so I snapped a few pictures.  keep in mind this is just what goes in my best and bag that I carry while wading.  My tackle box, and rods and reels are not seen here.

East Branch Croton Reservoir - Brown Trout

Went out on the East Branch of the Croton Reservoir on July 8th and picked up an 8 in Brown Trout. This is my first catch on a fly rod and it came off of a Dry Fly!  The brownie took a size 14 or 16 Adams for a quick little run and easy retrieve.  The fish was released safely.