[Home] [Adventure] [Rates] [Newsletter] [Fishing Reports] [Magazine Articles] [Archives]

October 13, 2002
Dr. Bob Vanderlin and his two sons of Marshfield were aboard for Draggin' Fly's last trip of the 2002 season. Bluefish were scattered throughout Wollaston but wind and boat pressure kept them moving. The anglers managed to catch some healthy fish on soft jerk baits. These blues put on quite a show in Wollaston's shallow water. Captain Bill moved outside the Harbor in search of stripers and found some pushing bait right up onto the shore. Although both boys managed a bass or two, it was a day for the shore anglers. The wind and seas built, forcing an abrupt end to the day.

The 2002 season was fantastic. It was a year filled with many memories and several career bests. Stripers were available throughout the season in good numbers. Several bass over 30 pounds were caught on light tackle and flies. Bluefish arrived early and stayed late. And some real trophy bluefish were caught during the season, including one that scaled out at nineteen pounds.

When asked at last winter's sport shows what I thought the year would bring, I would never have predicted the great fishing we had for most of the season. There were probably fewer school-sized fish, but there were far more BIG fish this season. Look for a photo album to be posted this winter on www.fishboston.com.

The off-season looks to be a busy one for Captain Bill, who is working to put together a new boat. Draggin' Fly Too is for sale. Those who have fished aboard her will testify to her comfort, fishability, and quickness. If you are interested in receiving a fact sheet, email Captain Bill at dragginfl@aol.com.

Captain Bill is contracted by The Fisherman magazine to write several articles that will be featured in the 2003 editions. He will be working for American Ski Company at Sunday River, Maine. When not teaching skiing, he will be busy at the vise, perfecting some new flies for Supremus Flies. He will also be working the winter boat and sport shows for corporate sponsors. If you didn't fish with Draggin' Fly charters this year, you missed some of the best fishing in years. This past season was a complete sellout, so be sure to book early. Don't miss out on what is sure to be another exciting season.

Again, thanks to all who have fished with Draggin' Fly this past season. We value your friendship and look forward to sharing time on the water.

October 5, 2002
Sunday newcomer Tom Oerlet brought along his daughter and two friends from Maine for their first Boston Harbor adventure. It was a slow start but just after dawn a small pod of bass was located in Princess Cove. Each angler caught a bass before the fish moved into shallower water where even Draggin' Fly coould not venture and it was just outside of casting range. It was frustrating to watch this massacre with no way of getting to the fish. Eventually, the fish moved out to deeper water and the anglers caught a few more.

Monday afternoon Adrian Jackson of Charlestown invitied Jay Hoffman of Marshfield to join him. Jay is a "Hahbah" veteran but Adrian had never fished in his own backyard. The wind blew much harder than the forecasted 10-15 and turned up the harbor pretty good. But unlike the previous day, fish were more cooperative. Captain Bill found fish at almost every stop. Although the fish were selective, Jay and Adrian caught a number of good sized blues and a few bass on Bass Assassin Shad and poppers. Just before dark, Hingham Bay erupted in a bluefish blitz. Adrian is now hooked on Boston Harbor and has already signed on for next year.

Dave Gale of Sharon invited long time friend and fellow fly fisherman Bruce Moyer also of Sharon to share his last trip of the season. Dave and his guests got into some great bass and bluefish trips this season but a previous trip in late August was the Draggin' Fly's slowest trip of the year. This was not the case for this trip. Dave and Bruce were into outstandfing top water action once the tide began to run. Bluefish dominated the scene but Dave managed to catch a few bass using a fast sinking Teeny line to get below the blues. Bruce used poppers and soft jerk baits to earn honor of top rod. Action was in Quincy Bay and off of Bumpkin Island until dark.

September 28, 2002
Sunday, Jay Hoffman of Marshfield was on board as Draggin' fly pushed off of dock guided by the moonlight. Captain Bill wanted to target some big bass that he thought would be feeding on the full monn. His hunch paid off with the first fish almost hitting the 40 inch mark. Smaller fish were taken before the blues invaded the area. As the light came up, bass trapped peanut bunker on the shallow coves of Peddocks. Jay, who has fished with Draggin' Fly for the last six years, said that this was the most unbelieveable surface bite that he had ever seen. Jay used Bass Assassin Shad twitched along the surface to catch dozens of bass, many of legal size. A call from a fellow charter skipper sent the Draggin' fly to Revere's Beachmount area where Jay was able to sight cast to big bass in 3-4 feet of water. The biggest measured 38 inches. Jay has already scheduled his trips for next season.

Seasonal charter, Damon Reed of Norwell and John Kieley of New Hampshire joined Captain Bill on Wednesday afternoon. Since this was the last trip of the season, they invited Ed Nowak of the the Fisherman to share join them. Small bass were found inside Hull. Then Captain Bill decided to move out through the Gut, where anglers found areas of breaking bass and blues. Damon used his infamous Fleece Fly on a floating line and John fished deeper using soft hackle flies fished on a Teeny quick sinking line. Action was nonstop, often in very shallow water. Ed caught the biggest, a 32 inch bass loaded with sea lice on a white jerk bait. John and Damon have already signed on for next year.

Saturday's trip with the Paul Lindsay family was weathered out.

Captain Bill used the time to get the Draggin'` Fly ready for the season finale.

September 21, 2002
Captain Bill originally scrubbed Sunday's charter with Tom Nowak of Medford but the predicted storm failed to materialize. So as the crew scrambled to get to dock, Captain Bill readied Draggin' Fly Too for a mid-morning pushoff. Paul Glover of Kingston and Ed Nowak, senior field editor of The Fisherman joined Tom for this trip. A small pod of bluefish were found in Quincy Bay. Tom and Paul hooked up but parted lines. After an aborted try at getting outside, a nice school of blues had the peanut bunker trapped in very skinny water along Adam's Shore. With the wind blowing SW at 25, it was very difficult to keep Draggin' Fly in position without going aground. But both Tom and Paul managed a few fish.

Wednesday, Jim King of Connecticut used a visit to his son as an excuse to try to fish the Harbor. Jim fishes Long Island Sound and was pleasantly surprised with the number of bass and bluefish. While the bass trapped peanut bunker along the shore, bluefish balled them up in deeper water. Jim and his son, Andrew had a great time casting poppers and soft jerk baits to busting fish.

Harbor veteran, Jay Molloy of Boxborough brought along newcomer, Chris Fourber for an early morning trip on Saturday. A quick run from the Rowes Wharf brought the anglers to the first stop off Gallops Island. The bass had the peanut bunker trapped tight to the shore. Chris was the first to hook up with a Bass Assassin. Jay soon got in on the action. After a lengthy battle on 12 pound tackle, Captain Bill used the Boga Grip to bring Jay's 38 inch linesider on board. There was time for a quick "high five" before the next pod of bass were located. The fish didn't school up, but anglers were kept busy for much of the morning working small pods of bass and an ocassional blue.

Captain Bill will finish the season fishing the afternoon tides midweek and mornings on the weekend.

September 14, 2002
Sunday, Sept. 8 Tom DeCapo of Lincoln brought along his young daughter, Madison and her friend, Tiffany. While Captain Bill worked with Tiffany, teaching her the fine points of casting, Tom and Madison kept themselves busy casting to blitzing bluefish. The bite off Nahant was not as good as the previous day and the crowds were even larger. But all anglers caught fish and left with big smiles.

Captain Bill switched to afternoon and evening trips during the week. It was a family affair on Monday. On board were Dennis Blais of Hanover and sons, Philip of West Boyleston and Eric of Telluride, Co. Eric, an avid fly fisher, caught a bunch of bluefish on his own patterns. Dennis and Philip took turns fly fishing. When not working the long rod, they used poppers and soft jerk baits on light tackle to tame lots of blues. Action was quite steady for much of the afternoon throughout Quincy Bay.

Tuesday, Ron and Catherine DeWitt of Michigan found out that the stories they read on the internet about the "Hahbah" were all true. Again, the bluefish put on quite a show, both in Quincy and off Deer Island. Both Ron and Catherine used fly rods. While Ron used small poppers on his 8 wt., Catherine used small Half'N Halfs that Captain Bill had tied to represent the peanut bunker. These traveling anglers left with sore arms and fond memories of their trip to Boston. Ron, who has fished all over the world, commented that this fishing is truly "world class" and he never even got into the bass bite.

With respect for friends lost in last year's attack on the World Trade Center, Draggin' Fly did not fish on Wednesday. Thursday's gusty winds forced the cancellation of Damon Reed's weekly trip.

It blew hard during Friday's trip but the fish didn't seem to notice. Bluefish had the bait trapped in skinny water along the shores of Moon Head. Joe Gibson and Rob Brubaker of South Boston were into slammer bluefish throughout the trip. Although new at fly fishing, Joe managed to throw into the gusty S.W. wind like a seasoned veteran. Rob caught the largest blue of the day on a white and blue popper. Most of the action was in very shallow water.

Saturday, Paul Ponichtera of Hingham put together a crew that included neighbors, Areline Walsh, Andy Read and Russ. Captain Bill pushed off dock in the dark looking for a dawn bite. The crew got more that they expected as Captain Bill positioned the Draggin' Fly in 3 feet of water off Long Island and told the crew to cast their soft jerk baits to shore. Within a few seconds, all four anglers were tight to linesiders. This scene was repeated throughout the morning, with multiple hookups on bass up to 31 inches. The anglers finished the trip catching blues on surface poppers in Quincy Bay.

September 7, 2002
Sunday, Sept. 1, Paul Morey of Quincy, Chris Wilson of Avon, and Steve Viglas of So. Weymouth were aboard for an early morning trip. Paul, who is awaiting the arrival of his first child, hooked the first bass, a beauty measuring 36 inches, while monitoring his cell phone. Then it was time to catch bluefish that were blitzing off Hangman's Island. Draggin' Fly hit them well with all anglers tight to fish before the fleet arrived to break up the school. On a hunch, Captain Bill moved inside to Hull where he found a good pod of fish working bait in very shallow water. The crew decided to hunt out bigger fish- a good decision as Steve hooked a big bass on the first drift off Hull Gut. The fish was a twin to Paul's bass.

"Hahbah" veteran Jim Fitzpatrick of Holbrook put together the rookie crew on Saturday, Sept. 7. The minus tide of the new moon kept Captain Bill from launching until almost 7:00 am. However, the fish didn't seem to notice. Just outside of the Harbor, the Draggin' Fly encountered large schools of busting bluefish. For awhile it seemed like Captain Bill was in for a long day with multiple hookups and quick breakoffs. With the help of the first mate, Jim Fitz, tackle was quickly rigged and the crew was soon back into action. Bluefishing was fantastic most of the morning. Tom and Brian are still arguing over who caught the biggest fish. Doug knows who caught the most. And Fitzy.....

August 31, 2002
What a change one day makes! With decreased winds and calmer seas, Captain Bill was able to get the Draggin' Fly outside for the first time in two days. Just after dawn, Sunday's charter Dr. Steve Kerr, sons Jim and Steve, and friend Bill Lane were into a mixture of bass and blues off of Deer Island. Moving further north these anglers got into some of the best fishing of the season. The crew battled many bass and some blues on light tackle. At one point, all four anglers were hooked up on bass and three of these were close to 36 inches.

Tuesday was a day to remember for Dr. Sary Aranki and 12 year old Alex of Westwood, guests of Tom Nowak of Medfield. Within minutes of their Rowes Wharf pick-up, anglers were into breaking fish. Soft jerk baits were the weapons of choice until the blues joined in the action. Then the crew switched to poppers. With the tutoring of Harbor veteran Tom, it didn't take long for Dr. Aranki and Alex to learn how to work these surface lures. Bass were up to 30 inches and Alex caught a 10 pound blue.,

Wednesday was the day most anglers only dream about. Captain Bill pushed off before dawn with John Kieley of New Hampshire and his guest, Christine Raisig. Arriving at the entrance of the Harbor, they were greeted by a large school of bass tearing up bait. As the sun came up, the birds found the fish and so did the crowd. The Draggin' Fly moved further north, away from the fleet where they encountered even more bass. John hooked into a monster bass on a soft hackle fly tied by Mike Porreca, a Harbor regular on his boat, Double Hard. After a 20 minute battle, the 43 inch, 29 pound linesider was landed. The action continued throughout the morning as John and Christine wrestled with several other bass, some over 36 inches as well as some 8-10 pound bluefish.

Mike Bertrand of Florida was in town for a three day charter. On Wednesday, a strong northeast wind was up at dawn. There were 6 footers at the harbor entrance forcing Draggin' Fly to retreat. And the weather continued to deteriorate throughout Mike's visit. Captain Bill was forced to keep the Draggin' Fly at dock for the rest of the week.

August 24, 2002
Sunday Aug. 18 was day two of the Paul Ponichtera crew's charter. Joining Paul for this trip was son Erik and Bruce Parson. The day began at dawn with Paul and Bruce landing 34 and 35 inch bass. Bluefish were soon pounding white poppers cast by the crew. Captain Bill moved into Boston and located some nice bass on Governor's Flats that ate white soft jerk baits. A number of those fish hit the 30 inch mark. At the top of the tide, Draggin' Fly Too moved offshore where the largest school of bluefish of the year had peanut bunker balled up off the Brewsters. Paul, Bruce, and Erik were into the best fishing of their lives.

J.T. Rosnack and Patrick Huntington of Milton were aboard for the predawn push off on Monday. Some bluefish were located in Quincy Bay but the fish ripped up the bass tackle. As the tide began to push in, peanut bunker flooded the Inner Triangle. And the bass soon exploded on the bait. J.T., a regular fly fisher on the Draggin' Fly, had been in a number of "Hahbah" bass blitzes but Patrick was a rookie and could not believe the scene of bait busting breaking fish and diving birds. J.T. used small Half 'N Half to catch fish on his fly rod and Patrick used Bass Assassin Shad on light spinning tackle. Bass up to 34 inches and blues up to 30 inches were boated.

Tuesday, the predicted occasional showers remained over the Draggin' Fly the entire morning. The rain didn't seem to bother the fish, nor John Kieley of New Hampshire and Damon Reed of Norwell. Shortly after dawn, large stripers pushed the peanut bunker right up on to Rainsford Island. Damon caught several on his Fleece Fly worked across the surface, while John used a small Half 'N Half fished on a Teeny 350 grain in seach of a trophy bass. By the time the crew moved to the Anchorage, large schools of bass began blasting the bait. Action was nonstop until the top of the tide.

It was a quick start on Wednesday, when Gerry Feely of Humarock brought along Stve and Dan Uns for their first "Hahbah" experience. Steve hooked up to bass on his first cast with his fly rod. For the next hour Gerry and Dan joined Steve in casting to breaking bass throughout Quincy Bay. Then schools of blues moved in and switching from soft jerk baits to poppers, the crew had a ball. The day concluded offshore with Steve, Gerry, and Dan tight to big bluefish.

Thursday was an off day for scheduled maintenance. While the Draggin' Fly was being tuned up for the fall migration, Captain Bill used the time to tie up bunker flies and repair tackle. There are a few openings in September, one of the best months in the Harbor.

On Saturday, Draggin' Fly was back in the water and ready to pick up regular Dave Gale at Rowe's Wharf at dawn. The wind was still blowing out of the northeast. Captain Bill reported that this was the slowest day of the year. Small pods of bass were located, but they refused most offerings. Going offshore in search of bluefish was not an option since the ocean had a big belly ache from Friday's blow.

August 17, 2002
Dave Gale of Sharon brought along his 14 year old daughter, Miriam on Sunday morning. The bluefish put on quite a show. Miriam used poppers while dad used his new custom fly rod built by his wife and they had a ball. These first blues put up quite a fight on Dave's 7 wt. rod. After the bluefish bite Draggin' Fly hunted bass. Although Dave hooked up only one bass, it was a beauty- tipping the scales at almost 20 pounds.

On Monday, Paul Ryan of Hummarock brought along neighbor Gerry Feely and his son Mike. Bluefish attacked bait along Long Island all morning nonstop. Paul used small poppers and Half 'N Halfs on his fly rod while the Feelys used poppers on their light spinning rods. Captain Bill finally was able to convince the crew to leave the blues and go striper fishing. And they soon found out that this was a wise decision. On the first drift, Gerry hooked up to a good size bass and then Mike hit another. Gerry's fish was a respectable 34 inch bass but Mike's dwarfed that with his 40 inch fish. A nice finish to a great day.

Damon Reed of Norwell and John Kieley of New Hampshire wrote another chapter in their seasonal charter on Tuesday. Bluefish blasted Half 'N Halfs, Fleece Flies, and small poppers. Action was nonstop throughout Quincy Bay. Although the blues were smaller, they seemed to fight harder than their size. Captain Bill made the decision to go "bassin" and after striking out at two spots he hit a home run. John grabbed a 38 inch, 25 pound bass.

On Wednesday, Paul Callinan of Holbrook and his two teenage sons, Devin and Michael fished the early morning tide. The schools of bluefish were fast moving and difficult to stay on. Although the bite was much slower than previous days, the crew managed to catch a number of blues including Dad's 30 inch fish. Devin hooked a trophey bass which pulled the hook just before Captain Bill could grab the leader. Devin had the thrill of fighting this monster as the rest of the crew and surrounding boats watched it thrashing on the surface.

Jay Molloy was picked up at Rowes Wharf and was into bluefish within minutes. Again the schools were fast moving and as the wind built, fishing became more difficult. Captain Bill moved to the rock structure on Sculpin Ledge where Jay hooked up with a 32 inch bass.

Dave Deitz brought along his friend Frank on Friday. Frank hooked up onto two bass (one on a jig and the other on a teaser fly) on his first cast. Switching to surface baits, Frank kept his rod bent for the next 45 minutes until the bluefish invaded. Frank also managed to bring a 12 pound bluefish to the boat. Captain Bill decided to move to the outside in search of bigger bass. However, it seemed like the Draggin' Fly was just behind the fish. Switching from the long rod to light tackle, Dave hooked up a good size bass that measured a little better than 37 inches.

Paul Ponichera of Hingham booked a two day charter. Round one on Saturday was fought to a draw. Paul's crew, Bruce Parsons of Sheffield, Ned Rowland of Hingham, and Joe Kehoe of Milton, caught several bass and a few blues on soft jerk baits. However, they missed a number of other fish that managed to bite through leaders, pull hooks, and break line. One 30 inch bass was kept for the grill. All others, including some legal sized fish were released.

August 10, 2002
Monday, Kathy Bourgea of Holbrook and her sons, Eric, 14 and Brian, 12 were aboard for their first saltwater fishing experience. Fishing for the past two days had been slow. This was also true today, with little or no surface action. Eric managed to land the only big fish of the day, a 31 inch hard fighting bluefish.

Veteran Draggin' Fly angler, Jay Hoffman of Marshfield planned a family affair for Tuesday but the cold front and accompanying gusty winds forced a change in itinerary. The day started with brisk northwest winds but the fish were finally biting! Jay began the day with a 34 inch, 16 pound bass that took a 5 inch Bass Assassin fished on a 3/4 ounce Ultimate jig head. After a few more bass, Captain Bill decided to hunt blues on the flats before the wind built any more. Jay was soon tight to bluefish that used the large waves to battle this experienced angler. Jay managed to fight the fish to a draw, landing as many as he lost.

The wind was strong again on Wednesday morning when Phil Strazzula of Norwell, Bill Rovelto of Hanover, and Chuck Tilden of Boston were aboard for their annual "Hahbah" outing. Phil began the day by hooking the first fish of the day within minutes of the dock. Action continued throughout the morning. All anglers caught legal size bass on jigs, including Phil's 25 pounder before moving to the flats for bluefish. Blues were less cooperative but the group managed to catch a few before the tide turned.

Thursday, Damon Reed of Norwell invited Senior Field Editor, Ed Nowak of the Fisherman to join him on his weekly trip. Fishing started with a bang as a large school of bluefish was found pounding bait on the surface just off Hangman's Island. It was a hard morning for Damon on the fly rod. The fish were fast moving and showed little interest in flies. As the wind picked up, the bait was scattered, making it very difficult to stay on fish. Captain Bill made the decision to look on the Deer Island flats for bass. However, all that they could manage were a few bluefish. This was the same in the Inner Triangle.

Pete Gallagher of Norwell assembled the crew for Friday's trip. Joe Garbmeier ande Jay Young joined him for nonstop action, most of which was on the surface. Jay, a Kentucky native, had never fished the salt before. He got things going by landing his first blue caught on a popper in three inches of water., The bite continued for most of the morning before the crew headed off shore in search of bass. Captain Bill found a nice pod of bass off the Brewsters, but they ignored all offerings. On the way back to dock, another school of blues was encountered. A great end to a memorable day, with most of it spent sight casting on breaking fish.

Jim Lincoln of Pembroke and 14 year old son Travis were ready for Saturday's annual Boston Harbor cast off. It was a slow bite until the tide began to come in and then fish erupted on the surface. Jim and Travis used white poppers to land bluefish after bluefish. When the action slowed , Travis asked Captain Bill, "Where did all the fish go?" The captain replied, "At the end of your line." as Travis's rod was almost pulled from his hand. The young angler caught and released the most fish, winning this year's cast off. Jim and Travis are already planning next year's outing.

August 2, 2002
Sunday, Paul Shaffer of Connecticut brought along 14 year old Christopher for an early morning trip. Paul caught the first bass on a small Half 'N Half just off Back River. Chris took several more before heading out to look for larger fish. More bass were found in Quincy Bay and then the bluefish moved in to play havoc with Chris's soft bait. The anglers managed to land a few but the bluefish won this round. Paul and Chris finished the morning casting to breaking bass on the flats.

On Monday, Stephen Holland of Sudbury entertained his son, Nate and Dave Deitz. It blew hard throughout the day but these anglers managed to catch a number of bass and blues. Nate and Dave rotated fly fishing while Stephen threw soft jerk baits. Nate caught his first good sized bass on a fly rod. The wind scattered the bait so there was not much surface bite until the blues moved into Quincy Bay. Again,.the blues managed to tear up the gear.

Ric DiBartolo of Connecticut was aboard the Draggin' Fly Too for a marathon trip on Tuesday. There was no morning striper bite so Captain Bill decided to go for bluefish. Today, Draggin' Fly finally won the battle. The blues changed their habits of ignoring poppers for most of the morning. and only attacked soft baits. They exploded on Yozuri poppers for most of the morning. The bass finally made an appearance on Governor's Flats. Ric caught several good sized fish on Bass Assassin Shads.

Wednesday, Cap and Paige Vinal of Duxbury were into a good bluefish bite just after dawn. However, action was short lived. Captain Bill tried a number of spots before settling in on the flats to hunt fish. A large pod of blues was located and entertained all for over an hour. On the incoming tide, Cap and Paige were able to sight cast to several finning bass. Both hooked up to large fish. Again, the lures of preference were Bass Assassin Shads and white poppers.

Damon Reed of Norwell brought along Paul Jevne for his first "Haahbaah Experience" on Thursday. The bluefish on the flats were less than cooperative than past days, so Captain Bill decided to explore the outer harbor. This proved to be a great move. Damon caught several bluefish and bass on his 8 wt. fly rod, including one that measured almost 3 feet. Paul got into a number of alligator sized bluefish on a white popper. Paul also caught the largest bass he had ever caught.

Captain Bill reminds anglers to either use a wire leader or check your flourocarbon leader after each fish. A very large fish was lost when the leader parted. He said, "I knew the leader was nicked by the last bluefish but in the haste to catch another fish no one took the time to retye."

On Friday, Brian Ribaudo and Bob Dahlineir of New Hampshire were into some bass and large bluefish in the Outer Harbor. The fish were more spread out than the previous day. But Brian got things going, hooking the first nice sized blue on a chartreuse Half 'N Half on the first drift. Bob used a white popper on his light spinning outfit to catch bass and blues. He hooked a big fish that ran out three quarters of his line before he could turn it in. It fought deep like a big bass. Even Captain Bill was shocked when Bob pulled in a trophy blue. Brian really hooked Bob on Harbor fishing.

July 27, 2002
Sunday, July 21 Dave Gale, a regular aboard the Draggin' Fly Too, brought along eleven year old son, Evan and his brother, Dan for an early morning trip. On the first drift, Dave banged a nice fish that fought harder than its 28 inches. Evan and Dan got into the action on light tackle. Evan got a double header with one bass taking a teaser fly and another on the jig. Action was in the Anchorage and Sculpin Ledge.

Monday's fishing was a repeat performance of the previous day. On board was J.T. Rosnock and friend Rick. Once the tide began to run, the fish came up and took surface offerings. Captain Bill decided to hunt for larger bass and poked around the shallow water behind the airport. This proved to be good for J.T. who hooked a number of good sized bass on his fly rod. Rick also got into the action using soft jerk baits.

Damon Reed and John Kieley were ready for their trip on Tuesday, July 23 armed with several newly tied Fleece Flies. The Patriot Ledger's Sean Mulrady had arranged to shadow the Draggin' Fly for a photo essay he was doing on Boston Harbor. Damon hooked a nice bass on his prototype fly just off Back River. Sean got some great shots of these two anglers, who managed to cut through gusty southwest winds. Fishing was nonstop. When the bass were not chasing herring on the surface, Damon and John managed to pull fish off structure.

Weather forced the cancellation of Wednesday's trip, the second time in a row for Tom Nowak's crew. Thursday was a scheduled mid-season maintenance day.

Captain Bill was at it again on Friday. Petrer Gallagher of Norwell entertained friends Joe and Ron. The trio caught schoolies on jigs. Once the tide turned and began to pull, larger bass began to crash bait in Deer Island Flats. Peter proved to have the touch catching a number of bass up to 16 pounds on soft jerk baits.

On Saturday, Bob Sutherland of New York was picked up at Rowes Wharf at dawn. Again, the fish held deep until the tide change, so Bob used a Teeny fast sinking line and a Half'N Half to get their attention. Once the fish came up on the Flats, they remained active all morning. Bob, a very experienced fly fisherman, marveled at the sight of large bass crashing into the herring. Bob is already booked for the fall season.

July 20, 2002
On Sunday, July 14, Paul Ponichtera of Hingham brought along friends Russ and Joel for a light tackle trip. The early morning bite failed to materialize, so Capt. Bill fished some rock structure. The anglers managed to pull a few small bass from the boulders. Then it was time to fish the shallows where Paul and crew got into some bluefish and a few bass. Russ raised a nice bass on his soft jerk bait but the hook pulled before the fish could be landed.

On Monday, Tim Porter of Hanover brought along brother George for an early morning trip. On the first drift, Tim, an accomplished fly rodder, hooked up with the largest bass he had taken on a fly. The fish hit a non-weighted herring pattern and fought deep and hard. After a quickpicture, Tim released the fish. Meanwhile, George hooked a bluefish on a Fin-S-Fish fished on a leadhead jig and a good sized bass on the teaser fly. The blue managed to bite through the leader, but the bass was landed. There was a quick flurry off of Castle Island but then the fish moved into the channel where the water is too deep for fly fishing. Capt. Bill worked the Deer Island Flats to take a few more bass. Tim and George finished the day stalking blues in shallow water.

Damon Reed of Hanover and John Kieley of New Hampshire were aboard Draggin' Fly on Tuesday. These seasoned fly rodders charter once a week throughout the season. After multiple hookups on school fish in Dorchester, the hunt was on for bigger fish. The first three stops failed to produce even a bump but at the next spot both blues and bass were pulled from the rocks. Damon's own invention that he calls the Fleece Fly because it is made with polyester fleece, proved deadly. This fly got the fish out of the rocks as it was twitched on the surface.

On Wednesday, Tom DeCapo of Linden brought along his daughter for a morning trip. The great surface action of the previous day failed to materialize, so anglers switched to fishing soft baits on leadhead jigs. It was a slow pick, but Tom and his daughter caught schoolies. They also brought up a few bluefish on the flats.

Fishing rebounded on Thursday's trip for Dan Fallon on New Hampshire and his crew. Brian hooked up a very large bass only to break off near the boat on the first drift. For over an hour, anglers were tight to good sized bass, most of which approached legal size. At slack water, Dan and his friends switched to leadhead jigs and continued to catch bass, but most were much smaller. Capt. Bill decided to seek out larger fish and the crew caught fish in Hingham and Quincy. A few bluefish were brought up on soft jerk baits but the fish managed to bite through the baits.

Tom Nowak of Medfield entertained Tom Vaner Salm and Dixie Leeson on Friday, Again, a good pod of bass were located on the first drift. Bass were taken on a large herring pattern and soft jerk baits. Draggin' Fly Too had to leave these fish as a violent thunderstorm engulfed the area. After the storm, Capt. Bill found more fish on the flats. Again, another down pour forced a quick retreat and the end of the trip.

On Saturday, John Houston of Framingham brought along his visiting brother-in-law. John hooked a fish on the first drift, but the hook pulled. Two more fish were broken off before John found a 30 inch bass. Once the fleet found Draggin' Fly Too, this pod of bass broke up. Moving onto the Flats, John and Will hooked several schoolies including John's first on the fly rod.

July 13, 2002
Sunday, July 7, Ray Thibeault of Kingston brought along his fishing sidekick and had an awesome trip. The morning began with some quick action on bluefish.As the tide began to run, huge schools of bass invaded the Deer Island Flats and surrounding waters. Ray and John caught bass after bass on light tackle. Most of the fish were in the 24 to 28 inch range and were caught on soft jerk baits.

Monday was a repeat of Sunday. Joe Smith of Pembroke invited friend and well known Boston Harbor skipper, Roger Brousseau to join him on the Draggin' Fly. The early morning bluefish bite in Quincy was slower than the previous days. But the bass bite was every bit as strong. Fish took a variety of soft jerk baits as well as flies. Popular patterns included poppers, gurglers, and snake flies. Joe and Roger finished the day battling bluefish in skinny water.

It was a great rip on Tuesday, July 9. Duane Preble of Maine was intrigued with Captain Bill's Fisherman articles and decided to experience "Hahbah" fishing firsthand. Duane was soon signing his dollar to Captain Bill when he caught a bluefish on his first cast. After a few more blues, it was time to target bass. The first stop at Sculpin Ledge produced several good sized fish including four over 32 inches. As the tide began to run strong, huge schools of bass charged bait off Deer Island and the anglers were kept busy for the next two hours.

A cold front crossed the area early Wednesday morning and winds shifted to the northwest. Wind and seas continued to build all morning. John Kieley of New Hampshire and Damon Reed of Norwell battled the weather, but managed to catch several bass up to 20 pounds. The huge schools of bass once again found bait in the Anchorage but these fish ignored most offerings. The anglers managed to land a few on herring flies.

The weathermen lied again. Thursday's forecast for light northwest winds couldn't have been further from the truth. It blew even harder than the day before, forcing the Draggin' Fly Too to retreat back to port. Even the expert skills of Dave Deitz, a regular Draggin' Fly client, could not cut through the near gale force winds.

What a difference a day makes! Fridam was beautiful: sunny, cool, with very little wind. On board was "Hahbah" veteran, Paul Ryan and newcomer, Mike Kelleher from Allston. Mike was signing his dollar to add to Captain Bill's impressive collection as he caught a legal size bass on the last drift. The dawn bite continued until slack low water off Castle Island. A few bluefish were caught during the slack tide. Then as the tide began to pull again, the bass came back up in the Anchorage. Paul, using a herring pattern was top rod, but Mike held his own using 5 inch Bass Assassin shad.

Saturday, Paul Lindsay brought his two sons, Daniel and Ben, and Charles Laidi from Paris, France. Charles, who had never been fishing before, landed a legal size bass on a lead head jig on the first drift. The early morning bite was no where as good as the previous day, but Captain Bill found some nice fish in very skinny water off the airport, including Daniel's 30 inch. Ben, an accomplished fly rodder at only thirteen, managed a few on herring flies. Dad used one of his own flies to catch a legal size bass, which he released. With no bluefish to target, it was slow pickings until the Anchorage erupted two hours later on the incoming tide. But with an abundance of bait, the bass were not too interested in the lures and flies that were offered. However, all anglers managed to catch fish.

July 6, 2002
Sunday, June 30, Ray Mederios of Conn. and friend Tim Green of Scituate were on board. Tim caught a small bluefish on the first drift and signed over his dollar bill. Anglers targeted breaking fish on Governor's Flats, at the Sugar Bowl and in Quincy. The crowds broke up schools quickly.

Paul Ryan of Marshfield put together the crew for Monday's trip which included Peter Fredrickson of Weymouth, and Gerry Feeley of Marshfield. Peter, a master fly tyer, and superb caster, hooked a nice fish at the first stop only to have the leader bitten through. The Sugarbowl again turned on and action lasted for quite a while. Then Captain Bill took to the flats for sight casting to tailing bass. Peter's small, and I mean small, popper got lots of attention. A monster bass was hooked and ran quickly into the backing before breaking the 10 pound tippet. Anglers had several shots at big bass that tracked on soft jerk baits, but refused to eat.

Wednesday was a corperate outing for the Boston law firm of Skadden, Arps, Stale, Meagher, and Flam. Reel Dream, Roccus, Escape, and Little Gene worked this trip with Captain Bill. Since the anglers would not be picked up until 7:00 AM the skippers decided to fish their way to Boston. Several bass, including Captain Bill's 38 inch, 23 pound bass, and some small bluefish were caught and released before having to leave the fish to pick up the waiting anglers.

As the sun heated the water, the surface bite became more sporatic. However, all anglers, some of whom had never fished before, caught bass and blues. Fin-S-Fish and Slimy Sluggos worked well. Young Madison De Capo, daughter of Tom De Capo who helped to put the trip together, was top rod, catching and releasing bass up to 34 inches and bluefish up to 6 pounds.

The wind blew hard from the northwest during most of Tom Novak's trip on Friday, July 5th. Joining Tom were son Tom Jr., brother Peter, and niece Meagan. The first fish were on the surface at the top of the tide. on the Deer Island Flats. The wind and boat traffic made for very difficult conditions. However, young Tom caught and released a 30 inch bass on a pearl Bass Assassin Shad. Meagan's persistant casting paid off as she caught the biggest bluefish of the day.

On Saturday, Draggin' Fly Too left dock in the dark to avoid the crowd. Mike Moyer of Hanover managed to coax his daughter Samantha to join him. Sam, no newcomer to the sport, was top rod, catching and releasing several legal sized stripers and numerous sub-legals. Mike held his own, even managing a few bass on the fly rod. Bass Assassin Shads were the hot lure. Mike and Sam finished the morning catching bluefish and a trophy bass.

June 28, 2002
After a slow start, fishing improved throughout the week.

Tuesday, the inner harbor was full of herring but the bass were not working them hard. Draggin' Fly found some fish in Western Way and at the Deer Island Rip.

On Wednesday, Jay Molloy of Boston caught the first bluefish of the year in Quincy. Jay also caught several bass on soft jerk baits. Fish were also caught in Dorchester Bay and Deer Island flats. Again lots of herring were located in the Anchorage but there was little evidence of bass.

Thursday Jay Hoffman of Marshfield was into bass and blues for over three hours before deciding to finish his trip ground fishing for cod and flounder. Jay managed the Boston grand slam: catching all four species during one trip. This top rod used Bass Assassins and Fin-S FIsh to catch and release bass up to 30 inches. Most of the blues were 3 to 5 pound fish but all put on great ariel shows. Jay did hook up with a large blue of approximately 12 pounds but it bit through the mono leader before it could be landed.

Chuck Tilden of Boston brought along his extended family on Friday. When one of his crew was forced to scrub, his brother-in-law, Paul added his girlfriend to the line- up. It was a good choice because Brenda, whose only experience fishing was as a child on her family's farm pond, not only caught the largest striper but also the most fish. Her fish tipped the scales at almost 20 pounds. More bluefish than bass were landed on soft jerk baits. Chuck got the day going taking the first fish of the day in very shallow water on a pearl colored Bass Assassin shad. This 30 inch bass was released to fight another day. The wind picked up and made sight casting difficult Then the bluefish made their attack which continued until slack low water.

Saturday was an off day so Captain Bill could attend his youngest son Joe's graduation from Mass Martime Academy. No Joe is not going to take over Draggin' Fly Too, at least in the near future,

June 22, 2002
Draggin' Fly Too managed to get out Sunday, June 16 after forced cancellations of Friday and Saturday trips. Dave Gale of Sharon brought along Ed Shea of Mansfield. Fishing was quite difficult but these seasoned fly rodders hung tough. Dave's modified Clouser proved to be a real attention getter, outfishing all other patterns.

By Tuesday, fishing picked up quickly. Action was outside the Harbor's approach channels, but the ride was well worth it. Most of the bass were over legal size and many approached the three foot mark. And boy, were they hungry! At times, it seemed that the bass would attack any fly or lure.

Thursday, June 20 John Kiley of New Hampshire celebrated daughter Jenna's college graduation by initiating her into the "Hahbah Fishing Society". And what a party they had. Jenna's first salt water fish was a beauty, weighing in at over 15 pounds. The action only got better as the tide began to pull. Conservative estimates put the count at eighteen bass from 30 to 38 inches long caught and released and the number of fish from 26 to 30 inches were far greater. While Dad used the long rod, Jenna used light tackle to tame the bass. Hot flies were Reed's Fleece Flies and Half 'N Halfs. Soft jerk baits worked well for Jenna.

What a difference a day can make! Although the dawn bite began strong, it didn't last . Aftrer a quick surge, the fish broke up and developed a sudden case of lock jaw. The off-shore bite never materialized. On board were master fly rodders Dan Shea and Jack Fallon of New Hampshire. Dan brought along his daughter Corey, who out fished the men using light tackle.

Bruce Moyer and Dave Gale of Sharon were on board Saturday, June 22. It was another hard day where anglers had to really fight for fish. There was no surface bite and most fish came off the structure. Dave and Bruce tried several patterns, but the fish ignored most offerings.

June 15, 2002
The weather is making it very difficult for anyone to get out on the water. This week's trips with Damon Reed of Norwell and Jay Hoffman produced some outstanding fishing. Damon is an expert flycaster who was able to fight strong winds to get his fly to feeding stripers. The hot fly was Damon's own creation that he calls a "Fleece Fly".

Captain Bill has just finished an article on tying and fishing Damon's Fleece Fly that will be featured later this year in The Fisherman.

Jay Hoffman, a regular aboard Draggin' Fly Too, was into some nice fish off Deer Island. He fished jerk baits on light tackle to catch bass up to 32 inches. Smaller schoolies were found in very shallow water off of Harry's Rocks and a school of larger bass pushed herring right up onto Peddock's shoreline. Jay caught and released several legal sized bass before the end of the trip. We're hoping to get back on the water tomorrow.

Draggin' Fly Too begins the summer season at the end of this week with daily trips for striped bass and blues.

June 8, 2002
Fishing this past week was as good as it gets in Boston during the early season. Bass were very active throughout the Inner Triangle. On the incoming tide large schools of stripers worked bait off of Deer Island and in the Anchorage. On the outgoing tide similar action was found in the Harbor's rivers. Brian Ribaudo of New Hampshire and Jack Mulkern of Weymouth found fish right off the Back River

Although fish were small, they were very aggressive. After practicing with these fish, Draggin' Fly Too travelled to the Deer Island flats, where larger fish up to legal size were taken. Most action was on the surface, but Brian used a Teeny sinking line to get below in hopes of attracting a trophy fish. However, Jack was the high rod of the morning. He hooked a really nice fish that pulled the hook after a short encounter with his jerk bait.

Thursday's and Friday's Nor'easter closed the door on scheduled trips. The good news is that Northeast winds usually push bait and even more fish into the Harbor. As seas calm, look for a quick return to the excellent fishing of earlier in the week. Water temperatures are still quite cool, so stripers should become more active as the sun warms up the surface.

Captain Bill Smith

June 1, 2002
Weather was the major factor affecting this week's fishing. When the thunderstorms cleared out it was so windy that even the birds didn't fly.

On Wednesday, Dave Gale, a regular aboard Draggin' Fly Too, brought along his brother Dan and his friend and fellow fly fisher Jeff. Dave caught a bass on his first cast out. He used his own version of a clouser tied with a new synthetic material that has real lifelike movement. Fish inside the Fore River were small so other areas were tried. Jeff bagged a nice bass on an olive/white Half 'N Half. Several other bass were caught on the ledges off of Castle Island before thunderstorms drove anglers off the water.

All other trips were blown off, but Captain Bill is hoping the weather will break this week.

May 26, 2002
On Sunday, May 19, 2002 long-time charter Brian Shura brought along his flyfishing buddy Chris. It was one of the coldest mornings that Captain Bill could ever remember on the water. The temperature when leaving the dock was below freezing. Anglers kept their fingers crossed that the previous day's Noreaster hadn't disturbed the fishing. Little activity was found until the
anglers discovered pockets of bass pushing bait on the ledges of Castle Island. These fish were hard to stay on and the cold temperatures did little to encourage the fish to become more active. As the tide turned and began to move over Governor's flats, the bass did surface.; However, so did the fleet.

Chris managed to catch the biggest fish on his fly rod by using a sinking line and a weighted Half'N Half. Brian was top rod, catching the most on soft jerk baits. Chris earned a Draggin' Fly hat for releasing a legal sized bass.

On Wednesday, May 22, Damon Reed and John Kiley were on board for a late afternoon trip. At slack low water, anglers found a large school of bass finning off Western Way. Some very large fish would follow their flies right to the boat before turning off. Both Damon and John managed to catch a few bass before Capt. Bill decided to seek out more cooperative fish.
As the tide began to flood, the inner Harbor from Castle Island to Charlestown erupted. While most of these fish were small schoolies, action was nonstop. Damon's new invention, the Fleece Fly, had a real workout. We are sure you'll be hearing more about this fly.

May 14, 2002
Wow, it's hard to believe that a new season is beginning. From all early indicators, we are in for a great season. The spring run of cod has been stronger than recent years. Flounder stocks have now rebounded to fishable levels. And huge schools of mackerel can be encountered daily throughout many inshore areas.

Draggin' Fly Too usually begins the season fishing the waters of Duxbury and Plymouth. However, it appears that this year we will move right up to join Midnight VI in Boston Harbor. Captain Roger spent the week scouting the Harbor and called with great reports. Not only did he find early arriving school bass, but he encountered MASSIVE schools throughout the Harbor. Roger also found pockets of legal sized bass.

These fish were busy working schools of small baitfish along the channels leading into the river. Captain Roger reported that soft jerk baits and other surface lures worked well on these fish. He also said that switching to plastic fish bodies that he rigged on 1/2 oz. jig heads caught the attention of larger bass holding below the school fish.

Reports from fly rodding friends rang a similar tune. They reported excellent top water action on poppers and sliders. Larger fish are being taken on weighted flies fished on fast sinking lures. Captain Bill suggests an olive /white Clouser tied fairly full. He uses a Teeny 350 grain line to get this fly down to holding bass.

Damon Reed of Norwell has been experiencing incredible surface action on his new Fleece Fly. Those who attended this winter's fly fishing shows had opportunities to see Damon tye this fly. Captain Bill has spent quite a bit of time testing this fly and reports that it has been one of the most realistic profiles of any pattern he has ever seen. It can be tied to fish all depths and fish love it. Bill has written a detailed article on tying and fishing the Fleece Fly which will be published by the Fisherman in early summer.

A number of new articles have been posted onb our website fishboston.com. Included are Boston Harbor Revisited, Hello, We're Back, and Mixed Bag by Captain Bill. Visit the site to learn more about last season's fishing in Boston Harbor, as well as more about productive fishing techniques. We will also post our weekly fishing report on this website and affiliated sites.

[Home] [Adventure] [Rates] [Newsletter] [Fishing Reports] [Magazine Articles] [Archives]