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October 6, 2004
On Saturday, Frank Yalowchuk or Weynmouth and Paul Presco of
Holbrook met Captain Bill before sunrise but the fog was very thick. By
dawn the fog had lifted enough to give the crew 1/2 mile visibility, enough
to allow The Draggin' Fly to leave dock. By the time the crew got
out of the river, the fog rolled back in, so Captain Bill decided to get
out of the channel and fish some rocks. On the first drift, the first
striper of the day took a Vivif jig. Frank switched to a soft jerk bait
as the fish began to push bait onto the surface and hooked up immediately.
Meanwhile, Paul got quite a lesson on the fly rod with just enough instruction
to hook up to a 20 pound bass on a Half 'N Half. This fish took Paul way
into the backing. Not a bad fish for a first timer. After the tide turned,
Captain Bill moved to the Deer Island Flats to hunt fish. It didn't take
long to find some. For the next hour Paul and Frank caught and released
bluefish in shallow water. Then it was a quick run back to dock so that
Frank could get home in time to walk his daughter down the aisle for her
wedding.
Sunday, Joe Arena and Sonny Merrill of Brockton and Bill Baker
of Bridgewater met Captain Bill at dawn. There was no fog but the wind
was blowing hard from the Northwest making it nearly impossible to drift
along Quincy Bay's rock structure. The next stop at Deer Island found
breaking fish. The crew landed several bass on Vivif jigs and Bass Assassins.
Once the fleet arrived the fish broke up so it was off to Revere Beach.
Fish here were also scattered but the crew managed to catch a mixture
of bass and blues until low water. Captain Bill had one more spot to try
before heading in to catch the Patriots game. At Moon Head, Joe was the
first to score on a medium sized bluefish. Meanwhile Bill had his hands
full with a hot fish that also took a jig. However, this fish never made
it to the boat, as it broke the leader. A few more blues were landed before
The Draggin' Fly headed back to dock.
September 26, 2004
After nearly a week of weather cancellations, The Draggin' Fly was
finally able to get out on Wednesday. On board was expert fly rodder,
Dave Deitz of Sharon and a newcomer to the sport, Karl Jacobson of South
Boston. The first stop in Quincy Bay yielded a fish just shy of legal
size for Karl. Then he hit a big fish that took off without stopping,
but the hook pulled before the crew could get a look at it. Moving into
the shallow water, Dave got hot landing several schoolies on his 8 weight
fly rod. Bass and blues were found driving bait along Long Island but
these fish showed no interest in eating anything that Dave or Karl presented.
On the flats along Moon Head bass had herring balled up. Dave scored first
then Karl hit a hot fish that ran him into his backing. This fish measured
a little over 30 inches. After a quick picture, this fish was released
to fight another battle. The fly of choice was a lavender Half 'N Half.
Saturday, Jerry Farrell of Wakefield arranged a light tackle trip
as a birthday present for his eleven year old son, Shawn. Also on board
was Shawn's cousin, Timmy Scalley. Just as the sun was pinkening the sky,
Shawn hooked a nice size bluefish on a soft jerk bait in the shallow waters
of Snake Island. As Shawn's fish was putting on quite a show leaping high
into the air, Timmy also hooked up on a bluefish. Meanwhile, Dada hooked
himself a small bass. The boys managed to catch a few more bass before
Captain Bill decided to try the beaches to the North. Scattered pods of
bass were trapping bait in the surf off of Lynn. All three anglers caught
fish once they switched to small vivif jigs. Finally, the mung weed got
too thick to get through. The crew finished the trip catching a mixture
of bass and blues in the shallow water around Moon Head. Shawn got his
birthday wish of catching a big fish...and he caught several, as did Tim
and Jerry.
Sunday, Draggin' Fly regular, Dave Gale of Sharon brought along
his friend Ben White of North Attleboro for a fly fishing trip. Pushing
off of dock before sunrise, hopes were high for an early morning bite.
Ben missed a fish that hit his fly on the Deer Island flats. And that
was the only bite either angler had. Captain Bill decided to check the
shore front up North. Unlike the previous day, the crew found no fish
or bait from Revere to Lynn. Moving back inside, the crew saw the first
school of the day on Sculpin Ledge. Dave was the first to hook up on a
big fish only to lose the fish when the line tangled. Then Ben hooked
another fish that broke the leader. Just when it looked like the Fish
Gods were going to punish Captain Bill, Ben landed the first bass of the
trip. Moving back inside Quincy Bay, Dave found a technique that got plenty
of action when he dead drifted a Half 'N Half in the current. Dave caught
several bass and bluefish using this method. Meanwhile, Ben switched to
a spinning rod and a vivif jig. He hooked a few bluefish and then connected
with a big fish that put a major strain on the 12 pound rod. Captain Bill
used the Boga Grip to grab the fish, and Ben had his first legal size
bass ever, a 39 inch beauty. Ben switched back to the fly rod, hoping
for a big fish. Dave and Ben finished the day with a few more bass, but
no monster fish.
September 12, 2004
Saturday, Paul Ponichtera of Hingham arranged a light tackle trip
for his son, Eric of Scituate, and friends, Andy and Joe. Leaving the
dock in the dark, the crew was hoping to target bass in the shallows.
The first stop in Quincy Bay didn't produce, so Captain Bill moved into
a nearby sandbar and Eric hooked a big bass. As Eric battled his fish,
his dad also hooked a nice fish. Andy and Joe cast into the bar and both
hooked up immediately. It was quite a sight with fish running over and
under each other. Amazingly, Paul, Eric, and Joe landed their fish. Paul's
fish was 31 inches, Eric's 37 inches, and Joe's a bit larger. Two years
ago, Joe landed a trophy fish, and after a quick photo, the fish was released.
However, to this day none of Joe's family believe that he caught that
fish. As Captain Bill grabbed the leader so that Joe could hold the fish
for a picture, the fish made one last surge and gained its freedom. the
joke of the day was that no one saw Joe catch any fish, even though he
landed another bass over 30 inches before the sun forced these fish into
deeper water. At Moon Head, bass and bluefish were driving bait. These
fish were moving quickly and the wind and boat pressure kept them broken
up. Moving into the shallow water off Thompson's Island, the crew caught
several bluefish on Vivif jigs fished slowly along the bottom.
Joan Murphy of Westford arranged for a light tackle trip boys; hubby,
Bob, and sons Brian and George. It was another early start for The
Draggin' Fly. Just as the morning sky started to pinken up, Joan hooked
the first fish of the morning that put a major strain on her 12 pound
spinning rod as it ran off 50 yards of line. As Joan fought her fish,
Brian also hooked up but the fish managed to pull the hook. Then Bob hooked
up with another large bass. It took some fancy footwork to uncross some
lines but Joan and Bob both boated their bass. Joan's was 37 inches and
Bob's was just a bit longer. As the sun came up and the boat traffic increased,
the fish moved out to deep water and shut off. The crew threw jigs but
got no takers, So Captain Bill began to search throughout the Inner Harbor.
Although small pods of fish were jumped, these fish also had serious cases
of lockjaw. Brian finally broke the dry spell with a 30 inch bass caught
in 7 1/2 feet of water on the Deer Island flats. A few minutes later,
he took a smaller fish and then the Environmental Police came aside to
inform the crew that this part of the flats was now a closed area due
to airport security. The order was reinforced a few minutes later by the
State Police. On the way back to dock, George caught the only bluefish
of the day.
September 3, 2004
Sunday's push off with Draggin' Fly
regular, Bill Lane's crew was a late one due to the minus tide. Joining
Bill on this trip was his son Will, Dave Grace, and fly rodder, Tom Porgia.
After failure to get any attention at the Long Island rip, Captain Bill
moved to the Deer Island Flats. On the first cast Will hooked a big bass
on a soft jerk bait that wouldn't stop. The fish managed to break Will
off. Dave landed a bass on his jerk bait and raised several others in
shallow water. As the fish moved out to deeper water, the crew switched
to Vivif jigs and Tom cast a Half 'N Half. Will landed a 30 inch bass
which he released. With incoming water, The Draggin' Fly
moved back to Quincy to fish the rocks. A nearby boat fishing live herring
pulled some nice fish out of the rocks, But the bass had no interest in
Tom's fly or any lure our anglers offered. Finally, a big fish was hooked,
but the line caught on the roller and broke. Captain Bill managed to grab
the 12 pound line and had Will break off his jerk bait. Captain Bill held
onto the line and attempted to splice the two lines together. Despite
billers, skills, the line broke again before the operation could be completed,
leaving all very frustrated. Even Captain Bill can lose his composure.
What a fish story this could have been!
Monday was a marathon day for the Draggin' Fly.
Bob Nelson of Scituate met Captain Bill well before dawn with the intention
of fishing under a full moon. The first two stops failed to produce, but
at Hospital Shoals, Bob hooked a hot fish that ran 100 yards off before
Bob could stop it. Then it became a tug of war with Bob boating a linesider
just shy of 40 inches. On the next drift Bob got into another hot fish
that was even bigger. After landing this bass and another over 3 feet,
the bass moved into deeper water. Bob switched to a Vivif jig and got
into another bass before the bluefish moved in. Bob finished the trip
casting soft jerk baits to bass in three feet of water on the Deer Island
Flats. Bob was dropped off at Rowes Wharf in time for work.
Jay Molloy of Boxford jumped on board for the Draggin' Fly's
second trip. Racing back top the Deer Island Flats, Jay raised a few fish
on his Bass Assassins. But it was obvious the fish moved into deeper water
once the sun was up. Searching the finger channels, Captain Bill found
a large pod of bass but these fish refused everything that Jay threw at
them. Just when Jay and Captain Bill were ready to admit defeat, Jay hit
a big fish that ran right back at him before charging off shore and threw
the hook. Jay's next fish was a big bass that put up a strong battle on
his light spinning rod and this fish also reclaimed his freedom. On the
next drift, Jay hooked a fish that seemed to react like a bluefish but
took a sizable amount of line. Yes, it was a bluefish, but much larger
that the 4-6 pound fish that have taken up residence in the Harbor. Like
Bob, Jay had to return to Rowes Wharf to go to work.
Rain forced Captain Bill to scrub Tuesday's trip.
On Wednesday, Bill and Phyllis Martin, who live in Florida
and summer in Hummarock, were on board for a light tackle trip. As Captain
Bill positioned The Draggin' Fly in 3-5 feet of water
on the Deer Island Flats, Bill and Phyllis cast soft jerk baits. Bill
connected with a bass that put a major strain on his 6 pound rod. The
wind was blowing hard from the Northwest, making it hard to drift over
the flats and sight fish. Bill hooked another smaller fish that everyone
thought was a bluefish because of its aerial show and were surprised to
find out it was another bass. Fishing off the Inner Triangle, Phyllis
hooked the biggest fish of the trip, a 36 inch bass that she boated. Would
this give her bragging rights? Only time would tell, but it wasn't long
before Bill had a battle of his own. This bass was just shy of 40 inches.
Phyllis caught a few more smaller fish before the fish shut off. Captain
Bill declared a tie-Phyllis caught the most fish and Bill caught the largest.
Thursday, fly rodders Lou Wislocki of Dedham and Richard
Ketchev of Carlisle were aboard. The first stop at the rocks in Quincy
Bay failed to produce, So Captain Bill headed for the Deer Island Flats.
The wind was cranked from the Northwest, which made it impossible to sight
cast. Richard took a small bass on a Half 'N Half in skinny water. A few
more fish chased the flies that Lou and Richard cast but did not take
any. Before leaving the flats, Richard landed another schoolie. Moving
to the deep water by the airport, The Draggin' Fly's
electronics found some big bass, but not in the same numbers as the previous
days. Despite a valiant effort by both anglers, these fish refused to
eat. Fishing the shoreline of Long Island looked like it might be more
promising as the bass followed the flies. But they too refused to eat.
At the last stop in the shallow waters of Princess Cove, the fish finally
cooperated. Richard continued to cast his Half 'N Half, stripping it immediately
when it hit the water, and Lou caught his fish on a herring fly. This
charter proves that persistence can pay off.
The Draggin' Fly will not sail on the Labor Day weekend.
Captain Bill will take a short vacation before getting into the fall schedule.
During September and October, The Draggin' Fly will fish
evenings midweek and mornings on weekends. Think "peanut bunker."
August 28, 2004
Sunday, a new client from Hingham met Captain Bill before dawn. It
so happened that this guest's name was Bill and he brought along his son
and you guessed it-his name was Bill. Three Bills on board. Young Bill
was the first to hook up on a 26 inch bass. On the next drift, Bill Sr.,
a much larger bass that took him into a mine field of lobster pots. Once
the sun came up,The Draggin' Fly moved to the Deer Island flats.
Young Bill hooked a big bass on a Vivif jig that fought hard all over
the surface but the hooked pulled before the fish could be brought to
the boat. The bluefish eruption the Deer Island flats and both Bills landed
a few before the school broke up. Young Bill landed the biggest fish,
a 20 pound bass near the airport.
Fly rodder, J. T. Rusnock of Milton brought along his son Jack for an
early morning trip on Monday. J. T. has been fishing with Captain
Bill long before Jack was born. Unlike the previous morning, there was
no dawn bite. J. T. finally got things going bagging a 34 inch bass at
Fawn Bar and Jack followed with a smaller fish. The Draggin' Fly
moved offshore to search for bluefish that had been schooling by the B
Bouy. After searching the area and several ledges, the crew moved back
inside and worked the flats and channels around the airport. Jack was
the first to score on a 36 inch bass. After Jack landed another 3 foot
bass on a jig, J. T. made the switch to spinning tackle. Before the end
of the trip Jack landed a 37 inch bass and lost a big bluefish boatside.
Phil Stazzula of Norwell and his two sons, Michael and Philip were on
board The Draggin' Fly pushed off dock in the dark on Wednesday.
Michael was the first to hook up with a 34 inch bas and within minutes,
brother Phil landed a similar size bass. As Captain Bill was getting ready
to reposition, Dad was tight to another bass. When the bluefish moved
in, the crew was forced to try another location. The gusty winds made
it very difficult to work the Long Island rip, but the two brothers managed
to catch and release two more legal size bass before the crashing waves
forced a hasty retreat. On the Deer Island flats, both Phils caught bluefish
on soft jerk baits intended for bass. However, Michael earned the honors
as high rod landing two more bass up to 37 inches. It was a cold morning
but the fishing was red hot.
Seasonal clients, Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire
who fish with Captain Bill every other week, were on board for a predawn
push off. While Damon cast his spinning rod, John cast a lavender Half
'N Half on his fly rod. Damon was the first to connect with a 32 inch
bass that inhaled his fly. Before the bite ended, John and Damon took
five more bass all around 3 feet on flies and Vivif jigs. With the sun
up and the tide turned, it was time to hunt the airport flats. But it
didn't take much hunting as bluefish had herring trapped in the shallow
water of the Deer Island flats. For over an hour, John and Damon fished
Captain Bill's special tie, a chartreuse cone head to catch and release
bluefish after bluefish. One more stop produced another bluefish and two
more big bass, with one over 40 inches. Damon and John caught more trophy
fish this summer than most anglers catch in a lifetime. They are already
signed up for next year.
Dan Fallon of New Hampshire and Guy Nicholas of North Chelmsford were
on board for Friday's light tackle trip. Guy was the first to strike
with a 30 inch bass in Quincy Bay. Dan landed a small blue and then was
into a bass. At first it appeared that the fish was small because the
fish ran right at the boat. Then the bass got serious, charging to deep
water. Dan was able to subdue this 20 pound fish. A short time later,
Guy hooked another bass that managed to throw the hook and at that moment,
Dan hooked up on a 36 inch bass. At slack water, the crew moved back into
Hingham Bay only to learn that they had missed a short-lived bluefish
blitz. Dan landed a blue on a Bass Assassin and brought up a few bass
on his soft jerk bait. Moving to the airport to search for blues that
provided nonstop action the previous day, Dan and Guy did not find the
bluefish but they found bass working the deep finger channels. Dan was
the first to score, landing another 30 inch bass on a jig and then a 39
inch fell victim to his line. Guy wasn't going to be left out as he too
landed a bass that pushed the 40 inch mark. While the action might not
have been as red hot as the day before, the fish were every bit as long.
After days of steady bass fishing, expectations were high as Paul Callinan
and Dan Haley of Holbrook met Captain Bill on Friday. The areas
that held fish just 24 hours before were bare. Dan landed a small schoolie
on a soft jerk bait in the shallow waters of Wollaston. Moving to the
airport flats, the crew found bluefish blitzing bait. But it was difficult
to keep The Draggin' Fly on the fish, which were moving quickly.
Switching from surface baits to Vivif jigs, Dan and Paul caught several
blues, After the bite, the anglers pulled bass from deeper holes on Deer
Island and Governors' flats. The crew searched Fawn Bar for bigger fish
and both Paul and Dan caught bass up to near legal size.
Bob Nelson booked a light tackle trip on Saturday and brought along
his brother, Jim and his dad, Tom. Due to the minus tide, Captain Bill
pushed off in the dark. On his first cast, Bob hooked a bluefish that
bit through the line before it could be boated. Hoping for a shot at leader
shy bass, the crew risked fate and continued to use fluorocarbon leaders.
Jim landed the first bass, a 30 inch linesider. After battling as few
more blues, Bob caught the next bass. Once the sun rose, the bass moved
out into deeper water, so it was time to search for other fish. Bob hooked
a fish on Fawn Bar on a Vivif jig but the hooked pulled out. Captain Bill
found bass holding in deep holes at the airport but these fish refused
all offerings. Back in the shallow waters of Quincy Bay, Jim landed a
39 inch bass while his father fought his own battle. Tom's line wrapped
around his fish and parted. Tom and Bob each landed another bass. But
Jim is the one with the story-hooking up a fish that doubled over his
12 pound spinning rod as the line streamed off. Before Jim could turn
the fish the hook pulled, leaving everyone to wonder how big this fish
really was. Although the crew fought a good battle, the fish won this
show down.
August 21, 2004
The weather forced Captain Bill to cancel trips on Sunday and Monday.
Tuesday, Paul Ryan of Marshfield, Gerry Feeley of Waltham, and
Jay Bouryeols of Waltham were on board for a light tackle trip. The first
stop produced a bluefish for Gerry. At the next stop off Nut Island, Gerry
caught a 3 foot bass that pushed 20 pounds and a bluefish bit through
Paul's Vivif jig before he could boat the fish. Paul caught a bluefish
on a jig at the airport. Bass came up for a short time at Sculpin Ledge
and Jay caught a 31 inch fish as well as a smaller one. Captain Bill decided
to finish the trip trolling Fawn Bar where the crew caught and released
several legal size bass. Gerry's 20 pounder won him bragging rights for
the year, silencing Jay who was last year's high rod and Paul who had
been in the lead up to this trip.
Wednesday, fly rodder Dave Deitz woke up his teenage daughter,
Rachel extra early to meet Captain Bill at dawn. By dawn, Rachel had landed
a 32 inch bass on light tackle and then a 37 inch fish. Dad tried several
flies but was unable to interest any fish. Switching to spinning tackle,
Dave hooked a fish in the rip. Rachel and Dave caught and released two
more bass, including one just shy of 40 inches before they lost the tide.
On the incoming tide, Rachel and Dave were into some serious bluefish
on the Deer Island Flats. Dave was using a fly rod popper and Rachel used
a Rapaller skitter pop. Moving out to deeper water, Dave switched to a
sinking line and a Half 'N Half and proceeded to catch one bass after
another. Rachel kept pace using Vivif jigs. While most areas suffer through
the "summer doldrums," there was certainly some great fishing
in the harbor on this August day.
Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire were on board Thursday
for a predawn push off. On the first drift through the rip at the Gut,
a big bass picked up John's eel but spit it before John could set up on
it. A little while later, John had another run and this time set back
only to have the rod snap below the reel seat. Then the blues moved in
and made eeling impossible. It was time to fly fish. On the Deer Island
Flats both John and Damon worked Half 'N Halfs to catch a number of bass
and blues. At times, the fish had bait trapped in 3 feet of water. Although
these fish were rather small, they kept both anglers and Captain Bill
busy. Just when it looked like this would be the first trip of the year
that these anglers did not land a big fish John hooked a big bass that
ran through his line like a freight train. He finally subdued the bass
that measured just shy of 37 inches. Both John and Damon landed a few
more near legal size fish before heading back to dock.
Friday, Peter Gallagher of Hanover brought along friends Joe and
Paul for a light tackle trip. At the Long Island rip, Joe landed a 37
inch bass on a live eel and Paul got a bluefish. Peter hooked a hot fish
that took him right through the rip into the rocks and no pressure could
turn this fish especially on 112 pound tackle. Paul managed to land another
bluefish before the tide flattened. Moving to the airport didn't work
out. There was no surface activity and security chased the Draggin'
Fly out even though the crew was outside the excursion zone. Peter
and Joe each caught small legal size bass at Fawn Bar. Back at the flats,
Peter caught a 31 inch bass and Paul landed another bluefish before heading
back to dock.
Saturday was another weather day.
The Draggin' Fly still has a few openings in September and early
October. Be sure to reserve your fall trip before the season is sold out.
August 14, 2004
Sunday, Aug. 8, Bob Sutherland was picked up in Boston just after
dawn. Bob, an experienced fly rodder, had a strong northwest wind to contend
with, but if anyone could cast into the wind, Bob would be the one. At
the first stop at the Deer Island Flats, Bob took a small bass on a Half
'N Half. Off of Moor Head, a school of blues was ripping up bait. As Captain
Bill tied up a wire leader, Bob hooked a feisty blue that managed to bite
through the 20 lb. monofilament leader. the short piece of wire prevented
any further damage and allowed Bob to land several blues. As the boat
traffic increased, a decision was made to try going outside. North of
the Graves, the blues were pushing bait, but the wind and the big seas
made for uncomfortable conditions, so the Draggin' Fly moved back
inside. Blues were tearing up herring off Thompson's Island. Bob managed
to catch a few more bluefish and a bass before the fish broke up. Both
Bob and Captain Bill wondered what the fishing would have been without
the nasty winds.
Monday, Jay Hoffman of Marshfield met Captain Bill before dawn
for a light tackle trip. Jay managed to catch several school bass in the
Fore River. Moving into Dorchester Bay, Jay got into larger bass up to
30 inches on the surface with jerk baits. Then the bluefish invaded the
bay. Switching to poppers proved to be the right combination for Jay.
After the morning bite, The Draggin' Fly moved offshore but the
blues were very sparse and difficult to stay on. Captain Bill decided
to work Fawn Bar for bass and this was the correct decision. Jay caught
several legal size bass, the biggest being 38 inches. This fish came on
the last drift of the trip. Jay is already planning his next trip.
Steve Keller of Dover managed to wake up his six year old son, Cole for
a predawn meeting with Captain Bill. Also joining the crew was Steve's
dad, Rev. Ron Keller of Danvers. Captain Bill decided to go right into
Dorchester Bay rather than fish in the Fore River. The crew was a little
disappointed not to find any birds or surface action. But switching to
Vivif jigs, Ron and Cole were soon tight to bass. At first, the bass were
short-striking Steve's fly, but he too soon got into the action. Captain
Bill did the casting for Cole who worked the jig to catch the biggest
bass of the morning bite, a 35 inch football shaped bass. Then the bluefish
invaded the bay and the crew caught them on flies, poppers, and jigs.
On Governor's Island Flats, the crew found some breaking fish and managed
to pick a few off before they went down. A good pod of bass were found
holding in one of the finger channels. Cole and Ron caught legal size
bass up to 34 inches on Vivif jigs. Steve caught a 33 inch bass that took
off with his Half 'N Half and a bunch of backing before Steve could finally
stop him. After a quick photo, this bass was released. Cole, his dad,
and grandfather had a great morning in the "Hahbah."
Dave Gale of Sharon was aboard for a fly trip on Wednesday. Captain
Bill set course for Dorchester Bay but ran into a school of big bass that
had bait trapped in skinny water off the Long Island channel. These fish
were big and very aggressive. Dave was fishing one of his own tyes and
Captain Bill was fishing a lavender Half 'N Half. Two of the bass were
over 38 inches and the rest were 30-36 inches. Dave also broke two hooks
during the heat of the battle. There were fewer bass and no bluefish in
Dorchester Bay, so the next stop was Governor's Flats. There the bass
were podding the bait in the shallows and the holding in the finger channels.
The wind was blowing hard, so the drifts were too fast to get down to
the fish. Switching to Vivif jigs on light spinning tackle proved to be
the only way to catch these fish that were in 24-30 feet of water. These
fish were also legal size and one refused to give up, finally pulling
the hook after a lengthy battle. Dave finished the trip casting to bluefish
that took one of his own fly patterns.
Brian Barron of Wellesley jumped on a last minute cancellation to get
a chance to fish with Captain Bill on Thursday. Just minutes from
dock, Brian and his teenage son, john found a school of bass. John was
the first to hook up on a 3 foot bass that jumped all over a soft jerk
bait, but his dad was no going to be left out as he also hooked up on
a hot bass. After the surface bite ended, Brian and John switched to Vivif
jigs and were able to pick off a few more bass. The smallest bass of this
blitz was 34 inches and the biggest was 40 inches, which Brian released.
For the rest of the trip, the crew picked a fish here and there, including
a 36 inch fish on Governor's Flats. Smaller bass were taken at Deer Island
and from the shallows of Sunken Ledge. Brian told Captain Bill that he
was glad that he got the call of the cancellation.
The early morning storm forced the Draggin' Fly to remain at dock on Friday.
Saturday, Steve Kerr of Plymouth brought along Peter Silva and
Devon Lutz also of Plymouth for a light tackle trip. A school of bass
were found holding on deep structure in Quincy but unlike previous days,
they refused to bite. At first, it appeared that more tide was needed
to turn these fish on, but this didn't prove to be true. Devon hooked
a good size fish but the line parted before the fish could be landed.
Moving back inside the Fore River, Steve landed the first fish, a fat
schoolie, and Peter got a few to bite but never got a hook into them.
Moving into Sculpin Ledge, the crew found a small pod of bass. Peter was
the first to hook up on a Vivif jig. Steve and Devon also caught bass
just shy of legal size. Devon also took a small bluefish. The biggest
fish of the trip came from the airport and measured 33 inches.
August 8, 2004
August 1, Bob Moss of Lexington put together an all New England
crew for a light tackle trip. On board were Jim Kearns of Vermont, Craig
Young of New Hampshire, and Bill Herman of Merrimac. Despite a predawn
push off, no morning surface bite could be found. From Quincy to Dorchester,
the crew cast surface lures and jigs for none. At the airport, Captain
Bill found quite a few fish holding deep in the channel. But it seemed
that the fish might have fed all night on the full moon and weren't going
to bite. Jim brought the first fish to the boat on a jig. Putting out
the trolling rigs, the crew got a number of short hits before Bob slammed
a big bass. This would be the only fish that the crew could get to bite
from this pod. The Draggin' Fly moved off shore as the rain came
so the crew decided to finish the trip trolling Fawn Bar. This was the
right decision. Not only was the crew dry but Bill landed a couple that
were just undersized. Craig hooked a very large bass in seven feet of
water. Unfortunately the fish managed to outsmart Craig and somehow threw
the hook.
After a few days off to test the offshore waters of Newport, Captain Bill
was back in Boston on Thursday. The forecast was rain developing
midmorning.
Dan Shea, a veteran flyrodder from New Hampshire, met Captain Bill at
dock.
However, the rain was heavy with no signs of letting up. The decision
was made to scrub the trip and go to breakfast. It was harder finding
a restaurant at 5: am than fish.
Friday, Dave Deitz of Sharon brought along his friend, Frank. The
wind was blowing hard from the North, making it difficult for Dave to
throw his fly and to control any drifts over the structure. After failing
to find fish in the shallow water, the crew finally found fish in one
of the finger channels on Deer Island Flats. Frank was the first to connect
on a bucktail jig. Dave caught and release a 30 pound fish on a Half 'N
Half. After a few more fish, the fish moved out to areas unknown. Captain
Bill put the trolling gear out and worked the edges of the airport runway.
Frank brought up a 34 inch bass and switched back to spinning gear. Dave
threw a fly but found no takers. Back trolling, the crew caught and released
several other legal fish up to 3 feet. Dave did manage to catch and release
a 34 inch bass on his fly to finish the trip.
Saturday, Joe Smith of Kittery, Maine met Captain Bill at 4: am
but his uncle was a no show - this would prove to a major mistake as Joe
got into some serious bluefish and a number of bass up to 36 inches. A
call from a fellow angler of bass and blues in the North Channel came
as Joe was fighting the first bass of the trip. The seas were being pushed
by a brisk northwest wind, but Joe didn't mind as he would see the sky
blackened with birds. Blues were driving small bait but clobbered Joe's
popper. After Joe had wrestled several blues to the boat, he told Captain
Bill it was time to hunt bass. It didn't take long before the first bass
to hit the deck at Fawn Bar. Joe kept this bass for his uncle's family
feast. Three other bass, all over
34 inches, were caught and released before Joe had to head in for the
cookout.
July 31, 2004
Monday J.T. Rosnock of Milton and Rich Torelli of Newton met Captain
Bill for an early morning fly fishing trip. J.T. picked up a small bass
on a Quincy rock pile and then a school of big bass began driving bait
just off the channel. For the next 45 minutes, J.T. and Rich were hooked
up to good size bass. They were fishing Half 'N Halfs and cone head flies.
Another school of bass was found working around Hangman's Island. These
fish were smaller but every bit as aggressive as the first schools. Some
bluefish were mixed in- just to keep things interesting. Rich brought
along an underwater camera so the crew was able to watch many bass and
blues below the surface. After this bite ended, Captain Bill moved the
Draggin' Fly back inside and found some legal size bass. J.T. and
Rich had a very productive trip.
Rain forced Captain Bill to cancel Wednesday's trip.
Rick Lucas of Pembroke and John Getchell of Braintreee were on board Thursday
for a light tackle trip. The first stop in the rocks in Quincy proved
frustrating for the Captain and the crew. A number of bass were hooked,
but the first broke the line and the second pulled the hook. Finally,
Rick got things going landing the first bass of the trip and for the next
half hour the fish became more cooperative. After the morning bite, a
decision was made to move offshore to look for bluefish. Just north of
the graves, Rick and John got into some great action with a 6-8 pound
bluefish on poppers. Rick was more interested in watching the fish attack
than landing them and tried his best not to set the hook. Captain Bill
had to keep checking Rick's lures to make sure he actually had a hook.
Even this didn't work as he caught several choppers who refused to play
his game. The crew ended the day catching a few more bass at Fawn Bar.
Friday, Captain Bill organized a five boat charter for the Boston
law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom. It took a number
of phone calls to get security clearance so that the charter boats could
pick up in Boston. Due to the late start, the morning bite was missed,
so the boats went offshore to search for bluefish. On board were Jay Molloy,
who organized this annual event, and a newcomer to Boston Harbor, Jason
Wieba of Rhode Island. Jay was the first to score on a white popper. For
the next two hours, Jay and his fishing partner, Jason tossed poppers
to hungry choppers. Most of the fish were in the 6-8 pound range but Jay
got one that pushed 12 pounds. Captain Bill was finally able to convince
the crew to leave the bluefish and concentrate on bass. Before the end
of the trip, Jay and Jason caught six bass up to 36 inches. The rest of
the boats had similar success with bluefish and all the anglers left with
big smiles. The surprise fish of the day was a 32 inch cod caught on Deadly
Dick off of Egg Rock.
July 26, 2004
Monday's trip was scrubbed due to the weather.
On Tuesday, Ernie Milani of Norwell brought along his grandson,
Tom for a light tackle trip. Pushing off the dock in the fog, the Draggin'
Fly made its way to the shoreline of Grape Island. On the first drift,
Tom brought up a big bass that crashed on his Bass Assassin jerk bait
but failed to stick the hook. This scene was repeated several times with
the same results- the fish winning. Finally, Tom got the hook into a legal
size bass. Before the tide went slack, four more bass up to 30 inches
were landed. Even Captain Bill missed a number of strikes, including a
good size bass that attacked the jerk bait four times only to swim away.
The bluefish were not off shore, so the crew finished the trip chasing
bass in the shallows.
The Draggin' Fly was back on the water Thursday after a day off
for a motor overhaul. On board were seasonal charters, Damon Reed of Vermont
and John Kieley of New Hampshire. At the first stop in Hingham, John proved
that he could catch a fish on the fly. Fishing a Half 'N Half in eight
feet of water got the attention of several bass up to 30 inches. Captain
Bill convinced Damon, who was working a popper on the surface, to switch
flies and get it down. On the second cast, Damon hooked a fish that took
him deep into his backing, and he knew he had a trophy fish when the bass
headed for shore even with Damon applying full pressure. Captain Bill
had to move the boat around some lobster pots, but Damon managed to hang
on to the fish. Finally, the 41 inch bass was brought up to the boat,
and Captain Bill grabbed her with the Boga. After a quick picture, the
fish was revived and released. At the next stop at Governor's Flats it
was John's turn to fight a big fish on the fly. After several school bass,
John hit a hot fish that also took off to deeper water. This fish measured
36 inches. As the fish moved off into deeper water, John and Damon allowed
their Half 'N Halfs to sink deeper and continued to catch fish including
a 37 inch fish.
On Friday, Jim Fitzpatrick brought along Brian Coakley of Brockton,
Tom McDonald of Halifax, and Doug Darcy of Hanover. Captain Bill knew
he would have his hands full when all four anglers announced they were
lefties. But Brian put him at ease by bringing up a bass on a Bass Assassin
on the first cast and catching a legal size fish soon after. For whatever
reason, that bass showed a preference for Vivif jigs over soft jerk baits.
The bite at the first stop didn't last long, so the Draggin' Fly
moved deeper into Quincy Bay. Jim caught the first bluefish on a soft
jerk bait and Brian quickly made it a double. Tom caught and released
a legal size bass, as did Doug. At the airport, Tom caught the biggest
bass of the day, a 32 inch fish. A number of other fish were raised but
avoided the hook.
Saturday, Captain Bill shoved off of dock very early, hoping to
stay ahead of the predicted rain. On board were Draggin' Fly regular,
Bill Lane and his son, Will. The first stop in Hingham produced legal
size bass and a stray bluefish that fell victims of Vivif jigs. After
the dawn bite, Bill and Will each caught bass in the shallow waters of
Quincy. At the airport flats, Bill was the first to score on a soft jerk
bait, but Will's next fish proved to be slightly larger. Then the rain
arrived and forced a quick retreat.
July 19, 2004
Sunday, July 11 Dave Gale of Sharon, a Draggin' Fly regular,
brought along his eldest daughter, Sarah, for an early morning trip. Captain
Bill was instructing Sarah how to work a soft jerk bait when a bass rushed
the lure. Sarah cast her Bass Assassin back out and this time a bass jumped
on it. Unfortunately, Captain Bill never got around to telling Sarah how
to set the hook. Next time he will have to talk faster. Bass were driving
herring along Hospital Shoals, but they were nearly impossible to stay
on. Drifting over an underwater rock pile, Sarah was again the first to
hook up. This time she had a double; one bass hit the Vivif jig and the
other the teaser fly. On the next drift, Dave hit a hot fish on a Clouser
that put quite a bend in his seven weight fly rod. Almost immediately,
Sarah hooked up on a big fish on her jig. Dad's was 27 1/2 inches and
Sarah's was 36 inches. It was a fun morning for both anglers.
Paul Ryan put together the crew for Monday's trip. On board were
Dan White of Belmont and Chris Golden of Holbrook. At first, it seemed
like nothing had changed: the bass were holding deep and only occasionally
drove the bait to the surface. Chris was the first to score on school
bass that took a Vivif jig. Dan was next with a larger fish that also
took a jig. Paul was fly fishing with no luck. After Chris and Dan caught
a few more fish, Captain Bill decided to try the shallows to give Paul
a better shot at fish. The crew jumped several fish that were tailing
and didn't show much interest. Dan managed to catch a bluefish on a soft
jerk bait. Suddenly, Paul struck a very large bass on a Half 'N Half that
ran straight into his backing. The fish became just another fish story
when the hooked pulled. After the tide turned, the crew got into some
big fish in the shallows. Dan had bragging rights with his 36 inch bass.
Phil Strazzula of Norwell brought along his son Philip and Bill Rovelto
of Hanover. Captain Bill had his hands full with two Phils and two Bills.
Phil, Sr., things going, landing a 32 inch bass on his second cast with
a Bass Assassin. But that was all the crew could manage from the shallows.
On a hunch, the Draggin' Fly moved into the inner Harbor and found
a large school of hungry bass driving herring in Dorchester Bay. For two
hours, Phil, Sr., Phil, Jr., and Bill caught bass after bass. Many of
them were legal size fish. The crew decided to leave these fish to search
for a trophy. The first stop at Governor's Flats found only small fish
At the Deer Island flats, it was a repeat, so Captain Bill positioned
the boat closer to shore. Suddenly, Bill hit a hot fish and as his battle
progressed, young Phil had another hot fish on his hands. Bill's fish
was 32 inches and Philip's measured a little over 37 inches. The rain
forced the crew to run back to dock.
On Wednesday, Captain Bill left dock in the rain and fog to pick
up Adrian Jackson of Charleston, South Carolina, Scott Smith and Ryan
McCall in Boston. Captain Bill was hoping that the weatherman's forecast
for an early morning clearing would be correct. However, the occasional
showers were constant over the Draggin' Fly all morning. The predicted
light northeast wind was also incorrect as the wind blew HARD all morning.
The surface action of the previous day failed to materialize, so Captain
Bill moved back into Quincy Bay. Drifting along Long Island, Ryan was
the first to connect with a 29 inch bass that took a Vivif jig. Scott
raised a few fish on a surface jerk bait but was unable to hook them.
The crew picked a few fish in the finger channels of the Deer Island Flats,
including a double header for Adrian. He was fishing a teaser fly above
a Vivif jig. Each of the anglers managed a few more fish before heading
in to dry off. On the way back to Rowes Wharf, a small pod of bass was
pushing herring off of Castle Island. Ryan and Scott each caught another
bass on bucktail jigs.
At least the wind and rain disappeared for Thursday's trip, but
the fog was still there. Paul Callanan, Dan Healy, and Fran Ogar, all
of Holbrook, were on board for a light tackle trip. The start was slow
but once the tide began to move some bass came into Quincy Bay. Rather
than chasing birds, Captain Bill set up a drift in the shallow water.
Paul was the first to hook up on a school bas on a Vivif jig. Fran had
several bass chase his soft jerk bait and one finally at it. This was
a bigger fish. Paul and Fran each caught a few more bass before the fish
moved out into deeper water. On the Deer Island Flats, Dan caught a few
more bass on a Bass Assassin. A few other fish followed but would not
eat. Paul and Fran each caught a fish at the Long Island rip and Dan got
bragging rights for the last fish on the way home at Spires Stand. After
the fast action of the beginning of the week, this was rather a slow trip,
but the Holbrook crew will be back after them in Late August.
On Friday, Bob Vanderlin of Marshfield brought along his 14 year
old son, Davis, and his brother Keith, who makes an annual pilgrimage
from Pennsylvania to fish Boston Harbor. It looked like things would get
going when Keith hit a big bass on a Bass Assassin at the first stop in
skinny water. This fish quickly ran off 50 yards of line before doubling
back and pulling the hook. Bob's soft jerk bait was attacked by a bluefish
that managed to bite through the lure. Fishing off the airport, Davis
landed the first fish of the trip, a 26 inch striper. Although a number
of other fish were jumped, all refused any lure. Keith got some practice
casting the long rod in saltwater but found no action. Davis caught the
next bass. Back inside, both Davis and Keith took bass off a rock pile.
Last year, this same crew fished through heavy rain to land some impressive
fish. At least this year they were warm and dry.
Steve Kerr of Plymouth brought along his two sons, 12 year old Jim and
18 year old Steve for Saturday's light tackle trip. Joining the
Kerrs was Draggin' Fly regular Bill Lane of Duxbury. Jim, last year's
top rod, was the first to connect with a good size bass on a Bass Assassin
in six feet of water. The fish broke off before Captain Bill could grab
it. The crew raised a few more fish but never got a hook into them. Moving
into Dorchester Bay, young Steve was the next to hook up with a school
bass. On the next drift, Bill hooked a fish just short of legal size.
Jim also got into the action, catching and releasing a bass. The crew
struck out at the airport but found bigger and more cooperative fish at
Fawn Bar. As Steve, Sr., fighting a decent fish, Bill hooked another that
proved to be the biggest fish of the day.
On Sunday, Paul Ponichtera of Hingham had his crew ready to shove
off before dawn. Joining Paul were his cousin Allan Ponichtera of New
Bedford, Bob Kizelewicy of Holbrook and Russ Caruso of Hingham. Paul was
the first to hook up on a Bass Assassin in five feet of water shortly
after leaving dock. For the next hour, the crew kept Captain Bill busy
unbuttoning bass. All the fish were caught on soft jerk baits twitched
slowly in the shallow water. Bob caught and released the largest fish
at 30 inches. Captain Bill moved the Draggin' Fly offshore in search
of blues. There were no blues at Martin's Ledge, but scattered pods were
found on Three and a Half Fathom Ledge. These fish reacted more like bass,
only hitting slowly worked lures. Allan not only caught blues, he also
landed a sandshark. Bob again caught the biggest blue, a 12 pounder on
a Bass Assassin. The last stop in Quincy Bay produced a 32 inch bass for
Paul.
July 10, 2004
The trip for Monday, July 5th, was scrubbed as wind and rain moved
across Boston.
Joe Ramaci of Hanson met Captain Bill at dawn on Tuesday for a
light tackle trip. Reports from the weekend didn't seem too promising.
But minutes from dock, Joe was tight to a bass in Hingham Bay. For the
next hour, Joe continued to catch and release bass on Bass Assassins and
Vivif jigs. At times the fish were right on shore and other times they
were holding deep in the finger channels of the bay. The next stop at
Rainsford Island found larger fish that had herring pinned up in very
shallow water. Joe managed a few fish on Bass Assassins, but the biggest
fish came on Vivif jigs fished just below the surface. Joe caught several
legal size bass up to 36 inches. After the tide turned, more legal size
bass up to 32 inches were caught at the airport
.
Dave Deitz, an excellent fly rodder from Sharon, was on board Wednesday.
Just after first light, bass began pushing bait between Rainsford and
Long Island. The fish would erupt on the surface, grab a herring, and
then sound. Dave worked a large fly rod popper but never connected. Captain
Bill's Bass Assassin was ignored. Both Dave and Bill knew that this would
be a much different day than yesterday. After making the switch to fish
deep, the first bass of the day was boated. The fish measured 32 inches.
Dave took a few smaller bass in the Long Island rip of Quincy Bay. A few
large bass were jumped in the shallow water but they were not interested
in any flies. Captain Bill had a spot off the airport that was holding
some big bass. Dave was casting a 7 1/2 inch Half 'N Half that he tied
but the fish were not interested. Switching to a 3 1/2 inch fly, Dave
caught two school bass. Making the crossover to rubber, Dave caught a
36 in bass.
On board Thursday were John Kieley of New Hampshire and Damon Reed
of Vermont, seasonal clients who fish with the Draggin' Fly every
other week. Captain Bill made a difficult decision when he decided to
leave Hingham Bay to fish Hospital Shoal. It turned out to be the wrong
move because the bass came up in the Bay and Damon caught the only fish
at Hospital Shoal. Unfortunately, this was to be a difficult day for these
excellent fly rodders. The fish in the rip would follow but not take the
fly. And the fish on the airport flats refused even to follow the fly.
But John and Damon each managed to fool a few fish up to 32 inches before
calling it a day.
Duffy Ross of Marshfield brought along Craig Fitzgerald of Newton and
Michael Thwing of South Boston for Friday's light tackle trip.
After picking up the crew in Boston, Captain Bill headed to the shallow
waters of Quincy. Casting Bass Assassins right to the shore got the quick
attention of some very hungry bass. And in the fog, the Draggin' Fly
had all these fish to herself. Michael was the first to connect with a
legal size bass. Craig got into a 32 inch fish and Duffy was next. The
crew drifted along the shore for the next two hours catching and releasing
several bass all on surface baits. Before the morning was over, Michael,
Duffy, and Craig got a chance to pull bass from the Long Island tip and
the airport flats. A morning that these three anglers will long remember.
June 27, 2004
Monday, June 21 Gerry Feeley, Paul Ryan, and Michael Kelliher of Marshfield
braved a brisk westerly wind that put a damper on the plans for shallow
water hunting. Instead, Captain Bill decided to check out a few rips.
The first drift along the west side of Gallops produced the first fish
of the day for Michael. This legal size fish fell for a bucktail jig.
Incredibly, the entire shoreline erupted with bass driving the bait onto
the shore. Paul hooked a hot fish the quickly ran through his flyline
and deep into the backing before he could stop it. After another substantial
run, Paul landed his twenty pounder on a Half 'N Half. The fish pushed
the bait into the shallow waters of Nix's Mate and the boys connected
with a few more smaller bass up to thirty inches before the dropping tide
forced a hasty retreat. Gerry caught the biggest fish of the trip off
the eastern tip of Lovell Island on a swimming jig. The crew finished
the trip casting to breaking fish along the airport.
On Tuesday, Paul Snell, an excellent flyfisher from Danvers, brought
along his fifteen year old nephew, Jonathan Rouillard, for an early morning
trip. It was the teen who was the first to connect, landing a bluefish
in Quincy Bay. This was the only fish that would cooperate, so Captain
Bill decided to check out yesterday's hot spots. What a difference a day
can make! No fish. However, Paul's and Jon's patience finally paid off
when Paul hooked a hot fish. This fish put on quite a show, thrashing
all over the surface. This three foot bass pushed the twenty pound mark.
Jon caught a few bass and dropped another that ran him into the kelp.
The way this fish ran off line, it might have rivaled his uncle's fish.
After the tide turned, Paul caught another thirty inch bass on a lavender
Half 'N Half at the Deer Island Flat. The weather was deteriorating, so
it was time to call it a day.
Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire, seasonal clients
of the Draggin' Fly were on board Wednesday. The wind was
still blowing hard and had switched around to the northwest, but these
veteran fly rodders were game to give it a try. A small pod of bass had
bait pinned up in the Quarantine Rocks. Damon and John managed to pick
up a few fish on a cone head bunny. After this initial surface bite, things
got mighty quiet and the wind got even stronger. Captain Bill finally
persuaded these anglers to troll or admit defeat. Reluctantly, Damon and
John agreed to troll. Captain Bill set up the troll along a sharp drop-off
just off the airport. As the Draggin' Fly dropped out of four feet
of water into twelve feet, John got slammed by rally big fish. After several
substantial runs, the fish was brought to the boat and Captain Bill grabbed
it with the Boga grip. This fish bottomed out the scale, but all on board
knew it was John's first forty pound bass. It was photographed and released.
A half hour later, Damon hooked another fish over thirty-six inches. Sometimes
change is good. But John and Damon will be back casting flies next week.
.
Thursday, Tony DeStephano and Rick Trudella of New Hampshire were
on board. While Rick cast the fly rod, Tony used spinning gear to cast
soft jerk baits. The trip began with the anglers casting to finning bass
in the shallows of Quincy Bay. Rick was the first to score on a small
schoolie. Captain Bill noticed a lot of bird action by the Quarantine
Rocks and moved the Draggin' Fly to acres of breaking fish. For
the next hour, both Rick and Tony were tight to bass. Rick was casting
a fairly large Half 'N Half and Tony was casting Bass Assassins. Fish
averaged 22-26 inches, although Rick hooked a much larger fish that broke
his twelve pound fluorocarbon leader. After the surface ended, a decision
was made to move back into the shallow water. Several bass were jumped
but only one was hooked. Before moving offshore, the crew trolled plastic
to see if any fish were interested. Rick landed a 38 inch, 25 pound striper
and released a 30 inch fish. Tony hooked a really large fish that he was
able to turn before it threw the hook.
Chuck Tilden of Dorchester put together Friday's crew for a light
tackle trip that included Paul Hines and Chris Martin of W. Yarmouth and
Jim Fitzpatrick of Holbrook. The fish were not working the surface as
they did the day before, so Captain Bill set up on a rip. The crew worked
leadhead jigs and caught a number of schoolies before Paul hooked a 30
inch fish. At the same time, Chuck hooked a six pound bluefish. Next the
Draggin' Fly moved into the shallows but the gusty winds made sight
casting impossible. Captain Bill had the crew work soft jerk baits over
a mussel bed. Again Chuck's lure was inhaled by a big bass that put on
quite a surface battle before it could be subdued. This fish weighed in
at 20 pounds. Before the end of the trip, the crew landed over forty bass
with ten between 30-37 inches.
Captain Bill pushed the start of Saturday's trip back because NOAA
was predicting rain and for. After picking up Bob Sutherland of Plattsburg,
NY at Rowes Wharf well after dawn, the Draggin' Fly headed to Governor's
Flats to begin a day of fly fishing. Within minutes, Bob was casting to
breaking fish. It took awhile to connect, but once Bob switched flies
to a Half 'N Half it didn't take long to hook the first bass of the trip.
The fish were driving bait along the flats, so after several unsuccessful
attempts to intercept them, Captain Bill set up the drift to bring the
Draggin' Fly out of a deep water channel onto the flats. This worked
as Bob used a fast sinking line to get his fly down to the fish. Bob's
second fish was a respectable size school bass. But the next one ran out
all his fly line. Once into his backing, Bob knew he had hooked a really
nice fish. And what a battle! After a quick photo, Bob released the biggest
striper he ever caught, a 25 pounder. The rest of the trip was uneventful-
a lot of casting and a few small fish. Bob has planned his next trip for
early August.
June 20, 2004
On Saturday, June 19th, Bob Nelson of Scituate brought along his
brother, Jim of Lynn and brother-in-law, Matt West of Scituate. Visibility
was limited to a half mile, but that's all that Captain Bill needed to
put the anglers on to fish in Quincy's shallow waters. It was difficult
to get the fish to eat. Jim, who had just moved back to Massachusetts
from Florida where he fished the backwaters for snook, was the first to
score. Jim used a bass assassin shad to hook a wild fish that proved to
be the first bluefish. Just before slack low tide, the fish became a little
more cooperative. Bob was the first to catch and release a legal size
bass.
On the incoming tide, The Draggin' Fly moved to Dorchester Bay
where the fish were keyed into herring and refused all artificials. Moving
to the airport flats, the anglers found more cooperative fish. Matt was
the first to score with a 32 inch linesider on a soft bait. At one point,
both Jim and Matt were tight to legal size fish. Bob also got nailed but
the fish missed the hook. As the wind picked up, the fish shut down.
Sunday's annual Father's Day trip with Draggin' Fly regular,
Dave Gale and son was scrubbed because of strong northwest winds.
The Draggin' Fly begins her summer schedule this week, sailing
seven days a week.
Sunday, June 20, Ernie Milani of Norwell brought along his grandson,
Tom with orders to catch the young man a trophy fish. Last year, Tom fished
with Captain Bill on one of those days when the fish didn't want to cooperate.
Within minutes of leaving dock, the crew found several pods of fish pushing
bait right onto the shoreline. Casting jigs and soft jerk baits failed
to produce any hookups leaving Captain Bill wondering whether the Melani
curse could continue! Finally, Tom hooked the first fish of the day, a
30 inch striper up against the shoreline. Several other drifts failed
to produce, so it was time to move on. A large school of bigger bass was
found pushing bait in the Harbor Approach Channel. For the next two hours,
Ernie and Tom did battle with legal size fish. When a herring was hooked
on a soft jerk bait, Captain Bill instructed Tom to throw it back out
and twitch it. Tom was astonished as a large cow bass came up and ate
this offering. After an exceptional battle on 12 pound tackle, Tom had
his trophy 44 inch bass.
Monday, Bill Martin of Marshfield and Florida brought along his 14 year
old nephew, Clinton for a light tackle trip. Just after the sunrise, a
school of legal size bass trapped bait against Long Island. Clinton proved
that he was every bit a skilled angler as his uncle, who holds several
IGFA grand slam awards. Tossing a Bass Assassin, Clinton caught several
bass up to 34 inches in very shallow water. The next stop was the rip
at the east end of Long Island. Clinton and Bill worked soft jerk baits
and Vivif jigs across the front of the rip, catching several bass up to
36 inches. Clinton hooked a very large bass which eventually broke off.
On his next cast, he hooked another big fish on a soft jerk bait that
he was able to turn. After a great battle, Clinton brought his trophy
41 1/2 inch bass to the boat. Action continued throughout the morning
with Bill and Clinton landing several more 3 foot bass.
After dropping off the morning trip, Captain Bill headed back to Boston
to pick up his afternoon trip. The wind had picked up considerably, so
Captain Bill checked out some areas that would afford some protection.
On board were the summer associates of the law firm, Goodwin and Proctor.
Jen Berylson had done some bluefishing at her parents summer home in Falmouth
and Scott Allen had done some cat fishing in Texas. Yuliya Gertsberg was
a newcomer to the sport. The Draggin' Fly was fishing against four
other boats for office bragging rights. The first stop at the airport
yielded two bass, one for Jena and one for Yuliya. The Draggin' Fly
moved into Quincy Bay, but could not find any fish there. The crew had
heard radio reports from the other boats that indicated at least one other
boat had landed a legal fish. Captain Bill decided to admit defeat in
Quincy and fish the Long Island rip. Jen was again the first to score,
landing a pair of bass of 28 and 29 inches. The fish were back in the
rip. Captain Bill worked with Yuliya, teaching her to cast Vivif jigs.
The quick lesson worked as she cast her lure into the rip and was inhaled
by a nice bass. At the same time, Scott hooked up on a Bass Assassin.
Before the end of the trip, Yuliya, Jen, and Scott caught nine fish, including
five of legal size. The largest fish of the office tournament was caught
aboard Captain Larry Cook's boat and stretched the tape to 42 inches.
The Draggin' Fly's largest fish at 34 inches fell short of Escape's
fish, but the crew won bragging rights for the most fish caught and released.
Adrian Jackson of Charleston arranged for an early morning pick up at
Rowes Wharf. Joining Adrian on this trip were two of his clients, Vinnie
and Lee, who had never fished Boston Harbor. There were no birds working
but the crew managed to pull a few fish, including a 32 inch bass from
the rocks at Raisford Island. Moving offshore, small pods of bass were
located east of the Graves, but the fish werre holding deep. Captain Bill
put out the trolling gear and the crew was kept busy with bass up to 34
inches. On the dropping tide, The Draggin' Fly moved back inside
and found a small school of bass working bait on Governor's Flats. Lee
was the first to score with a Vivif jig and Vinnie also hooked up on the
same lure. Since these fish were small, a decision was made to continue
the search for bigger fish. The crew found more small bass at the Long
Island rip. At the last stop at Sunken Ledge, Lee caught the largest bass,
a 36 inch, 20 pounder
.
The Draggin' Fly was undergoing routine maintenance on Thursday
and Friday and will not fish Boston during the hectic July 4th weekend.
Trips will begin on July 5th. There is an opening on July 10th and July
27th. There are also a few open dates available in August.
June 13, 2004
Ed Cohan and his wife Judith were on board the Draggin' Fly for
a fly fishing trip on Saturday, June 5th. The anglers found no
bird action in Quincy or the airport flats, so Captain Bill set up on
some structure in Dorchester Bay. On the first drift Judith hooked her
first striper on a fly rod. As his wife was battling her fish, Ed also
hooked up. Judith's next fish was big enough to run her into the backing
and smart enough to head right into the rocks. The leader rubbed along
the rocks as Judith fought to regain line but the weakened leader finally
let go. On the incoming tide, the Draggin' Fly moved into the shallows
of Deer Island flats. Ed caught several fish on a Half 'N Half. He too
had the experience of fighting a big fish and his fish also broke the
leader as Ed fought to keep his fish from tangling Judith's line. The
anglers got a good look at the big fish before breaking off just out of
reach. Ed and Judith are now hooked on fly fishing.
The weather turned bad overnight, forcing the Draggin' Fly to
remain at dock on Sunday and Monday.
On Wednesday, June 9th. Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley
of New Hampshire met Captain Bill with plans to explore shallow waters
for tailing fish. It was a slow start, with John hooking the first fish
on a Half 'N Half. The anglers jumped a number of fish but the fish had
no interest in what they were offered. Both Damon and John picked a few
fish off some rock piles in the inner harbor. After the tide turned, Captain
Bill moved back inside to see if the fish in the shallow waters of Quincy
would begin to eat. This was the right decision as both John and Damon
hooked up on the first drift. Damon was using one of his own tyes that
looked like a small herring and John continued to twitch the bottom with
a Half 'N Half.
Sunday June 13th, Bill Lane of Duxbury and his friend, Marty of
Halifax were on board for a light tackle trip. There was virtually no
dawn bite. Captain Bill found a small pod of bass pushing herring in Dorchester
Bay. Both Bill and Marty managed to grab a bass with a soft body shad.
Alot more fish and alot more boats were in the Anchorage. Although both
anglers managed to catch a fish, there were too many herring and not enough
bass to keep them interested in artificials. Marty caught the first of
the trip off the airport. After the turn of the tide, Captain Bill moved
back inside Quincy, hoping to sight cast to shallow feeding bass. Both
Bill and Marty caught a few more bass just shy of legal size.
May 31, 2004
The Draggin' Fly's trip on Saturday, May 22 was an off-shore
cod trip. On board were Bob Martin and Jim Lincoln of Pembroke. Captain
Bill decided to explore a few wrecks off Nahant. The first stop failed
to produce so the Draggin' Fly worked further to the east where
they encountered numbers of silver belly cod. Action came on both jigs
and clams. Most of the fish were mediums, with the biggest pushing twelve
pounds. Both Bob and Jim left with enough cod to feed the neighborhood.
Sunday, May 23 Paul Shafer and his son, Alex of Connecticut met
Captain Bill before dawn. The plans were to explore a few of the Harbor's
rivers for early season bass. It didn't take long for Paul to connect
with the first fish of the morning on his fly rod. Alex brought up a number
of bass on soft jerk baits but the fish missed the hooks. More cooperative
fish were found herding herring off Moon Head and these fish were larger.
Captain Bill had Paul switch over to a large Half 'N Half that got quick
attention of a legal size bass. Alex also got hot with white Bass Assassins.
The action continued until slack tide. At times, both anglers were hooked
up, keeping Captain Bill quite busy. Paul and Alex caught over 24 bass
including several legal size fish.
The weather forced the cancellation of all mid-week trips. The wind also
forced Saturday's trip to be scrubbed.
Sunday, May 30 Bill Lane of Duxbury put together a seasoned crew
of anglers. Joining Bill were Bill McGluney and his teenage son, Billy
of Pennsylvania and Matt Kelly of Lincoln. Captain Bill, who can get confused
with names, found this crew to his liking; Bill, Bill, Bill, and Billy....hard
to go wrong. There were schools of bass working bait in the Anchorage.
However, the wind and boat traffic kept the fish broken up. Though the
crew hard a number of shots at good sized stripers, the fish won this
round. In Dorcester Bay, young Billy was the first to connect with a nice
school sized bass.
Moving off-shore in search of mackerel, conditions began to deteriorate
as the wind began to blow hard. Billy was the first to connect over a
wreck in Nahant, and there was no stopping this fish. Whether it was a
big bass or a monsterous cod will never be known as the hook finally pulled.
The seas continued to grow, making it uncomfortable so a retreat was ordered.
On the way back, a school of large stripers was found off of Boston Light.
Again, these fish ignored all offerings. It seems as if the fish were
only interested in live bait. The crew finally admitted defeat and headed
to dock.
On Memorial Day, Mike Moyer of Hanover, a Draggin' Fly regular,
brought along Twig Johnson of Kingston, a newcomer to the Harbor. The
weather was finally cooperative, but would the fish be? Captain Bill headed
the boat to the Anchorage, but after searching there and Governor's Flats,
the crew found only bait. Moving into Dorcester Bay, the anglers encountered
a school of aggresive bass. Mike was the first to connect, and Twig, who
had never used jerk baits, found himself holding onto a screaming rod.
This striper measured over 28 inches and was released. Action continued
until the tide went slack. Captain Bill decided to make a run off-shore
which proved to be a good decision. Working to the south, a school of
big bass had mackerel flying all over the surface. Again, Mike was the
first to connect. Not to be outdone, Twig tossed a Bass Assassin to a
large swirl and after two twitches of the rod, the battle was on. At first,
this fish streaked acrosss the surface and then dove down deep. Finally,
Twig brought his trophy to the boat, a fat 40 inch striper that stretched
the Boga grip to 28 pounds. With that conquest, the anglers decided to
call it a day.
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