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| Season Wrap UP As many of Draggin’ Fly clients will attest the 2006 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. And some real trophy fish were caught during the season, including new comer, Scott Lightfoot of Milton who was the first angler to land a bass over 40 inches in 2006.Bluefish while not as numerous as in the past few seasons arrived early and stayed late. This was the seventh season that veteran fly rodders, Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire contracted with Captain Bill to fish every other week. Damon commented that the fishing during the 2006 season was very interesting, and John and he got a chance to experience some of the best striper fishing that they have ever had. These anglers chased fish from the rock ledges of the South Shore to boulders of Nahant but spent much of the season sight casting in the shallows. July was a month of transition, and it provided challenging angling experiences for Draggin’ Fly’s clients. On most trips, anglers had opportunities to cast to trophy fish in very skinny water. Our anglers caught several very large bass and bluefish during the month. In the past, The Draggin’ Fly often fished outside the Harbor chasing large schools of blues that often worked the deep water. This season much of our clients’ efforts were concentrated on stalking bass in very shallow water. The success of The Draggin' Fly during this time was very noticeable among the fleet. Philip Strazzula of Norwell, Frank Proix of Maine, Paul Ponichera of Hingham, and Gerry Feeley of Marshfield were among several anglers that brought trophy fish to the boat on both light tackle and flies. August began as July ended with The Draggin’ Fly
fishing the shallows for very selective bass. At dawn on most mornings, the crew
stalked these bass in skinny water which often produced explosive action. Mid-
August brought major changes. Bass that were elusive just days earlier became
very aggressive, as bait became more plentiful. First, it was juvenile herring
that got the attention of these big bass, and then the peanut bunker invaded the
surrounding waters in massive numbers. For much of rest of August, The Draggin'
Fly fished up North from Lynn to Marblehead where large schools of bass and blues
trapped bait along the rocky shorelines. Bob Foley of Hopkinton was the first
to find the Mother Lode of bass trapping peanut bunker in inches of water. Tim
Wern of Connecticut, his dad, Dave and friend Joe Lebens experienced an amazing
bass blitz on the North Shore that even these seasoned anglers would long remember.
At the end of the month peanut bunker began to invade the Inner Harbor. The bass
were bigger and mixed with blues. Many trophy fish were caught during the month
and most were released It seems that the season ended as it began with lots of fish, but the weather
being the limiting factor. After some great weather in early and mid-September,
front after front seemed to target the area. The Draggin’ Fly
finished striper trips back on Columbus Day week. It was time to store tackle,
clean the boat, and make plans for a winter season
Thanks to all my clients and sponsors for helping to make this season the best yet for Draggin' Fly Charters. The off-season looks to be a busy one. I have been contracted to write several articles for The Fisherman magazine that will be featured in the 2007 editions. I will be working as a ski pro for American Ski Company at Sunday River, Maine. If you venture to Sunday River, be sure to say hello. When not teaching skiing, I will be busy at the vise, perfecting some new flies for Supremus Flies. I will also be working the winter boat and sport shows for corporate sponsors. Stop by and see what's in the works for next year. Look for a photo album to be posted this winter on www.fishboston.com. Draggin' Fly
Captain's Report Seasonal clients, Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire invited The Fishing Pole, Ed Novak of WATD and the New England Fisherman to join them for their last trip of the season. These two expert fly fishers charter The Draggin’ Fly every other week during the season until September than they are abroad every week until the season’s ending. And they have been doing this for 8 seasons! The first stop was in Hull, and the crew was into a major bass blitz. It was fish after fish, all in the 20-22 inch range so it was time to look for bigger fish. Ed reminded the Captain that it is never a good idea to leave fish, but Captain Bill knew that even Ed’s reputation as a jinx would not play into this day’s plans. At Long Island the bass had bait trapped on the shore as they have been doing for days. Again John’s Mush fly proved to be very effective. Damon used a number of different flies to catch his fish. Ed used a twitch bait that he coated with some magic contortion made by Sea Bait to catch his fish. After stops at the Inner Triangles and finding only school bass, it was decide to try the North Shore. Just as the Draggin’ Fly arrived in Broad Sound, it was obvious that this was the right decision. Massive flocks of birds were working over schools of feeding bass. John and Damon caught bass after bass keeping the Captain busy all morning as Ed alternated between taking pictures and casting different lures. There were some large bass mixed in with the schoolies. Damon hooked a big fish that immediately took him into the backing. Using the leverage that he usually reserves for tarpon, Damon slowly worked line back until he regained 50 feet of running line. Then as quickly as it began, the fight was over when the leader parted. Captain Bill also lost a large fish when the shank of his hook broke. Moving to the beach the crew found bass had a massive school of bait pinned on the Winthrop shoreline in very shallow water. Damon and John pulled bass after bass out of this skinny water. The crew had to leave the fish in order to get back to dock so that Damon and John could beat the afternoon traffic. On this trip the crew caught bass at every stop including Boston, Hingham, Hull, Winthrop, Revere, and Weymouth. The wind caused trips scheduled for
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday to be cancelled. They will be
rescheduled for next week if the fish are still around. Captain Bill has a wedding
to navigate this weekend. His youngest son Joe will be married on Sunday in Maine.
Traditionally, the fish move south after Columbus Day. This is usually preceded
by a feeding frenzy that last around the clock. And this is what we have been
witnessing on all recent trips. Draggin' Fly Captain's Report
Aron Steck of Framingham booked Wednesday’s trip to entertain Wayne Wong who was visiting from Toronto, Canada. While the fleet fished the school of bluefish that Captain Bill was on the previous day, it was decided to head to the Inner Triangle and to see if the bass had come up at first light. Moving into very shallow water, the Mother Lode of bass had peanut bunker trapped in inches of water. Aron and Wayne caught several on surface lures including one that exploded on Wayne’s lure just a foot or two from the boat. This fish tore line like a run-away train from the reel, but Wayne finally turned her. The bass was almost 34 inches, a nice catch in shallow water. Moving outside to the North Channel the crew was on a mixture of bass and blues. Again, the fish were very partial to Bass Assassins and Vivif jigs. Aron tried several other lures including poppers and metal catching a few fish, but the best action was on Captain Bill’s go-to-lures….twitch baits and swimming jigs. Wayne’s biggest fish at this stop was an inch or so larger than his earlier linesider, but while the earlier bass fought on the surface, this one held deep. For the rest of the trip Wayne and Aron caught bass and a few more blues on a variety of structure. Friday
was weather day as another cold front passed over the area bringing heavy wind
and quite a bite of rain. Repeat clients Bob Nelson and Matt West met Captain
Bill at dawn with their fingers crossed and hoping that the front had not put
a damper on the fishing. In Quincy Bay, the first school of bass was encountered
as were several other boats that made it very difficult to stay on fish. Leaving
these fish, Captain Bill moved into the shallow waters at the east end of Long
Island, and Matt and Bob were soon tight to bass. All of these fish were in the
22-24 inch range and were caught on twitch baits. Once the bait broke up, the
bass moved out to deeper water. A huge fleet of boats was working the Inner Triangle
so it was time to explore the North Shore. The first stop off of Winthrop Shores
was loaded with peanut bunker, bass and blues. Bob switched to a fly rod, but
these fish were moving fast and were difficult to stay on. Again, most were school
sized bass that had a liking for the Bass Assassins that were offered. For what
ever reason, the fish ignored most flies although the largest shad that anyone
on board had ever seen hit a smaller Clouser. Moving to Revere Beach, bass had
bait trapped along the beach. These fish were larger with Matt’s 33 inch
bass being the biggest brought to boat. Bob’s largest fish was only an inch
smaller. A decision was made to look for trophy bass further north, but in Nahant,
it was all bluefish. It was another good day in Paradise, Boston Harbor and the
North Shore. Draggin' Fly Captain's Report Monday
afternoon was going to be the first time that Dick Keller, a recent transplant
from Nebraska, fished saltwater. However, a minor mechanical problem forced the
cancellation of this trip. Dick will be on board for a trip later this fall. And speaking of fall fishing, peanut bunker is really beginning to load up the inner bays and rivers of the Harbor. Friday, Tom Lambert who moved to Hingham last winter from Oregon booked the Draggin' Fly to entertain his hometown fishing buddy, Christian Jay who was in town visiting. Tom an avid fly fisher has been bitten by the saltwater bug and can often be found chasing fish in Duxbury Bay. Christian had never caught a bass or a bluefish before. The first stop produced some quick action on bluefish. Tom was casting a small Half'n Half, and Christian was using soft baits rigged on heavy fluorocarbon leaders. Tom and Christian managed to catch several good sized blues but a number of others bit right through the heavy leaders. Once the tide began to run hard, the bluefish really came up. At times, it seemed that there was a mile of breaking fish and working birds from Hospital Shoals to George's Island. Tom switched to one of Captain Bill's Soft Tex poppers and raise blues on every cast in a strong west wind. Meanwhile, Christian kept Captain Bill very busy unhooking fish that he caught on light tackle. It was time to find some bass…and the crew did on Sculpin Ledge and in the Anchorage. Frank Yalowchuck of Weymouth was aboard for Saturday's light tackle trip. Rather than fish the school of bluefish that Captain Bill was on the previous day, it was decided to head to the Inner Triangle and fish a few bass spots ahead of the fleet. Moving into very shallow water, the Mother Lode of bass had peanut bunker trapped in inches of water. Frank caught several on his twitch bait before the cormorants spooked, causing a lot of commotion and attracting the attention of the fleet. Paradise was soon invaded by more than a dozen other boats so Frank agreed that it was time to resume the search. At Ram's Head several schools of bass and bluefish were found working bait. Again, the fish were cooperative and attacked the surface lures that Frank offered. The biggest bass was 30 inches, but what they lacked in size, they made up with their aggressive manners. On the way back to dock, schools of bass and blues were found in Hingham. After a few fish, Captain Bill suggested a quick retreat in order to avoid the approaching rain. It looks like the weather will once again be a limiting factor over
the next few days. Some rain but winds gusting to over 30 MPH are coming. Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report Friday Frank Sannella and Kevin Callahan of Scituate were on board for a light tackle trip. This morning there was no bite in Hingham even through there was lots of schools of bait. The next stop in Quincy produced a good sized blue for Kevin. On Sculpin Ledge, the crew encountered their first school of bass. The biggest fish was 30 inches, and the rest were in the 24-26 inch range. After this bite, the crew moved into the Inner Triangle where they found numerous schools of bluefish. For the next two hours, Kevin and Frank kept Captain Bill very busy unhooking bluefish and rerigging lines. Moving to the Outer Harbor more blues were found off of Ram’s Head. Things got a little slow so Captain Bill moved back inside, and more schools of bass were found in Quincy Bay. Frank and Kevin finished the trip catching bass after bass all the way back to dock.. Most action was on Bass Assassins and Vivif jigs. Saturday it was a full boat with Rich Swanson of
Brighton who booked this trip to introduce his teenage nephews, Scott Dunne of
Barnstable and Mike Rizzo of Weymouth to stripper fishing. Renaro DeFretas of
Everett was also aboard. After a quick casting lesson, it was time to explore
Hingham. And on this day, the bass were home. The bite did not last very long,
but the crew managed to catch a few before heading out to Hospital Shoals. Here
the bass had peanut bunker all balled up on the surface. The boys were mesmerized
by the crashing fish and diving birds and needed to be reminded that they could
catch fish if they made some casts. Rich who had fished with the Draggin’
Fly in the past had the most luck on Bass Assassins, but as the rest
of the crew caught onto how to retrieve this lure, they got into the action. Scott
also caught a lone bluefish in among the schools of working bass. After these
schools broke up, Captain Bill moved around the Inner Triangle but things were
very quiet compared to previous days. Back in Quincy Bay, the crew finished the
trip catching bluefish for the afternoon cookout. Draggin' Fly Captain's Report Charter regular, Brian Shura of Norfolk was joined on board
by Marc Panasuk of Marshfield for Saturday’s light tackle
trip. This week’s tides were among the strongest of the year so it was a
very early start as Captain Bill wanted to get off dock while there was enough
water. The game plan was to drift eels at dawn and then hunt fish in the Inner
Triangle. The eels produced a few run-offs before the first bass was picked up.
The next fish struck as the eel was being retrieved and about to be picked out
of the water to be recast. Then the bluefish moved in! Brain managed to bring
one to the boat, but the others just made cigar butts of the eels. After dawn,
small pods of bass were encountered around Peddocks Island, but with no tide pushing,
they were not interested in anything that Brian or Marc offered. Moving to the
Inner Triangle, the crew encountered a large school of pogies and took several
for the bait well. As Brian was retrieving a pogy, a blue attacked and cut it
in half. With nothing pushing the pogies, Captain Bill decided to move back inside
where schools of blues were working peanut bunker. These fish refused surface
lures so Brian and Marc switched to small jigs and got their attention. The blues
were in the 5-7 pound range. To get away from the crowds, Captain Bill moved into
the shallows and found bigger blues that hit jerk baits. Each angler hooked and
released several blues before the fish moved out. Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report Thursday afternoon, Jon Hagarty of Nebraska who was in Boston to attend a sales meeting booked the Draggin' Fly to experience his first try at saltwater fly fishing. Within minutes of being picked up in Boston, Jon was casting a small popper to bluefish on Sculpin Ledge. These fish cooperated long enough for Jon to land several up to 8 pounds on his 8 weight rod. Things got a little slow so Captain Bill moved back inside to see if any fish had moved in with the tide. Between Long Island and Rainsford Island a school of bass had bait trapped and were tearing them apart. Captain Bill had to remind Jon, who was mesmerized by the crashing fish and diving birds that he could catch fish if he made some casts. For over an hour, Jon hooked and released bass up to 33 inches on poppers and Gurglers. When the blitz finally ended, Jon switched to a Mush fly fished on a sinking line and continued to catch fish until it was time to return to dock. Duffy Ross of Marshfield booked
the Draggin' Fly to entertain Mike Thwing and Craig Fitzgerald of Boston.
Duffy met Captain Bill at the dock and traveled across the Harbor to pick up the
rest of the crew in Boston. As the Draggin' Fly arrived on Governor's Flats,
bass already were working schools of peanut bunker. A strong East wind made for
fast drifts and kept the bait moving from place to place. But casting with the
wind, all three anglers were able to present Bass Assassins to fish. The East
wind had also pushed in more bluefish that made for several emergency tackle repairs.
Duffy's 30 inch bass that was released after a quick picture was the largest of
the trip. Bluefish were in the 4-6 pound range, but both Mike and Craig landed
fish that pushed double digits. On the way back to dock the crew was treated to
a special sight as the Constitution (Old Ironside) was being escorted under sail. Draggin' Fly Charters still has limited dates available for the end of September and early October. This is prime fall fishing time. Be sure to experience Boston Harbor's bass and bluefish fishing at its best. Draggin' Fly Captain's Report Paul Ryan and Gerry Feeley of Marshfield along Jay Bourgeous of Beverly met Captain Bill at dawn on Monday. Fishing slack water in Quincy was very productive as the bass pushed peanut bunker right into the shallows. While Paul worked Mush flies on the long rod, Jay and Gerry caught their fish on Bass Assassins. The crew caught fish after fish before they decided to look for bigger fish. On the Airport Flats, it was another bass blitz as fish smashed peanuts in the shallows. The fish were bigger and mixed with blues. While the Captain was busy releasing fish and rerigging, the crew told him that they needed a break! More fish were caught and most were also released on this trip then on any other trip so far this season. Tuesday, Phil Strazzula of Norwell brought along two of friends, Bob and Rob. Again just after dawn the crew found bass crashing into peanut bunker in the shallow water of Quincy Bay. For an hour and a half, the crew cast Bass Assassins to hungry bass. After this bite was over, Captain Bill moved to the Inner Triangle where the fish were spread out and difficult to stay on. The surface action at the Airport flats was not as good as the previous day, but switching to small Vivif jigs was the correct decision as Phil, Bob, and Rob were tight to bass on most drifts. Later in the tide, the fish moved onto Sculpin Ledge where the crew spent the remainder of the trip. Dan Fallon and Tim Cox of New Hampshire along with Guy Nichols of Chelmsford were aboard for a light tackle trip on Wednesday. These anglers had made friendly wages on the first fish and the biggest as well as the smallest fish. They also designated the Captain as the official referee. Today there were no schools of bass in Quincy, but it was also slack water. Captain Bill decided to fish a mussel bed until the tide began to move. Guy was the first to land a fish and soon Dan and Tim were on the board. While there was little sign of these fish other than an occasional swirl, the crew caught several more school bass and a nice sized bluefish before heading to the Inner Triangle. The fish were already working bait when the Draggin' Fly arrived at Spectacle Island. Casting soft jerk baits into the schools of bass worked well throughout the morning. Although, it was NOT a fish a cast, at times it did seemed that at any one time Dan, Guy, or Tim were hooked up, and at times, all three were tight to bass in the 20-25 inch class fish. Later in the tide, the crew decided to move out to deeper water in search of bluefish. The crew found some off of Deer Island. Switching to poppers produced a few blues including Tim's 30 inch chopper that Captain Bill lost trying to tail the fish for measurement. These fish were very hard to stay on, but a fun way to end the day. Thursday, Rick Lucas of Pembroke was aboard for his annual trip. The plan was to head outside the entrance to the Harbor and drift eels at dawn's slack tide. But at Deer Island rip, a school of bass was pushing bait up on the surface. Quickly, the eel rods were stored, replaced by casting tackle. The first hook up on soft jerk bait did not last long as the fish tore line from the Penn 4500 before pulling the hook. The next bass did not escape until it was captured on film and released by the Captain. Rick's next fish fought very deep, and he was certain that it was a blue. Captain Bill was not as certain. This fish used the moving water of the rip as additional leverage making it seem even larger than its 10 pound size. This time Rick was correct as he landed and released this blue. Much of the rest of the morning was spent working pods of fast moving fish with limited success. The Airport flats held lots of bass, but these were micro-sized. The biggest fish were at the Harbor's entrance. Ironically, another school of bass was jumped just before the dock at high noon.
Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report Bob Foley of Hopkinton and his dad Bob, Sr. who was visiting from out of state were waiting for Captain Bill when he arrived on Monday. The Captain gets to the dock well before dawn to set up the boat. These anglers were so anxious to catch their first striper that they were a half hour early. Bob's wife Mary who fished with the Draggin' Fly several weeks ago, even got up in the middle of the night to make breakfast for the Bobs…now how can Captain Bill get his wife, Mary to do the same thing! This morning was quite different than the last 4 day: there was no wind. Fishing the dropping tide in Quincy was not very productive with only a miss on a bass and cut offs by a few bluefish to show for their efforts so the Draggin' Fly traveled to Winthrop. Like the previous day the fish were difficult to stay on, and today there was blaming the wind. Moving into very shallow water, the crew found the Mother Lode of bass that had peanut bunker trapped in inches of water. Both Bobs caught their first bass and dozens more all on the surface. Young Bob even tried the fly rod and caught a number of fish on this tackle. The best part of this trip was that the Draggin' Fly's crew had all these fish to themselves along with a friend and a pesky seal. Bob Sr. accused Captain Bill of stocking the waters…if he could have done so on a few of the previous trips Captain Bill would certainly have done it! Tuesday was another weather day for Adrian Jackson who had his last trip cancelled for heavy wind and rain. The same on this day…wind from the SW at over 25 MPH and rain. Brian Stevens an experienced fly rodder from Maine brought along his brother Jerry also from Maine for a fly fishing trip on Wednesday. The fish were already working bait when the Draggin' Fly arrived just after dawn. Casting small snake flies worked well at slack water, but once the bait began to be flush out with the outgoing tide, it was time to switch to Gurglers and small white Mush flies. Although, it was NOT a fish a ca, at times it did seemed that either Brian or Jerry were hooked up at any one time. This bite continued for much of the morning until the crew decided to move out to deeper water in search of bluefish. Most of the bass were in the 20-25 inch class, but both anglers caught and released legal bass up to Brian's all-time biggest at 39 inches. Just east of the graves pods of blues were found pushing bait. They were very hard to stay on, but both Jerry and Brian each caught their first bluefish on a fly. Thursday, Damon Reed and John Kieley were aboard for their weekly trip. Damon is usually able to catch a few hours of sleep before he leaves his Vermont homestead at 1 AM to meet Captain Bill. But this day business required his attention so there was no time to sleep. John form New Hampshire spent the night at his daughter's new house just a short ride from the dock so he was well rested. Damon's commitment paid off as once again the anglers were greeted by big schools of bass crashing bait for most of the morning. Damon, an innovative fly tyer and originator of the Fleece Fly was willing to listen to Captain Bill (for once) as to the choice of flies. His snake fly produce numbers of bass up to 37 inches. John used a Mush fly and caught dozen of fish through out the morning. It was an all Connecticut crew on Friday as Tim Wern, his dad, Dave and Joe Lebens were on board. Again the bite was already on when the Draggin' Fly arrived on the North Shore. Casting Bass Assassins, Sluggos, and poppers, the crew kept Captain Bill very busy releasing bass. Most were caught in water from 4-6 feet deep. Looking for bigger fish, a decision was made to move to deeper water. The first encounter was with bluefish. Looking towards land, Captain Bill could see that the bass had peanut bunker trapped along the rocky shoreline. For the next hour Tim, Dave, and Jim were into an amazing bass blitz. Dave landed a fat fish just over 30 inches. The rest were in the 24-26 inch range. The crew finished the day pulling a number of bass from the rocks. It was a full boat on Saturday as Paul Ponicherta of Hingham who fishes with the Draggin' Fly several times a year, invited son, Eric of Scituate, Bruce Person of Sheffield and Mike Burke of Charlestown along for this trip. Captain Bill wanted an earlier than normal departure in order to avoid the crowd fishing the Wall Mart FLW Tournament. Arriving at the flats before dawn the crew found a few bass moving along the shallow water and the crew worked these fish. At dawn, the flat exploded with bass and bait. Bruce and Eric used Bass Assassins to catch their fish; Mike used a Vivif swimming jig to catch his bass. After catching a few bass on light tackle, Paul switched to the fly rod and caught bass on a Mush fly. As the wind picked up and the tide slackened, the bass became less active. Captain Bill moved the boat to several areas that had held many fish for the past several days, but there was little surface action. Pods of bluefish were located off shore, but the wind made it nearly impossible to stay on them. Fishing their way back to dock, the crew did about as well as the Red Sox's pitchers did against the Yankees.
Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report Monday's forecast did not look too promising for a full day's trip, but Captain Bill thought that he would have a few hours to explore before the wind was suppose to build. Bob Marle and his son, Travis of Douglas met Captain Bill well before dawn. The chop made sight fishing impossible, but the crew managed to catch some schoolies up to 26 inches on Bass Assassins. Casting with the wind allowed Bob and Travis to throw across the bay, but if they were cast against the wind it was time to duck as the lures were blown back into their faces. As the sky began to look threatening, Captain Bill headed the Draggin' Fly home, reaching dock just in front of the rain. This trip well be rescheduled for alter in the season. Tuesday's trip with Adrian Jackson was also rescheduled due to the wind allowing for a maintenance day and time for Captain Bill to catch up on paper work. Captain Roger reported that there were a lot of fish on the airport flats. The surface bite lasted for quite a while. On Wednesday, Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire were aboard for their weekly trip. It was a much later start than their normal meet time due to the minus tide of the full moon. It looked promising as the crew jumped a school of bass in the Fore River working over bait. Then an inconsiderate boater…he could not be called a fisherman…drove right through the school breaking the fish up and scattering the bait. In frustration, Captain Bill headed off to search the shallows. The only catch was a small bluefish that managed to free itself boat side. John had a few takes on a white clouser, but Damon's Gurgler failed to get any attention. Things were not much better on the airport flats where John hooked a bass. Heading to the North Shore, Damon spotted a pod of bass by Bass Point, but…and there was a lot of but…floating eel grass carried by the moon tide made the presentation of flies impossible. The crew worked the rocks from Nahant to Salem with nothing to show fro their efforts. Over 60 miles were covered and some great holding structure was explored before calling it a day. John's comment sums up this day, "We fish the wind and the rain and catch quality fish under difficult conditions. Give us this blue chip day like today, and we strike out. Hell, we are not any better than the Soxs" Damon and John will be back at it next week. Friday, Bob Hennessy of Hanover was aboard for a light tackle trip. Bob, a long time South Shore regular fishes many days a year aboard his own boat from Chatham to Cohasset met Captain Bill before dawn. Both Bob and Capt Bill had their fingers crossed that the wind would lay down. However, this was not to be. Casting proved very difficult even when jig heads were added, but Bob managed to catch fish at Governor's Flats and in Quincy. Captain Bill had hoped to get back outside, but not today. Bob will be back in September. Dick Crowley brought along his son Joe and friend Steve Sweeney all of Quincy for a trip on Saturday. They were greeted by the same NW wind that had been hampering fishing for several days. Casting Bass Assassins brought up a few bluefish in the shallow waters of Quincy Bay. These small blues managed to cut up these plastic lures and avoid the hook. The airport flats held fish, but most refused to bite. Steve and Joe managed a few smaller bass before Joe hit a hot fish. In the wind and the big swells there was no way that Joe could turn the fish that kept its body sideways and upwind to increase its leverage. This bass used the wind and the shallow water to gain its freedom even as Captain Bill tried to maneuver the boat into a better position. The crew left with memories of what might have been…and Captain Bill hoping for a turn in the weather.
Draggin' FlyCaptain's Report Guy Nicholas of North Chelmsford brought his teenage son Paxton along on Wednesday for a light tackle trip. Pax was the first to score landing a small bass on a Bass Assassin on the first drift over a mussel bed. But the main body of fish was holding just off the bed. The strong wind made sight fishing impossible so Captain Bill used the wind to drift out from the shallow water. Bass up to 28 inches were hooked each time the boat drifted across the deeper edge. As the sun heated the water, these fish moved out so it was time to hunt again. No fish were located at the airport flats, but the rock piles of Quincy Bay were holding both bass and blues. Pax landed his first bluefish and his first legal size bass on Assassins worked slowly across the chop. As temperatures soared, the Draggin' Fly headed back to dock with fish tales for Pax to tell. Guy will return later this month for annual trip with his New Hampshire buddies. Anticipation was high and so were the winds on Thursday when seasonal clients Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire met Captain Bill at dawn for their weekly fly rod trip. The bay was really rolling making sight fishing impossible, but these seasoned fly fishers were determined to give it a shot. The drifts were too fast to present a fly on the surface so Damon and John threw Evil flies into the chop with little to show for their efforts. Captain Bill moved to the Deer Island Flats in hopes of finding less wind. And Yes there was a significant drop in wind, but the fish were all small schoolies. After catching several on Gurglers and Snake Flies the crew decided to hunt the shallows for bigger fish. But and a big BUT was the wind…it was too strong to allow for an adequate presentation so it was time to call it a day and wait until next week. Friday, Matt West of Scituate, a regular aboard the Draggin' Fly put together a trip to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Chris Collins of Southport, Ct. Joining Chris and Matt was Dave Stevens of Littleton. Later in the trip Dan Grundig of Natick would join the crew that were roommates at BC. The wind was down from pervious days and the crew could see fish cruising the shallows. Chris was the first to connect landing a bass on a jerk bait. The fish were working in shallow water and were very spooky. Then bluefish made an appearance causing major problems for Captain Bill. Matt hooked up next on another school fish. Dave brought up a number of fish, but the blues got to his lure before the bass. At this point, Captain Bill told Matt that the rate for this charter might be based on lure replacement. All the anglers were fishing Bass Assassins on fluorocarbon leaders so bite-offs were major. But…and a big was that two big bass were brought up in the same area and changing to wire was not an option! At slack high water, Captain Bill headed to Deer Island Flats with all intentions of returning to the rocks after the tide changed. On the flats, it was time for Dan, a newcomer to fishing to shine. He managed to out fish the rest of the crew on his Vivif jig. With Matt's approval, the Draggin' Fly left these fish to search for bigger ones. As the crew began to hunt the skinny water along Long Island a large storm began to form to the North. It was clear that this trip was over and the crew prepared for a quick return to dock. The Draggin' Fly was traveling at 35 MPH and barely able to keep ahead of the storm. When she had to give way to a ferry, the storm overtook the crew and the last mile was a wet ride. Dave Deitz of Sharon invited Frank Farraye to
share a trip on Saturday. At dawn the crew was stalking bass in the shallows.
Frank was casting Bass Assassins and Dave was casting a Gurgler that he tied in
a large pattern. Dave hit a big fish that crashed his fly, took right to the air,
and then ran right into his backing. While Dave worked what he thought was a big
bluefish to the boat, Frank caught and released a school bass. Dave did a nice
job turning this hot fish on the long rod. When Captain Bill grabbed the fish
all were surprised to see that it was a 33 inch bass. After a quick picture, this
fish was released. Things got a little quite other than an occasional encounter
with a blue. Frank commented that this was a lot of casting for a few fish and
then…Frank brought up a big bass that missed the lure on its first attack.
But it came back, inhaled the Assassin, and the fight was on! This bass was also
in the 33-34 inch range and was also released. On the next drift, Frank was tight
to another big fish. This one was even bigger. At slack water, it was time to
explore. The flats were really wind blown, but Dave managed to hook a bass on
a white Clouser. Seeking calmer waters, Captain Bill moved the Draggin' Fly
to the Inner Triangle were a large school of bass and blues had herring trapped
between the islands. For over an hour, it was nonstop action with the catch being
mostly school bass. The last drift of the day produced the biggest bass of the
trip for Dave, a 37 inch bass. That was a great ending to a memorable morning. Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report, July 29, 2006 Gordon and Carter Loetz of Maryland booked the Draggin' Fly for two days. Fishing tales from long time friend, Ernie Milani of Norwell had gotten these veteran anglers interest in finding out more about Boston Harbor stripers. Gordon and Carter fish Chesapeake Bay for stripers from their Regulator as well as fishing the waters of their winter home in Florida. As a matter of fact, Carter recently got his Coast Guard license. Monday's trip was a later than normal start due to the new moon's low tide. These visiting anglers were casting to bass just minutes from dock in Hull Bay. Unfortunately, they caught the tail end of this bite. Another school of fish was encountered on the Deer Island flats. Both Gordon and Carter managed a few fish before this school broke up. The wind kept the bait moving and the bass from schooling. A number of ideas were exchanged about the fishery…the L had not used soft jerk baits and Captain Bill had not done much with spoons. So plans were to mix it up on Day 2. The crew was greeted with a nasty wind on Tuesday that was actually blowing harder than the previous day…so much for weather forecasts. There would be no sight casting on this day. A few fish were raised in Hull but none could be hook. In Quincy it was the same deal…but the wind was even stronger. Hoping to get into a lee, the crew moved to the airport but the only fish that could be found were in deep water. It was a long day with nothing to show for all there efforts. However, both Captain Bill and the L have new techniques to try. Wednesday, Bob Nelson invited Frank Sannella and Matt West for a light tackle trip. The wind was blowing from the southwest but not nearly as hard as the previous day. As Captain Bill set up a drift over a mussel bed in very shallow water, Bob hooked a nice bluefish on a Bass Assassin and Frank made it a double. Matt was the first to land a bass. It seemed as if the tide had changed. Due to the wind the crew was not able to sight many fish until the fish charged their baits. But the crew managed to fool a few. Two large bass were brought up in very shallow water, one clearing the water an attempt to eat the lure, and the other charged the Bass Assassin creating a very large surface crash as its big tail slapped at water. Both missed the hook. Once the tide went slack, the fish moved out of the shallow water, and Captain Bill moved the Draggin' Fly to new waters. Just off the airport flats, the crew spotted bass pushing bait. These fished were moving too fast for the crew to get a good short at them. Frank did manage to land a bass on a jig worked in a deep hole just off the channel. Matt will be fishing next week, and Bob will return to do battle in August. Due to two weather days, it had been almost a month since seasonal clients, Damon Reed of Vermont and John Kieley of New Hampshire fished with Captain Bill. Fishing low water in among the rocks a few bass were spotted, but the wind proved difficult for Damon and John to get their flies to them. Reluctantly, these avid fly fishers switched to spinning tackle. It didn't take Damon long to connect with a big bass that inhaled a Bass Assassin right at the boat, putting up quite a show. This fish took off almost 150 yards of line before Damon turned it just before the fish could reach the safety of the nearby rocks. After another substantial run, this 20 pound bass was brought to the boat. On the next drift, John caught and released another legal bass on soft jerk bait worked slowly across the surface. Damon switched back to the long rod and missed a nice fish that hit his snake fly. Meanwhile, John's Bass Assassin was attacked by another big fish that also tore off line. As John worked the fish along the surface the crew got a good look at the fish and knew that it was over 40 inches. The lure slide up the line as it often does when a fish peals off significant amounts of line. The crew witness the most unusual sight: as the lure dangled over the water another fish made a lunge for it. Unsuccessful at its first attempt, the fish attacked again. Realizing that this new attacker was a bluefish, John tried to keep the lure out of the water as he fought the big bass. Yes, you know the ending to this story…the bluefish got to the lure and also the line freeing John's bass. Now that is a story to be told again and again! Both John and Damon managed a few more bass before the wind made it impossible to work even spinning tackle. On Friday, Captain Bill put together the boats for the Skadden Office Tournament. Every year, this downtown law firm completes its summer intern program with a little Boston Harbor fishing event. This year, Captains Wayne Frieden, John Hayes, Gene Kelly, and Tom Koerber joined the Draggin' Fly. After picking the anglers up in Boston, the fishing began. The Draggin' Fly had Team Harvard: Team Leader Kyle had fished in several previous events and entertained summer interns, Don and Christian with fishing tales. Team Harvard was the first to strike landing the first fish, a good size bluefish caught and released by Kyle on a Bass Assassin. Don and Christian followed releasing small bass. Christian had a large bass on for a long run before the line parted. While the rest of the teams began trolling, Team Harvard wanted to keep exploring and continued to pick at the fish. At the Deer Island flats, the team got into a major bass blitz that kept Captain Bill straight out unhooking fish. The exciting part was that these fish were only in 4-6 feet of water. Before the end of the event, the crew caught and released more than 40 bass on Bass Assassins and Vivif jigs. It was a big day for Team Harvard! Bob Sutherland a veteran fly fisher from NY and a Draggin' Fly regular was aboard on Saturday. After a downtown pickup, the hunt was on. It was windy enough that fish could not be seen so it was blind casting tight to the cover. Working the same shallow water that had been active all week, failed to produce any action. Even the Charter Boats that were trolling did not pickup any fish. The same was true at the Deer Island and Governor's Flats that had also been productive during the week. Friends fishing the North Shore were not having any luck so Bob and Captain Bill decided to call it a day. This last week in July was a week on highs and lows…it is amazing how different the fishing can be from one day to the next.
Monday, Gerry Feeley of Marshfield met Captain Bill before dawn and was casting to some nice bass just minutes from dock. Again these fish were finicky, but two nice bass were hooked in very shallow water. Another very large fish that might have been a large blue broke…bit through the mono leader… before Gerry could get a look at it. When this fish charged the Bass Assassin, it created a very large wake. Once the sun was up, the fish moved out of the shallow water, and Captain Bill moved the Draggin' Fly to new waters. Just off the airport flats, Gerry spotted some big tailing bass. The first cast produced a massive strike and line peeled off the reel fast enough to make Gerry's heart begin to pump faster. Somehow the hook pulled! The next fish were much smaller. On the way to dock, a large school of bass were found in the Inner Triangle. Captain Bill kept the boat on these fish for almost an hour, and Gerry cast lure after lure. At times, the bass would turn and follow. These fished refused to eat. Gerry has already made plans to return and do battle in August. Tuesday was a maintenance day to allow G&S Marine of Buzzards Bay to change filters and install a new propeller. Jay Hoffman
invited Jim Spinale of Duxbury for a light tackle trip on Wednesday. The
trip was delayed due to a problem with a fuel separator, but with the help of
Captain Gene Kelly and after a NASCAR like pit stop, the Draggin' Fly was
back in search of fish. Soft jerk baits got some attention in Quincy Bay, but
the fish just swirled as the crew worked them slowly across the water. At the
airport flats both Jim and Jay landed bass up to 27 inches. At slack low water,
Captain Bill moved back inside to fish the shallow waters of Quincy Bay. The first
rock pile failed to produced, but at the next, Jay hooked a small bluefish that
he managed to land before it ate through the leader. As Captain Bill debated switching
to wire leaders both Jay and Jim brought up bass. So the crew stayed with the
mono leaders. Friday, Dave Deitz invited Will Gaines who was visiting from Texas to experience Boston Harbor's legendary fishing. Unfortunately, the crew was greeted by a strong wind that would prove to be a problem throughout the morning. With the prediction of the wind dissipating, it was decided to give it a try. While Dave attempted to cast a fly into this stiff wind, Will worked a Bass Assassin among the white caps. Some bass were brought up and Will even managed to land a few. At the airport, there was less wind and both Dave got into some smaller bass and some blues that managed to bite through the lures before they could be landed. At low water, the crew searched the shallow waters and found some bigger bass. The crew even hooked a few that somehow got unbuttoned before they could be boated. As Will summed the day up…"They beat us. That is why they call it fishing and not catching." Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report July 15, 2006 Wednesday,
Philip Strazzula of Norwell and his 14 year old son, Michael met Captain Bill
before dawn. Thursday' fly trip was rescheduled due to the forecast of heavy rain and strong winds. Captain Bill made the decision the night before because these fly fishers were coming from out of state. By the morning, the rain had pushed off and the wind was blowing a steady 3 mph…oh well! Milt Simon and Frank Prioux of Maine were aboard for Friday's light tackle trip. The Draggin' Fly pushed off before sunup to fish the outgoing water. Frank had just finished reading a recent article that Captain Bill had written for the Fisherman on skinny water fishing so he was eager to give it a try. Just as the sun was rising in the eastern sky, Frank hit a big fish on a pink jerk bait. This fish dump line faster than Frank's heart was beating. When Captain Bill finally grabbed the fish, Frank began to relax as he admired his 30 pound bass caught in less than 5 feet of water. Meanwhile, Milt continued to raise bass on his Bass Assassin, but the fish just charged and swirled at his bait. Finally, he hooked what appeared to be a decent fish. Milt had the fish coming to the boat when it made a sudden surge stripping line from the reel faster than Superman flies in the new movie. Before he could turn the fish, the line parted leaving Milt only to wonder what he had hooked. Both Milt and Frank promised to return and duel it out with these shallow water bass. The Breen girls (Julie, Erin, and Amy) of Holbrook arranged Saturday's trip as a belated Father's Day celebration for dad, Bob. Expectations were high as the crew pushed off dock well before dawn to stalk bass in the shallows. Last year Bob and his daughters landed two trophy bass. Bob raised a nice bass on a soft plastic jerk bait but never connected. This happened several more times. Even when Captain Bill tried casting to these finicky fish, the bass would follow but not eat. After a spectacular sunrise, it was time to find more cooperative fish. Erin was the first to hook a big bass, but there was no stopping this fish that eventually threw the hook. A few minutes later, Julie found herself with a battle of her own. This time the fish was brought close enough for Captain Bill to grab it. Julie's fish measured a little over 32 inches, a perfect size for the family cookout that was planned for latter in the day. Both Amy and Erin caught and released bass of about 30 inches. Erin also released a smaller bass that attacked her Vivif jig. Meanwhile, Bob's Bass Assassin was attacked by a lone bluefish that managed to bite through the plastic lure. There would be no trophy fish this day, but it was a great family day for the Breen's.
Draggin' Fly Captain's Report July 8, 2006 The crew searched through Quincy and found only bait. At slack water, the Draggin' Fly moved to the airport flats. These waters that had been holding bass even the day before were barren on this trip. The crew found some fish holding in deeper water in the approach channel, but they ignored all offerings. When the tide turned, the crew headed back to the shallows to hunt. They did jump some big fish that were cruising the skinny water. These fish are often hard for even veteran anglers to see let along catch, but the Foleys did a nice job spotting fish. Bob manage to get one big bass to jump on his surface bait, but the hook never found its mark. Bob told Captain Bill that he would be back next month looking for revenge. Be sure to check our website (wwwfishboston.com)
for the most up-to-date listing of open dates. Draggin' Fly Captain's
Report June 25, 2006 Sunday, Bob Moss of Lexington put together a two boat charter. Joining Bob onboard the Draggin' Fly were Greg Young of New Hampshire, Bob Ferguson of Vermont, and Bill Herman of Merrimacport. Captain Gene entertained Jim Kearns of Vermont, Gerry Wolf of Medford, and Craig's sons Matt Young of Harvard University and his brother Mike Young of Wake Forrest University. It was a later than usual start due to the minus tide. Weather-wise, the morning started well enough, but the rain and fog soon found the crew. The first stop in Quincy Bay was very productive for the Draggin' Fly. It was a mixture of small bass and bluefish. At the airport flats. It was small bass again. Bill caught one just sub-legal. All action was on Bass Assassins and Vivif jigs. This is a trip that these anglers will not soon forget…not fish-wise, but the predicted occasional showers that remained over the Draggin' Fly all day. Monday, Dan Shea of New Hampshire invited Glenn Case of Pembroke to share a light tackle trip. Again, it was a late start due to the tide. The first stop in Quincy proved to be productive. Dan and Glenn cast top water jerk baits to bluefish and bass in very skinny water. There was just enough wind to make it impossible to sight the fish, but blind casting worked as Dan and Glenn caught several fish. The biggest was Dan's 30 inch bass. Once the wind began to crank, the fish turned off so it was time to head back to dock. Draggin' Fly regular, Phil Strazzula of Norwell invited his sister, Joan of Belmont to join him on Tuesday. This time the crew pushed off dock just after dawn. Again there was just enough wind to make it impossible to sight the fish, but Joan and Phil caught some nice fish on surface lures in very shallow water. Joan managed to hold onto an 8 pound blue long enough for Captain Bill to tail it before it could bite through the mono leader. At the airport, Joan caught her biggest fish ever, a 16 pound/ 36 inch bass. Before the wind began to build, Joan landed another legal size bass. The wind would not allow Captain Bill to position the boat in shallow water. Phil and Joan ended the day casting Vivif jigs to land a few more small bass. Peter Gallagher of Norwell and Joe Grabmeier of Hopkinton were abroad on Wednesday for a light tackle trip. Pushing off at dawn, Captain Bill headed right to the shallows. It was already blowing so once again it would be nearly impossible to locate fish on the surface. As the crew drifted across a mussel bed known to hold fish, Joe was casting soft jerk bait. Working it very slowly in the chop, he hooked a very strong fish. Joe knew right away that this was no schoolie as it ran quickly through the drag. The fish got upwind and used the drifting boat to increase its leverage. Joe resisted the temptation to add drag which would have certainly resulted in breaking this hot fish off. After an amazing battle on light tackle, Joe boated his trophy bass. Meanwhile Peter caught and released a small bluefish. Both Peter and Joe managed a few more fish before the fish shut off. The wind began to build and gusted to over 30 mph as the Draggin' Fly made a hasty retreat to dock. Thursday
and Friday's trips were scrubbed due to weather. Captain Bill is taking the next few days off the water and will be vacationing in Maine with his first mate, Mary. The Draggin' Fly will be back fishing after the holiday. Draggin' Fly Captain's Report June 18, 2006
Draggin' Fly Captain's Report June 13, 2006 Draggin'
Fly Captain's Report June 1, 2006
Draggin' Fly Captain's Report May 28, 2006 This
week was the kickoff of Draggin' Fly's 2006 season. It was a late start
due to Captain Bill's shoulder injury and broken wrist. The cast is off and with
a few limitations, Captain Bill is ready for the season and so is the Draggin
Fly with her new Mercury motor and trailer. |
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The crew began working soft surface baits over a mussel bed know to hold bass
at low water. Phil was the first to hook a bass (on his second cast). This was
a 30 inch bass. The fish got smaller as the water dropped. Captain Bill had to
raise the motor out of the water to stay on the fish. As Phil twitched his lure,
it was picked up lightly, and as he expected another tuck, the fish exploded across
the water dumping line like a runaway freight train. Luckily, the fish avoided
some rocks and headed to open water with the Draggin' Fly in tow. At one point,
this bass had over 200 yards of 12 pound line off the reel. Philip who
