|
Fall 2007
December
15, 2007
- I would like to congratulate
Art Greason of VA Beach for the catch and release of likely the
biggest striper ever taken on fly in VA waters. He was fishing last night on Andy Kallgen's
boat. The fish measured 50" to the fork and had a girth of
29"... pretty work guys!!!
December
14, 2007
- With the major push of big fish
about to arrive, the next 4-6 weeks should prove to be awesome
fishing for trophy stripers. I can't wait for this Nor'easter
to blow through so that we can get back out there after them!
      
December
6, 2007
- Whenever Mother Nature has decided to lay down her
winds, we have been on the water to tangle with rockfish on fly
and light tackle around the CBBT. Breaking fish under
feeding birds has yet to become consistent, but we have found
action around the islands and pilings of the bridge tunnel.
Stripers on fly to 32" during the day and 38" at night have come
over the gunnels of my Jones Brothers boat during the last week.
      
November
25, 2007
- I ran a solo trip to the CBBT the other night and
the stripers where stacked up nicely in the light line.
Along with many fat schoolies, I landed 6 rockfish between
32-37" on the fly. I wish I had a charter along
with me to join in the fun!
   
November
19, 2007
- I'm wrapping up my year on the Middle Peninsula
over the Thanksgiving weekend. I will be fishing
exclusively out of Little Creek for the remainder of the season,
focusing on the open water striped bass fishery around the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
and Atlantic Ocean. You don't want to miss out on the
world class fishery for trophies in December and
January. Below are a few pictures from last year to show you what it is
all about.
      
November
13, 2007
- We continue to have excellent fishing in the shallows,
so long as the winds allow us to get on the water. I'll be
giving a speech on Virginia's Late Season Striper Fishery
at the National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited at 8PM on
Wednesday. For more information on the club, visit
www.ncc-tu.org . As a
reminder, late fall and winter can be much colder on the water
than you may expect. Remember that you are best off
bringing too much clothing versus spending your time shivering
to keep warm. Here's a check list of items to bring along
so that your day on the water is fun and comfortable:
layered clothing, knit cap, gloves, wool socks, insulated boots,
chap stick, foul weather gear and sunglasses.
      
November
5, 2007
- Author, David Klausmeyer, has a new book titled
Striped Bass Flies: Patterns of the Pros. The book
details the flies of several striped bass fly fishing guides and
is scheduled for release in early December. My bunker fly
pattern made the book cover (see center fly on the book cover
below). Also, I have posted a few photos of a variety of
backcountry flies. I hope to add tying directions to
more fly patterns on the Articles & Lessons section of my
website soon.
      
November
1, 2007
- The stripers have really turned on in the shallows.
Today was the best day of the week - one rod, 8hrs fishing, 75
rockfish to 30". We lost a fat 33" fish next to the boat
after a long battle on the fly rod. Nice fish on a shallow
flat will make your reel sing!
     
October 25, 2007
- I'm happy to say that my Jones Brothers is back and
ready to go... just need this stormy weather to pass so the boat
can get some fish slime on her again. I hope she enjoyed
her rest, because she'll get a workout over the next few months
during the striper blitz around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Tunnel. I've been at the fly tying bench getting ready for
the action.
      
October 21, 2007
- Still waiting to get my Jones Brothers back in action,
so all my charters continue to be run on the Middle Peninsula.
We've had some good pre-dawn action around lighted structure
with stripers blowing up on silversides in the lights.
Topwater popper fishing at first light has been awesome and
we've run across blitzing bluefish gorging themselves on
anchovies. One day we had stripers in shallow, clear water
and could watch as they chased down the fly. Devoting time
to speck fishing has produced nice fish in the 18-22" range.
      
October 14, 2007
- Well, Mother Nature turned the switch and water
temperatures are in freefall. In the shallows, the water
went from 74 to 59 degrees in three days. Before the cold
snap we were having good success on speckled trout and a few
puppy drum. Hopefully, temperatures will stabilize so
these warmer water species stick around for a little longer
before they migrate south for the winter.
      
October 8, 2007
- Is it really October? It sure feels like August
with this hot and humid weather! Water temperatures are
running 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.
We are catching stripers, pups and specks in the shallows, but
some days we have to work hard to catch them. A cold front
is dropping through later in the week which should remind the
fish that it's time to fatten up for winter.
      
September 23, 2007
- The Autumnal Equinox has arrived marking the start of
the Fall season. The past week has seen ups and downs in
temperature which slowed fishing for a day or two as the fish
have to acclimate to the quick changes in barometric pressure
and water temperature. On the Middle Peninsula we caught a
large variety of species including stripers, blues, specks,
puppy drum, croaker, flounder, black sea bass, houndfish,
northern puffer and white perch. My Jones Brothers is out
of commission to get some work done at the factory, but I expect
it back around the first of October. Until then I will
continue to focus my charters out of the Pathfinder on the
Middle Peninsula.
       |
