That about says it all. Hopefully we’ll be relatively glitch-free this time. If not, we’ll figure it out…
Tag Archives: best flies for striped bass
Striper Report: A slow start to December
The month is off to a lackluster start. I fished a proven late fall bass producer on Monday, and it was a blank for me and the other half dozen souls who braved high, stained water and biting winds. Went back to the same well on Tuesday, and although I had the place to myself and the conditions were far nicer, the bite — or lack thereof — was the same. Off to spot B, where I knew bass had been caught 24 hours earlier, but no. Not for me, dagnabbit.
I don’t like the short term weather forecast, so perhaps I’ll need to rethink time and tide. Catching a striper on the fly from the shore for 12 consecutive months may sound like a simple proposition, but this first week of the last month shows how difficult it can be. While I am bloodied, I remain unbowed.
What my fingertips felt like by the end of Tuesday’s session.
Many questions (rhetorical and otherwise)
I once read that a good way to learn things was to ask a lot of damn fool questions. I tend to do that in my fishing, whether I’m wondering to myself, trying something new, or picking the brain of someone who knows a lot more than me. Here are some recent points I’ve been pondering:
Is “pushing water” the most trite, overused, overhyped concept in streamer construction today?
How do all those stripers find my 1″ long sparse grass shrimp flies at night with no moon in water with visibility of under 2 feet?
Why don’t more striper anglers think in terms of matching the bait, and presenting the fly like the naturals are behaving?
When it comes to choosing lines and leaders, is there a more important question than: “What do you want the fly to do?”
If intermediate lines are the most versatile, why do the vast majority of striper anglers use only one presentation with them?
Is there a striped bass swimming today that cares if your fly turns over?
Last but not least: why the hell didn’t I get out and fish in the wake of last weekend’s storms?
If you want to consistently catch bigger bass on the fly from shore, fish how, where, and when most other people don’t.
Long Island Flyrodders awarded a 2nd Legion of Cookout Merit (with Romeo y Julieta clusters)
Many thanks to the Long Island Flyrodders for again being hosts with the mosts. I was treated to a fine cookout of cheeseburgers, kielbasa (perfect for someone from New Britski) and salads. Throw in an ice cold beer (thanks, Mike) and — wait for it — top it off with a post feast gift (thanks, Ken) of a Romeo y Julieta Reserve corona gorda, and you’re talking a very fed, very happy presenter. As always, this is a welcoming group, and I enjoyed talking fishing with everyone. Oh — the presentation was “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass,” which I think went over very well. Lots of good post-talk questions. Thanks again!
Dessert. A fine vitola that also kept the bugs at bay.
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As a fellow griller, I can tell you it ain’t pleasant standing over fire on a 90 degree day with a dew point of 69. Kudos to the grillers! And yes, I came back for a second helping of kielbasa.
Everyone’s invited to tomorrow night’s “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass” presentation.
The Long Island Flyrodders have graciously offered to open my Tuesday evening presentation to all currentseams followers. So, that’s tomorrow night, September 4, 8pm in Levittown, NY. Hope to see you there, and in fine Steve Somers fashion, directions here.
Want to catch more — and bigger — stripers? Then come to this presentation.
Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?
Followers and readers already know that I tend to fish how, where, and when others don’t — especially when it comes to stripers. I’ve always considered currentseams to be a teaching platform, and to a large extend that is what drives the content of this site. Still, there are times when I feel like a lonely island being battered by the waves of conventional wisdom. So when I get a letter like the one below, it restores me. I’ve edited some of it for brevity, but I think its message is important. Fans of 1776 will get the title reference — and the importance of the answer, “yes.”

New presentation added: “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass”
You can read all about it on my presentation menu link. This debuted last month at the Cape Cod Fly Rodders, and I’m hoping the Fly Fishing Show will pick it up, too.
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Don’t forget “The Little Things” at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Arts of the Angler show, Ethan Allan Inn, Danbury, CT, Sunday, November 5 at 10:30. Bonus: it’s daylight savings so you get an extra hour of sleep!