Dave & Pete are Back in Montana

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Ed Mitchell

Dave & Pete are Back in Montana

Got a text message from my friend Dave Beall. He and his buddy Pete are back out in Montana trout fishing the Upper Big Hole River. Below you’ll see a 22″ beauty that Dave caught on a White Zonker. Nice going Dave. They also caught a some small browns and grayling on dries.

22″ Brown Trout

The Big Hole River has been in the news of late, and not for good reasons. Trout numbers are way down over previous years. Way, way down. The juror is still out on the root cause of the problem, but climate change might be one of many factors, along with fungal disease and PFAS  contamination, often called forever chemicals. The Upper Big Hole River is fairing a bit better, with the Middle Section of the river hit the hardest. Lets hope the biologist find some answers soon to protect this legendary river.

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False Albacore in Rhode Island

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Ed Mitchell

False Albacore in Rhode Island

Wednesday I got a text from my buddy Phil Farnsworth saying he was hooking false albacore in Rhode Island. Accompanying him on this angling mission was Captain Pete Farrell and Peter Jenkins of Saltwater Edge fame.

Pete Farrell photo credit Phil Farnsworth

Together they sailed out of Newport in Jenkin’s Jones Brothers, eventually finding fish to the west. The “albies’ were feeding on bay anchovies. And as so often happens small flies were the right medicine. Granted, these hardtails may not be the biggest you have ever seen, but you can be sure they were a freaking blast on a fly rod. Always are!

Peter Jenkins photo credit Phil Farnsworth

Phil Farnworth

 

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September Cape Cod Trip

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Ed Mitchell

September Cape Cod Trip

Nauset Light    credit Ed J. Mitchell

My Son Hooked Up     credit Phil Farnsworth

Had a fun time on the Cape Cod, despite shitty conditions. Man, it was sticky and humid with rain on all but one day. Water temperatures were high for this time of year too. And not surprisingly the fishing was thin and spread out. As always, fishing is wishing.

On our last day, however, things improved. The rain stopped, blue skies appeared. Hallelujah. And a quick ride in Phil’s new boat put Captain Pete Farrell, Phil Farnsworth, and my son into bass and blues.  Nice going guys. We pulled it out at the last moment.

They found fish stacked up in a back cove. Loads of birds announced the action where tons of bait was being pushed against the bank by striped bass. What a wonderful sight for hungry anglers. And a upbeat ending to our September Cape Cod trip.

Credit Phil Farnsworth

 

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Shark Smart

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Ed Mitchell

Shark Smart

In the previous post, I noted the number of hooked fish being cut off by sharks. Yeah its surprising, a totally new thing here in Southern New England. But the flip side of this coin is the serious side. Anglers need to be shark smart, especially wading anglers. No the risk isn’t enormous and I don’t want to make it sound that way,  but the risk is nevertheless present.

Head of the Meadow Beach

Recently I was on Cape Cod and the need for angler awareness was clearly evident. When you walk to outer beaches, spots like Head of the Meadow,  the reality sinks in quickly. There is just no avoiding it. Yes, we all must be shark smart.

Shark Smart

Here on the Cape’s Atlantic side, the sign points out that the number of shark are at their greatest in August, September and October. Yet it also tells you sharks may be present at almost any time of year. If you want to learn more about great white sharks you can visit  www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/ There is an app available as well, that reports shark activity.

Severe Bleeding Kit

 

 

 

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Sharks Eating Stripers in Long Island Sound

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Ed Mitchell

Sharks Eating Stripers in Long Island Sound?

By now you may have read some reports of stripers being bit in half by sharks, right here in Long Island Sound. May sound a little odd, but its true. Two tears ago I reported on a brown shark chasing a hooked bluefish at Millstone. So the notion of sharks hounding hooked fish was  clearly in the realm of possibilities.

Well now I can add another story to the tale of hungry sharks eating stripers in Long Island Sound.  Anglers fishing near Old Saybrook using live menhaden were catching some very large bass. These are fish well over the size limit, true hogs. One of the big bass, a fish estimated in excess of 3 feet,  didn’t make it to the damn boat! Clearly it was whacked by a shark. Here in these waters it was likely either a sand tiger shark or a sandbar (brown) shark. Both considered somewhat docile. But with our over heated waters, it may have been a different  shark entirely. After all a hammerhead showed up on Nantucket last year.

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