Quest Outdoors

Flyfishmich · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: Rhode Island 2006 (w/pics)

My wife and I made our annual trip out to RI this past week, arriving at out rental beach-house around 9:00pm on Saturday the 23rd, after a 15+ hour drive. Too dark when we arrived to see much of the beach but the surf was up due to a hurricane well out in the Atlantic. The following morning I awake to a stiff SW wind and overcast conditions. I drove down to meet a few guys having a "clave" from another website. They were skunked that morning after trying inside a sheltered bay just off the ocean. I halfheartedly fished, not expecting much until the surf died down a bit and the water cleared.

My friend, Jack, and his son arrived Sunday afternoon and we went to fish a salt pond on the outgoing tide. I caught about a 20" striper on my 9wt, not much of a battle, but at least the small of a skunk was gone. By then, it was happy hour and I was both hungry and thirsty. Capt. Morgan and fresh lobster was on the menu, as it would end up being quite a few nights that week. $13 would buy you a whole lobster, ear of local corn, and a baked potato w/ sour cream. After dinner settled we fished in some tidal creeks until around 2:30am, catching stripers up to 27" and hickory shad on our 6wts.

Monday was a day of rest as the surf began to settle.

I made rounds on Tuesday looking for "tunoids" but there was no love to be found from the fish.

Things started to look up on Wednesday after I walked to the end of a 1/4+ mile breakwall. "Albies" (little tunny, fat alberts, false albacore) blew up in front of me but just out of fly range. I cast for a bit but couldn't buy any hits. I went to another spot and landed a 5lb bluefish on my 10wt, nice fish but a bit overclassed.

The stars aligned on Thursday morning when within the first 10 casts (after my long rock-hopping walk), I hook up with Mr. Albie. I clear the line and the fish is on the reel in seconds...

My backing knot held and I landed my first albie in almost two years, about 8lbs of solid muscle...

Here's a better look while the fish was asking me to "drop him back in the water, please"...

I ended up hooking another four within the next couple of furious hours, with fish blowing up on bait almost constantly, usually out of casting range.

Friday was met with anticipation after the previous days success. We moved around a bit and finally found fish about halfway up the breakwall, after walking all the way to the end...lots of exercise this past week. The wind was a stiff 10-20MPH coming straight at us, and a little from the left. Casting was tough with the 9wt but I hooked two in fairly quick fashion, with both making runs well into my backing before deciding to head straight back at me. Somehow, I dropped both fish just as they turned to make another blistering run. So I took a look at my fly, and realize that the barb is missing. Fly comes off and new barbed fly gets tied on. Shortly thereafter I hook up again and the fish screams out again, staying hooked this time so I can land it for a quick release.

Saturday was the drive back, with fish breaking in the surf just behind where we were staying...after the rods were packed away, of course....until next year!

fish2much · Lunker Joined: 06 Mar 2004 Posts: 285 Location: Monroe, MI

Excellent. Until they hook a salty fish, they just won't know. Cool

Someday I'll check that off my list.

Thanks for not posting another "I caught this steelhead on spawn with my pin" post. Laughing

Variety is the spice of life. Thanks again for at least attempting to show Quest is not all steel/pin/. gear head junkies.

Anybody else who reads this...post away. I'm sure you've been somewhere else besides the Grand or the Big river. Razz

Flyfishmich · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:20 pm Post subject:

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726

Flyfishmich · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:21 am Post subject:

PEte · Lunker Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 396 Location: Ontario

BuzzFloatman · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject:

Rick,

Nice going out east, those silver footballs look like fun. With all this rain, things are going to break loose any week back here in the lowly midwest. Keep in touch....

F2M - Is the open sewer that flows thru Flat Rock considered "variety"? Just checking....

BK

Flyfishmich · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

fish2much · Lunker Joined: 06 Mar 2004 Posts: 285 Location: Monroe, MI

** Edit ** Sorry for falling into the pissing match game. I was responding to what I felt was a personal shot.

Keep up the posts and share all you're fishing related experiences with us. Thanks.

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726

and the top 3 to-do list is?

fish2much · Lunker Joined: 06 Mar 2004 Posts: 285 Location: Monroe, MI

You would have to call me on that Laughing

. I guess right now they would be...

1. Break the 20# steelhead mark, preferably on some classic Pacific Northwest river.

2. Multi species waterfowl hunt in Mexico

3. Flyfishing the shrimp boats and oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico.

Honorable mention - I've always wanted to shoot a caribou with a bow. It is somewhat easy to accomplish, but it has always appealed to me. Tasty too.

Other more exotic trips come to mind but I'll never be millionaire.

SageDrifter · Lunker Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 726

Flyfishmich · Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:03 pm Post subject:

fisherguy · Alevin Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 10

Nice pics, reminder of what RI has to offer.

Wife and I visit friends (unfortunately all non fisherman) in RI bi-annually. Only fishing I'm allowed do there with the folks is nightshift party boat for Blues from port Galilee off Block Is. in June-July, and that's only with the attraction of all-inclusive beverages supplied by yours truly. Not my cup of tea, but the whole thing can be a blast.

Definately different than I'm used to. Captain GPS's location, drops anchor,chums,switches on floodlights and start vertical jigging 30-60' using broom handled, 80lb line, 4oz teardrop type lead jigs. Usually doesn't take long to get on top of them. Blues SMACK hard and pull quick hard short runs to surface. Just as well, not unusual for quad headers. We've been lucky enough to catch counts most outtings. Fish averaging 5-10lb. with the odd dogfish thrown in (small reef shark?). We manage to throw most back, but the deck hands encourage bagging them for some reason, good for advertising maybe.

Apparently these scrappers cruise closer to shore during daylight. Next year intend to launch the yak and connect with of these bullits on the end of the 8wt. given a little more research on timing and fly patterns.

Flyfishmich · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:24 am Post subject: