A New Unproven Variation of the Prince

Carp On the Fly

Takes a lot of patience and stamina to fool a carp on the fly. When the summer doldrums commence the fish begin to feed in a more relaxed and inquisitive manner. This is the pinnacle of carp on the fly. A never ending beat down for that one hook up.

Slab of the Month

Go to http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2012/5/23/may-sotm-entry-tc-boner.html and vote for my slab of the month bonefish! 

Montana Road Trip

Managed to wet a line in VT this past weekend. Driving to Montana in morning to guide for rest of summer! 

Photos Courtesy of http://jajphotography.wordpress.com/

Smallies on the Fly

Nothing like jumping a freshwater tarpon. The small mouth bass are coming out of the lakes and reservoirs to spawn. Now is the time to catch a trophy! 

Leach/Lamprey Pattern

Striper Haven

Stripers are curious by nature. More often than not a striper will follow a hooked fish up to the boat. When fishing with another it's not a bad idea to throw a few casts behind your buddies fish. You never know who could be tailing behind! Yesterday we saw a lunker hanging behind one of these bruisers.

Fresh off the Migration. 

Porgie on the fly. 

A beauty. 

Mature Menhaden Boil. 

The Wily Striper

More Striper Food

Striped Bass Candy

Sand Eels are about to be stacked in the long island sound. Time to start whipping up some of these. 

If you plan on fishing these deep then I suggest using pink gills instead of red. The pink looks more realistic then the red which emits a dark light down deep. 

Striped Bass Stock in Decline!

The striped bass season is well underway. I have received reports of fish over the 30 " mark. As predicted the big fish should arrive early this season. The last week in May and first week in June should be the time to target fish in the 50 " range. It is hard to say but the season should also end early. July should be very quiet with stripers in the 10 lb + range hard to find on the fly. So get on it when you can and please practice catch and release! The stocks are down an alarming rate. Here is a study conducted up in Mass.  Why does history have to repeat itself?!

Decrease from 2006 to 2011 is 6,802,000 fish, a decrease of 83.7%

Decrease from 2010 to 2011 was 690,000 fish, a decrease of 34%

Official NOAA Recreational Catch Statistics for MA

Attachments:

The attached document taken directly from the NOAA - parent of National Marine Fishery Service - website chronicles the decline in the recreational catch of striped bass in Massachusetts from its high in 2006 until the end of 2011.  The decline of 84% is absolutely alarming, and there are no good year classes coming along to reinforce the population of breeding sized fish  for at least another 7 or 8 years.  Clearly we need to act now to conserve the large fish left in the population.   Stripers Forever's MA game fish bill will be heard in committee on Feb. 28.  For more information go back to the home page of this website and find the article under recent news on the right side.  We urge all SF members to e-mail the members of the Joint Environment Committee that will hear this bill.  Here is a LINK to their website.  Tell them that striped bass are important to you, that the fish are in trouble, and that we must stop commercially fishing for them and manage them with a greater conservation ethic.  Please, do it now, and get all of your fishing friends to do the same thing.

Estimate Status	Year	Common Name	Total Catch (A+B1+B2)	PSE
FINAL	2006	STRIPED BASS	8,124,766	10.2
FINAL	2007	STRIPED BASS	5,646,880	12.6
FINAL	2008	STRIPED BASS	4,027,374	11.7
FINAL	2009	STRIPED BASS	2,627,003	10.6
FINAL	2010	STRIPED BASS	2,012,483	11.1
PRELIMINARY	2011	STRIPED BASS	1,323,156	14.6

Decrease from 2006 to 2011 is 6,802,000 fish, a decrease of 83.7%

Decrease from 2010 to 2011 was 690,000 fish, a decrease of 34%

Last Weekends Time Lapse

Filmed by JAJ 

Farmington River

Got into my first 2012 night fish this past weekend. We threw mice patterns the size of squirrels. Still a little early in the year but hey you never know with a full moon. We hooked one that left us high and dry with a well executed head shake. 

On the daytime side of things I am still lost for words regarding how healthy the fish are. It is obvious that these fish were able to engorge all year with the mild winter temps. The rainbows we caught reminded me of last winters' Ontario chromers. Tail walking and peeling line as if I had the reel set on free spool. 

A night time sun

Clouds and Rain: Wouldn't have it any other way

A Quick Teaser