Wood River, Rhode Island

Labor Day, September 7, 2009
Hope(less) Valley, RI

With the canoe atop the Subaru, the bucket of blueberries and dead dragonfly still in the trunk and no legal fishing status in the state of Rhode Island, Caleb and I set out for the frosty Wood River.
We stopped for a sale session at URE and to get a RI 3-day fishing license. I found myself completely annoyed at the following: the lack of lighting in the dressing room, the fact that the dressing room was located out on the open floor and had only a little modesty flap for a door; and the annoying women that stood outside and tapped their feet waiting to use the dressing room. Our URE trip concluded with me making some regrettable decisions on some sale yoga clothes and Caleb's purchase of the three day RI license.
We drove a little further and headed over to the Wood River. We first investigated at the dam at Wyoming Pond. After reluctantly walking over the dam with quickly flowing waters, we made it to a spot where Caleb was sure he was seeing surface rises from Brookies. We went down a little further and then waded into the River. We went from rock to rock until we came to a large rock where Caleb caught many, many dace. Then he became overly excited as he though that he saw a Rainbow Trout. I didn't really believe him but then he pulled up the large beauty. He caught it using a bead-head caddis fly nymph on an ultra light 6 ft. casting rod. I was clearly impressed and happy that we got to photograph the little fellow.
For the next few minutes, I took some interesting pictures of dragonflies eating mayflies. One mayfly got away, but not before the greedy dragonfly had chewed off its left wing. The one-winged mayfly sulked away. Unfortunately there are no wing repair shops in this part of RI and the sweet mayfly knew its fate.
As I was doing this, I heard Caleb shouting like a girl. I quickly stumbled through the pebbly waters over to him and saw what all of the fuss was about: a gorgeous Atlantic Salmon! In all of the excitement of catching the fish and trying to get a photograph, the fish freed itself from the hook and gave us the old sliparoo back into the chilly water. I was devastated that I didn't get a photograph of it. It was just adorable.
We tried for a little while longer in this spot but soon left after the action slowed. We went back to the public access area at the dam at Wyoming Pond and attracted quite a crowd as Caleb caught largemouth after largemouth, using the dace we had caught earlier for bait. We also taught the onlookers about crayfish. (Or craw-dads as i like to say.)
We left there and went on a little further to a stretch of the river by a baseball field. Caleb attempted to catch anything here and even used a spinner. I attempted to stand on my head. Then we might have hit a skunk and had to deal with the smell the whole way over to the Barberville pool by the dam. We waded through and though it was very picturesque, we did not catch anything.
We then left to go home to make Mexican food. Homeade salsa made from vegetables in ye olde gargen.
Totals: 7-10 dace; 1 rainbow trout; 1 (possibly two) Atlantic Salmon; 1 crawdad; 4-5 largemouth bass; 1 pickerel sighting; 1 skunk run-in; 1 crawdad and an angry woman waiting for a dressing room at URE.

Greens Falls Adventure

Sunday, September 6, 2009

"It is every man's worst nightmare: that his wife will end up lazy, just sitting on a couch all day eating bonbons." - Caleb Rose, 2009

After a short trip to Quanaduck Cove in Stonington (to check for crabs and tropicals), Caleb, Chris, Vita and I trekked to up into North Stonington and Voluntown, headed for Greens Falls. I tried to take a little nappy nap on the way but Caleb was driving at mach 90 (as my sister would say) down the bumpy dirt path. This ride lasted for some time.
We finally made it to the pond and we put in the canoe. Chris at the head, Caleb in the back and Vivi and I sitting in the bottom, wet butts and all. Somehow, the presence of a bag of bonbons made the wet butt not so bad.
One of the reasons we wanted to go to Greens Falls was because the year before, we had picked a substantial crop of wild blueberries and huckleberries there. Afterwards we made totally delicious tarts with shortbread crusts and I gained probably 5 lbs. (At least it wasn't from bonbons.) On the way out to the blueberries, I declared that I had read in the paper that this year was a "bumper crop" of blueberries for CT. We got to the blueberry bank and found only a few. Caleb did see a snake, probably a garter snake. We got back in and paddled for an island in the middle, that will hereafter be known as Blueberry Island or Bayberry Island. We found lots of both on this tiny island and Vita attempted to rescue a dragonfly which did not quite make it. Caleb caught a few small pumpkinseeds here. One died after eating a catapillar.
On the way back from the island, we had a short but productive fishing session. Caleb and Chris each caught a couple of bass and so Caleb declared a fishing tournament, even though he was technically in the hole -15 after catching the three pumpkinseed. There were lovely little flowers blooming all over the surface and while Vita and I enjoyed picking them and "squishing the cells," we realized that they must have been loved by the fish, as Cay and Chris caught several "hogs" in this area. Mixture of largemouth and smallmouth bass. The largest largemouth that Caleb caught vomited up a pumpkinseed. It was awesome.
We then headed back to the shore where there was some confusion over porta potties but in the end, we all made it out o.k.
Totals: 5 Largemouth bass; 3 pumpkinseed; 1 catapillar; 1 dead dragonfly; bucket of blue/huckleberries; a hand full of bayberries and one porta-pottie debacle.

Seth Williams Brook, Ledyard, CT

Monday August 31, 2009

After work, Caleb and I rode over to the Seth Williams Brook (also known as just the Seth) and fished off of Shewville Road, down Town Farm Road. There we found a little pool under the bridge. It looked promising but we had no luck. When we first arrived, we saw a beautiful Great Blue Heron which surprised us when it flew out from below the bridge, landing on a log a little further down. I tried to snap a picture but we weren't quick enough. There were lots of mayflies and caddis flies. Caleb tried fishing for a little while using a caddis fly nymph; thought he saw one fish, and had several nibbles as the fly drifted through the deepest sections of the pool. We caught nothing and decided to ride up the road to a "pond" that connected to another part of the stream. The pond was man made and had some real spectacular fountains with lights in it. I doubt that Charles Stillman ever saw this ghastly sight.
We made friends with a few ducks in this pond. Caleb thought that these ducks had business with me as they quickly quacked their way up to me, like I was an old friend. I re-assured these ducks that I had never met them, and we went on our way. Caleb tried to convince me to trespass on private property to get to the good part of the stream, but I refused as there was a woman in plain sight. So, we walked over to the legit path and discovered it was so overgrown, we could not have made it through without a machette. I now was desperate as Caleb took off without me and I was forced to sneak onto the private property, passing a bunnie on the way.

We finally made it to the other side and into the woods to the lovely stream. While we did not catch anything, we did find a beautiful golden carpet of chantrelles, which it turns out after eating them might not have been chantrelles after all.


0 Fish; 0 Chrantelles; 1 bunnie; 2 ducks; 1 blue heron; and a hideous fountain.

bigger and bigger fish, more and more

I have been fishing every day since my last post and I can count the number of times I have been skunked on one hand. But yesterday 26th was a banner day, I woke up early and fished long pond The first three hours were tough I kept missing fish on my fairly new St Croix legend tournament rod. I felt like I was doing something wrong or the rod wasn't doing something right. I kept feeling the bite and then trying to set the hook too soon or too late. In hindsight I think it may have been a bunch of small fish. I think this because I did hook one fish on a new weedless hook which didn't really set. The real reason I know that the rod works fine is that I went to the north end to go after a big fish I missed last year. I remember it was around the beginning of July
(wavy flash back lines) Krystal and I are on the canoe, we paddle into the thick lily pads in search of turtles having been skunked all morning. as we pull into the first open area I can see a wave. Krystal looks up and says "do you see that?" Its a big bass in shallow water and its on its side trying to be overlooked. But we both see it and its BIG! In a panic I try to get a hook in the water but no luck the fish has seen us and wants nothing to do with hooks right now. we sadly watch as she pushes her way through the weeds. (Back to Present)
I was in the same spot under the same conditions but instead of going into the open shallow water I stayed in the weeds and lobbed a senko into the hole. I don't think it even hit the bottom the fish nailed it immediately. she then pulled side to side across the hole and pulled me in to the open water. It was this moment that she clearly realized what was happening. she reared up and shook violently trying to dislodge the hook that was deeply embedded in her jaw. no such luck but I began to get the nervous feeling like when you might be outclassed on your line. I did my best and after a few more runs and a big splash of water on me I landed the fish. I think I was muttering out loud because I heard one of the people on the shore say " that's a big fish, but who is he talking to?" well any way I got these pics and I hope you can see just how big it really is. 4# 8oz priceless.

The quest for a fish a month

My quest began in January I wanted to catch a fish every month for an entire year. Turns out this is a bit of a "White Whale " for me. I have been trying to pull this off for a few years now without success. I tried again this year and here are my results so far
January: 1 striper in Norwich Harbor Jan 31 ( i should add that December was productive during the full moon and the new moon I caught fish)
February: NO fish. So you see my problem I always start out OK in Jan but my plan falls apart within 1 month it dosen't help that Feb is only 28 days but It broke my chances right away.
March: 1 Large mouth, 1 Pickerel about 6" both on a white rooster tail spinner. only these somehow became the only two fish i caught all month I was sure the miracle of spring 2007 would repeat with stripers caught in the end of march. No dice
April: I believed the fishing would start at the full moon on the 9th... I looked hard for two days before and two days after but NO FISH. heard that hamburg cove was lit up. Finally on thursday the 23rd two days before the new moon I caught the first summer striper for 2009 I could feel the momentum of the season was already there. There would not be a trickle in like 2008. The fish were at the fisherman bridge stacked up and within 2 hours I had caught 13 on a 1/16 oz jig head with white maribou tail. the next night after a day of spearfishing Blackfish also caught 30 menhaden good to see a big school so early in the I returned to catch another 20. On the new moon I stayed out till 2:30 and caught +-30 on 1/16 oz jig head with green maribou and hot pink thread I subsequently made 4 more of these. sunday I fished long pond with KK and we caught 3LMB total for the weekend 66 fish.
May: 1st 4LMB at fitch pond dark green 5"senko was the hot ticket, kept one ate it for dinner also caught 5 stripers to 26"