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Rhody Fly Rodders – Members and Friends

RI Fishing ReportThe main theme this week has been the mid and upper bay has been good all the way up into the rivers. There have been solid fish in the 15-20 pound range with a few fish in the 40lb range. Most of them have been caught on big swim shads, pogie chunks or live pogies. Blue fish have finally showed up in the bay too.

Source: Rhode Island Fishing Report – May 19, 2016 – On The Water

The fish in the ocean once numbered the grains of sand in the Sahara, he said. “And there was thinking that there was nothing we could do to touch it. Yet, it turns out, the killing of the fish in the ocean was far easier than the killing of all insects on the land,” Mr. Bolster said.

Today most striped bass caught along the eastern seaboard were spawned in the Chesapeake Bay. Yet more than a century ago, striped bass spawned in many of the rivers of the eastern seaboard all the way up to Maine.

- See more at: https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2015/09/30/author-tracks-decline-fisheries#sthash.9wx2Yw8x.dpuf

Source: Author Tracks Decline of Fisheries | The Vineyard Gazette – Martha’s Vineyard News

As striped bass begin their annual to migration to the Chesapeake Bay and other spawning grounds, local fishermen can look forward to another few years of decent fishing. But a sudden drop in the number of juveniles in 2012 will eventually reverberate up the coast.

This year’s juvenile index, announced in October, was the highest since 2011 and the eighth highest on record. The average number of juveniles counted at 22 sites around the bay was 24.2, more than double the 60-year average of 11.9. The figure has increased every year since 2012.

The young-of-year index, compiled by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, has varied between around one and 60 since 1954 when the counts began. The numbers tracked the collapse of the striped bass fishery in the 1970s and 1980s and its recovery in the 1990s following a coast-wide moratorium.

Gary Nelson, fish biology program manager for the state Division of Marine Fisheries, said this week that the annual counts closely follow the pattern of catch rates in Massachusetts, although it takes four or five years for the fish to arrive in local waters.

He estimated that about 70 per cent of the local catch comes from the Chesapeake Bay, with the rest arriving from the Hudson and Delaware Rivers.

- See more at: https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2015/11/17/and-down-recovery-continues-striped-bass#sthash.zdnMZ7Jv.dpuf

Source: Up-and-Down Recovery Continues for Striped Bass | The Vineyard Gazette – Martha’s Vineyard News

Fly fishing is often perceived as a difficult and expensive sport to pursue, but it doesn’t have to be either of those things. Unfortunately, when people look into taking up saltwater fly fishing, they get a glimpse of some high gear prices and instantly drop the idea. Looking at the vast array of choices in a fly fishing catalog can be very intimidating, especially when top-of-the-line gear is promoted and can reach astronomical prices. The first time I considered saltwater fly fishing, I dismissed the idea as too complicated and expensive. However, with a little more research, I found that you don’t need to over think it when you’re just getting started. I’ve found that there are many great options that won’t bankrupt your kid’s college fund.

Read this short guide to saltwater fly fishing for beginners and you’ll be shaking with excitement at the prospect of you’re first saltwater fish on the fly in no time.

Source: Saltwater Fly Fishing for Beginners – On The Water

Why it’s so hard to design a fish ladder that works

Source: What’s the Dam Problem — re:form — Medium

No matter what type of hook you end up choosing, you can certainly help things out by crushing the barbs. If you talk to any angler who makes this their habit, he or she will be able to confirm that the bump left when the barb is squeezed up against the point still makes it pretty tough to get the hook out.

And one final question remains: How many of these small bass do you have to catch? Hey, I’ll never begrudge someone the pleasure of feeling life at the end of the line, especially after a long winter, but bragging about catching untold numbers of hungry, uneducated schoolies is a head-scratcher in my book.

With so many small striped bass all around…, I typically start thinking about catch-and-release.

Source: Catch And Release Technique Matters With So Many Schoolies Around | Columns | capenews.net