Bow River Fly Fishing
Basics For Fishing Block Island
Light tackle fishing and Fly Fishing around Block Island, Rhode Island is always a unique experience. Block Island has been called the Bermuda of the north because of it’s gin-clear coastal waters. Some have even called it the Ireland of New England because of the rolling hills and long rock fences. I am lucky enough to call it home from mid June through the month of September. As a fishing guide, I spend every morning (weather permitting) on the water with clients perched on the bow of my boat waiting for instruction on when, where and how to cast to cruising striped bass, bluefish, and tuna. We are always waiting for a large swirl, tail slap or pod of baitfish fleeing for their lives as some large predator lurks below.
Block Island poses some unique obstacles for the light tackle and Fly Fishing Anglers that probe the rips, beaches, points, and impressive boulder fields that the island is known for. I will talk about what I feel are the three most important things to realize and adapt to when light tackle fishing the Block. These three things are proximity, water clarity, and forage.
OK, I know you are saying “proximity” what the heck does he mean by that? It means that Block Island is located twelve miles from Point Judith which happens to be the closest place to launch a small boat to make the run out to BI. So lets back up for a moment and discuss “small boat”. If you plan to fish the Block by small boat I would suggest no smaller than a twenty foot center console and no larger than twenty four. A twenty footer is just big enough to make it back if the weather turns on you and a twenty four is just small enough to get into the swallow boulder fields that hold so many fish. It’s 12 plus miles of serious open water no mater where you come from to fish BI. It’s a huge advantage to be leaving from the island in the morning. The runs are short and the pre-sunrise fishing is almost always far better than after sunrise. It can be a daunting run in the dark with a small vessel, especially if the boat isn’t equipped with radar. Even if a vessel is equipped with radar, things such as huge logs or trees, lobster pots or anything else that might get pushed out of the many river systems along the mainland coast will most likely not be detected. Fog is another issue. The fishing is often very good in foggy conditions. Remember; low light makes for better hunting. If you are not comfortable navigating in the fog (which most are not) don’t even attempt it. Now when the weather turns grumpy no one is really making that run which is a huge disadvantage because the best fishing is usually better when it’s overcast with a 3-5 foot Southerly swell and about 15-20 knots of wind out of the south or west. So again, being based on Block Island means that you are looking at short runs to the fishing grounds and the comfort of knowing that home is just around the corner.
The second obstacle is water clarity. How can water clarity be an obstacle? Well for one, striped bass are nocturnal feeders, so with crystal clear conditions and a sunny sky it’s only a matter of time before the fish go deeper or just turn off, or maybe both. This brings me back to the proximity thing about a good southerly swell. The swell keeps the bass in shallow because of it’s churning of the water. It’s like a bass’s security blanket when less light is able to penetrate and the water clarity goes from twenty five feet of visibility to three feet of visibility. The fishing will often be good all day as long as there is a significant swell. In other situations when the water is clear as it usually is on Bock, longer, lighter leaders should be considered. Clear water usually equals spooky fish, so subtle, soft presentations and natural colors that blend in with the environment are key. This is why Fly Fisherman will so often have the upper hand in such situations. You can also use the super clear water of BI to your advantage as well. The sight fishing on the island is very good. Walking the east side swimming beaches and the shores and backwaters of the Great Salt Pond can be very rewarding. It’s important to keep in mind that bass in less then two feet of water are as wary as bonefish. A stealthy approach is a must.
The third unique aspect of fishing Block Island with light tackle is the forage or prey which striped bass in particular feed on. Unlike mainland Rhode Island, Long Island, Cape Cod and even Martha’s Vineyard, there are no freshwater sources on BI. Without the lifeblood of freshwater Block gets no menhaden, or bay anchovies. The menhaden, pogie, bunker, or whatever you want to call them, make up almost 35% and the bay anchovy about 6% of the striped bass’s diet. So what are the stripers of Block Island eating during the course of any given season? Sand eels and squid make up a large portion of what BI stripers feed on. Most of the other prey species are bottom dwellers. Fluke, scup, lobster, black sea bass, blackfish and lots and lots of crabs are serious grub for Block Island stripers. I can honestly say that at least 80% of all the bass I have ever harvested on Block have had crabs in their bellies. I have seen huge bass with dozens of dime sized green or lady crabs in their gut. This being said, it is important to focus on a bottom presentation whenever there are no signs of surface activity. More often than not this is going to be the scenario you are faced with on BI. This is why a finesse style jig is very effective. A half ounce quality jig head with a slim bodied soft plastic, braided line and a four foot leader of 30pd mono can be absolutely deadly. This is where the fly fisherman has a disadvantage. With tide and swell to compete with, a fly, even on a full sink line has a hard time presenting correctly on bottom feeding stripers. It can be done but with lots of experience and patience.
All this being said, the waters around Block Island are some of the most productive in southern New England. If you plan to fish BI with fly or a light spinning outfit in hand then consider what I’ve mentioned here. Pick your days. Keep a very close eye on the weather and get out of Dodge at the first sign of trouble. Be ready to change your game plan if the water is super clear. Just because a section of fishy looking water has no sign of predators, fish the bottom. You might be very surprised. Most importantly, keep moving. It should take more than twenty minutes to figure out if there are feeding fish in the area. I’ll leave you with this. If you don’t have extremely sharp hooks and well tied and TESTED knots then all of the above means squat….
Tight lines and ripping tides. Capt Greg Snow
About the Author
Greg has fished all over the world, in every country in Central American, Hawaii, Cayman Islands, all U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas and every state from Mississippi to Maine. He is also an avid conservationist who believes in releasing most fish caught. During the fishing season Greg guides in Naragansett Bay May to mid June and then guides Block Island Fishing Charters for the remainder of the season.
Fly fishing the Bow River 22 2 Mac
|
|
12 Bow River Buggers, one dozen fly fishing flies, mouches pêche, #8 $8.00 |
|
|
Blue Ribbon Bow: A Fly Fishing History of the Bow River – Canada’s Greatest Tro $35.66 |
|
|
BOW RIVER BUGGER CONEHEAD #4 FRONTIER FLY FISHING FLIES $8.95 |
|
|
BOW RIVER BUGGER CONEHEAD #6 FRONTIER FLY FISHING FLIES $8.95 |
