tynan19
09-30-2009, 06:19 PM
What an extended weekend we had. Spent 4 nights on the Vineyard with our friend Offshore 24. We stayed two nights with Rick Hern also. To say the fishing was tough would be an understatement. We had to deal with torrential rains for 24 hrs living out of my jeep. So everything was completly drenched. A constant SW/SE Wind that was always in the 20-30 mph bracket. Made fishing tough but there is always a leeward side of the island. It was crazy to have 5 footers rolling in on you only to drive 10 minutes and fish in what seemed to be a pond.
Since the Bass fishing was very slow with only small fish showing themselves to needles, eels and swimmers we decided that we would make it our goal to chase them funny fish. With nothing else to do we decided to camp out at a less popular fishing local than most. The first day we had fish blow up just to our left and when Kacie went to cast into them she got snagged on a carelessly discarded rusty hook attached to a wire leader and mono caught up in the seaweed. Needless to say she missed out. The albies then broke the surface right in front of me about 8 feet out. I flicked my fly right into the mix and was immediately on...as I said "I'm on!" I was immediately off. The first day went to the Albies.
Second day we were mentally prepared (or so we thought). Blind casting was producing the most fish. I hooked up within 10 minutes of arrival. As my line ripped from the reel, I was in total amazement at their power and speed. Just as I was feeling confident, I noticed the fly line leave the reel and the fish stop. I then reeled a couple cranks and the fish decided to make a second run. As soon the spool reached knuckle busting speed I heard a heart-sickening POP. I looked up at my rod tip to see only backing blowing in the wind. Kacie and Steve had a few bumps and strikes. Kacie managed to hook up but in her excitement somehow forgot to set the hook. and lost it when the line went slack. Day two goes to the Albies...Just in case you're keeping score its 2-0 Albies.
We planned ahead for day 3 with another trip to the tackle store. When I got home we were checking my backing and it kept breaking, so I went to have it changed. They attempted to break it at the shop and could not. They said it may have had a rotten section of backing in it. So I left with my original backing and a new tippet. Twelve pound fluro leaders tied direct to maria jigs for Kace and Steve was their plan of attack. We went there with a great outlook...
Blind casting was the situation again. Only a few busts on the surface throughout the morning. Many more people started to show in the spot and space was getting slim. This time the bad luck went to Kacie. As she stood to my left I heard her drag start to sing. I see her fumbling with the rod and I begin to tell her to leave her reel alone when her line went SNAP. We were beginning to think we were doomed to have a terrible first derby together. Albies 3-0. As a continuance to our bad luck earlier in the day I was casting eels that night off a rock when all of a sudden my lami arra 1204 exploded in half. I was depressed beyond the point of return with a 930 ferry the next morning and no good derby moments to share.
A trip to Coops and some kind words from the proprietor would have significant impact the next morning. I began to notice our luck would turn as we were driving home at 4am when we pulled in the driveway and I looked up at my roof rack and noticed that somehow the ski racks were never closed. Steve's personally built 1201M and new VS 200 were sitting in the rack unscathed. I had driven with speeds up to 55 mph for 20 minutes or so back to the house and the rod did not fall off of the roof. While Steve and Kacie went to get some sleep, I opted to stay up and pack the jeep for one more quick trip before our 930 ferry and try to get success over these fish.
We showed up to our spot and immediately noticed one of the fly guys hooked up. I hastily got my new fly, that Kacie picked out, into the water. It only took 2 false casts to get my fly out into the zone and have my line jerked from my hand and I was on! As I worked my way down to the fish, I looked up in astonishment that my wife and Steve were not around to take a picture of my first fly albie. I made a quick release and headed back up to my spot where I see an albie sliding up on the beach. I did not realize it was attached to Kacie's line. We had doubled up in the first 2 minutes and 2 casts of the morning! Four days of bad luck, bad weather, bad equipment and dismal fishing disolved in an instant with the sound of a screaming reel. After a few pics with Kacie and her first albie I went back to my spot and after 3 more casts I was on again with a bigger albie. Kacie was there this time to snap pictures and take a video of my albie on a fly experience. We fished until 830 and had to leave with hearts full of excitement to make our ferry off the island. We tied it up until next time 3-3!
It was great to share the ups and downs and the final showdown of our first derby together with Rick Hern, Paul S., Steve Offshore24. Where's Chuck??
Since the Bass fishing was very slow with only small fish showing themselves to needles, eels and swimmers we decided that we would make it our goal to chase them funny fish. With nothing else to do we decided to camp out at a less popular fishing local than most. The first day we had fish blow up just to our left and when Kacie went to cast into them she got snagged on a carelessly discarded rusty hook attached to a wire leader and mono caught up in the seaweed. Needless to say she missed out. The albies then broke the surface right in front of me about 8 feet out. I flicked my fly right into the mix and was immediately on...as I said "I'm on!" I was immediately off. The first day went to the Albies.
Second day we were mentally prepared (or so we thought). Blind casting was producing the most fish. I hooked up within 10 minutes of arrival. As my line ripped from the reel, I was in total amazement at their power and speed. Just as I was feeling confident, I noticed the fly line leave the reel and the fish stop. I then reeled a couple cranks and the fish decided to make a second run. As soon the spool reached knuckle busting speed I heard a heart-sickening POP. I looked up at my rod tip to see only backing blowing in the wind. Kacie and Steve had a few bumps and strikes. Kacie managed to hook up but in her excitement somehow forgot to set the hook. and lost it when the line went slack. Day two goes to the Albies...Just in case you're keeping score its 2-0 Albies.
We planned ahead for day 3 with another trip to the tackle store. When I got home we were checking my backing and it kept breaking, so I went to have it changed. They attempted to break it at the shop and could not. They said it may have had a rotten section of backing in it. So I left with my original backing and a new tippet. Twelve pound fluro leaders tied direct to maria jigs for Kace and Steve was their plan of attack. We went there with a great outlook...
Blind casting was the situation again. Only a few busts on the surface throughout the morning. Many more people started to show in the spot and space was getting slim. This time the bad luck went to Kacie. As she stood to my left I heard her drag start to sing. I see her fumbling with the rod and I begin to tell her to leave her reel alone when her line went SNAP. We were beginning to think we were doomed to have a terrible first derby together. Albies 3-0. As a continuance to our bad luck earlier in the day I was casting eels that night off a rock when all of a sudden my lami arra 1204 exploded in half. I was depressed beyond the point of return with a 930 ferry the next morning and no good derby moments to share.
A trip to Coops and some kind words from the proprietor would have significant impact the next morning. I began to notice our luck would turn as we were driving home at 4am when we pulled in the driveway and I looked up at my roof rack and noticed that somehow the ski racks were never closed. Steve's personally built 1201M and new VS 200 were sitting in the rack unscathed. I had driven with speeds up to 55 mph for 20 minutes or so back to the house and the rod did not fall off of the roof. While Steve and Kacie went to get some sleep, I opted to stay up and pack the jeep for one more quick trip before our 930 ferry and try to get success over these fish.
We showed up to our spot and immediately noticed one of the fly guys hooked up. I hastily got my new fly, that Kacie picked out, into the water. It only took 2 false casts to get my fly out into the zone and have my line jerked from my hand and I was on! As I worked my way down to the fish, I looked up in astonishment that my wife and Steve were not around to take a picture of my first fly albie. I made a quick release and headed back up to my spot where I see an albie sliding up on the beach. I did not realize it was attached to Kacie's line. We had doubled up in the first 2 minutes and 2 casts of the morning! Four days of bad luck, bad weather, bad equipment and dismal fishing disolved in an instant with the sound of a screaming reel. After a few pics with Kacie and her first albie I went back to my spot and after 3 more casts I was on again with a bigger albie. Kacie was there this time to snap pictures and take a video of my albie on a fly experience. We fished until 830 and had to leave with hearts full of excitement to make our ferry off the island. We tied it up until next time 3-3!
It was great to share the ups and downs and the final showdown of our first derby together with Rick Hern, Paul S., Steve Offshore24. Where's Chuck??