Fact or Fiction? 50 POUND Striped Bass caught on Fly Rod

[JohnR]

No this isn't some late April fools joke that I forgot about but I've heard from 2 people that someone got a 50 pounder on the long wand down Watch Hill last week. Fact or Fiction?

The people I heard this from don't believe it either but does anyone know, hear, feel???

Also, what's the biggest bass you've SEEN taken on a fly rod with yer own eyes??? Biggest I've SEEN was a 34 " bass about 15 pounds...

[LINESIDES]

I have heard nothing. Largest striper I have seen taken on a fly Rod was 22 inches. As far as some one taking a 50lb Striper on a Fly Rod. Ill says he is a hell of a fisher person “if” it was done. “And best wishes to the person.”

[LINESIDES]

P.S. Buy the way "FIFTY" is the Magic number.

[Saltheart]

I believe striperman has gotten some big ones on a fly rod. I don't know about a 50 but I do believe he has one over 35 lb on the flyrod.

I've never witnessed a striper over 30 inches on a fly rod. seen 28 about a hundred times but never one over 30 inches. People do get them much bigger than 30 inches on the flyrod though.

[Mike P]

Kib Bramhall holds the MV Derby flyrod record with a bass in the mid-40s. Brad tells me he was fishing next to him out at Gay Head the night he caught it, and the fish were thick. Bramhall had the fish on a long time, and was tying up a lot of the beach, so Brad waded out with a gaff and stuck the fish---apparently annoying Bramhall no end. But, as Kib stands about 5'6" in waders, and Brad was 6'3" and over 400 lbs at the time, Bramhall didn't have much to say about it

Last year at MV, there was only one keeper bass weighed in the flyrod division for the Derby, by Kevin Hearn. Tim S had a bunch between 30" and 33-3/4" (Derby minimum was 34") and couldn't stretch out that last quarter inch to nail down second place. One morning running in from Chappy, we found some monsters feeding on peanuts right in the wash near the lighthouse. Tim had one in the 25-30 pound range on, but lost it due to a bent hook.

A 50 on the fly is an achievement. Something that shouldn't be joked about if not true.

[Jaiem]

Speaking of MV, there's a pic of Ken Vanderlaski holding a bass at least 30# taken on a white Deceiver under the Gay Head light (or so he said ). And there are pics of West coast flyrodders hold bass at least 30#.

Maybe someone can look up the IGFA book for flyrod records. I'm sure some tippet records have to be well over 30#.

[TheSpecialist]

According to the 2000 IGFA book, the largest striper on a fly rod is 64lb 8 oz on a 12lb tippet taken at the Smith River in Oregon. It was taken by Beryl E. Bliss on July 28, 1973. There was also a 51lb 8oz on 16lb tippet taken in the same river by Gary L. Dyer on May 18, 1974.