6/8/01 Boston Harbor report

[Gus]

Launched the boat at 5:15 in Winthrop, cruised up the mystic to the Amelia Earhart dam. We tried to jig up some herring to no avail. My buddy was throwing his flies and I tried jigging with a smilin bill and a pork rind. After about an hour with no bites another guy dropped anchor 30' from us and on his first cast (fly fishing) bangs a striper.

We decided to go thru the lock and try to jig up some herring on that side. Success! we were able to get about a dozen or so. Back thru the lock, and anchored up just outside the side of the lock and started live lining the herring. I finally got a hit, I let her run for about two seconds and then I set the hook, Unfortunately, the line got snagged on some concrete and reinforcing steel right at the lock entrance...we paddled over and i could see the striper aboutsix feet down with my line snagged....I played with it to try to get it loose....snap! 50lb test leader couldn't handle it. Tough to say the size of the fish....could have been a keeper.

Unfortunately, after that we did not get another bite, nor did we see anyone else have any luck. We gave up and tried nixes mate, deer island and Rainsford with no luck. At this point we threw on a couple of Yozuri's started trolling just outside of the Airport (again...nothing)

I was bummed that we didn't catch any stripers when I realized I was on the water, with a cold one in one hand, the steering wheel in the other, shooting the shi. with my buddy and that it was a glorious day. I realized that fishing is not only about catching the fish, but the anticipation of the fishing trip, the battle against the fish (and that the fish often win!) and just being out on the water with a friend.