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Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
June 30 - July 6, 2005 Edition
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Gone
Fishin'
But I am no artist. There are fly tiers that fall into that category, people who combine form and function to create flies that are beautiful to look at and are quite effective at catching the desired species of fish. Salmon flies fall into that category. The best are delicate combinations of hair, feather, and color designed to appeal to a fish legendary for its fighting prowess and selectivity. At some point in time, probably when the fish were not biting, a wily Scotsman discovered that visiting tourists could be more easily hooked than salmon, and he began packaging the flies as art. And a cottage industry was born of boxed sets of salmon flies likely never to get close to water. I enjoy tying flies, but rarely spend much time doing it. I basically tie sand eels and squid imitations because those have proven most effective for the type of fish I primarily chase. I can tie those flies pretty much in one sitting. And do it relatively speedily. My experimental prototypes, also known as bluefish flies, end up in a big box. The whole purpose of a fly is to imitate a baitfish and thereby attract a game fish to strike. I find it interesting that sometimes the most awful looking fly ends up being quite effective. People do not generally chose an awful fly. It just ends up that way after multiple strikes but continues to attract fish. It is hard to say what it is about a certain fly that attracts fish. Color, size, silhouettes, water movement all play a part, I suspect. Sometimes it is a combination of all those things. The best fly tiers create beautiful flies not only because they want to catch fish but also because they are craftsmen in the same way that the decoy carvers of another generation unselfconsciously created art not to sell but to attract ducks. There are a number of Islanders and folks closely associated with the Island like Dave Skok and Chris Windram, who are excellent and innovative fly tiers. They are always experimenting with new materials, and more importantly, they fish their flies. But innovative fly tying is not limited to our shores. In February I heard from Ton Kalkman, who regular readers know is one of the Dutch guys. Ton and his pal Rene Sehr are avid fishermen trapped in a country with lots of dikes but no striped bass or bluefish. Their first visit to the Island, in 2001 when they caught big bass on eels from shore, was an eye-opening experience. Over the years the Dutch guys were introduced to fly fishing, which naturally gave way to fly tying. In February, I received the following e-mail from Ton, who was unable to visit the Island this spring: Hello Nelson, How’s life over there, still with your bills in the snow? I hope everything is okay with you guys. Here the sun is creeping around the clouds from time to time now and if there’s no rain or storm well then its quiet nice weather over here. But I am not sending this e-mail to give you a weather update but to ask you to do something for me. I am looking for a test pilot, you know those handsome guys with sharp looks and cool clothes and a hot looking girl on every finger, so my first thoughts were ... Nelson of course! But relax you don’t have to risk your life in an X1-10. No I want to ask you something much more important than that. At this moment I am tying some new flies for spring, you know little creatures, sinking floating, etc....but I can’t test them Because I am not there in spring (maybe September I hope) so what’s the plan? Simple. I send you some flies and you, if you can drag yourself away from your editorial tasks from time to time, in May or June and tie one of my flies on your line and let me know if they work or not. So if you think you can handle it I’ll send you some if they’re ready. For now all the best.” I responded that I was very sorry to hear he would not be here this spring, but said I would be quite willing to test fly his flies. Ton e-mailed me some photos of the flies he was about to send me. He wrote: “Hereby I send you a picture of the test flies. Maybe the patterns look familiar, but I used some new materials such as dna fiber, silliskin etc. “I’ve made two silliskin squids. The white one is floating but dives when you pull; the copper one sinks slowly and there’s a rattle inside. The deciever looks “normal” but this one was very successful last year at little red beach — about 17 stripers on this one alone. The others ones, well just give them a try.” When I first saw the collection I wrote Ton that they were much too pretty for the fishermen I fish with. Ton responded with what I considered a compliment of the highest order. He wrote back: “First, you were the one who inspired me to grab a fly rod and now I am infected too and this is the result after three years. Second, maybe they’re prettier then necessary, but in my younger days (ahem I am not old of course) I used to build a lot of model planes and ships. So I like to make little things.” Ren and Ton, who has also taken up fly tying, have their own web site, www.bassflies.nl on which they sell their flies. I checked it out, but my language proficiency is pretty much limited to American. I was able to figure out how to check out the web site photo section, which includes some shots of the Vineyard. Of course, my first inclination was to hoard the flies. But in the spirit of international good will and because Ton is from Holland, not France or New Jersey, I want to share some of his creations with other fishermen. So I am looking for a few test pilots, fishermen who are willing to put one of Ton’s creations in front of some striped bass and file a report for future publication. Volunteers may e-mail, call, or stop by the office. I will part with six of the flies. Bang up fourth Most Island fishermen generally agree that it has been an odd spring. The cold start disrupted our normal fishing patterns. As a result the prevailing wisdom is that the fishing is running behind schedule. My prediction is that the holiday will provide some excellent fishing from shore and boat. The stripers at Lobsterville will hopefully get over the picky eating habits that have made them so tough to hook. Fluke fishing should improve in Vineyard Sound now that the dogfish have left. The boat guys are doing very well off Chappy. The guys at Coop’s asked me to remind folks that they are having a 20 percent off sale on selected Orvis reels. This weekend is the perfect time to sandwich a new reel or spool onto the credit card bill so the spouse won’t spot it. The VFW is making preparations for their annual fluke derby on the weekend of July 9, 10. Mike Amaral, the defending fluke king, is talking big. He and his knaves-in-waiting have come up with a team category open to any teams of up to four fishermen. There is a special team entry fee of $40. The winners will win special T-shirts that read, “Monarchs of the Deep.” There will be more details about the event next week. Shark tale By the time I heard this story, it was that a great white had attacked a basking shark off Nomans Land. Greg Skomal, state division of marine fisheries biologist and shark expert, said one story he heard had a great white chasing a seal up on the beach. Greg said a great white was seen feeding on a dead minke whale approximately 15 miles south of Nomans. Like many fish stories he said the story evolved with the retelling. Two recent unfortunate cases of people being attacked by sharks in Florida have once again put Greg in the media spotlight. On Tuesday morning Greg was interviewed in a driving rain while sitting in a boat in Falmouth by a Good Morning America airhead. In a common example of media hype news, the segment ran with the title: Shark safety; how to survive jaws. This was not exactly Charlie Rose on PBS. Greg managed to keep a straight face as he was asked what to do “if a shark does bite you?” Greg’s sage advice is to “strike the shark wherever you can to let the shark know you are not an easy prey item.” Oh yes, if you see a shark in the water you should leave the water calmly. And if you see a Good Morning America reporter, run like hell. Past Favorites: Fisherman artist captures spirit of Derby grand slam, October 14, 2004 This fishing Derby is not a man's world, October 7, 2004 59th Bass and Bluefish Derby heads into home stretch, September 30, 2004 For angler Olga Hirshhorn, a dream comes true, September 23, 2004 59th Derby off to quick, sometimes nutty start, September 16, 2004 Catch some luck in the 59th annual bass and bluefish Derby, September 9, 2004 Tuna madness big and small takes over the Island, September 2, 2004 Dr. Play keeps his life's priorities in order, August 26, 2004 Derby welcomes three new members to hall of fame, August 19, 2004 Commercial fisherman finds literary success and fans, August 12, 2004 Fishermen urged to play it safe on the water, August 5, 2004 First impressions are lasting in the art of gyotaku, July 29, 2004 Big rods, big fish, shark tournament draws a crowd, July 22, 2004 Mike Amaral wears the crown of the fluke king, July 15, 2004 It's no fluke, the tournament's this weekend, July 8, 2004 Chronicle of Island fishing adventures, now a classic, is republished, July 1, 2004 Charter captains weather costs and deliver fishing fun, June 24, 2004 Finding the fish is the easy part, June 17, 2004 Game fly fishermen persevere in weekend tourney, June 10, 2004 One fishing photo is worth 1,000 words, June 3, 2004 Fishing begins to heat up for the holiday weekend, May 27, 2004 Beginning where this angler left off, May 20, 2004 Familiarity breeds success in Kids' Trout Derby, May 13, 2004 Thieves Steal Poles, Not Derby Spirit, October 16, 2003 Word Always Gets Around in the 58th Derby, October 9, 2003 Kids Day Derby Provides a Successful Fishing Bouillabaisse, October 2, 2003 Derby Fishing Is a Challenge, but There Are Theories, September 25, 2003 Changes in 58th Derby, September 18, 2003 Good Derby Fishermen Know How to Prepare, September 11, 2003 King Livens Up the Vineyard Fishing Stage, September 4, 2003 Fishless Angler Sets Off to See the Sights, August 28, 2003 Island Fishermen Lured Offshore by Promise of Tuna, August 21,2003 Island Bass Fishermen Survive, August 14, 2003 When the Fish Aren’t Biting, Might As Well Do Chores, August 7, 2003 For Anglers, It's Now Bonito Time, July 31, 2003 Newest Derby Inductees Are Hall of Famers in Any League, July 24, 2003 Fishermen Do Not Get to Say Peep about Norton Point Beach Fee Hike, July 17,2003 Mon Dieu, Winning Fish was Quite a Fluke, July 10, 2003 Prey and Predator Confused On Buggy Night of Fishing, July 3, 2003 Pond Openings Hold Fish and Risk for Anglers, June 26, 2003 For an Angling Father, Something Fishy's Always Welcome, June 12, 2003 Despite Pain of It, Anglers Carry On, June 5, 2003 Fishing, Fishing Supplies & Boat Charters Business Listing |
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