Is there something new that you want to learn to do or add to your life, but you’ve been struggling to find the time, energy, money, resources, or consistency to do it?
I get it. I totally get it.
I’ve been trying to learn to fly-fish. Have you watched “A River Runs Through It,” or “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”? I love both movies. Well, I love the fly-fishing scenes, and the movies are pretty good, too. I’ve watched the fishing scenes many times. Don’t even ask how many. The point is that I’m entranced by the rhythm and the beauty of the casting.
I’ve had the good fortune to stand on an Island beach or jetty and watch some fantastic fly-fishermen. I want to learn. I’ve practiced. I just haven’t gotten good yet. I was getting frustrated, so I did what any reasonable fisherman would do: I decided to go to Utah (free place to stay) and spend a long weekend fly-fishing on the Provo River.
I was so ready for this adventure. I was certain my right arm was going to be sore from hours of 10-2 casting. I packed some Tylenol so I could fish for four days with minimum pain.
Guess what.
I never needed the Tylenol.
Know why?
We went nymphing. We cast with teeny-tiny flies that resembled emerging insects, and the lines were weighted. The cast was more of a “swing” that allowed the line to drift downriver in the current.
The first day was my first time nymphing, and I picked it up quickly. I found my rhythm and learned in the first hour to “mend the line,” to keep the slack behind the fly instead of letting the extra line pull the fly.
The river was high, a chilly 52°F, and moving swifter than normal. It was beautiful. When the sun rose and hit the water, bugs came to life. As the bugs buzzed around, the fish woke up. We fished multiple locations, spotted moose, and found lots of fish. I caught dozens of brown trout, all catch-and-release.
I also spent a few hours on the Jordanelle Reservoir one morning, catching salmon, perch, and smallmouth bass. I kept two of the kokanee salmon to grill up for lunch and dinner. They were delicious.
I didn’t get to practice my 10-2 cast, but I learned a new fly-fishing skill, and I had a great time. I’ll definitely return to the river, though I’ll always be an ocean girl.
On the home front, Hurricane Erin could wallop the South Shore and bring high winds and high seas, so fishing could be scarce until the weekend. I might cast for some bonito at Eastville or near the drawbridge, but I might wait until the storm passes. It’s not Derby time, after all. If you’re out there fishing, please be careful. And let’s hope the South Shore doesn’t wash away. So much of the beach has built back up, even better than it was a couple of years ago.
Mark your calendars –– next Saturday, August 30, is the annual Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Used Tackle Sale, from 8 am to 1 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. The Surfcasters will have everything you need for fishing from a boat or from shore.
If you or someone you love or someone who loves fishing needs a rod and reel, there will be at least a hundred to choose from. As you plan for the Derby or fall fishing, or fishing any time of the year, you’ll need lures or flies. The Surfcasters have hundreds upon hundreds at incredible prices. When you’ve selected a rod and a dozen or so lures, there will be tables of nets, tackle boxes, rigs, line, books, waders, and more to peruse.
Every penny that you spend at the tackle sale will benefit Islanders. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go toward the MVRHS Scholarship Fund, and 50 percent will be donated to buy furniture for the new veterans’ housing. In June, the Surfcasters gave two $7,500 scholarships to graduating seniors Annabelle Metell and Senique Wilson. Come shop the Used Tackle Sale, and help us give away even more money.
I hope to see you on the beach, fly or spin rod in hand, or at the tackle sale buying lots of great fishing gear.
