Gone Fishin’: Fishing perseverance, luck opens Derby padlock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNt2lJL8388 Many years ago, three weeks into the Derby and already feeling the effects of a fishing schedule that left little time for a good night’s sleep or a dinner that included anything green or...
Gone fishin’: A search for brook trout on Martha’s Vineyard brings hidden rewards
Tim Sheran of Vineyard Haven is not an advocate in the strict sense of the word. He is not the kind of guy who raises his voice at a public meeting to exhort people...
Gone fishin’: Reading the water takes on a whole new meaning
Updated 11 am, Oct. 8 I suspect that years ago, an aging fisherman who had used a baitcasting reel all his life saw some young guy casting a spinning reel and said, “What the hell...
Gone fishin’: Move over, Roy Rogers, the Derby has Phil
Sunday evening I made my first fishing trip of the 71st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, accompanied by the lyrics and music of charter captain Phil Cronin. The westerns had the singing...
Gone fishin’: The 71st pursuit of Bass and Bluefish Derby glory begins
The 71st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby begins Sunday, Sept. 11. For those readers unfamiliar with this five-week fishing contest, think of it as the Island’s fishing Olympics — without bribery, doping...
Gone Fishin’: Wade carefully, and carry a big rod
https://youtu.be/vAYXKHFfZ6g In 10 more days, the attention of the majority of Island fishermen will be firmly fixed on the start of the 71st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby on Sept. 11. In the...
Gone Fishin’: Rigging for sharks takes stout tackle
Matt Malowski of Oak Bluffs is a shore fishing guide, a school guidance counselor, and shore shark fisherman. I think there are skills that cross over all three occupations. I spoke to Matt this...
Gone fishin’: Cue the double bass, the sharks are off East Beach
This fishing column began in 1995. That was the year Cooper Gilkes and I agreed to be part of the Possible Dreams auction, the annual fundraiser for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. The deal was that...
Gone Fishin’: Launching a boat is a learning experience
The Lagoon Pond launch ramp is the most convenient and boater-friendly ramp on Martha’s Vineyard, when its 26 parking places are not jammed with junked and abandoned trailers and boats — and when no...
Gone fishin’: On the water, channel 16 is your radio lifeline
A week and a half ago on Saturday I left Tashmoo and headed across Vineyard Sound for the Elizabeths to cast a Sluggo into the rocks in search of striped bass. The sea was...
Gone fishin’: Young fisherman learns a lesson about unrequited affection
Grady Keefe of Chilmark and Colorado loves to fish. Most days the 9-year-old can be found with a fishing rod in his hand. Most recently he could also be found with a Band-Aid on...
Gone fishin’: VFW Fluke Derby provided table fare and fun
On Saturday, the wind and rain blew hard out of the northeast. This was disconcerting for two reasons. It meant I could not get out in my small boat to fish the first day...
Gone fishin’: Fisherman stars in his own remake of Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’
In the 1963 horror classic “The Birds,” directed by the cleverly ghoulish Alfred Hitchcock, one of the scariest scenes arrives when a flock of seagulls attacks Tippi Hedren, who seeks refuge in a phone...
Gone fishin’: Coast Guard proposes to remove local navigational aids
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to approve a proposed budget request of $582.7 billion to fund the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2017. That budget request includes $10.32 billion for the Coast...
Gone fishin’: The ocean that sustains us also brings us pain
Most days, the waters that surround Martha’s Vineyard are a source of pleasure and sustenance. This week brought measured pain. One man, Mike Mobilia of Plymouth, an electrician by trade, lost his treasured 42-foot Ocean...
Gone fishin': Late-night splash in the dark holds a surprise
This story might have ended up as the Martha’s Vineyard version of the Loch Ness monster, only in this fish story Nessie got eaten. But of course, Island fishermen don’t wear kilts. This story is...
Gone Fishin’: Squid invasion provides inky Island fun
Jigging for squid is about the most fun an Island kid of any age can have. It requires a minimal amount of tackle, some limited tactile skill, a bucket, and clothing that you will...
Gone Fishin’: Once upon a time on Martha’s Vineyard, when rooms cost $3
Imagine an Island famous for great fishing, where the residents heartily welcome visitors and place signs on roadways to direct fishermen to the best spots to fish for big striped bass, and almost no...
Gone fishin’: Olga was a Derby fisherman in heart and soul
Olga Hirshhorn did not fish as many days, or catch as many big fish, as many Derby fishermen, but she had as much heart and soul and spirit as anyone who ever walked into...
Gone fishin’: Neptune shines his favors on those who respect his realm
A well-worn fishing hat is as important a piece of fishing equipment as a rod and reel. Few Derby fishermen would think of leaving home without their hats. Sufficiently aged and speckled with fish...