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Bluefish & Striper Video

It's Tuna time! Last August and September, I spent allot of time chasing Tuna around with limited success. I hooked and dropped 2 Albies on Block Island, 1 on Martha's Vineyard and saw a couple pods of Bluefin Tuna in Maine but that was about it. So, the 2005 Tuna season came to an end and the score was Tuna 3 and Jeremy 0. Chasing Tuna (Albies/Bonito/Bluefin/Yellowfin) on the fly rod is addicting and can easily morph into a lifelong obsession. So, this season, I decided to take a more pro-active approach. I spent the entire winter researching in-shore Northeast Tuna migration patterns, fly rod tactics, drooling over Tuna pictures and aligning myself with other fly rod Tuna addicts. It did not take long for the seemingly harmless Tuna chatter to turn into actual Tuna trip plans. There is one Tuna trip, in particular, that is shaping up to be my best Tuna trip ever. In early August a friend and Tuna fly fisherman from Boating Magazine is trailoring a boat from NY to Rhode Island. He needed to use the boat in a saltwater fishing environment and write up some adventure and review type articles for Boating magazine. So, we had a boat and that was good. Of course, we had fly fishing gear to handle Stripers, Bluefish, Albies and Bonito...But what about the Blue Fin Tuna? That was a problem. If we were going to do this right, we did not want to resort to piecing together all sorts of different equipment. And, what if the rod or reel broke or fell overboard? Would we have sufficient and reliable back up gear? Would our reels have the right amount of backing? Would our fly lines and leaders be up to the task? All of those troubles were overcome when another friend and long time fly rod Tuna addict from the Orvis Company decided to hop onboard. So, we had the fly fisherman, we had the boat and we had the gear. But, there was

one critical issue that was staring us in the face. Where do we fish? Oh yah, its easy to look online and read reports and get tips from friends. But any wise fisherman knows that all the reports and tips and all that stuff don't add up to much when you're on the open sea. Mother nature is boss and things can change in an instant. Especially when it comes to fishing. How many times have you heard the fateful phrase, "You should have seen this place yesterday! It was loaded with fish! They were busting all over the surface! You should have been here yesterday!" So, rewind to July 4th weekend. I was in Rhode Island and rather than fly fishing the typical spots that I know, I decided to do some research. I needed to break free from the same-old patterns and ruts that I had developed through the years and see things from a new perspective. So, I walked into Captain Don's, a bait and fly shop where I always feel welcome. I walked through the doors and was greeted with a big smile and the typical, "Hey! It's Jeremy from Maine! How is Mike and all the other Maine boys?" I chatted for a moment and then asked, "John, Do you know any fly fishing guides that fish for Blues, Stripers and Tuna?" John replied, "There is your man right there." I turned around and shook hands with Captain Mike. Immediately, I knew he was just the guide I was looking for. He was equally as excited to go fly fishing as I was. I said, "Dude, I just wanna catch fish and learn some new spots." He said, "Oh, we'll catch fish." So, I met Captain Mike at the dock in the morning, and in less than a half hour I was catching some sweet Bluefish. Mike, like all other guys I meet in Rhode Island, was down on the Bluefish. He kept saying, "Dude, forget these Bluefish, let's go find some big Stripers. We can even sight fish for them on the flats." But for some reason, I love Bluefish. I know they don't get great press, but they rip and they fight and I just love chasing and catching them on the fly rod. Anyway, after I got my fill of Bluefish, I was into the Stripers. And, there was never a time during the day that we were not casting over fish. So, Mike and I got to talking and I said, "Mike, do you fish for the Tuna?" Mike responded, "Dude, I live for the Tuna. All of this is just something to do while waiting for the Tuna (Bluefin/Bonito/Albies) to show." I said, "Really! So, you think you could put me and some friends on some Tuna in August." He said, "Dude, when the Tuna show up, I can put you on acres upon acres of Tuna." That was all I needed to hear, and the final piece of the Tuna puzzle had come together. So, now this early August Tuna trip is definitely solid. Of course, as with anything that involves the ocean and fish, nothing is guaranteed. But, it seems as though we have put together a great crew and pulled together all the necessary requirements to increase our chances for having a little "luck" in early August. What more can a fly fisherman expect from a trip? We got a great crew of guys and each guy represents a critical piece of the Tuna trip puzzle. If you are from the New England area and you want to experience a phenomenal and very affordable day of salt water fly fishing, I highly recommend Captain Mike. Mike trailers his boat and fishes from Montauk, NY to Pt. Judith, RI (including Block Island). I would post a link to his website, but his site is in the building process and won't be live until mid August (very shortly after our Tuna Trip). In the meantime, you can send me "jeremy" a private message and I can give you Captain Mike's contact information. So, stay tuned for some Tuna Tales coming in August to computer near you.