Maine: My First Striped Bass On The Fly

Striper Video

About a year ago my husband entered as contest on Flies and Fins to win an Orvis Zero Gravity Rod and Mach Reel. He promised that if he won he would give the gear to his wife, and he reluctantly did. A few days later I was the surprised and ecstatic owner of a brand new saltwater fly rod and reel. I had been fly fishing fresh waters in Maine for a few years but had never been saltwater fly fishing so I could hardly wait to give it a go.After a long Maine winter, Spring finally came and I got out on the water to test my skill and new fly fishing gear for fishing Stripers on a local beach. Being used to freshwater angling, I realized that this was a whole new game. After a couple of cast attempts with a 260 grain sink tip line, I came to realize this was not about the smooth casts and delicate presentations of freshwater fly fishing. It was about getting the line out there and stripping it in before the fly sank to the sand.Since I was fishing from the shore, it was quite a challenge for me to cast far enough to even stand a chance of catching my first Striper. I realized the importance of making a good double haul to get this cumbersome weighted line to deliver to where the fish were feeding. After a few bad casts and a couple of better ones, I finally got the fly far enough and sure enough I hooked up. I called for back up to help me land what, in my mind was quite possibly the biggest Striper anyone has ever caught in Maine. Later I came to find out that there are bigger fish swimming around the coast of Maine, but at that point it was a big victory for me. I had caught my first Striped Bass.