It was a couple days before Christmas and I decided to take a few casts into the salt for some sea run Brown Trout. I saw some wakes on the flat I was working and approached them with great care. These were definately some nice sized trout working on some small bait. I cast my sand eel pattern at a working fish and started to strip with a two handed retrieve. A beautiful trout was tracking my fly. This was the moment I had been waiting for and I thought for sure that a beautiful sea run Brown Trout would take my offerings. He followed the fly forever, analyzing every piece of it and then decided to refuse it. The wake dissapeared and I was heart broken. I thought to myself, “Oh Well, no Christmas fish this year.” Then from out of nowhere this little, actually tiny, Striped Bass decided to take the sand eel. I would love to write about an epic battle along a rocky shoreline and a long battle of wills between me and a giant Striper. But, as you can see from the photo, this little Striper barely put a bend in my rod. But, ya know what? For all that this Striper lacked, it actually holds a personal record for me. It is the only Striped Bass that I have ever caught in Maine this late in the season. I don’t know about other Maine salt water fly fisherman, but it is not too often that I catch Striped Bass in late December. In fact, never. So, although a nice shiny sea run Brown Trout would have been a great Christmas fish. I am certainly happy with this little stocking stuffer and for the record that it holds. Actually, this fish might hold another record. It might very well be the smallest Striped Bass I have ever caught. So, if the magic of Christmas is in the eyes of the beholder, than this is a great Christmas fish. Worthy of breaking not just one but two of my personal records! So, thank you little guy, as they say, “It’s the thought that counts.”
Great story and even greater picture….wink… keeping track of personal records is even greater when they include the little guy’s too. Even though he is small he fought like crazy trying to drag a 5 wt line and leader around….. Even though he was only 5 ounces he still fought with the heart of a 50 pounder. So jeremy my Christmas whish to you is that the two of you meet again in twenty years and I hope to be there to take the picture of the personal record standing in the very spot we became friends…… ALL THE BEST AND MERRY CHRISTMAS…..SRB
SRB,
i hope so too! thanks for snapping the pic …. see you on the water….
That’s a beautiful little fish. I know that you are just trying to make me jealous. I’m still in the “zippo” catagory for 2006. 2007 has to be better.
Cheers,
Dave
avid … you still got a couple days in 2006 … but you will have a hard time finding a striper of such impressive size … and if you do, that is only half the battle .. you will have your work cut out landing one of this caliber with a 7,8 or 9 weight fly rod …. when targeting fish of this size you really gotta have some serious salt water gear .. minimum 12 weight … good luck)
Hey Jeremy, what a gift that fish is. Your lucky that pesky sea trout didn’t get to your striper first. Of course poking fun of a successful day may anger the fish gods for 2007…Just a word of caution…haha
Thats the way it is… X-mas fish are always cool… no matter the size.
I went out as well but did not get any, while my friend got plenty.. Thats the way it is at x-mas time fishing saltwater.
Jeremy… what an accomplishment! You more than likely landed the last 2006 striper in ME, possibly New England!!! You just closed out the 2006 striper season… lmao…that’s awesome!
Right now I got the steelhead bug, going into NH lake run mode as of 1 JAN… but I must admit…. The tuna are already on my mind, and as you know…. well…. tuna =s insanity. I just picked up a 14-15wt. class reel today and have been doing some tying. Even if I never get a chance to use it I can always look at it and dream… lol…like I’m about to do via your tuna footage!!!!!!!!!!!
jesse — i hear ya man, the tuna haunt me as well …. always… all tuna species (albies, bonito, bluefin, skipjacks etc…) … amazing fish to pursue with the fly … hopefully you and i can get out in 2007 and hook a couple albies together on foot, find a couple more insane pods of bluefish and stripers and maybe even lock horns with a few bluefin … give me a shout when the NY lake run fires up … i would love to tag along on the annual Jan 1 outing that i have heard about from you and kyle for a couple years now … give me a shout if there’s room ….
jer,
Even the small guys are so pretty and to catch them when and where you don’t think they’ll be is so cool. These young Stripers will actually winter over in Maine’s Rivers and estuaries. There’s lots of his little brothers right up in Waterville all winter….ask Thib. and Mike. So….”what an accomplishment! You more than likely landed the last 2006 striper in ME, possibly New England!!!”….well that comment, however congratulatory, is at most an exclaimation point. Next time you’re in the mood to visit FFOin Fairfield, remember to bring your 6-weight and call Thib for the killer patterns!
See you when you come down!
Marsh
definitely!
“well that comment, however congratulatory, is at most an exclaimation point.”
I guess, I just think that would be something very special. It would be to me anyway but to each’s own.
and you thought I was pulling your leg when I told you Nov 9th is the latest I’ve caught them 😉