Earning my stripes!
Last week we took our kids to see the fall colors of the NE and I found some time to chase a few fins while visiting Cape Cod.
Finishing our dinner, we checked out a small river that flows to the local beach. After hearing splashes from schoolies attacking baitfish I told my wife that I'd be up very early the next morning.
It was still an hour and a half before sun up but I was lacing my 8wt line thru the guides in the parking lot taking advantage of the light of the inn where we stayed. I acknowledged the crisp air as every breath condensed in the cool morning but I was not cold, I was going striper fishing. Arriving at the river, I noticed a strong incoming tide moving up the river. The stars were aligning perfectly for me this early morning. I stripped out some line and shot my clouser out to the small dark water upriver or is it down current. I heard another splash not in the direction of my fly but atleast I knew they were still feeding. I gathered my line gently on the retrieve and the stripping basket was filling up. Picking up my rod, I shot the line back out again this time toward the small marina directly across the river and began gathering the line again. The line stopped and then vibrated. I fought the fish for only a few minutes but as we all know time slows when there is a fish on and I was able to watch it traverse the riverbanks. It finally came to hand and I guess it to be 18". Though only a schoolie, I was ecstatic to have caught my first striper. The bite continued well for the next hour as I caught 3 more schoolies but only managed to bring one more to hand. The striper fighting blood was now rushing throug my veins as I moved to another location where I thought there may be larger fish. I worked it for an hour but did not see or feel any action so I headed back to my previous spot. When I arrived, another fisherman was working the marina spot so I went to the area where I casted my first cast. I saw a fish roll near my retrieving fly but I could not decide if he missed or was going after a real bait fish. I casted out again and again and again and then eventually lost count. The tide was slowly moving back out to sea by now so I thought that the bite was over. I casted one more time and retrieved the tired fly when my line suddenly straightened. I was on to a much bigger fish than the previous four. I wanted to catch this one on the reel and spun the handle as fast as I could to take up the slack in my hand. It ran and took some line from my grip but just in time as my reel caught up to the slack and the fight was on. I had the upper hand for a minute or two but from somewhere he found a burst of energy and moved with the outgoing tide towards the Atlantic. I added another two clicks to the drag and I could tell him slowing because he moved closer to my side of the bank. I reeled in again and he came but protesting intermittently. He was now about 15' away and could see from a silhouette that he was bigger but could not even guess how big he was as I had never had such a large fish on. I had my rod straight up and could now see my rodtip in front of my eyes but just as I lowered the rod some, he moved to the side again near a rock structure and the abrased line broke.
Many of you might think I would be disappointed from losing this fish, but far from it. I had just caught my biggest fish ever (most likely legal-28")and though it got away, I got to exchange a few punches with a striper, a big striper (at least to me) and now understand why you all do what you do.
"I envy not him that eats better meat than I do, nor him that is richer, or that wears better clothes than I do; I envy nobody but him, and him only that catches more fish than I do." Izaak Walton
God Bless and Tight Lines ----*<(((>< ~ ~ ~
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