The Fish Wrap Writer Blog
Below you will find more than 350 articles covering fishing in Rhode Island and the greater New England area since 2014.
And some truth-ish stories as well. I hope you will enjoy.
RI’s Rec. Saltwater Fishing License Report
John Lake is more than happy to share numbers from last 2020's Saltwater Recreational Fishing License Program, in fact, he's really happy to do it. After John, we'll meet some Trout Unlimited volunteers who are, once again, cleaning up other people's trash.
Clean Shores and Coltsnipers
While some wait for stripers to show in Rhode Island, the Rhody Fly Rodders and RISAA are cleaning rivers and beaches. And we get to see the brand new Shimano Colt Sniper lure that will definitely catch stripers.
Herring hit a dam wall
Each spring, river herring migrate to rivers and ponds of their birth and for hundreds of years, they have been pushed back by dams and ancient impoundments. Volunteers move them around some but nature's clock is ticking. Offshore, wind farm turbines are being constructed quickly so we show you a virtual tour of navigating through one hundred proposed turbines east of Block Island.
Earth Day is calling you!
Trout Unlimited and Friends of the Saugatucket need volunteers to clean up roadways and shorelines and to help boost awareness of our lovely waters which bind us together as a people sharing resources. Earth Day is the right time to help and learn more about each group.
Best Spring Striper Lures for 2021
This week we share our top 5 spring striped bass lures as we wait for their migration. And - we get everyone excited for a new season of largemouth bass fishing with the Rhode Island Kayak Bassin' group going on their sixth season.
Poaching & Beach Access In the House
Our rights to walk a shoreline are being challenged by shoreside landowners who don't want people walking on "their beach" and a lot of "us" have had enough. There is welcome legislation to protect our rights while another bill seeks to slightly sharpen penalties for animal poachers. Both bills affect us and both need a few minutes of your time to let representatives understand how you feel.
Rivers Running Silver
Rivers once ran silver with shad, herring, sturgeon and stripers; now there are calls to rebuild rivers and populations for the abundance our ancestors enjoyed and took for granted. This week, learn how we can turn the tide to support forage fishes and native brook trout.
ASMFC Needs Your Striper Knowledge
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is calling for comments, observations, recommendations, thoughts on the condition of the striped bass population, our rules governing its protection and harvest or how you feel it should be managed for the greatest abundance. We need you to comment before April 9, 2021.
Fish Wrap Reviews “The Waters Between Us”
“The Waters Between Us” is a contemplative, remarkable view into years of turmoil and growth both personal and global, seasoned with laughter, friendships, brown trout, cheap sleeping bags and insufficient considerations for consequences.
RI’s Ill-Conceived Firearms Legislation
The Rhode Island legislature is considering a slate of ill-conceived firearms bills which together, suffer from zero perspective or understanding of those who legally own and enjoy firearms. The ramifications are sweeping; several appear clearly invasive, others are reactions to unfortunately common events involving firearms.
RI Legislature Reconsiders Confined Hunts
The RI Legislature is reconsidering banning some types of confined hunts where Chronic Wasting Disease may be introduced to local cervid populations like White-tailed deer. The Backcountry Hunters and Anglers support the bill as a way to keep CWD out of Rhode Island.
Eddie Doherty Teaches Canal Surfcasting
With winter in full force, ponds frozen, snow mounds filling intersection and only the heartiest of ice fishermen catching pike and perch, the rest of us may need to go virtual this week. East End Eddie Doherty will take us Cape Cod Canal surfcasting with a Zoom...
It’s Winter and It’s Tip Up Time
Finally, the start of February and we’ve had a our first shots of ice thick enough time to drill holes in and set up our tip ups. Hard to believe, really. Global warming, sagging airstreams sagging, warming oceans turning high snow clouds to low rain showers;...
Julio Silva Shares Surfcasting Tips
Talking Surfcasting Will Ward Off Winter Blahs It's winter. Hunting season is pretty much done, salt ponds are frozen and my desire to fish is slushy at best. The snow keeps coming, making the garage door that much harder to open, which is a fine excuse to not...
Warren Winders’ Wild River
"Wild River", Warren Winders' new collection of poetry and prose, shares how people, waters and fishes struggle, survive, pass and very often teach us how amazing our world really is.
Success With Trees for Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited 225 enjoyed great success with their Trees For Trout program and for the second year in a row, RISAA has cancelled their NE Saltwater Fishing Show because of COVID.
Renew Outdoor Licenses
Now is the time to renew your outdoor hunting and fishing licenses. Saltwater fishing licenses expired in December, freshwater licenses and stamps will expire soon. In this article I explain all the details and what you need to do to be ready to fish or hunt the 2021 season.
Turn A Page, Purge Some Gear
Boats of all sizes are wrapped in slinky white blankets while Monahan’s Pier rests without echoes of Narragansett Surfcasters’ salty tall tales. Seasoned anglers know all that means it’s time: we must respect our proximity to Spring with inevitable tasks of reorganizing and worse, to purge gear. Fishing, hiking, hunting; it matters not.
Ecocyle Your Christmas Trees with Trout Unlimited
Ecocycle Your Christmas Trees and Trout Will Benefit. That 2020 calendar belongs in a recycle bin and your Christmas tree belongs in a river. There’s not much to be done about what we all just went through but this year we’re starting off with a new hope. Since...
A bulldozed Fish Wrap Year in Review
Fish Wrap's 2020 Year in Review of stripers, traditions, social lives, kayaks, tautog, squid, and David Latham. And the lucky bunch of us also ate some amazing blackberries. Even 2020 has positive memories and lessons to learn from.