The Fish Wrap Writer Blog
For more than 20 years, we have been learning from and writing about outdoorsmen and women who fish, hunt, hike, pause, and sometimes just look around. Fish Wrap has been published over 480 times. Here you will find articles, interviews, reports, laughs, a few stretched truths (that’s true), and an unfortunate number of obituaries from good folks we have lost.
Please search, enjoy, and let me know if you know someone who we should meet.
Salt Ponds and Cinder Worms
Salt ponds and cinder worms are a great pair, as long as you pack plenty of patience in your fly box of tricks and patterns. Patience man, you need to be patient to catch stripers in a cinder worm circus. We offer you the goods on worms and a few tips on how to fool stripers gorging on them.
Resilience will save some fishermen just as the Fish Whisperer passes
This week we see the power of resilience as local commercial fishermen draw on their strengths to prepare for a solid future, then say goodbye to the Fish Whisperer whose passing came far too soon. Rodman Sykes stirred his giant pot of clam chowder as local...
A fisherman’s social, a bucket of eels & a sharp hook in the eye
It only took a few degrees of separation from cold and rain to warm up the shoreline and welcome back stripers. Squid have slowly appeared in the lower bay followed by a few tautog. From Jerusalem’s West Wall to the beaches of Jamestown and Newport, schoolies...
Freshwater bite is hot, pogies & people hit the beaches
Spring is getting busy on the lakes, rivers and rock walls. In the mist of all the rain and wind, Spring is for fishing and between the hot largemouth bite, emerging salt ponds stripers and shad trees ready to pop, a few more warm days and this state will be awash...
“A season’s first trout with a hundred pigeons to fight poaching”
Amazing. Everybody waits. Ladies and gentlemen, crouched forward on cold seats, crowded into low sided skiffs, pacing around barely green shorelines. Everybody waits. A few without their glasses look to those young enough to read a watch in the dusky light of early...
“Ryan Dubay & the Yak Patrol Kayak Clash
Ryan Dubay is once again hosting his Yak Patrol Kayak Clash in Fairhaven, Mass. to benefit the Jimmy Fund. Kayak fishing's popularity has exploded in recent years so naturally, tournaments have been created in the spirit of competition, comradery and prizes. This...
Trout Season Starts at With Tommy Thompson and The Perryville Trout Hatchery
For April’s second Saturday, we have planned and waited, packed and repacked. Cursed for pre-dawn shivers in frigid canoes or poorly chosen float tubes, loved for an inevitable warm rising sun, remembered for simple pleasures of reopening tackle boxes, fly cases and rod tubes, Rhode Island’s official opening of trout season means more than just wetting a line.
I’d like to thank the Academy but I’d rather go fishing with you
Thank you. Thank you to my readers, my critics, my family who reads my column about once a year, at most, and the editors who still open my emails. I appreciate all of you. Thank you to everyone who "likes" and "shares" and sticks on one of those weird emoji faces...
Meet David Smith, Father, Fisherman, Fan For All Seasons
“Whenever I can bear that damned cold weather,” said the fishermen. Whitecaps frosted a small town pond tucked away in plain sight. Only one person was out there fishing through the cold and wind. March gripped winter tightly as the fisherman worked hard for his...
Kayak Bassin’, Woony Cleanin’, Gunar Catchin’…That’s A Lot
RJ Alves and Matt Tetrault are full steam ahead with their new RI Kayak Bassin’ group and a full calendar of fishing tournaments. The first event at South Kingstown’s Worden Pond is already full, which shows you how much love there is for freshwater fishing and how...
Jigging Tank, Custom Rods and Fresh Catch Beer
The 2018 New England Saltwater Fishing Show was another major success. The annual three-day event drew around 15,000 men, women and children to see the biggest names in rods, reels, boats, lures, charter captains and the newest fashions. Produced by the 7,500...
Swampers, Jimmy Chappel & Other Cool Guys Help Us Welcome A Much Needed Spring
Spring. Spring. The very word brings a smile to even the stodgiest of swampers. Yes, I made up that word. Spring is positive, it’s bright, it’s pleasing, it’s new hope for an end to slumping wood piles, dirty roads and thread bare back woods. Spring brings work,...
So Close, Spring Is So Close…
Spring is so close. Colors are changing, pale green buds are patiently peeking out from riverbank maples. Tucked under bony rhododendron skeletons, tiny yellowed shoots emerging from wet leaves missed by fall’s rake tell us everything about the real calendar. River...
Make Some Time To Hear Fisherman Zak Trojano
This week we meet Massachusetts musician and fly fisherman Zak Trojano. He writes complex, intricate, beautiful songs that help us see life a little differently because music, like fishing, speaks to people differently. Music can take us away from or bring...
Bad for Segar Cove
The Narragansett Surfcasters held their 5th Annual Surf Day and Used Tackle Sale and as expected, the day was a big success. More than 250 people looked over thirty tables piled high with reels, waders, plugs and flies. Fishermen went in droves to shake off some...
Spring, Fly Shops and OSKAA Fish For Winters End
A few local, dedicated kayak fishermen have formed a new Facebook group called the Ocean State Kayak Anglers Association. Speaking from personal experience, these men and women have salt water in their veins, know how to have fun and think about kayaking all the time.
John Bil Has Passed Away.
My friend John Bil has passed away. John Bil was a force in the shellfish business, in life, in bringing so much attention to oysters, in general. John Bil was a force not because of any position or title but because he just was. He always was...
Hard water, white sharks, scientists swinging wrenches. It’s winter, man.
Fishing Winter saltwater is much more enjoyable when it’s not frozen. Last week, on such a beautiful and warm Sunday, a friend packed up his kayak, Lew’s reels, tackle boxes, snacks, a few 16 ounce cans of emergency “liquids” and his trusty nine-weight, for...
Leases In A Pond
Leases In A Pond is all about not giving up, nor losing more public trust waters for private business to expand operations. Save Potter Pond!
Ice fishermen are, well, different
Ice fishermen are just different. They can’t wait to drag an old sled full of tilts, ice chippers, frisky shiners the bait guy swore were “jumbos” and frigid pickle buckets out to the middle of a wind-swept lake, drill some holes and set up shop for a good day....