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.
Fish Wrap’s 2021 Year In Review
We’re wrapping up a solid Fish Wrap 2021 with a two-week review of three large issues: COVID, coastal access and total characters. The first continues to dominate our news and lives, the second threatens our freedom to walk a beach and the latter is the heartbeat...
Trees For Trout Returns
Rhode Island’s Trout Unlimited Chapter welcomes a new year with their popular and important Trees For Trout program. RI TU Chapter 225 President Glenn Place has worked with RIDEM Biologist Corey Pelletier and Dana Kopec, Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic...
Winter Means Surf Day
Don't let the calendar fool 'ya, meteorlogical winter is a full on time to fish, hunt, hike and tie a few flies with your feet on a cooler and steak on a plate. Read Fish Wrap to find out how you can get outdoors or hang inside this month to make the most of our newest season. And as always, thanks for reading.
2021 Fish Wrap Holiday Gift Guide
Our 2021 Fish Wrap Writer Holiday Gift Guide will help you choose some fun, handy, thoughtful and maybe even perfect gifts for any outdoorsman or womann on your shopping list. We are very fortunate to meet lots of wonderful people and many of them create great products we can share with you. Happy Holidays!
RISAA Needs Your Help, Potter Pond Gets Some
Rhode Island's CRMC subcommittee has recommended that Perry Raso's application to expand his shellfish business into a salt pond with a long history of various recreational uses, be denied. The RI Saltwater Anglers are looking for some help with their own subcommittees. RIDEM wants to help you learn to tie flies and our good friend Tom Adams help us understand the benefits of tree saddles for deer hunting .
RICAC & Treonze Emerge
The RI Coastal Advocacy Coalition has delivered a letter to CRMC looking for regulatory change in the way it considers approving and siting shellfish businesses in public trust waters. With summer a wrap, Todd Treonze has been awarded the OSKAA Angler of the Year. Dennis Zambrotta has some sage advice for surfcasting Block Island and RISAA's Greg Vespe pulled a bomber bonito out of chilly November waters.
Vespe Takes RISAA’s Helm
Greg Vespe, experienced fisherman, talented boat handler, patient teacher and solid human, will lead the RI Saltwater Anglers Association as its new President. His skills on the water and background participating in the fisheries management process make Mr. Vespe the perfect choice to represent some 7500 members and affiliated groups.
Fishing & Exhaling In Maine
As Fall takes over before the inevitable, there remains time to fish the backwaters of Maine for largemouth or a peaceful nap under a low sun. The North Maine Woods is calling.
Frank & Joyce Daignault: Outdoorsman’s Writers & Teachers
Frank Daignault has published eight books and hundreds of articles about saltwater fishing. But all of his achievements were earned in the company of his wife Joyce. Together they raised a family while fishing and hunting for sport and food. It was an honor to speak with them and learn more of thier story.
Fall In Rhode Island Means Lizard Fish, Albies & Trout
Fall in Rhode Island means lizard fish, albies and trout on the move. Lizard fish are little but they’re all teeth and have been caught in Quonochontaug Pond and Narragansett Bay. They’re fast but a few fishermen are faster with epoxy jigs and shiny tins to land...
Thank You Steve Medeiros
When Steve Medeiros passed, many anglers never knew how how passionately he worked to protect their sport and that was fine with him. The founder and President of the RI Saltwater Anglers Association, he ws considerate, determined, steadfast and a friend so this week, we give thanks for his legacy.
Fish are Hall around us this week
Total character Brain Hall find sailfish from his kayak, Aaron Flynn is on the largemouth, Alex Ridgway can find fish anywhere, and we mean anywhere, and then Steve Medeiros, the generous and patient President of the RI Saltwater Anglers Association passed away, quite unexpectedly. It's a good week tempered with his loss but we'll offer Steve a fine send off next week. So let's find some fish....
Fall Is Trophy Time
Rhode Island’s chapter of Trout Unlimited and the South Kingstown Land Trust have organized a free Introductory Fly Fishing Clinic for Women on October 2. A few weeks later, the RI Saltwater Anglers Association is calling all surf fishing clubs to their annual...
Chef Lucia’s Fall Feast
May gardens, once diligently pruned, managed and defined, are now September gardens: thick, vine heavy affairs where tanned cucumber and zucchini leaves have overtaken peppers and lettuce. Tautog, stripers, bluefish and a late shot of fluke are in close,signalling...
Cloudy skies over cloudy water
Clouds on the horizon and a few big ones in the mirror mean fishing can be fickle but a few aces know where they feed. Ralph Craft has a few spots open for his Tog Tourney and CRMC wants to send you some mail to keep aware of how they are, we hope, protecting our shorelines.
2021 RI ‘Tog Classic
Do you like to party? Do you love fishing for tautog? Do you enjoy supporting local community charities? Do you dig food trucks, fishing, prizes, raffles, talking about fishing, live music, bragging about fishing or gesturing to show how big your blackfish was...
August Maintenance Is Not Routine
August fishermen sometimes need to be reminded that maintenance is critical after a long summer of use but also for our personal routines, which we can fall in or out of and then, when we least expect it, end up upside down.
River Rules and Ruler Rules
The Beaver River in Richmond, Rhode Island has new state regulations to help protect native brook trout populations. No more hatchery raised trout will be allowed in the river system and hopefully native brookies will thrive, reminding anglers just how magical it can be to hike in deep for fish in shallow streams. Then we'll visit Randy Degrace to hear about his almost state record black sea bass.
Big River Protects Brook Trout
Rhode Island's Trout Unlimited chapter has partnered with RIDEM, EA Engineering and other environmental agencies to investigate the Big River Management Area to see if it's dark, shrouded reaches might support populations of wild, native brook trout, the state's only native charr. Biologist Corey Pelletier electrofishing small winding streams and rivers to discover and catalog life, because, in a world of questions, answers all begin with data.
Phil Capaldi’s Fish Report
South County's Phil Capaldi knows the salt well so this week, he provides a new fish report so that I can go north to find smallmouth bass and lose my cell phone signal. Phil talks fluke and stripers with some solid advice on lures to catch them both. Go Phil!