This morning I went striper fishing. I went with a with guide named Barry Richards out of Essex, Massachusetts. The Essex River Basin is a tidal marsh north of Boston. It's popular for kayakers, birdwatchers, clamers, and fishermen. Lots of history in the area as it was one of the biggest boatbuilding towns back in the day. Despite the popularity, the marsh allows for a lot of privacy with lots of little islands and hidden coves all over. I even saw the island that "the Crucible" was filmed on. It's easy access with a train heading there from Boston's North Station every hour during the day. No need for a license in salt in Massachussetts. Also, Essex has some nice restaurants (including the birthplace of fried clams) and antiques stores that could serve nicely as a bargaining chip with your significant other.
Barry Richards was a good guy with donuts and coffee waiting for us as we arrived. He also knows a lot about both fishing gear and fly fishing. This was big as a lot of guides specialize in one or the other. So my Dad could fish gear while I fly fished. The boat was a a 1999 19ft Key West sport fisherman, allowing us to access a lot of different spots in a short period of time.
Most the the fishing was done on 7, 8, and 9 weight rods with Jim Teeny lines w/sinking tip. Wire leaders in case of encounters with Bluefish.
It was a slow day for Barry's standards but we got about a dozen fish in 5 hours. Mostly stripers, but a few blues. So it was a lot of fun. The scenery was amazing and I think it was definitely the most scenic fishing trip I've ever been on.
The only thing I would suggest is to bring your own gear. My guide had great gear: Thomas and Thomas rods with Teeny lines. But casting a rod that I've never picked up before with a weighted line and wire leader was difficult. I did alright, but I would have loved to have practiced on the rods for just an hour or two before game time.
All in all, I highly recommend a trip to the North Shore for some salt action.
Barry Richards was a good guy with donuts and coffee waiting for us as we arrived. He also knows a lot about both fishing gear and fly fishing. This was big as a lot of guides specialize in one or the other. So my Dad could fish gear while I fly fished. The boat was a a 1999 19ft Key West sport fisherman, allowing us to access a lot of different spots in a short period of time.
Most the the fishing was done on 7, 8, and 9 weight rods with Jim Teeny lines w/sinking tip. Wire leaders in case of encounters with Bluefish.
It was a slow day for Barry's standards but we got about a dozen fish in 5 hours. Mostly stripers, but a few blues. So it was a lot of fun. The scenery was amazing and I think it was definitely the most scenic fishing trip I've ever been on.
The only thing I would suggest is to bring your own gear. My guide had great gear: Thomas and Thomas rods with Teeny lines. But casting a rod that I've never picked up before with a weighted line and wire leader was difficult. I did alright, but I would have loved to have practiced on the rods for just an hour or two before game time.
All in all, I highly recommend a trip to the North Shore for some salt action.