The Challenge of Catching My First Fly Rod Striper

I can't believe it's now been 8 years since I caught my first striper on the fly rod!  Man does time fly by.

Since then my fly fishing interests have led me to competing each year in the Cheeky Tournament plus so much more.  Fly fishing for striped bass re-sparked my interest in targeting these fish, because catching bass on thy fly rod is an entirely new challenge.

If you've always been a spinning or conventional angler, then I urge you to give fly fishing a shot.  Yes it will be a little frustrating to start, but trust me, the feeling of a good taken on the fly rod does not compare to anything else!

So with that said, I figured today would be a good time to relive my experience catching my first striper on the fly, with the hopes that it might inspire a few readers to get out there and give it a shot!

Mid June 2016

My fly fishing adventures all began with a visit to Dave Steeves, who at the time was the fly fishing lead at the Goose Hummock Shop in Orleans, to get rigged up with saltwater fly fishing equipment.

Dave has more than 25 years of experience fly fishing the waters around Cape Cod, and is definitely a "go to guy" for fly fishing the Cape.  Currently Dave is a rep for Reddington, Sage and other fly fishing companies.

I told Dave I wanted a setup that could handle a 30 pound striped bass. Even though I had never fly fished before in my life, I felt that catching a 30 pounder on the fly would be a healthy challenge.

This was my first visit to Goose Hummock that special 2016 season, and just as I had expected, the store was stocked to the brim with everything anyone could ever need for fishing the Cape Cod area.

The sales process was phenomenally simple. I told Dave what I hoped to accomplish and in about 10 minutes I had an 8 weight Sage Motive 1190-4 fly rod and a Sage 3280 reel.

This particular rod and reel combo is not cheap!  However, there are many quality options for far less also available at the Goose.

One of the "must have" flies which Dave recommended is the sand eel pattern pictured below. Sand eels are a predominant baitfish all throughout Cape Cod, so this fly will work just about everywhere.

Now that I had everything I needed, Dave and I headed outside to the boat ramp behind the Goose Hummock shop for a fly casting lesson. 

I remember leaving the Goose feeling very good about how things were progressing.

The Morning of June 21st, 2016

My first official fly fishing adventure began on Tuesday June 21st 2016, at the ridiculous hour of 1:30am. However like many of you, I never have trouble getting out of bed to go fishing.

At this point in the day, my "plan" was to actually go tuna fishing with Cullen of Cape Star. However, with winds gusting to 25mph, plus the possibility of thunderstorms, we bagged the trip.

With tuna fishing no longer an option, I hustled to change into my waders and get the fly fishing gear in order. My goal was to make Tuesday June 21st the day of my first fly rod striper!

By 3:30am I was ready to rock n' roll, and by 4:30am I was at my first fly fishing spot of the day. I had my first-ever fly fishing bite about 30 minutes into fishing!

Just after that fish bit, the thunderstorms to my west began moving in on me quick. I ended the trip by sprinting down the beach (while still in my waders) all the way back to my vehicle.

Waterfront residents enjoying their ocean view and morning cup of coffee must of thought I looked pretty silly, but I really did not want to be on the beach with all that electricity in the air!

The Afternoon of June 21st, 2016

I took a catnap during the worst of the thunderstorms, and then decided to run some errands before fishing again. Around 11:30am I decided to make a big move to a new spot down Cape, which you can learn all about here inside our forum.

The skies were clear and the air temperature was pleasant. To my delight it really felt like summer, and there was no more threat of electricity.

I set out barefoot (which I would highly regret - oyster shells hurt!) wearing a performance t-shirt and lightweight shorts. With no bulky waders I made great time as I explored and hiked many miles of coastline.

Despite it being the middle of the afternoon (which is usually poor for striper fishing) I felt confident I would eventually find some fish if I just covered as many miles as possible.

I fished a particular sandbar at the tip of this point where countless big bass have been caught over the years. The place looked incredible, and I could envision moby stripers cruising the edge and scouring the sharp, scallop covered bottom for a meal.

Only problem was large fish would be most apt to hunt in such shallow water during the depths of the night, no the daytime.

I made many casts but found no life on the bar, which did not surprise me with the afternoon sun shining so brightly over my shoulder.

After Many Miles, Finally a Striper!

By 5:00pm I had hiked seven miles and made hundreds of casts without a bump. The bass were absent, but the birds and other lifeforms were very active and plentiful all around.

For example, I saw several different species of ducks, terns, plovers and gulls. Most impressive was the million strong colony of snails, and the armies of crabs with monstrous claws.

I disturbed a seal which was sleeping on the beach, and watched as he frantically scurried to get back into the water.

With a deep water drop off located just yards off the beach, this spot looked like it could be a prime nearshore hunting zone for Great White Sharks. I proceeded with caution over the flats, and I made sure to go no deeper than my knees.

Just then I saw a half dozen terns dive bombing the turquoise colored water. They were working over bass!

I started stripping line from my reel and began to make false casts. Finally I launched a "beautiful" 50 foot cast right into the maelstrom of micros.

Fish on!

Fortunately for me the stripers were feeding in less than two feet of crystal clear water. They weren't far offshore either, and I could easily reach them with my cast.

A small school of maybe a half dozen bass suddenly surfaced directly in front of me. I placed a cast into the area and hooked into another slightly larger schoolie.

Mission accomplished!

The Joys of Summertime on Cape Cod

It took me 2 hours to walk back to my vehicle. I did stop to take some photos, but for the most part kept moving.

It was a wonderful night, with plenty of scenery all around.

For me in that moment, summertime had arrived. The air was warm and salty, and it felt really good in my lungs.

With less than one mile to go in my trek home, Mother Nature tossed one last surprise my way...

I heard this turtle scurrying through the dune sand before I saw him. 

It's not too often I encounter turtles on the beach on Cape Cod!

The drive home with my windows down was very pleasant. The road was wide open and traffic free. My legs on the other hand were pretty fatigued, and my feet were cut up from stepping on scallop and oyster shells.

Yet that was a small price to pay for such an enjoyable afternoon of fishing in a completely different way. I will never forget that first fly rod striper!

As always tight lines and take care