Breaking the Skunk Streak: A Springtime Cape Cod Fly Fishing Journey

The salt-tinged air carries a different kind of electricity in late spring on Cape Cod. It's that unmistakable energy of awakening – as the Cape transitions from offseason slumber into the urgent energy of Memorial Day Weekend, with schools of fish following currents and instincts older than memory.

This 2025 season has drawn me deeper into the art of fly fishing than ever before, trading the familiar comfort of spinning gear for the elegant challenge of presenting a fly to Cape Cod's most prized gamefish: the striped bass.

The Call of the Fly Rod

After nearly eight years of gradually transitioning from conventional tackle, something clicked this spring. Perhaps it was the meditative rhythm of the cast, or maybe the deeper connection to the fish when they strike – that visceral telegraph of life pulsing through graphite and line.

Whatever it was one thing is for sure - fly fishing demands more of you. Every cast is intentional, every presentation calculated. When you finally connect with a striped bass on the fly, the satisfaction runs deeper than any fish caught on spinning gear.

But before the triumph comes the trial. Tons of casts and many tangles. Hooks flying dangerously close to the back of my head. A sore shoulder and a tweaked neck. Cape Cod's stripers weren't making it easy for me this spring.

But persistence pays off in ways you can't imagine. Just a few nights ago, under a moonless sky with only starlight as my guide, everything finally came together. Multiple quality stripers fell to the fly rod in a single session – including fish that bent my nine-weight and had me scrambling in the darkness to land them properly. 

It was the kind of night that makes every frustrating cast, every tangle, every near miss with a wayward hook worth it. The journey to that magical evening, however, began with plenty of humbling experiences.

Barnstable Harbor's Windy Challenge

My first fly fishing trip of 2025 was to Barnstable Harbor. What I hadn't fully prepared for was the howling wind that greeted me upon arrival. Blowing directly into my face, it turned every cast into a battle of wills between angler and atmosphere. My fly line fought me on every delivery, the wind grabbing it mid-flight and depositing my offering nowhere near my intended target. This was fly fishing at its most humbling – when the elements remind you just how much precision the sport demands.

I'd rigged up with a seven-inch mackerel pattern tied by Chris Kokorda, a local guide, skilled fly tier, and fellow My Fishing Cape Cod member. The realistic baitfish imitation looked perfect in my fly box, its silver flanks and dark back mimicking the very forage that Cape Cod stripers crave. Little did I know then that this exact pattern would prove absolutely deadly in my upcoming adventures – but on this windy day in Barnstable Harbor, it did not illicit any bites.

Despite the challenging conditions and my best efforts to adapt my casting technique to the wind, the harbor kept its fish to itself. Or perhaps I was just too early? I am leaning towards the latter. The day would prove to be a lesson in patience and persistence. The mackerel fly would have to wait for the fish to arrive (and for calmer conditions) to prove its worth. Skunking number one was officially in the books.

Early Season Exploration in Bourne

A few days later on April 30th my fly fishing obsession took me to the upper reaches of Buzzards Bay, where protected waters offer some of the most reliable early-season opportunities.

These shallow bays warm faster than the open ocean, creating the conditions that draw both baitfish and the stripers that follow them. The incoming tide would be key – that conveyor belt of nutrients and oxygen that triggers the food chain into motion.

Launching my kayak, I paddled toward a small island in Bourne that few anglers ever visit. Beaching on the island felt like stepping back in time. When I pulled my kayak onto the narrow beach, I was stunned by what I discovered. The shoreline was absolutely carpeted with shellfish – oysters and mussels dominated, but I could also spot scallops and quahogs scattered throughout.

It was like stumbling upon a natural treasure trove, the kind of abundance that immediately made me think of my eleven-month-old daughter Hallie. Someday, when she's old enough, I'll bring her here in my little twelve-foot tin boat for a shellfish harvest adventure combined with fishing – a perfect Cape Cod day that captures the best of what these waters offer.

The sheer volume of shellfish transported me mentally across the centuries. If this bounty exists in 2025, what must these beds have looked like 500 or 1,000 years ago? The Wampanoag people almost certainly visited this very island, drawn by the same rich harvests that caught my eye today. How could they not have known about this place? Standing there among the shells, casting into the gathering dusk, I felt connected to that ancient knowledge – the understanding that Cape Cod's waters have sustained people for countless generations, and with care, will continue to do so for generations to come.

This discovery perfectly illustrates what makes fishing Cape Cod so special – the catch is often just half the adventure, sometimes less. You might set out targeting stripers and come home empty-handed, but with something far more valuable: a new shellfishing spot, a prime birding location, or simply a hidden corner of the Cape that feels untouched by the crowds. These unexpected discoveries are what keep drawing us back to the water, reminding us that getting off the couch and exploring always offers rewards, even when the fish don't cooperate.