2016 will go down for me as one of the more memorable years for a variety of reasons. I have had some wonderful opportunities come my way both inside and outside the world of fly fishing leaving me pinching myself wondering if it was all a dream. A couple of firsts that are very memorable recently happened right off the shores less than a couple hours from my doorstep. You see, there has been a couple of fish species in the saltwater scene that have eluded me for quite some time. I use the term eluded loosely, as you actually have to be on the water fishing for them to have a chance at catching them.
Every fall the shores of New England have a couple of visitors show up from the depths of the ocean to feast on the bountiful bait-balls of a variety of species that fill our waters. The Bonito and False Albacore are a pair of speedsters that show up for a very brief window of time at the end of every summer when the conditions are right. For 15 years I have wanted get a crack at these wonderful creatures but for a litany of reasons they never quite happened. You see, this time of year for me is habitually hectic and my fishing opportunities are usually few and far between until later in October. There have been many last minute calls to head out that I just couldn't make happen, or some sort of tropical storm traveling up the coast thwarted my efforts to get a crack at these fish.
This year, that all changed. In a couple weeks span, everything for me aligned and I managed to check both off of my bucket list. I will say however that it was probably a good thing that I experienced these fish later in life as it is very apparent that the level of addiction for these drag racers is extremely high. Needless to say, the day that I managed to finally get out and fish for False Albacore I made up for all those days that some sort of dilemma kept me off the water. Needless to say, I am haunted by these fish and cannot wait to get back out there for them again sometime hopefully soon before they part our waters till next year.
Many of you have been wondering about these so called "Big Changes" that I have hinted at on social media and in person rather frequently in the last few months and I am here to finally let the cat out of the bag. I am moving my family into a new home as I type this. It's not in Montana, and it's not on the banks of a trout stream but it is a wonderful place that my wife and I can raise our two girls not too far from our current residence. You see, we inevitably outgrew our first house and were in dire need of some more space, not to mention our street was a little too busy for our tastes. Our new house is just the right size, in a nice quiet neighborhood in a very country setting just like the one my wife and I grew up in, oh and it is a little closer to the river so that's a bonus of sorts.
So now you know why I've had to shut down my fly operation for a while, it literally is in boxes right now. The next venture once we settle is will be to build out my shop in the new house, and I will keep you all updated on that once I start mapping it all out. I will leave you all with this, expect some more surprises once that project is all said and done. For now, I have to get back to putting the house together. Tight lines and see you all soon. -RS-