Fishing the Vineyard Report 07/29/09 Part Deux

This morning aboard F/V Gut Feeling fishing with Captain Robert Douglas Morrison of Fishing the Vineyard/Coop's/Ocean Heights fame, Matt from NY(pictured above) laid the smack down on this Sarda Sarda and gave it a ride back to town in a cooler. This brings the score as we get toward the end of the month Red Team (Rob) 2 Green Team (Bones) 0. This fish was taken on a tin jig fished with a speedy retrieve; a time honored tactic for Sarda and Euthynnus from Manasquan to Menemsha. Donations to get Robby a real camera so we all can stop suffering through these hideous camera phone pics can be sent to Coop's or my PO Box. Multiple bone reports were circulating around the pier this morning; not trying to get everybody's hopes up, but usually when they start filling in at this point in the season the beach looks like a flippin' mosh pit inside of 2 weeks. Fingers crossed 'till next time.

Peas...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
Fishing the Vineyard
www.fishingthevineyard.com

Fishing the Vineyard Report 07/29/08

Pictured here is Bill from Tallahassee. Bill and I fished through poor conditions yesterday and were able to scratch out some nice bluefish, which we found staged up over some light bottom feeding on sandeels. We also hooked 1 bass that fell off and had a brief bone encounter, but alas never came tight. Hoping for some sunshine or some leaping green fish, or both, ASAP. I'll let ya know...

Word to you Mother...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

TEETH!

Pictured above is Andrew from NY. Andrew and I had originally planned on trying to sight cast for bass, but the overcast/foggy conditions (fog so thick you could chuck the fluffer out of eye shot)that have dominated the past week prevailed and forced us to look for blues instead. Further complicating our effort was a stiff prevailing southerly breeze that left the sound chunky and lumpy. We caught a good amount of blues in the end, but they took a long time to locate in those conditions and we were only able to stay on the bite for a short time before having to "get while the gettin' was good". I'm hoping for better weather and a flats report by the end of the week. Stay tuned.

Fair Winds and Following Seas...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

Bottoms Up!

I consider America's 2 great pastimes to be baseball and fluking. Today aboard Gut Feeling an adept crew of bottom droppers pounded the floor of Vineyard Sound yielding some seriously impressive results. Today was less about quantity, more about quality. Pictured here are Fishing the Vineyard's Captain Robert Morrison, his baby brother Alex and Tina from Katama. This crew has pillaged the sea bed together from the Cape Pouge to New Zeland's Bay of Islands where they pursued Kingies (Yellowtail), Hapuka and Snapper. Let them loose in some deep water up here in our part of the world and this is what happens. Freakishly large sea bass, doormat fluke, braggin' sized porgies, one nice blue and a couple of sharks rounded out today's grab bag. Sprinkle in a couple of skates and a spider crab which we had boat side but the hook pulled at the last minute and you have concocted a tremendously entertaining day out on the grounds. Even the scup whisperer got into the mix. As far as the real fishing goes I'm sure someone will go to work this week and we should have a full report at that time.

Live Free, Die Smiling...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

Fishing the Vineyard report 7/23/09

Capt. Jaime Boyle

Rob and Bob Strike Green!!

Pictured here is Bob from MV. This morning Bob went for a fish with team FTV's own Captain Rob Morrison aboard the Gut Feeling, and guess what they caught? You got it; first green bone of the 2009 season! Congratulations to Rob and Bob. I said in yesterday's report that the bone rumors would start flying this week...I'd say that this is better than a rumor. And on a Pencil Popper no less! Let the games begin...Fishing The Vineyard

Fishing the Vineyard Report 07/21/09

So it's been like 10 days since my last diatribe. Why you might ask? Well, the words 'dude you're gettin' a Dell' come to mind. Fear not. I'll be joining modern society and getting a Mac here in short order which should make the daily posting scenario more of a reality. As for the fishing on campus Mothership right now it's still going along pretty well. There are bass on the flats and some out in open water eating small bait on top. There's also been a recent influx of blues, but they don't seem to want to set up in any one particular spot but rather keep us running around and searching them out on a daily basis. Thanks assholes. Haven't heard of any green fish in the mix as of yet, but watch, the last week of July is usually when the bone rumors start to permeate and I'd imagine that this year will be no exception.

Pictured in the above spread are David from London (gent with the striped shirt) and yours truly. David and I sight cast for bass and popper cast for blues which was productive on both fronts. Being from the UK David had never caught teeth before and he thought they were the bee's knees! I was inclined to agree, they were preforming some rather funky maneuvers on the topwater stuff that afternoon.

Sunny Salutations...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

Sunday Flats Fishing

Capt. Jaime Boyle

Flats Flounder

Fishing the Vineyard Report 7/16/2009

Fishing the Vineyard Report 7/12/09

Capt. Jaime Boyle

boylermaker.com

Sight Casting Report 07/11/09

The past couple of diurnal courses have been the blue bird sunny summer days that we wait for all year and I've been lucky enough to be able to spend them pushing my skiff around the flats. There's no where in the world I'd rather be at this time of year than right here. The shallow water fishing on the Vineyard has been nothing short of outrageous this year and it continues to delight. Pictured in this shot are Rowdy from the Cape (blue shirt) and David from LA. Rowdy is an old school permit and bonefish assassin whose sight casting experience ranges from Chub Cay to Biscayne Bay, so striped fish on the flat are right up his alley. This fish took a good while to subdue and almost had us wrapped around a rock...well played Rowdy!




Pictured here is Juan from Hong Kong(I know, you can't make this shit up). Juan is basically scouring the planet in search of the ultimate adventure. He just finished a 6 stage 250 kilometer run across the Gobi desert in China's Xinjiang providence. Next step in his quest, tangling with plus sized stripes over white sand on the Vineyard. These 2 fish were big even for an adept thrill seeker like Juan. After this it's on to Europe and then Africa and South America. Nice work Juan, and good luck on your journey.




The fishing on the flats today was so dandy that even the skipper crawled down from his perch and reeled in a couple on the old fly rod. Atta boy Skippa! BTW kids, these are advanced holds; do not try these at home.

Fare Thee Well,

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

Fishing the Vineyard Report 7/8-7/10

Capt. Jaime Boyle

Fishing the Vineyard Report 07/07/09

A few pics from the last couple of days. As for the purple one, what, I'm not allowed to get a little artsy? This other shot is me, Jay from Boston and a robust striped fish. This is why I usually stay behind the camera. Give me a break though, it's like 6AM in that pic. Action on the island remains consistent and strong.

May the force be with you...

Captain W. Brice Contessa
www.contessaflyfishing.com

Fishing the Vineyard Report 07/06/09

The years just keep sliding by don't they? Another 4th of July come and gone on the emerald isle. Thankfully, currently the Vineyard is fishing more like it usually does in June than it does in July. Summer doldrums? Not so much. Commercial season? Still a week away. Bass choking up the rips, patch reefs and flats? Indeed. We had an amazing weekend of fishing on the rock with bites that ran the gamut from early morning slick water pencil popping in the fog to blue bird sunny crab fly scenarios in 8 inches of fluid that pitted man against beast in a scene rarely played out outside of the coliseum in Roma. Some inky squid blitzes sprinkled into the mix for good measure. Only in America.

YES WE CAN...

Captain W. Brice Contessa

Fishing the Vineyard Report 7/6/2009

From the rips to the flats all in one day.

Capt. Jaime Boyle

U.S Blues

4th of July Kickoff

This is what we do for fun. Have a happy and healthy 4th of July...Fishing The Vineyard