For more than twenty years my solstice was spent fishing for sixteen straight hours on the Henry’s Fork. I called it my “Henry’s Fork Marathon”. I might still have a Henry’s Fork Marathon in 2019 but it won’t be on the longest day of the year. Instead, this year I found myself waking up in Cape Cod and ending tonight in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. So I made a fun new goal for today – catch a striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and a rock bass in the same day.
After a successful full day seminar for the Cape Cod Flyrodders yesterday I stayed with Bob Lewis so we could fish for stripers before I left back to NH today. It was a damp rainy morning but we left the dock at 4:30 AM and went straight to Bob’s hot spot.
Although we didn’t spank them like we did our first day here, I caught this striper that would make anyone’s day before 5 AM. Boom! Striper down. I’m lucky we got him too because we fished till 9 and only landed one other.
At 9 AM Granny and my Mom (who were screwing around Cape Cod while I have been fishing and working) picked me up at Bobs boat ramp and I drove us the 3 hours back to Wolfeboro. We nailed a nice lunch. We visited Dad at the nursing home. Then Granny and I loaded the canoe and set out on Lake Winnipesaukee for an evening fish with the popper rods.
It was a breezy one. The weather hasn’t exactly cooperated for us this trip. I couldn’t make it to my favorite smallie haunt so instead I had to prowl with the popper through mediocre waters. Lucky for me, I caught this little guy. He still counts!
I knew the hard one would be the largemouth bass. The only place near Wolfeboro on Lake Winnipesaukee that has them is my cherished Back Bay. We paddled straight downtown under the bridge. Unfortunately the Wolfeboro waterski team was practicing limiting us to where we could go without getting hammered by waves or worse, hit by a ski boat.
I fished hard. I caught a few bluegill, pumpkinseeds and one beautiful pickerel but I couldn’t catch the largemouth where I expected my best chance to be. The next bass off the list was this fine-looking rock bass.
Part of our evening plan was to park the canoe and head into Nolan’s bar and restaurant for beers and food. Things close early up here so when the town hall bells rang eight times I decided it was time to head in. There’s one spot on the way where I’ve caught largemouth before. Lo and behold, I caught one. He’s a midget but nonetheless, this guy closed the deal and I got all four bass. Let’s call it the New England Bass Slam.
Tomorrow is our last day in NH. I hope to fish but I’ll probably spend most of it with Mom and include a long visit at the nursing home with Dad. Dad is not doing well these days so it’s tough to leave. If I don’t fish here tomorrow than the next posts start Monday on the big pike waters of Manitoba at Gangler’s Lodge!
How’s Granny’s shoulder? I leave Friday for two months in Belize, woohoo!
Gary, her shoulder is hardly better than the day it happened. She’s been miserable and not a single cast in NH or the Cape. Sad. She visited a specialist when she got home last week and on a strong physical therapy regiment for 4 weeks. If there’s no improvement its and MRI and likely surgery. They think its a torn rotator cuff and torn ligaments. Its an absolute nightmare for her summer. Your Belize trip is going to be epic! Please post on FB so I can check it out!