Convergence '20: The Night

Every season has its night. Unfortunately, "the night" of herring season 2020 was equivalent to many nights in 2017, a few in 2018, and a few in 2019, and far overshadowed by the best night each year since I started. But it wasn't bad at all. It was really a huge relief, because there were clearly a few cows around, plenty of herring, and enough slot size fish to keep things more interesting. I was also alone on the river. I fished from 8:30pm to 3:00am on the night of May 16th, only to catch an hour long nap before leaving to be on a shad run at dawn on the 17th. Was it worth it?
It always is. I would live out of a car following the striped bass for a whole season if I could, and someday I probably will.

The bite was slow and steady all night. I was even tempted to stay longer because I knew there were a couple huge bass around. I could hear them. When a cow bass eats a herring off the surface and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Yes it does. An incredible sound. And I'm pretty sure I've heard big striped bass eating herring all the way from my bed on nights I didn't make it to the river. If there was a night I'd have caught a truly big striped bass this year, it was this one. But frankly I need five or six good nights with the right tide and herring numbers and some big bass around to have a really good shot. Getting to the point where big striper meets fly, hook find solid purchase, and big striper comes to hand is not easy at all and is a very tall order in the fishery of today. I'm pleased to say this year I've not had a striper over 36 inches come unpinned, and only one eat from one that didn't result in a hookup. That's partly because those fish just aren't around and when they have been, I've not been able to get after them. I'm not sure which is more frustrating, not getting shots or regularly blowing shots. One speaks to a worse fishery, one speaks to a worse angler.

On the 16th and 17th, angler error was not to blame. I was on point. I fished with purpose. I set like I mean it. I checked my hook sharpness regularly. I didn't lose focus despite the incredibly slow, repetitive nature of this time of fishing, and when the larger schooling fish that were around took my mixed-feather/Devlin blend Sedotti Slammer without fail they came to hand.

When I was a new striper angler, I'd have high 20's to mid 30 inch range fish get into my backing with fair regularity. Now it really never happens. Most recently I had a 24 inch striper unexpectedly hooked on a nymph with my 5wt and 6lb tippet absolutely burn line off the real and get a few feet into the backing with an 80 foot double taper line. But on my 10, my regular striper rod? It doesn't happen anymore, even big fish. But the largest I caught this herring run tried. It wasn't a bad fish and it was so hot I really thought I might have to one. With drag buttoned down this bass still took a good 65 feet of line. And she didn't come in whooped either, she gave me a good soaking the second after my camera flashed and tore off with vigor when I let go of her lip.

Exhausted, cold, wet, and happy, I headed home with fifteen bass to hand and three slot sized fish and barely enough time to nap, eat breakfast, and switch gear over to prepare for the shad trip. I slept in my waders. I've done it before. And never more often than during the herring run. This year was brutal, but not because I slept little, had to nap in waders, and put in lots of fishless hours. It was awful when my depression didn't allow me to do that. This was one of the few nights when I forgot all of that completely. And though my body was taking some serious abuse because of my need to fish, I couldn't have felt better.
Until next time,

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

And stay safe and healthy.

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