David Siskind | Sunday, 20 September 2026
The river was alive last week. I fished the bowling alley. There was enough going on to keep me entertained all morning. The sky was overcast so viz was not great but fish were pushing, rolling, and tailing within reach often enough. I got two explosive eats casting into pockets on the far shore - good fish breaking me off immediately. And there were some aggressive youngsters and small but chunky bass - all very chewy.
The water was warm and the SA bonefish WF6F worked nicely. Fished 18’ leader tapered to 3x - apparently too light.
Then off to NY. I spent a few days with Jackie. We saw The Odyssey and liked it. A good yarn. It’s funny how you can be moved by a story you already know. I left the city Wednesday to visit Block Island.
On the way, I fished near Fall River with Parker Mauk and Chris Killenberg of Westport Fly. Check 'em out if you’re near Providence RI sometime. They fish a uniquely beautiful stretch of sheltered New England coastline. I love it there. There are open waters, intimate coves, rocky islands and salt ponds. Blues and bonito chase bait off the beaches and stripers cruise inshore small shallow flats and in the ponds.
Parker and Chris have a congenial community of shallow water flyfishers there. Their manners are impeccable when chasing birds and breaking fish and they eagerly share the location of activity as it’s happening when they find it. Nice people. We shared flies with a couple of them including Ann, 88 years old and still killing it daily, driving her center console bay boat solo, chasing fish and slinging flies.
I didn’t embarrass myself. Caught 3 bonito along a beach and two stripers on gurglers up into the Fall River. The bonito would burst through a bait ball of tiny silversides moving fast and staying up only for seconds. There were probably more fish below but I played whack-a-mole with a gurgler. Sometimes the fish would stay up for 6 or 8 seconds, and then I had a chance. Fun stuff. I caught fish and felt like a champ.
After saying bye-bye to Parker and Chris, I headed back south to Point Judith and rode the ferry to Block Island to visit my daughter and son-in-law. I’m writing now from a bunk in their sloop, Apple Butter. We went for a sail in the sound earlier and saw David B., who I fished with here last September, as we moved through the Coast Guard cut. He was casting from the point. Apparently some blitzing bonito had moved through earlier but were too far out for a fly caster. I’ll go out there Sunday morning to try it. I hope I see David again. Monday, I’m leaving here for NY. Good times. Gotta grab em.
Cheers,
David Siskind