Derby continued

There weren't a lot of fish weighed in the last few days, even by the guys fishing with bait. The low pressure jsut shut it down. But all in all, I had a great time and I'm looking forward to getting back next year.

There are plenty of places to stay this time of year at very low prices and you can eat pretty cheaply as well, so it's not like it costs an arm and a leg. Two people in a car or pickup truck is about $175 roung trip on the ferry out of Wood's Hole. Make reservations well in advance to make sure you get the times you want. Check www.mvy.com for places to stay.

Really, this is a lot of fun and you should give it a try.

Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby

If you've never been involved in this you really ought to give it a shot. It's not a high-powered fishing tournament. Sure, there are some people who probably take it too seriously, but they're in the minority. Mostly, it's a bunch of great guys who love to fish, talk about fishing, fish, talk about fishing.....you get the idea. All the proceeds go to the Derby Scholarship Fund.

This was the first year we've been involved as a sponsor and we're in for good. The people who organize the event are the nicest bunch of people I've ever met. They're friendly, welcoming, generous and just out and out nice. I spent most of my time with Wilson Kerr and he couldn't have been more accomodating. He fished with me for about 2 solid days, showed me the whole island, hot spots for each of the four species involved, the whole deal. Great guy and fellow fly-rodder.

I know what you're thinking. What about the fishing? It pretty much sucked. Those back-to-back Noreasters that shot through completely screwed u pthe fishing. I got 1 Striper, the first night I was there. Nice fish at about 31 1/2", but just undet the limit to weigh in at the Derby.