Greetings from Capt. Dave & BAYMEN!

Exciting stuff happening around Baymen Land today. I watched an osprey carrying a large stick to it’s nest on a man-made platform, while fighting a wicked strong wind. The bay is white-capped this evening and it is a chore to walk or close the truck door!

Also, the daffodils around my yard continue to bloom. If you are into flowers like I am, you know the feeling.

Another exciting moment: Right Whales went through the Cape Cod Canal yesterday. I did not see them but saw the video online and on the news. I did glass this bay out front for whales but did not see any.

Great White and Snowy Egrets are showing up in number now around the bay and marshes. It is just great to see them back for another season. What a very cool bird!

I have fished three days now, looking for my first striped bass of the season. Nothing yet, but I expect to have my first fish of the season any day… Stay Posted!

I did unpack my Fish Pond back-back, clean it up, and repack it for the season. What’s in my Go-To working fly bag? 1) My Thomas & Thomas 9 wt fly rod is lashed to the side as my back-up rod 2) In my outside pocket I have my saltwater license and point and shoot camera 3) Inside pocket has my Simms fly fishing gloves, needle nose pliers, back-up knife, and a tape measure 4) on the side of the inside of pack pocket is a back-up portable marine radio 5) Inside the pack itself are my flies in plastic baggies all marked with what type of fly patterns they contain; a fly box given to me many years ago by the Colonel that holds my working popper flies; another plastic bag with a spool of 20lb Berkley big game mono (my favorite go-to leader material) a bag with my hand-tied custom leaders, two ORVIS Hydros Reels one with floating line and one with intermediate line; another bag (and this is your big tip of the day from Capt. Dave) that holds a towel and a bottle of ICE Auto Detailer! Makes fly lines slick as “ice” and fly out of the guides and increases your cast by many yards; and lastly, a list of any number of things that rotate in and out that could include a rain jacket, lunch, a bottle of scotch (just kidding), sun screen, line nippers, candy bars (!), a Holy Bible, a pen and notepad, paper towels, a hat, COSTA polarized sunglasses – (the best!), and that about covers it. I can go pretty much anywhere up and down the MA coast, by boat or shoreline, and fish for striped bass with this back pack set up. It makes it easy to grab and go on a moments notice or when the fish are showing with the “bare minimums” Ha!

I will try to repost my Backpack set-up with photos in a future Baymen Report since everyone is always curious about what my personal carry gear is for striped bass.

That’s today’s BAYMEN Report. Very soon these posts are going to start filling up with photos of fish and the season will off and running for six solid months on the bay…!!!

STAY POSTED – and let me know when you get your first one.

Sincerely,

Capt. Dave, BAYMEN, www.baymenlife.com 31 Years Guiding The Bay. Soli Deo Gloria!