Friday, October 31, 2008

And Everything Under the Sun

Today, I made my second trip to Five Islands Park in New Rochelle. Jack's didn't have any fresh bunker. Instead, I bought two cups of unfrozen clams.

I got to the dock around 10:45 AM, about 90 minutes or so before hide tide. It was a bright, sunny day with a slight breeze. The temperature was perfect. I used three poles.

Like last time, I didn't catch anything. But unlike last time, I did have a few bites.

I tried my usual tricks: reeling in the lines to draw attention to the bait, checking the bait and recasting the lines, and replacing the bait. I guess the fish weren't really hungry or already in hibernation.

I stayed until 5:15 or so. I passed the time listening to my pocket radio and smoking a cigar.

Still, it was a nice day, and the experience was quite pleasant.

I'm glad I went.

Me and My Shadow Fishing on a Friday Afternoon


Friday, October 24, 2008

Lost in Thought and Lost in Time

After nearly three months of silence, I have returned. I wish I had more to report, but I don't. I've been getting my rest and slowly climbing out of the abyss. (But I still have a long way to go.)

Two days ago, I washed my fishing poles for the time in years. I also respooled them. Today, I decided to try Five Islands Park in New Rochelle for the first time. I purchased a parking sticker last August for 2008 from the City of New Rochelle Department of Parks and Recreation at City Hall. Five Islands Park is right across the sound from Hudson Park, where I fished several times and lost a big one back in April.

I explored the park yesterday and found a floating dock that stretches out over the water. A metal footbridge connects the dock to the land (one of the five islands). A great advantage is that since it's a floating dock, it rises and falls with the tide.

I missed high tide, which was about 8:45 AM. I took a drive to Jack's to pick up some bait. Whenever I went fishing this late in the past, the bait shops usually didn't have any fresh bunker. I got to Jack's at 11:15 or so. Big John, the owner of Jack's, told me they were expecting a shipment by noon. Since I preferred to use fresh bunker, I decided to wait. I just read the Wall Street Journal in my car. When the bait was finally delivered, I bought two fresh bunker.

I got to the dock and started fishing at 12:45. The tide was going out. The sun was out. It was cool and pleasant. There was a slight breeze. When I explored the area yesterday, the wind was blowing really hard. Today, I just brought two poles with me instead of my customary three.

I didn't get a single bite. I recast the lines several times. I replaced the bait perhaps twice. Nothing was biting. I saw some fishermen over in the parking lot at Hudson Park. They gave up and left around 1 PM.

I passed the time walking on the dock and listening to my radio. Around 2:30 or so, the wind started to pick up. I gave up at 3 PM.

Despite not catching anything, the experience was pleasant. I'm glad I went and got a chance to shake off some of the rust.

I really would like to catch one fish before shutting down for the winter. If the weather doesn't get too cold, I'm sure I'll come back a few times over the next few weeks, especially at high tide. In 1996 or 1997, I went fishing on a chilly November day at Mamaroneck Harbor and caught a decent-sized striper. So there's still hope that I might catch something this late into the fishing season.