This past Sunday I went fishing with my buddy Charley. A couple times each summer we get the chance to get out fishing. It is always when we can, so the tides are usually wrong, and it is always with the wrong tackle, ill prepared and we head out with a hope and a prayer. This past Sunday was a gift. We headed out of Waquoit and set the course for Squibnocket, past Gay Head on the Vineyard. It was a pristine day. Charlie's boat worked just fine, it was clear with a gentle breeze. We rounded Gay Head and there was an impressive ocean swell. We got off Squibnocket, and started to fish. I had a rag mop with pork rind on the surface, which caught absolutely nothing. The only lure I use in Buzzards Bay cannot catch a fish anywhere else! The other two lines were lead, and we sent them down deep. Of course we had the normal tackle problems, we had a jelly and a tube. The jelly took a couple hits, then parted company when the splice let go. Too bad, it would have caught us some fish. The Tube took a hit, and Charlie marked the spot on the GPS. We caught three blues by going over that spot. It was a rising tide, and everything seemed to work in sync for once. There was a huge ocean swell that would pass below us, and continue on to crash on the beach. It was large enough that smaller boats would dissapear in the trough, then rise above us on the crest. One small boat had a man fishing with his dog. The dog stood on the transom in rapt attention as the man snagged bluefish. It was a beautiful sight as the sun glistened against the waves. It was also the first day of seeing the artic ducks, the Buffleheads. The first sightings are always farther offshore, like today. Within the next few weeks they will work their way into Buzzards Bay, where I live.
It all added up to a wonderful fall day, and the end of the season. Charlie heads south with his boat on Thursday, so this was the last outing. We scooted back past Menemsha and Lambert's Cove as the sun began to set. Just a wonderful day, followed by a fresh bluefish dinner.