Sportsman’s Corner: A day exploring fly fishing

Big bluegill caught jigging.

Big bluegill caught jigging. PHOTO BY MIKE ROCHE—

Published: 01-23-2025 12:01 PM

By Mike Roche

We all have experienced cold weather before. Temperatures double digits below zero and severe wind chills happen. That does not make them any easier and we need to use caution to avoid frostbite or worse.

This writer is no spring chicken, and it appears that with age comes a bit less tolerance of the cold. Those low numbers on the thermometer convinced me to stay home and not go out ice fishing or coyote hunting last week, but there were a couple short trips to do a little jigging and set out a few tip-ups.

The Vexilar FL-12 Genz Pack flasher marked some fish and jigging did produce perch, bluegills and crappie, but not in great numbers or size. One decent bass grabbed a minnow and sprung a tip-up flag as my last trip Sunday was ending. It will take some convincing to get me out there before the extreme cold ends. It is, however, enjoyable and certainly better than watching TV. Outdoor shows also offer a delightful diversion and this week the show season got underway with the New England Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough. The Boston Fishing Expo is coming up in Boston at the Convention Center March 1-2, and the Springfield Sportsman’s Show will be at the Big E in Springfield Feb. 21-23.

The New England show opened Saturday at the Best Western Hotel and Convention Center in Marlborough, just off Route 495, and the Silverado made the trip Saturday morning. First, there was a stop at the nearby Cabela’s in Hudson. A cruise around the store provided plenty of inspiration. After a mandatory checking out of the new boats, a couple of kayaks caught my eye. Old Town makes a series of fishing kayaks, and the Sportsman models are very interesting!

At Cabela’s, they had two on display. One featured pedal power and my experience with those was very positive, as they provide quality hands-free fishing. A second model was equipped with a trolling motor and both had numerous bells and whistles, like fish finders, anchors, rudders and gear storage. Food for thought as we always need more toys, right?

When in a Cabela’s, my attention is drawn to the sunglass section where both Costa and Oakley sunglasses always tempt me. They are pricey but time spent at the Cabela’s in Kansas City with a very informative salesman helped me understand exactly what features, such as scratch-proof lenses, exceptional clarity and a strong warranty justify the price. Your eyes are important, so why not have the best protection? My big holdback is personal. Believe it or not, Mike Roche has been known to lose things. Totally excluded from that is inexpensive sunglasses that never get lost but leaving an expensive pair of shades somewhere would be a bummer! Still thinking, though. My one purchase was a laser bore sighter for caliber .243 so sighting in those rifles can take place any day.

My high school friend Clay Morin met me at the fly fishing show. His neighbor in Essex is Paul Rullo, who has become a good friend, and we have shared the enjoyment of the outdoors, particularly upland hunting and fly fishing. Since Paul had previously fished Lakewood Camps in the Rangeley region of Maine and after my positive experience there last upland season, we have discussed fishing there this spring and Clay is interested as well. An added incentive is the fact that Bob Duport – who I met many years ago while guiding bird hunters in New York – also guides western fly fishermen as well as trout fishermen at Lakewood. We had a good conversation at the show and are moving forward on setting dates.

The crowd at the fly fishing show was huge and clearly, it is very popular. Destinations promoted included Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and the Deerfield River in Massachusetts. Coastal New England is a fly fishing destination for catching striped bass with a fly, but those are only the tip of the iceberg.

Destinations for guided fly fishing include Patagonia, many Caribbean islands, Montana, Labrador and Iceland. Some brochures left the building with me from Iceland guides and that destination has an increasing interest to me, as does a Caribbean bonefishing trip. Time spent chatting with great people manning booths for both destinations certainly made it obvious that they would be fun to visit, fish and then share the experience with readers. All that is needed is convincing myself that one or both of the trips are worth the expense and work required. After all, I am supposed to be retired.

Easily the best stop at the show was the RoxStar booth. This writer and many others really miss Rodney Flagg and Flagg’s Tackle Shop. Rodney was constantly tying flies behind the counter in the shop, and you could always ask him what fly to use in a particular situation and get great advice.

Mike James of RoxStar is as passionate as anyone you will meet about fly tying and fly fishing, and he has established a business where every fly fisherman can exactly “match the hatch” anywhere they fish. His RoxStar Club Life Membership is free for the first 5,000 anglers. It includes a 1-year Trout Unlimited membership, 25% off new product launches, up to 50% off tickets for nationwide fishing shows (entry to the Marlborough show was $18), 10% off and free shipping on any products, and nationwide hatch charts by river.

At the show they had a huge assortment of hand-tied flies, with assortments for almost every possible fishing venue. When I left, my bag contained three dozen dry flies, beadhead nymphs, and Woolly Buggers, so this fly fisherman is ready. RoxStar (roxstarclub.com) is worth checking out!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.