Starrett Pointe Report

[CaptMikeStarrett]

I donated a trip for two to the CCA No VA chapter and this weekend I took two fly only fisherman out. Friday night arrived at my house on the Piankatank River and prepped rods and flys and leaders for a run up the Dragon Swamp in my jet boat. At early morning the fog was thick and the sky overcast so a later arrival than predawn was needed. First spot was a great spot with lots of LGMouth from previous trips caught there. But we zipped on that spot not even a flash on our hair bugs. Casting very good and placement of flies where within the zone. Nada .. very odd. Upon retreaving a fly from some overhanging brush I noticed a bunch of crabs.. HMMM too salty I guess and tasted the water.. it had extra salt in it.. Uck.

So we motored up the swamp to a more fresh water area. And with in two casts had a fish on. Missed a few and some came to the boat. Tide was high and getting even higher. Fish where moving back into the no reach zones of the swamp. Then the clouds cleared and somebody turned off the fish bite switch.






It was then we decided for some shade areas and few more fish swung at the flys and some missed. So we went way up the Dragon and got into some close quarter fly fishing.. Some fish where caught but no no big ones.

It was tough to get the fly in the right zone and out of the trees with the huge thorns on them And also the dead wood that could not be broken. AHHRG...

That evening in the cool winds we fished a normally productive creek mouth for convict bass and got zipped.

Next morning with a plan in my mind to beat the blue bird skys we headed out to Windmill Point to chase birds, blues and macs.. On the way out we saw a tandom green kayak just floating down the bay. I could not make out if people where in it or not. 15 minutes later we heard the radio call to the Coast Guard of a boat finding it empty. Sounds like they got a free kayak if nobody claims it. Hope it just blew off a dock too.

So no birds at all out there.. They must be in the local McDonalds parking lot.. we ran above the Rapp down to the Wolf Trap light house and no birds.. we did find some blues just before Northern Reef but no big ones just dinks. At Wolf Trap we got a croaker and that was it. So back up into Hole in the Wall and found some dink convict bass at the Gwynns Island bridge.



After that we headed home for cold AC as the sun was getting warm again..

A great weekend with great guys and cool weather.

Capt Mike

[Chris Newsome]

Nice report Mike!

It's definitely been a dry summer. A month ago there were huge schools of bunker 1/4 mile up river from those LMB photos.

Chris

[kiko13]

Birds at the Mcdonalds parking lot......funny!!

Sounds like you guys had a great time!

Ernie

[Marcel_Karssies]

Nice report, a very interesting area you fish.
Down here we do not have any rivers that flow
freely into the sea.
Seems like you can catch fresh- and saltwater fish
from the same body of water.

[Andy Spence]

Capt. Mike's guiding was superb, and I came very close to giving him that pierced ear he's always wanted! In other words, my casting was hazardous to my two compadres this weekend, and I'm lucky I wasn't baptized in the swamp. The Dragon is a gem, and as posted above, this is a unique area since it offers both fresh and saltwater options. Had a great time.

-- Andy

[djones]

It sure does look like you all had a good time. I got to get down there and explore.