I fished with my friend, Tommy, from his new-to-him Boston Whaler 13. He’s put a lot of work into that boat. A carpenter by trade, he’s always in search of a project. With his attention to detail and craftsmanship it’s a beautiful, capable vessel.
When we first met, we fished for stripers (Morone saxatilis) most nights. I put a fly rod in his hand.
Fishing from his boat would be big for us, he said. We’d never fished from a motorized vessel together. Just my rowboat or the beach.
A Stripers Online forum asks if two “accomplished casters” can “fly fish from [a Whaler 13] without too much danger (hooking each other, etc.)?” A reply says “some casters”—decent ones—“probably yes.” We didn’t hook each other. Texting Tommy the next day I told him: your double haul looked excellent.
I want a Boston Whaler 13 but won’t pull the trigger until it makes more sense, plus I love my rowboat.
I like that rowing requires you use your body.
It’s no coincidence I titled what I wrote about my rowboat: Under No Power But My Own.
That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take a 13’ whaler. Small enough that too many people won’t want to get on it, big enough for what I want.
Tommy pointed out it seems like a small boat until you’re on the water.
He joked about us eventually having matching boats. I plan to pivot to trout from saltwater for a bit, no need for a whaler, but striped bass will always be special to me. I prefer a 1/0 Clouser to an #18 Hare’s Ear Nymph. A Tom McGuane quote I love says striped bass pull like "a Euclid bulldozer easing itself into a phosphate mine."
Trout, particularly brookies (Salvelinus fontinalis), are beautiful. Striped bass aren’t ugly by any means.
I love fishing my 9 wt for stripers. If I like something I acquire books about it.
Aside from books, I’ve accumulated fly rods. Some are retired; a couple I built; three I’ve fished for striped bass.
Ones I haven’t fished for stripers, like my fiberglass 3 and 4, can give my 9 wts a rest and bring some trout to hand.
On the topic of rods, let me reminisce about my go-to 9 wt. I remember the day I bought it—drove straight to the fly shop from work on payday, ready to spend. I tested a Scott Meridian, Orvis Helios 3, and a Thomas & Thomas Exocett. Almost went with the Meridian but went with the T&T. Thomas & Thomas’s tagline is “the rod you will eventually own.” It came true that day.
It’s by far my nicest rod and the one I fish most. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to fish, but a day at the fly shop can be a pricey affair. I think of what a fly shop employee said when I bought a nice reel: The word “need” doesn’t live here. Looking at the years I’ve had and will continue to have with my T&T, it was worth every penny.
I love my rods and catching fish on them, but fishing is about people you fish with.
Seeing Tommy enjoy his boat was special. In our years of friendship I’ve never seen him so happy. Fish weren’t guaranteed; at worst we’d go for a boat ride.
It was June 8. We’ve more often fished further south, where June 8 means fish. Where we were it did not—congruent with the fishing report from a guy at the boat launch. We ended up enjoying a boat ride. We rode to Chauncey Creek and I splurged for a lobster roll.
I told Tommy that 2025 might be the year I don’t catch any fish, I won’t be able to fish as much as I’d like. A true friend’s response: Fuck off with that.
I’m grateful he’ll always encourage me to get on the water.
We all need a "Fuck off with that" friend. I'm probably more of a rowboat personality, but that whaler is really cool. Even better that it was restored by a loving pair of hands.
Great stuff, James. It's getting me excited to get to the ocean and fish this summer.