Philosophy of Striped Bass Fly Fishing
Soul Fly was born out of a thirst for knowledge and deep connectivity. There is a heart beat and distinct anatomy to our NH & Southern Maine coastline. This beat has a particular rhythm, some days the pulse can be easy to find and other days it's faint and you must use all your senses to tune in. The best way to learn this beat and become intimate with a piece of water along with the fish that swim beneath the surface is to simply invest time. It's a worthy investment that has a positive return through rich memories, unforgettable observations and experience earned.
Picking one up in the skinny water.
We have a lot of water to cover and you could spend an entire lifetime fishing our coast, discovering something new everyday. We like to slow things down and focus on the details. Fishing the shallow coastal water of Southern Maine and NH provide us with the perfect stage. Staring down through the water column reveals ever changing patterns in bait, striped bass feeding, swirling currents and unique structure. A 23' carbon pole and a poling platform tethered to the stern of the Hog Island SW 16 are a couple of our most valuable tools. So much can be missed motoring along from spot to spot but when you slow down and push a skiff silently through holding water incredible observations are revealed and a window into the world of a striper opens. Watching fish hunt, interact with peers, and eat all provide subtle yet profound pieces of information that get logged into our fishing intuition. Each entry that is logged into our fishing intuition will forever live in our subconscious. We will always be able to access these observations simply by trusting our gut instincts in any given situation. As anglers, the bad news is that our gut isn't always right but you just can't question your gut you can only adjust your strategies for the future.
Poling along in 18" of water searching for cruising striped bass. We poled this entire flat to eventually find 20 fish feeding in a very specific part of the flat, a truly valuable observation.
As our journey in Fly fishing continues to evolve the sport becomes much more than pursuing, catching and releasing a fish. It becomes a way to plug into something that is greater than us, something that we can't always explain. Fly fishing is a direct conduit to something beautiful that moves us whether we can explain it or not. We tune into the weather, the relationship between the moon, sun and the earth and how our waters ebb and flow accordingly. From a far fly fishing may seem to be a trivial pursuit but it has become the compass for many, providing direction, healing, joy, and has helped forge countless new friendships. Fly fishing has produced thousands and thousands of new conservationists that are passionate to protect mother nature, her creatures and the habitat in which they live.
Fly fishing is more than fly fishing for us, it's a beacon of light, a lifestyle, a way to give back, a way to teach, and a way to protect our expansive earth. Keep tuning in, there's something amazing awaiting us all out there on the water.
-Kyle Schaefer