Ed Lombardo Flyfishing

Fly Fishing Report - 11/9/10

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:15:00 GMT

Geno Rapa with a nice kepper!

Geno and I fished the River (Narrow River) late yesterday afternoon just above Sprague Bridge on the east side because of the very high winds, oh, maybe 20 to 25 mph. This is the only fish landed in the three hours we fished. I did in fact have one fish on but did not land it, I think it was a shade the way it hit the fly. We didn’t see much bait at all in the river, nothing like last week, last week this river was busting with all kinds of bait. We also tried Middle bridge and not even one hit. This time of the year you have a much better chance if you keep on going as often as you can; most of you know things can change from hour to hour because of the migration etc. We where using our usual flies pink high ties, shrimp patterns, and Geno’s Elusion. I’m sure we will be out on the river soon I will keep you posted.

Best always and tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing The Narrow - 11/6/10

Ed Lombardo — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:16:00 GMT

Gene, Geno, and Jack on The Narrow Jack with a nice sideliner

The River is still holding a lot of bait, but the water has been very, very high. With the new moon and a 5' tide and the month of the river being pushed with big water serge, it has been very hard for wading during these peak high tides. Best to go on the low side of the tides.

we plan on going tomorrow late afternoon, I will let you know how we do.

Best always & tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing The Salt - 10/23/10 to 11/4/10 Narrow River

Ed Lombardo — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:21:00 GMT

Geno with a nice fish from Jamestown and Jack with a nice fish from Jamestown

Jim with a nice fish from Jamestown

Gene, Geno, and Jack on The Narrow River - good times!

All of us are having a great time on The Narrow, the last 10 days or so have really picked up. A whole lot of bait in the river right now. just get out! Both tides have been fishing well so this makes that more attractive.

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing the Saltwater, 11/2/2010

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 02:01:00 GMT

A Geno Rapa photo

Hi everybody, I took this great fish on a 1/0 brown and black Aura Fur snake fly that I tie earlier this night. The fish took the fly like a trout sipping midge pupa, very suttle like. When I set the hook all hell broke loose. We meaursed this wonderful fish and it is 42" long. We also took many shad and a few smaller stripers. The river is loaded with bait. Many bunker in sizes from 4" to 7" long. Just another gift from a great river in RI.

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, 8/18/2010

Ed Lombardo — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:14:00 GMT

Top left, Geno Rapa with a nice sideliner and Tom Perry just upstream from bridge.

Hi everybody,we fished the narrow River both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Tuesday night the tide changed at oh, about 5:20pm to outgoing and that is when the fish started eating our flies, we took fish in the 12” to 22” in class. The water is a lot cooler now and a lot of bait is in the river; we could see juvenile bunker, size 11/2 “to 2” long and a few skipjacks as well. We took a good number of these sideliners and then at dark the shad started showing, and that’s always a lot of fun. The shad where mostly small with a few fish in the 20” class.

Last night the tide started changing to outgoing at about 6:30pm and it was an altogether different scenario, the water in the system just didn’t want to get moving, no fast moving current, and no rips at all. We did in fact manager to take a few nice bass but no where near the numbers as the night before. On Tuesday the height of the tide was a 3.6’ reading and last night it was 3.4’ just a little different from Tuesday night. But anyway all in all it was still a great night, a few fish, no wind, great friends and a beautiful sunset, what more can one ask for. The flies, all pink, brown over pink, over white, and shrimp patterns, both in sizes, 1/0 & 2/0. For the shad much smaller hooks, flies tided on 4’s and 6’s yellow and white with some flash. We where using intermediate fly lines. The water is clear and not many weeds even on and outgoing tide.

My best and tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, Narrow River 8/17/10

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:38:00 GMT

Hi everybody, we have fished the Narrow River now some four times since coming back from out West and the it has been not dissapointing! Last night we started at around 5:15PM until, oh, about 9:00PM. We started at Sprauge Bridge and ended up at Middlebridge. The tide changed at around 5:45Pm and the fish where there, from 12" to 22" but all very fat fish. We got into the shad at Middlebridge. White and Pink, all Pink, highties and shrimp patterns worked best.

My best and tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Montana Trip, 2010

Ed Lombardo — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:08:50 GMT

Bill Trinque, at left , and Bob Santos on the Henry's Fork in Last Chance Idaho

The Madison River just outside of West Yellowstone and The beautiful Slough Creek in Yellowstone Nat'l Park

Bill Trinque with a nice cut from Soda Butte Creek and Bob Santos with a nice brown from the Bighorn

Dr. Nick Califano with a Bighorn Brown and Bow!

Art Hanson, Tom Perry, and Dock at the afterbay dam.

Tom and Art on the Madison River just above Quake Lake, Montana.

Great meals from Deb & JJ at The Bighorn Lodge

Bill and Bob on The Fork

Hi everybody, again just a great trip out west this year! All of us had a wonderful time, lots of fun, lots of fish, and a good time with great friends! The Henry's Fork did not fish well this year again so we fished the Madison and did very well. Soda Butte fished very good like always and Slough Creek did not. And The Bighorn is always just the best!

Announcement : On the 21st. of this month we will be holding a fly fishing class on the Blackstone River. This program is being sponsorded by The Northern Chapter of TU and RIDEM/Fish and Wildlife. This program is free and will start at 9:00am to 3:00pm Saturday. For more information and to registration call 1-401-789-0281. For details look for Tom Meade's notice in Sundays paper.

Fishing Report, 7/5/10, Narrow River and The Hex Hatch

Ed Lombardo — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:57:00 GMT

We fished the Narrow River yesterday morning, and started oh, around 7:15AM. Very little boat traffic at that time and no people as well. The tide was still outgoing and moving pretty fast at that, just enough pull against the line and flies. Bob, Toby, Tom and I fished hard looking for fish in all of the most likely places and we could only manage to take a few stripers and a few flat fish as well. We decided to try middle bridge because the water was still outgoing and no fish, a fisherman on the bridge did tell us that a few shad where taken earlier and that he had seen a very large striper from the bridge. We left the river and headed for Salt Pond just south of the Snug Harbor Marina. Again we all fished hard and at this location the water started moving out just what we wanted and for the next two hours or so, no fish, not one just a few bumps. We left and had a great lunch and beat the rush hour home being on the road at 2:45 PM.

This is prime time for the Hex hatch; Fourth of July marks the start of the peak time for this giant invertebrate, and with all this heat and more importantly humidity this hatch should be very copious indeed. Remember to fish the spinner most of the time!

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing report, 6/30/10 The Wood River Hex Hatch

Ed Lombardo — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:43:00 GMT

Hi everybody, we fished the Wood River last night and as usual not much going on until 9:00pm. We started at 7:30pm and tried to encourage a fish to come up and take our offering of one of our Hex patterns; even though the hatch was a good hour away or so, some times trout will come up for one of these imitations now that the fish have seen these Hex naturals for nine days now. It didn’t work only a few pan fish would try and take the large dry fly. At 8:55pm the river came alive with both rising fish and good numbers of Hex emerging. Three out of four of us had good numbers of rising fish to cast to, and then later I ask Bob to move down closer to me so that he would have a few fish to try for. Both duns and spinners where on the water and the trout fed on them for a good 40 minutes or so. I tried a different spinner imitation last night, tail of white calf tail, body of yellow antron yarn, and out spent wings of elk hair, it worked very well and floated after catching and releasing fish. Remember to have a good light with either a green or red filter. This year I have only seen a few fish take emerging Hexagenia nymphs, not that many showy splashy rise forms.

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, 6/24/10 Narrow River

Ed Lombardo — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:53:00 GMT

Upstream of Sprague Bridge near old house.

Hi everybody, last night Geno Rapa, Tom Perry, and I fished the narrow River. We started at 5:30PM at Sprague Bridge and took a few small stripers while the tide had started coming in. We found the water temperature to be somewhat warm, so we moved down river close to the mouth. At 7:00PM the water started coming in faster and a lot cooler, oh, I would say at least 15 degrees cooler. Again just a few fish where taken not very productive! At 8:00PM we moved back to Sprague Bridge knowing that the water would be much cooler now and again just a few small sideliners. But there is some good news coming out of last night and that is the shade showed up for the first time this season. That's right the shade are in, not many but we did in fact take a half dozen or so and now they should be in for the rest of the season!

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, 6/21/10 The Wood River's "Hex" Hatch

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:59:00 GMT

Top left, Hex nymph, note two tusks for borrowing into soft mud and silt. Bottom left Hex spinner. Top right Jim D'Ambra with a nice Wood River Bow.

Hi again, we fished the Wood River last night and where not disappointed! Richard Pearce and I started at 7:00pm and fished from “The Pan” to upstream for a good ¼ mile or so. At this time we did see a few fish rise and only noticed a small amount of midge, no mayflies at all. We fished larger flies (size #16 sulfur emerger and a gray soft hackle dry) trying to get them to come up but to no success. I did manager to get one fish to come up to a BWO just before dark, but did not hook up. At 8:45pm we started seeing the Hex duns flying in the air and some floating on the surface of the water. This year this hatch (Hex) is late maybe because of the recent cool nights we have been seeing, it usually starts around June 14^th or 15^th. At 9:00pm both spinners and duns where on the water in very goods numbers and fish where coming up to both stages very aggressively, we took rainbows and browns. I like using the spinner imitation during the entire hatch, fish did not refuse our offer. For my dun imitation I like using a white or orange Wulff pattern, tied very sparse. This is the only time of the year that I use a loop to loop connection for my leader system. This allows me to switch over to a much heavier leader fast and easy especially during low light conditions. I just remove my longer tapered leader (via loop to loop) from the 2’ butt section, and put on a 6’ or 7’ piece of 8 or 10 lb. test of monofilament, straight no taper. This not only keeps the tippet from curling and looking like a slinky because of casting such a large fly that catches more air, but when greased with fly floatant it helps to keep the fly high and dry much longer. After releasing a fish I always squeeze my fly in a piece of shamy or paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible and then treat it again with floatant. Oh, remember to a have a good light, one with a red or green lens filter.

My best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, 6/22/10, The Wood River Hex Hatch

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:42:00 GMT

Arine Waters on The Wood River

Hi again, Bob Santos, Toby Miller and I fished the Wood River again last night and did OK not as well as the night before. The Hatch started around 8:50PM and the number of bugs (Hex's) where not as prolific and the fish did not stay up for very long. The few fish that we did in fact manage to get took both spinner and dun imitations. I believe I did see a few gray drakes, oh, a size #10 just before the Hex emergence.

Best always and tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fishing Report, 6/8/10

Ed Lombardo — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:49:00 GMT

Hi everybody good to be back, last night we fished the narrow River during the incoming tide. The water is much cooler and clearer now than it was this passed Saturday. Also last night for the first time this season juvenile sand ells where showing, this bait fish was small, oh, about 1/1/2” in length. Also very abundant where schools of larger mummy chubs, about 2” to 4” in length. We took a few fish, small schoolies until the change of the tide which turned around 6:45pm. At that time we decided to move downstream closer to the mouth of the river where the water was moving much faster (out going). From 7:00pm to 8:45pm we took a few larger fish and missed the same number. The best flies for me where my hot pink high tie and shrimp pattern. The boat traffic was not too bad last night. By the way at one point when the wind died down I told Geno and Jim that the river looked a lot like the Henry’s Fork of The Snake River in Idaho!

Best always, and tight loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing The Salt 3/25/2010

Ed Lombardo — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:48:08 GMT

Geno Rapa and I with two very nice early season sideliners.

Hi again and hope everyone has made it through the winter in good health. One week ago Geno and I fished the Narrow River and did very well as you can see. We took a good number of fish, and it's all because the herring have been in the river since March 19, 2010. Most of my fish where caught on my stealth and shrimp flies. Good to be back, I will be posting reports from now on just about every other day or so.

Tight Loops, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing Report, 10/10/09

Ed Lombardo — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:38:00 GMT

Iain Parker from T & T Fly Rods with a nice Hickory shad.

Hi everybody, we fished the Narrow River for the past week a good four days and the last time being Monday. I did in fact manage to take a fish that was 33" and good fish wading. In these four days of fishing the river showed very little bait almost no bait showing at all. The fish that we did catch where not easy to find. We fished from Middle Bridge to the mouth of the river and only took one fish every 15 minutes or so. That is with moving and trying many different areas. The fish just have not come into the Narrow River in good numbers yet. We did take some shad as well, not many. Fish are still taking shrimp patterns and larger flies in the 4" to 6" size. We will still keep going because this could change at any time. And just an observation not that many people fishing on the beach or inside, strange!

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing Information a Good Tool

Ed Lombardo — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:07:00 GMT

Releasing Fish To Live Another Day

If you release your fish please practice these Catch and Release Methods

By Ed Lombardo

If handled properly, fish have an excellent chance of survival after they are released.

· Bring the fish in as quickly as possible. Do not play the fish to exhaustion.

· Unhook the fish in quiet water such as an eddy or slow spot. Do not drag the fish across land.

· If you must handle the fish, always make sure your hands are wet (fish have a protective mucous film sensitive to dry human hands).

· The best way to hold a fish (with wet hands) is one hand around the tail section and the other beneath the belly just behind the pectoral fins. Never, ever grab or hold a fish through the gills unless it is already dead.

· If you want a photo of the fish, make sure the photographer is ready before you handle the fish. Make it quick, keep the fish in the water with it's head below the surface, count to three then lift the fish with both hands snap a piture and then quickly put the fish back below the surface. If more than one shoot is to be taken between snaps I always say" give it a drink, give it a drink" meaning, place the fish back below the water. And try not to place the fish on the ground when taking a picture.

· Never just throw a fish back into the water. If a fish becomes passive, it is probably close to exhaustion. Gently remove the hook within calm water, and then lightly cradle the fish with your hands to see what it does. If it struggles to keep itself upright, hold the fish around its tail and beneath its belly while pointing it against the current. You should notice the gills opening and closing due to the rush of water. This is like giving a fish mouth to mouth resuscitation. When the fish has recovered it should swim away on its own.

· Hooks and lures typically have barbs. With small pliers you can pinch down the barbs. Without barbs hook removal is easier and less traumatic to the fish and perhaps yourself. Remember, barbs where invented to keep bait on the hook, I always use barbless hooks for both freshwater and saltwater flyfishing .

· Spinning lures typically have three hooks called treble hooks. With wire cutters you can snip off one of the hooks or snap one off with some pliers. Two hooks are still very effective and, once again, easier to remove and less traumatic.

Best regards, and tight lines, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing Report, 10/8/09

Ed Lombardo — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:40:00 GMT

Dick Pearce and Everett getting ready last night

This beautiful fish took my fly in 3' of water

This fish was taken last night on my pink high tie fly. I believe more and more larger fish such as this one will become more copious as the days go on because so many more larger bait fish are showing each day such as hickory shad, and, snapper blues, along a with steady diet of other bait.

Hi everybody, I fished the narrow river this week and found that the water temperature to be a good 56 degrees. We found schoolies and shad to be somewhat prolific. The shad are coming into the river just at dark. They come in schools and when you get into them their a lot of fun, especially if you use a 6 or 7wt. rod, the bad news is they do not stay for long. Cast to the fish and release quietly and get your fly out into them as fast as possible. With all of that said we did in fact manage to take many fish for the 10 minutes that they where there; like in the past I do think that these shad will be in the river to stay for a while, as they have in many years past. We also took some very nice sideliners. Again remember, if you release your fish please practice Catch and Proper Release, thank you.

Best regards, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing Report, 10/6/09

Ed Lombardo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:35:00 GMT

Early Fall on the beautiful Wood River!

Hi everybody, I fished the Wood River just before this rain, and the river was up about a good 8” to 10” from last week, made for a much faster drag free drift. I fished terrestrials and BWO imitations the whole time. This time of year fish are looking up for such naturals as Ants, Flying ants, Bees, Wasps, Beetles, Inch Worms, and Crickets. Fish where not rising that often but when I placed my fly in a likely holding lie fish came up and took it. Most of the trout that I hooked came up to a smaller size Ant pattern black in color, a size #18, I like using a larger size such as #14’s most of the time but on this day they seem to like a smaller version. The few fish that did rise took a larger size # 14 wasps pattern. I did not see many mayflies, BWO’s on the water at all. There are some very nice fish that have been stocked in the river. The water is clear even though we have had a lot of rain over this past weekend. One of the annoyances one has to deal with this time of the year are floating leaves and pine needles, not very good for both the dry fly and subsurface fly fisher. With the rain of today the river will not be good for dry fly fishing for another 5 to 6 days.

Best regards and drag free, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing Class Anouncement

Ed Lombardo — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:01:00 GMT

Come and join us for a lot of fun, a good time, and education in the RI great outdoors!

October 17, 2009: - 9am – 3pm

Introduction to Saltwater Fly Fishing
USFWS Kettle Pond Visitor’s Center – Charlestown, RI

It’s your turn to try Saltwater Fly Fishing! From casting techniques and fly tying to fly fishing some of Charlestown’s premier fishing area, this all day workshop will teach you the basics of fly fishing. So, bring your chest waders and a bagged lunch and learn to fly fish. Families with children 10 and over are welcome Fee: $40.00/person. SPACE IS LIMITED AND REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! For more information and Registration Materials, please contact Kimberly Sullivan (401) 789-0281 or kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov.

Best Always, and remember, if you practice catch & release, practice Catch and Proper Release, thank you, Ed

www.edlombardoflyfish.com

Fly Fishing, Matt Light Foundation Charity Shoot at Addieville East Farm

Ed Lombardo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:58:00 GMT

#76 Sebastian Vollmer, # 64 Mark LeVoir, # 50, Rob Ninkovich

Tom Dorsey, one of the founders of T & T , # 9, Isaiah Stanback, QB, and Erika

Ed, # 9 Isaiah Stanback, QB, Erika, Gen. mgr. T & T Fly Rods # 72, Matt Light

# 61, Steve Neal

Bob, Erika, Ed, Everett, Julie, Bob, and Toby

Bob Santos, is this where I would put my rod holder?

Everett tying one of his best, wasp pattern.

Toby tying one of his best , gray softy.

Hi everybody, another great year at Addieville East Farm for Matt's Kids.
We all had a lot of fun, good food from the Capital Grill, good fly fishing, shooting and raised a lot of money for the kids! All of the Patriots enjoyed fly fishing at the cabin pond and I would take this opportunity in thanking the Thomas & Thomas staff and my good friends, Everett Thornton, Bob Santos, Toby Miller, and Dennis Kohler for all of their hard work and dedication. This year's event was bigger and better than ever, it just get better every year thanks to Matt Light and Addieville.

Best always, Ed www.edlombardoflyfish.com 401-949-2266