Block Island Hotel

Outdoor Notes: Plenty of fish to be had off Block Island shores

Summer has gotten off to a cool, wet start, but fishing is sizzling, especially at Block Island.

Both bluefin and yellowfin tuna have appeared, says Chris Willi of Block Island FishWorks.

“We traveled to the Fishtails for the first offshore trip, and had four knockdowns, and put two small yellowfin in the boat,” he said in an e-mail Thursday. “There was lots of life starting 30 miles south of the island — porpoise, whales, turtles, sharks, etc. We had bluefin closer to the island, 15 miles, but couldn’t get them to bite.

“The water temperatures are hovering around 64 degrees with bass being caught around the entire island. Light tackle and fly rodders are doing best on the usual early morning bites on the west side to North Light. Rainbow-trout colored lures are the attraction this week, and chartreuse/white Clousers and Jiggies were the flies of choice.”

Big bass hunter Peter Vican caught a 77.4-pound striper last weekend. It’s a state record, replacing the 75.4-pounder that Vican caught in 2008. He was fishing aboard Happy Executive off Block Island with his friend, Don Smith, when the fish hit. It was a pound shy of the world record.

Vican caught the previous record at this time of year. He said, “The third week in June to the second week in July is the best time to fish until the fall.”

On the Bay, Chris Catucci the junior bass world champion, reports:

“I was fishing the shoreline of Rocky Point last week at about 8 p.m. A massive amount of stripers began to corral silversides toward the shore. The fish were not concentrated, but as far as I could see, the bass were feeding. I caught 10 bass, including two keepers, all on a Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow fitted with Eagle Claw, Lazer Sharp treble hooks.”

Laotian tournament

The Laotian Community Center of Rhode Island is hosting the First Southeast Asian Charity Striped Bass Fishing Tournament through the month of July. Its base will be Ocean State Tackle in Providence. The goal of the event, said tournament director Nik Sinphoune, is to unite the community across generational, socio-economical and ethnic lines while supporting a charitable cause.

Proceeds from the tournament will buy traditional Laotian musical instruments for children, said David Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

The entry fees are $15 for adults and $10 for anglers 17 and younger.

Cruisin' the Dunes on Block Island, Rhode Island

The ride to Block Island takes about an hour on the traditional ferry from Point Judith, Rhode Island. They also offer a high-speed ferry that gets you there in 30 minutes, but for me the benefits of the traditional outweighed the speed. The traditional ferry costs about $24 round trip per adult ($20 if you come back the same day), whereas the high-speed cost about $35. Kids under five are free on the traditional, but not on the high-speed. My wallet did my deciding for me, and I since we were to stay a few days I thought the extra half hour wouldn’t make much difference. There is a small charge for bikes, as many people choose to bike over for the day, and cars cost about $100 round trip. In retrospect, a car would have been very helpful for carting around two young ones, but this time we managed without one.

Pulling up to the dock in Block Island, the first thing that struck me was the unique turquoise color of the water at the shore line, something I generally associate with Bermuda or the Caribbean, not chilly gray New England. The coast of the island was breathtaking, and the natural foliage that surrounds it made it even more so.

Wild roses abounded each bluff overlooking the expanse of sea, with small farmhouses peeking off the cliffs for a view of the sparkling water. Block Island stood out from afar as an extraordinary place to visit.

The National Hotel

We bunked at the National Hotel, an old Victorian era hotel with a great view of the ocean and a rocking bar and restaurant. Located in the heart of the island’s only town, the gleaming white hotel is surrounded by specialty shops and restaurants, in a row of similarly antiquated buildings on the main strip across from the ferry landing.

The National is not known for its spacious rooms or air conditioning so I was not sure how family friendly we would find it, but I was surprised to find that we were quite comfortable there. I am a heavy sleeper, so live music doesn’t bother me, and on the nights we were there this was not an issue, but be forewarned: if you are not a night owl and cannot sleep through a party, this might not be the place for you. That being said, if you like a good time, good food, and a great view then the National could be your home away from home for a trip to Block Island.

The staff members at the National are courteous and helpful, although it was obvious that many of them had just arrived to the island themselves and were still getting acquainted with the surroundings. That said, I found the multicultural crew more than willing to try and help us figure out the details of our stay. Breakfast was included, and the view from the restaurant deck was a great way to wake up.

New York Magazine

Block Island, I. Map and guide. II. Historic sketch

A history of Block Island, from its discovery, in 1514, to the present time, 1876

Travel

One thousand places to see before you die