Well that's another year in the books. And a good year it was. I'll talk about getting off the island and then home before a little recap in photos. We were pretty much all set as far as being packed and the place tightened up for our early morning departures. Flatwing was due to leave at 700 and me at 815. I took the shot and left with Joe and asked the lady in the booth if there
was any way I might be able to move my ferry ride up. She radioed over to someone and I was the first guy in Lane 1. Soon I was being waved over to board the 0645 to the mainland.
As we pulled around West Chop I could see the waves coming across Middle Ground. Surely this was the windiest day to date. I know Custom had a plan to fish and maybe take his kayak out but I don't know if that happened. In fishing they say "West is Best", that's not always true, especially on the Vineyard.
When I pulled off the ferry I knew I was heading to one spot, Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Last week stopping there was like hitting Disney World for adults. It had everything a man could ever want. WalMart, Tractor Supply, McDonald's, Home Depot, and of course Ocean State Job Lot.
My first move was to test my Maaco paint job by running it through a car wash. My truck was full of white sandy dust coupled with saltwater spray from the ride over. Bedsides the antenna that I thought was going to get pulled out the paint stayed on the truck. It was then a quick stop at McDonald's where I had a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit sandwich.
I hadn't had a taste of McDonald's in a week and missed the opportunity to choose to eat at one as there's none on the island. There's no chain stores on the Vineyard, and there's plenty of shitty places to eat, and overpriced as well, so to poo-poo the Vineyard I backed up the BEC again. They were delicious.
And then it was back to Ocean State Job Lot which, next to the now defunct Christmas Tree Shops, is my favorite all around go-to store. But we have none in New Jersey anymore so I hit the above store again. I was on the phone with my brother as I walked around and at one point he told me he was off in the hunt for socks for work. "Bro, I'm at OSJL and I got you".
Where else are you going to get "Worksite" crew socks 9 pairs for $7.99. So like the Mickey D's BEC sandwich, I got him a pack, and then backed it up again. When I rolled into the checkout line the lady at the register said, "Going somewhere cold?", because in the end I bought five packs.
So I pulled onto the ferry at 0645 AM and into the driveway in Titusville at 345 PM, it is a long day when you are traveling door to door from home to the Vineyard. Next year it will be Bluffton, South Carolina to Aquinnah (16 hours), or Cape May, New Jersey to Aquinnah (7 hours). Either way I'm not missing it and believe it or not it's only 349 days away if we go June 5 -12, 2027.
So now a little recap. Going away for a week is not an easy task. First you have to be able to have a kinda clear slate at home to be able to leave. And then you need a most understanding spouse who will "let" you go. Theresa wins the award this year for Best Wife as she had to hold down a ton of things at home, and did it in 95 degree temperatures in that big old house. That included mowing the lawn, an acre, twice, with a 30 inch push mower.
And next you need your crew. That's makes all the difference in the world. It's nice to go away with guys you know each year. Sometimes when new people are brought in it throws off the vibe. Basically it comes down to "If you're in, then you're in". It's not cheap going to the Vineyard for the week so there's no bailing out, unless your left ventricle blows out unexpectedly. You either pay your share, find a replacement, or give the crew enough notice to try and fill your spot.
Finding a rental is not an easy task. These days they are a small fortune. Luckily Flatwing found us a place in Vineyard Haven that was more than suitable. In fact, I liked the location.
Parking was a bitch though and it was a hike Up-Island. But for me the early part of the trip I stayed in Aquinnah, when I fished Menemhsa Pond, and then after we checked in I was all about Tashmoo, which was close. It's nice being near stores and people and few different places to fish. We need to start looking now for places next year. Joe Carey was the master at running a trip, and he did it from start to finish.
I took a little of his system this past week with monies spent by each of us. If you bought something you would get a receipt and on the last night we'd figure out who spent what and who owed who what. Needless to say I almost had a seizure trying to figure it out, but in then end I think everyone was square.
We said the week went fast, for me I had a little bonus time. Now I'm up to my nuts with things to do this year, all the house, well houses stuff, and ending the semester this coming Tuesday. One week isn't enough and two weeks would be too much. I like coming in two days before the rental begins and getting in bromance time and some early scouting in before the rest of the band shows up. Truth be told, fishing on the Vineyard, for me, has gone down, like worse, since my first trip 13 years ago. I thought in these new times of "All big fish- no little fish", that I just might encounter that. But the week was tough. Three guys fishing six days. Each guy each day fished six hours. That's 18 hours per day, time six days, equals 108 hours. We landed 10 fish between us, or one fish every 10 hours of fishing. And I think I saw maybe 60 fish the entire week.
So for the recap,
Favorite overall pic-
Best fishing not catching pic-
Best two buds pic, duh-
Best fish holding pic-
My best fish pic-
Best ladder shot pic-
Best looking for shadows pic-
Best casting pic-
Best nap in a coma pic -
Best I better put a pic of them eating Theresa's meatballs pic-
Best fly tying pic -
Portrait of the trip pic -
Best "I ran over my Orvis Helios D 9 ft 10 wt" pic -
Best group hang pic-
So there you have it. Now I have to get back over to the storage unit and empty out my truck and get back to gettin' back. Father's Day is today over at my Dad's, final exam prep with the nursing students tomorrow and my last day at Capital Health with final exam on Tuesday. And then it's the countdown and scramble to get to the finish line, which is the first closing July 16th.
So we'll see what next year brings, or not. Right now I'm in and it would take a mountain to move me from that position. I do love Martha's Vineyard, and the people there, and the opportunity to stand on a ladder waiting for a fish to swim by. It's frustrating, annoying at times, but everyone that knows me knows it's one of my happy places. See you in 2027.
