Surfcasting Around the Block

Approximately 20 years ago I was asked by my friend, the late Tim Coleman, then editor of The Fisherman Magazine - New England Edition, to write a story about surfcasting on Block Island during the epic Striped Bass runs of the 1980s. What started out as a 1000 word article titled "The Snowstorm Blitz," quickly evolved into 30 pages and much too long for the magazine. Those initial 30 pages were the basis and beginning of this book. The project grew more and more as I found that I actually enjoyed writing about striped bass surfcasting almost as much as the act of surfcasting itself. This work is a culmination of 20 years of research and interviews, multiple edits and re-writes. Not assembled like a typical "how to" fishing book, it includes memoirs, short stories, and articles about Block Island, Striped Bass, and surfcasting as its central themes. "Surfcasting around the Block," is separated into four sections. Section One, "The Island," covers my initial impressions of Block Island and its surfcasters. Section Two, "The Stories," includes personal memoirs from 26 years of Striped Bass surfcasting on Block Island including documenting the historic bass runs of the 1980s. Section Three, "The Tactics," includes tried and true methods used successfully when targeting Striped Bass. Section Four, "The Mystique," captures the essence of the surfcasting experience in words.