What a way to end the season!

Well we had our last charter this past weekend and I must say it is always good to end on a high note. We limited out on Tautog and with a special thanks to my friend Ed, we hit our limit in no time. Tautog fishing was just insane. It was one fish after another and before we knew it we were limited out! So, it is now with great sadness that I draw another season to an end, the boat is unloaded and the gear is ready to be looked over, replaced as needed and put to hibernation until spring. I will continue to keep every one posted as to what is going on and if anyone has any ideas on what you would like to read about over the winter, let me  know. I was thinking of putting some tips and techniques up as a weekly blog but if you have better ideas, I am all ears!

Until then, I want to thank all of you, my loyal customers for yet another great season. It has been an honor to serve you and have you associated with Patterson Guide Service. Take care 2013!

Capt. Brian

Open Boat Tautog/Blackfish Trips

With the season winding down in the Northeast, we have two main species to fish: The Blue Fin in Cape Cod and the Tautog/Blackfish in Newport.  The Tuna bite has been dismal at best so I really am not booking anyone for those trips. You work too hard for your money for the chance to make only a couple casts at the tuna. I would rather have you wait until next year if this is your species of choice. If another captain disagrees with me, so be it. I hope you get at least 12 casts or he/she played you.  The Tog bite however has been getting fantastic. If you don't have any other people to join you, let me know. I have several anglers that are solo and want to limit out on Tautog.  We have about another month left in our season and there are scattered dates open. I base everything on tide and weather at this point. If you want to get out and get your limit, give me a call and I will get you on my list.  This is a first come first serve basis and I will go right down the list until each open day is filled with 4 anglers to divide the costs.  It will be $110 per person.  That includes bait and tackle.  You can provide your own tackle and gear as long as it is suitable for the conditions to get a discount. Please discuss this prior to the trip.

Its getting close to the end, now is the time to fill the freezer! I just love Tautog Chowder in February!!

Capt. Brian

Bonito, Stripers, Blues, Tautog, Seabass....

Holy Cow! I have never had trips where we caught every fish on one trip! The weekend started with Joe and his lovely wife on the anniversary.  Lets see, blitzing stripers (all released), blues, sea bass, scup and tautog. All on light tackle. The trip was nothing short of action packed. We had topwater bluefish early in the morning up to the 12 lb mark, nice larger school bass like the ones seen below, scup taking metal of all things, and finishing it up with tautog. There is no way to complain about that!

We also were able to add to the list some really nice bonito by the way of Dave's Crew. This is the 4th trip they did with me this year and if you look at their photos on my site, you will see they just had an awesome season.  This time, they were able to add Bonito Tuna to their resume, along with Stripers (all released), blues, tautog and seabass.  I must note that this was their first bonito they had ever caught and to get two on light tackle spin gear is just amazing.  Truly just one of my favorite times of the year.  Its just too bad these winds hit us this week as I know I had so many inquiries about getting out for these fish. I will make sure I get back to each of you that emailed me as soon as we can get back on the water and find them...hopefully!!!

Enjoy the week, I know I will with all of the weekend's fish stories!!

Albacore showed in good numbers this week!

Better late than never! This weekend was full of fun and albacore fishing. With Striperfest as the backbone of the weekend's activities, I had to run the Lowrance boat at the show. Since I was out there anyway, I booked trips for Saturday and Sunday to hunt the Albies.  We did well even though it looked like commercial bass season out there.  If you decide to book a trip, it would be well worth your time to do a weekday or an all day trip as it was just that much harder to get them with every boat running up to and over fish.

It was very good to see many small schools up and down the shoreline but the bait they were feeding on were extremely small. Scaling down trigs paid off as we were able get tight with some of them.  We even witnessed a small Blue Fin (25 lbers) bite on the same baits. Yes we tried to get one of them on our light rods but looking back I am glad that did not happen!  Lets just hope now that they continue their normal push and stick around a while. If you want more information or to get a date/location on where they are, just give me a shout.

Albies are in BUT....

Ok, Normally I am over excited at this time. Finally the first signs of this Little Tunny showed up at Point Judith over the weekend. Here is the downside: These guys were up and down so fast that we really had no shot at them and by the time other boats left, so did the fish. Reports were similar at the cape with another charter captain friend of mine. While this is great news that they are here, there are not enough numbers to call my customers and take a sick day! I will keep you posted but hopefully after this full moon goes away things will change.

Other notes are that the fluke fishing is still going strong close to shore and the scup is absolutely ridiculous. If you want big scup, go now!
Blues are still in full force and they are mixed in with some decent stripers, you just don't know which one will hit (I put money on the blues).

Till next time,

Capt. Brian

Signs of Life

While we particularly did not see any tunny this weekend, there were signs of life that could not be anything but encouraging. First, bass blitzes, nice blues and bait everywhere! Newport was a great spot to get a bent rod over the weekend.  Reports from the cape came in from a fellow captain that there were some tunny showing up (usually the first indicator), Montauk also had them show as well as random fish being caught in RI while trolling.  These are all great signs and I will continue to work to keep track of them. In the meantime, I have a short list of anglers waiting for a phone call but some are by themselves and would like to split the charter with someone else. If you are interested in chasing the Albacore or Bonito on light tackle spin gear or via Fly rod, please get in touch with me and get me your phone number so you get a call early in the season (when they are not as picky!)

Newport Boat Show this Weekend!

Hello again,

This message is to welcome anyone who is in the are to the 2013 Newport Boat Show. I will have my boat in the water representing Navico and Lowrance electronics this year. I will be in the same spot as last year but you can always ask the guys at the booth where to find me. If you are heading to the show, stop on down and say hello.  Get yourself a free Lowrance or Simrad Hat (depending on what they give me).  Obviously if you are in the market for new electronics I will be more than happy to take you for a sea trial so you can become more familiar with the Lowrance gear. There will also be a Contender boat with the Simrad equipment if that is your thing.  Either way, come on by and introduce yourself. I will also have some PGS gear I will be giving away to some lucky guests!  The hours are as follows:

Thursday from 10 am - 6 pm

Friday from 10 am - 6 pm ( I will not be there on Friday)

Saturday from 10 - 6

Sunday from 10- 5

I am going to try to fish before the show each day to keep you posted on the conditions and results. As of now, don't worry about Thursday as there is a small craft advisory!!

Be safe and enjoy the water,

Capt. Brian 

Week ending 9/8

For all of you Albacore enthusiasts out there... The wait continues! So frustrating that these guys are this late (if the show at all). There is so much life out there, maybe too much. There has been a good bonito bite east of Block Island. This comes from the giant Tuna captains as they are chumming the grounds.  I am hoping they come inshore, but I guess it will be all of the other species that we will discuss:

Blues; Continue to be big and aggressive. I have seen/caught them from Little Compton all the way to Pt. Judith and every where in between. Size ranges from little 1 lb  up to 10 lbs.

Stripers: Mixing in with some of the Bluefish Blitzes, the bass have been taking to small metal quite well. Fish have been averaging 10-12 lbs for the topwater variety.

Sea Bass: Continue to spread their mayhem.  The shorts have been so aggressive that I have to double my bait while targeting other species.

No fluke trips to report, but I am sure that it has not changed all too much.

Bait has varied from small squid, mullet, anchovies and Half beaks.  Surface temp has dropped a bit to 66. Water clarity was poor along the shoreline with high weeds to to work around.

I am looking forward to my evening runs this week to see what the next 5 days bring us!

The best report is the one you make on your own! Go fish!

Capt.  Brian

Labor Day Weekend

As usual, I got caught up with fishing and failed to get my reports out in a timely fashion. Here is a recap of what has been going on up through this weekend:

Fluke: Continue to do well off of Newport. The sizes all seem to be in the 20 inch range.  We had success with various rigs but the Chartreuse color was by far the most productive. Bucktails worked well for both fluke (topped with Squid or Eel)

Sea Bass: There is  NO Shortage of these guys this year. Fin a rock, drop your lure down and bring one up.

Blues: Oh my, Hundreds of them off Newport. Range from 2 lbs up to 6 lbs. Don't throw your best lure, but do yourself a favor, pinch the barbs and make the removal process easier for everyone. You will thank me later.  It seemed as though we did not even have time to turn the handle before another one was on!

Albies/Bonito: Still waiting. Made a trip this weekend and there looked as though there could have been some but not enough for me to make my call to those anglers on hold!

Striped Bass: We have done well off Little Compton and of course Block Island. Night trips or Early morning are by far the best so if you still want a piece of that action, don't wait until last minute to call. It just does not happen like that this time of the year.

Blue Fin Tuna:  We missed the football bite off Block Island due to the charters run inshore but its all good. Those fish and the bait (half beaks) will be pushing east and hopefully mix with the larger tuna.  October is my favorite time of the year to get to the cape and chase those beasts down.

Tautog:  I will say that these guys have been finicky so far. Not in the usual spots but then again, we really don't target them until September and October.  I will keep everyone posted but for some help, start inshore. They don't move out until the weather starts to drop.

So much going on and this is my favorite time of the year. I ask you please don't wait until Thursday to Call for a weekend trip. There are so many species to go for that days are booked well in advance. If you want to get put on the Albie and Bonito list, please call. All phone calls will be made in the order that I have received your information.  The same thing goes for Blue Fin.

Go Fish!!

Capt. Brian

Week ending 8/11

While things have slowed down in the upper parts of the bay, there has been some decent activity down  around Newport as well as Block Island.
Newport: you have your choice of early morning Stripers and Blues to some pretty decent Fluke fishing during the day. We had consistent action this week with all species.  The upper bay has really slowed down with the increased temperatures but there is still lots of bait.  This makes me believe that there could be a good bite going on either pre dawn or during the night when things cool down a bit.
If you are going to get some light tackle casting in, we did have some tough days, managing mostly school sized fish on metal like deadly dicks and sweedish pimples.  No topwater bites occurred while we were out, at least in the East and West Pass.

Reports from Block Island were solid this week. While none of my charters brought me there, I do have  other captains that fished it and did quite well. Bass ranged from 38-52 inches. Evening/night bite seemed to be best earlier this week.

This is the turnaround part of the year. Big bass move into Block Island, Albies and Bonito start to move up to the Islands and into Newport/Pt. Judith, Tuna start to regroup and hit the half beaks in Cape Cod.
If any of these species interest you, give me a call. I have a number of Single anglers that would like to trip share and split costs so don't let that deter you! Any questions, please give me a call.

Sincerely,
Capt. Brian

Ready for the second half of the season!

Well I decided to take some time off and enjoy some moments with my family. It is a great time to do this as the fishing changing day by day.

Fluke trips are the thing to do in this mid summer heat, unless you get to the Block. We did several trips there over the past few weeks and while it started off strong, it has slowed down to the point where I would wait until the next push of fish make their way in.  That is why I tell people to book Block Island for August. It just seems to be more consistent.  Here is my game plan for the next few months:
August: Block Island for big Stripers with a mix of Blue fin Tuna trips at the Cape
September: Albies and Bonito right in Newport. Add in some bottom fishing if the bite slows down. Mix in Striper trips at the Block in the early part of the month
October: Tautog in Newport and Tuna at the Cape.

If any of those trips interest you, let me know as weekends are already filling up fast.  I have a short list of clients who want to know when the albies arrive for both Fly fishing and Light tackle. If you are by yourself, please call. I have several other "solo" customers that would really appreciate splitting the charter.

I am looking forward to the second half of an already stellar season!

Capt. Brian

July 5th: Update

I have been busy in some different directions this past week so I apologize for the late reports.  Here is the breakdown:

Newport is producing some very nice fluke in close since we were blessed with so many great days to fish. Strong south winds forced us to turn some of our Newport bass trips into fluke trips. Fortunately, there were many keeper sized fluke all close to shore and allowed consistent action. Chartreuse teasers were the go to color along with white Spro jigs.

The upper bay still has plenty of bass working. Today, I was able to find the fish, stay on top of them (was not hard since the drift was only .5 kts) and get other captains to help their clients get fish.  While the average fish was about 31 inches, it was very consistent and when you mix in nice bluefish, well it just becomes a good day.

There was a push of peanut bunker in the bay, good signs for things to come. Cut bait was the ticket for those dunking meat, and good old hopkins lures did just fine for the larger blues. This heat is causing the temps to rise so if you plan on getting some striper action anytime, you better get out there sooner than later.

Report for Week ending 6/16 - still 5 minutes from the ramp!

We were still able to find fish this week in the upper bay of Bristol. Larger bait like Menhaden were located in various spots which enabled each group to get some private fishing in each morning. Saturday, we had some nice schools of menhaden up north of the Mt. Hope Bridge where we were able to land some nice 35 inch bass on large fly patterns. I am editing the video this week so I hope to have it up soon (my new GOPro project). It was just picture perfect that morning and no winds which made fly fishing a dream come true.

Sunday: While we found some baits in the usual spots, it was completely opposite of Saturday. We found the bait, we found the fish, but we really did have a difficult time getting them to eat. We fished 5 different locations, each holding fish (I even showed the customers what I was looking at) to just have them turn their nose to it.  Sometimes that is fishing. We did land one nice 20 lb striper on the very first drop but that was all we could get to the boat on Sunday.  My crew worked hard all day and kept doing everything right.   The good news: There is still a ton of fish around and in the 32-40 inch range. Water temps were creeping up to the 67 degree range as you move up the rivers but stayed at the 64 range in the mid bay area.  EP Puglisi bunker patterns in green were the fly of choice that fooled two big bass on Saturday!  Hopefully this week keeps up with the pace of Saturday... and lets keep these cool temps coming!!

6/9 Weekly Update - Lots of Bass on the Fly and light tackle

First of all, don't let anyone fool you. If you love to fly fish for big fish, now is the time to get out here.  Some guides will tell you that because the bass are keying in on larger baits this time of the year, fly fishing is not the best option and you should go to the salt ponds or the shallow waters if you want to fly fish. I beg to differ. This week we were catching 35 inch bass on the fly right around the large schools of bunker.  We were able to blast through the slop and get to protected areas to do this. You won't like being on a flats boat with 3 foot chop and be forced to fish salt ponds and shallow water this weekend. These fish are feeding on large baits in the upper bay and with patience, they can be fooled to take a fly. Brian and Leo, out for there third year from CA showed how its done.  Large EP Bunker flies were the hot fly this week! If you chose to go with a guide on a flats boat, you would have been cancelled due to the weather, not us. My boat is custom built for offshore fly fishing right here in Bristol RI.  Think of it as a flats boat on steroids! By fly fishing with me, you have a larger opportunity to get yourself to where the fish are.

Today, we experienced some great fishing in the upper bay with light tackle as well. Most of the fish were 34-38 inches and there were some MONSTER blues as well.. The 12-15 lbers that create a lovely shade of red in the water when they feed.   

  Water temps were 64 on the surface and with just enough cloud cover to keep the fish active through the morning. My boat is great because we were able to back drift onto the schools and hold position where everyone else was drifting at 2 knots the wrong way.  Dave and Joe both broke their own striper record today on their third and final trip with me.  Thank you both for 3 great charters!

When you look for a charter guide, weather its for fly fishing or light tackle, there is no greater time to be on the water than now!  I built my business around my passion.  By fishing both techniques, I know where the big fish are,what they are feeding on and how to fool them. 

First Weekend in June was Spectacular

There are not too many times that I get several straight days of fishable weather. This weekend was one of them. We not only had the tides and weather on our side, but also the fish. The rivers produced consistent fish and the bait was readily available. While my mornings started at 3 am, being the first on the water has its rewards. I find the bait first and I find the fish first. My customers reaped the rewards. Bait was pretty consistent in upper rivers and the incoming tide was by far the most productive. All of the fish were from 16- 19 lbs and the longest was 37 inches.  Both live and cut bait produced fish.  We went from using various length of leaders to various pound test to keep with the rising sun and it made a big difference. Thank you to my clients this weekend as we only kept 9 fish out of 18 that made it to the boat.  The ones kept were actually the better table size compared to some larger ones that were released by their choice.  Awesome job gang!

By Sunday, a fair amount if the fish moved out of the upper regions of the river (compared to mid week where it was a 14 fish outing in less than 50 yards of water). Fine by me as it weeds out the stalkers of charter boats.  Either way, that is what log books are for and we found them on Sunday and we were all by ourselves.  The water temp was around 68 in the upper rivers and 64 in the upper bay (surface temps).  Like I said in other posts, don't be afraid to try waters where there are no boats. This is the time when the fish start to move. Be the first and enjoy the rewards. There are also some very hungry blues working now so be ready to change chafed gear if you want to land a big striper!

Game On!

The weather changed some things over the weekend and I had to switch some of my days around but when it gave us the chance to fish we took full advantage of it.  There was tons of bait and aggressive bass ranging from 33-40 inches.  Even with pressure from multiple boats the fish just kept feeding.  We lost our fair share but made up for it with a 14 fish morning, all released successfully.  The only fish kept this week was by our future hall of fame 11 year old angler as he was an animal on the rod. Boated two fish in this similar class range all by himself.  Incoming tide on this full moon seemed to be best.

Fish seem to be spreading themselves out as reports like this are starting to filter in from other parts of the bay. All I know is that I was the first one on the water at 3 am, one phone call later and I had myself a party (broke my own rule).  Oh well, everyone enjoyed themselves but I was the lucky one to have anglers that only took what they wanted for dinner that night.  Hopefully these teen pounders will make it to enable us to see them when they hit 40!  Get out in the bay as soon as you can, its an awesome time of the year and the fish are feeding hard. Don't worry about getting bait, as we lost one, we just snagged another next to the boat.  We don't know where they will be in a day let alone a week especially if we get any kind of heat wave.  Go explore, check out some areas other than where the fleet is and most importantly, have fun!

Weekly update

While there are still plenty of the fish in the 20-32 inch range feeding on silversides, there has been a turn for the better with fish this week feeding on live pogie/bunker. These fish have averaged 12-15 lbs which is normal for the first run of bigger bass in the upper bay.  This is more of your 35+ inch fish.

 If you have had a difficult time locating surfacing bait, keep an eye on your sonar. These fish are just below the surface most of the time and can be had with a little patience! If you do see them on top, don't rush over to them! Let them gather up a little and approach them from the sides. You will find you will be able to get more than one cast into them and won't put them down for others that may be on the same school.
In shallow water, after you snag one/or have one in the live well, remember not to use any weight. Stripers are moving quickly through the water column and have no need to worry about what is only on the bottom... That is unless the blues are in.. which they are in deeper waters of the bay.

With weather questionable for the weekend, you should have a lot of room to yourself. I actually prefer it this way!

Surface feeding bass - soft plastics have been the way to go. My favorite has been the 6 inch Hogy with a weighted hook.
Blues may go through them quickly so have several packs on board. For some reason the hard plastics have not induced as many strikes as the soft subsurface baits.

I will be out for the next 3 days so hopefully I will have more updates by the weeks end.

Have fun and be safe,

Capt. Brian

Weekend Update

This past weekend was filled with surface feeding bass, blues and tons of bait! Like clock work, each day produced fish via topwater and subsurface at the same times and locations. While most of the stripers were on the school size, there were several in the 26-34 inch range.   Larger fish were marked  on the screen as you can see in the photo below.  Outgoing tides seem to spark the feeds in 3 specific locations that we spent time.  Our lure of choice was small Hogy lures in amber and black/silver. It was interesting that most of the bait was not even close to the Hogy but still worked wonders. We did use some topwater lures, and even did get some takers but nowhere near the hits that the subsurface stuff did.
After finally marking the bigger fish down deep, we even picked up a bass on live pogie (bunker) mid day.
The forecast for this week: with the weather keeping cool, the bass will be moving further north. Reports from NJ states that the bass have left the bays a week ago and the larger fish are going to show up over the next two weeks. As those fish move north, they will be feeding on the larger baits and the topwater stuff may slow down a little except near the shorelines.  We will continue to use flies to catch those fish feeding on the sand eels but will also use live and cut bait to fish those slobs coming to Rhode Island for the season.  There are some big blues cruising around so be prepared to switch techniques when they are around your baits. Be prepared to hear some larger fish being caught in CT and Southern RI this week. With luck, they will swim fast to the upper bay!

May is setting up to be fantastic!

Well, I told everyone this would be the only place I was going to put any form of reports so for those of you that subscribed or took the time to check my page out, you are in luck today! May is setting up to be the same, if not better than last year. Here is why:
 Upon the regular tour of my fishing spots that I do this time every year, I was welcomed with bait EVERYWHERE! I never went more than 5 minutes from the ramp to find Herring and Bunker AKA pogie all around. They were so spread out that it was actually hard to get a single location for them. I will venture to say that there was actually more schools than this time last year and for those that fished with me in May last year you know what I am talking about.  While there were only a few "swirls" of fish witnessed from a distance, they were not in any amount of numbers to tell everyone you "should have been here".  I will say for those that have a charter on the books for next week and thereafter, things are looking better than expected.  If you want to go Striper Fishing and stay close to the ramp to maximize your charter time, get a date in the books sooner than later.  As an FYI, the weekend days remaining in my books are as follows for May: 19,26. All other days are also limited but weekends seem to be the most popular for obvious reasons.

Blackfish reports have also been steady, while not my target species this time of year, they are found in the same spots you would fish for them in the fall. The wrecks and structure areas in the upper bay are producing some keepers, but the season ends at the end of the month and will not reopen until August.

I will post up images from the structure scan of the bait pods later this week but man, once the fish find them there will not be too many skinny stripers this season!  Get things in order now because it will be pure mayhem this time next week!

Capt. Brian

Oh yeah! It's that time again!

Well after a nice winter break (who we kidding in New England), it's show time! I will be at the New England Saltwater Sportsman's show this upcoming weekend (booth 1205) in Providence RI and Striper Season is right around the corner. I have been busy tying up some new patterns, getting my gear rigged up and picked up a couple new sponsors to help get some more top quality gear in your hands. The boat will be rigged with not one, but two Lowrance screens. One 10 inch HDS Gen2 and the new 12 inch HDS Gen2 Touch screen. Last year it made all the difference in finding bait and fish!  Orvis added me to their roster so I will have the new H2 rods on hand. I had a chance to cast them last year prior to launch and I must say that if you ever thought about saltwater fly fishing, these things make you look like a pro in the early stages!  Just like last year I will also be continuing my relationship with Van Staal, Quantum, Abel and Deep Ocean Apparel. I found that by surrounding my self with industry professionals that keep the same high respect for the fishery as me it is a win win.

I have had many people ask me the same few questions over the winter so I would like address two of the most popular now:

When is the best time to book a charter?  The answer is simple and specific. What do you want to catch? If you want stripers, book now! The season starts in mid May in the upper bay (literally 5 minutes from the ramp) and continues there until about July 1 depending on when we get the first heat wave.  Then, the best chance for stripers, and large ones shift to Block Island. By booking early, you get the pick of the days to eliminate the most variables. Any good captain will share with you the ideal days to select and help steer you away from potentially bad ones. By eliminating the variables, you only have to rely on the weather and if the fish are there. I am a firm believer in eliminating as many variables as possible when choosing a day on the water
The same goes for other species but here is the calender breakdown for you own planning:
May: Stripers and Bluefish
June: Stripers, Bluefish, Tuna (Cape Cod)
July: Stripers (Block Island), Bluefish, Sea bass (regulations dependent), Fluke and Tuna
August: same as July plug Tautog (with limits)
September: July, plus Tautog, Albacore tuna, Bonito
October: Stripers start to move, Blues are still around, Tautog limit increases, Tuna is fantastic
November: Tautog and Tuna

The second question that was asked most often was: I never caught ?? where should I go and what am I doing wrong? I know this sounds like a typical charter response but it is - Book a charter.  We are not trying to get you to spend your money on us. We are trying to get you alone for 5-8 hours where we can show you the spots, teach you step by step how to fish for the species and save you money! By booking a charter, you just saved yourself potential numerous trips alone, burning gas, bait and time to keep doing what you have always done. Even if it is not with me, there are many great captains out there that want to teach you. That is why they got into the business in the first place (or should have). Most captains feel shy about just giving up coordinates over email or in conversations and rightfully so. They spend a great deal of time on the water to get you into fish. By booking them, you see where they are because they want to see you catch fish! Ask a million questions while your out there. You just booked them for the day. Listen. Learn. Repeat.

I hope this helps and I look forward to seeing you at the show this weekend! Scroll down a few posts to see my promotions!!

Sincerely,
Capt. Brian Patterson
Patterson Guide Service

Saltwater Seminar Series with George Poveromo a Hit!

We just did our seminar series at Rhode Island College today and it was a great success in my opinion. There were some great fishermen on stage sharing some of the best advice that can be given in a short amount of time! I had the chance to meet with several of the audience members and to each and every person that attended I want to say thank you! This was my second time in 3 years participating on the faculty and with any luck, maybe a couple more times in my career. The interest is there with all of the young kids present and realizing that they are the future of the sport, we had the chance to have lunch with them and share some words of wisdom. Best take away for today: Teach your kids to fish, or get outside at least and appreciate what had been given to them. We are only here for a short while so take advantage of the lessons and beauty around you.  Here is to the start of a great 2013 season!


Sincerely,
Capt. Brian
Patterson Guide Service
www.pattersonguideservice.com

Upcoming shows and Specials for 2013

Now that we are getting into the season once again, I have to say that I am extremely excited. If it was anything like last year, it will just be fantastic! Besides entering another year with Lowrance and all new electronics on the boat in 2012, I am also now an Orvis Endorsed Guide. What this means for you is that I have been tested by some of the strictest standards and passed. They recognized that I am one of the hardest working captains on the water and my goal is to give you a successful and great day on the water.

 Here is a list of the shows and specials that will be run to kick off the 2013 season:

February 2, 2013:
I will be on the faculty staff with George Poveromo and the National Saltwater Seminar Series. It will be at Rhode Island College in Providence.  This is a one day series with some of the best captains in New England. If you are feeling blue with the cold, come on out!

February 14, 2013:
Valentine special! Double Up the value of your gift certificate up to $100. For example, if you buy your loved one a $25 gift card, you get a $50 gift certificate for a charter or lesson; A $50 gift card gets you a $100.00 certificate! You may apply it to anything that I offer for the 2013 season.  Spread the word on this one. Feel free to call me if you have any questions on this!

March 8-10, 2013:
New England Saltwater Fishing Show at the RI Convention Center. Visit me at booth 1205 and get the chance to win free charter money! Book a charter at the show and test your luck at drawing a gift certificate of either $25, $50, $75 or $100 (all certificate will be sealed until you open it)!!

April 10, 2013:
New Baby bookings! With all the surprises this one is the best! My son is due on this date and as a reward back, all charters booked this week will receive one extra hour on their charter trip. You can use it to fish longer, go sightseeing or just relax. Couldn't we all use an extra hour every now and again to relax?

** You have to mention you saw it here to get any of the above discounts so please spread the word and tell you friends and family!

Well that is it for now. I am looking forward to another great season and my sincere thanks to all of my repeat customers for helping me make such a successful business. Without you I would be on dry land!

Thank you for your support,
Capt. Brian Patterson

Welcome home 2013!

2012 was a roller coaster ride for me personally. I suffered a tragic loss of my father back in February, engaged in a higher than average charter season, lost my childhood house to hurricane Sandy and found out that I am going to be a father in April of 2013.  There are no words to describe my emotions that I have felt this past year and no way to pretend that I was "in the moment" of any of them.  I know my dad would have been proud of the fish that were taken including a beautiful 49 lb striper with Sean Ross at Block Island. Had that beast eaten ANYTHING, it would have tipped the scales well above 55 lbs. Leonard Lacasse blew away the fly fishing scales with several 41 inch stripers and several new fisherman entered catch and release fish for the striper cup.   I spent many nights reflecting on this year and the times I had and had lost.  It was a painful yet satisfying year knowing that everything that happened was in the eyes of those that taught me everything I knew. From past high school friends joining me on charters to old time buddies reliving old memories, there was not a moment I could not appreciate.  I was able to get mothers with their daughters out fly fishing and fathers with their dads and son's fluke fishing. These are the times that I look back and live daily. These are the the days that I relive with my own father and know that I pass along a memories.

Thank you to everyone who was involved with my business this past year. Know that you may have walked away with memories for yourself but also gave a memories to me.

I look forward to my newborn son in the Spring and to teach him all of the things that me dad taught me... and I will have or will teach you.  

Here is to a New Year. To a year of new memories.

Sincerely,

Capt. Brian Patterson