11/30/2008

Shotgun deer season near
Rhode Island’s shotgun season for taking either-sex and antlerless deer opens on the mainland Saturday and continues through Dec. 14. An antlerless deer is a female or a male with antlers less than three inches long.

Tackle shop owner Tim Yvon dies of cancer
Tim Yvon, the owner of Quonny Bait & Tackle, died of cancer Tuesday.

11/23/2008

Bounty of trails awaits hikers at Coventry’s Kettle Pond
Want to walk off that big Thanksgiving Day dinner? The trails around the Kettle Pond Visitor Center, in Charlestown, are perfect for hiking with kids or friends in wheelchairs. The trails will be open Thursday from sunrise to sunset.

11/16/2008

Lema remembered for his fishing, boat-building skills
Southern New England’s sport-fishing community gathered in Narragansett last weekend to share stories and memories of Richard “Dick” Lema. He was an extraordinary sportsman, formerly of South County, who died at his Florida home late last month.

11/10/2008

Smithfield man earns high praise
At its annual meeting held recently at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Mass., The New England Wild Flower Society presented the Rhode Island State Award for Conserving Native Plants and Their Habitats to Peter Lockwood of Smithfield for dedicated, extensive and precise studies of the flora of Rhode Island, leading to the discovery of new rare and endangered species. He has contributed his skills to the Rhode Island Association of Wetland Scientists, the Rhode Island Natural History Survey and the Rhode Island Task Force of New England Plant Conservation Program, the society said.

11/09/2008

Saltwater permits group to meet
The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) have launched a group to study saltwater fishing permits. The group is scheduled to hold its first public meeting tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Coventry-West Greenwich Elks Club.

10/19/2008

Bass and blues, at your convenience
Mike Laptew, “The Diving Fisherman,” has been filming migrating bass and bluefish most mornings this fall, and he says, “I haven’t seen this many small fish in four years.”

10/16/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Oct. 17
Striped bass and bluefish are migrating through the waters of Rhode Island, southern Massachusetts and Long Island Sound in huge numbers.

10/12/2008

Are striped bass declining? It depends on who you ask
“Iron” Mike Everin, a member of Team Striper, winner of the Striper Cup, is worried that the striped bass population is heading for the kind of crash stripers suffered 30 years ago.

10/09/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Oct. 10
"Fishing is phenomenal," said Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle. Anglers were catching bass and bluefish in the coves of Greenwich Bay this morning. The bass were shying from wire leaders, but bluefish were taking chunks of mackerel and squid with abandon.

10/03/2008

Women's Wilderness Weekend is a time for a diverse group to bond in the outdoors
Cherie Calabrese was a girl when she started attending camp at the University of Rhode Island's W. Alton Jones Campus.

Striper Cup Tournament is over, after poaching controversy
Team Striper -- a group of fishermen from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut -- will drink from the Striper Cup at Sunday's StriperFest in Boston.

10/02/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Oct. 3
Bluefish are biting throughout Greenwich Bay and its coves, says Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

09/28/2008

Outdoor Notes -- Nature walk celebrates green space of West Greenwich
Wildlife biologist Brian Tefft, founding chairman of the West Greenwich Land Trust, is scheduled to lead a nature walk next Sunday as part of Celebrate West Greenwich Day.

09/25/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Sept. 26
Bluefish have been biting in the coves and the main body of Greenwich Bay, says Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

09/19/2008

Outdoor Notes -- Hunting for mushrooms, hunting for ducks
Rhode Island is home to between 2,300 and 2,500 species of fungi, says Noel Rowe, leader of a mushroom walk organized by the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society this week.

09/18/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Sept. 19
There are plenty of bluefish, between 8 and 10 pounds, biting in the waters of Greenwich Bay, Barrington, Conimicut Point and Hope Island, said Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

09/12/2008

Big-game fishing tradition comes to an end
A 39-year tradition, the Block Island Billfish Tournament has come to an end.

09/11/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Sept. 12
Surf fishermen have been catching schoolies along Ocean Drive, says Sam Toland of Sam's Bait & Tackle.

09/07/2008

Outdoor Notes -- September is splendid time to hit bike and walking paths
Talk about an ambitious schedule!

09/04/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Sept. 5 -- Will storms stir things up?
Storms moving up the coast could disrupt fishing for several days at the end of the week. Or, turbulent weather could shake up what has been a slow bite.

08/31/2008

For Explorers Club member, people make the adventure
But Granis Stewart’s most enduring memories are not of places, but of the human connections she has made in her travels around the world.

08/29/2008

Outdoor Notes -- Newport Boat Show, finding wild food and more
The Newport International Boat Show -- one of the five largest in-water boat shows in the country -- always has a diverse selection of vessels, from 16 feet to 85 feet. This year, however, the show will feature an entirely different kind of craft: an airplane.

08/28/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Aug. 29
Cool weather and tomorrow's new moon may mark the start of better fishing following the doldrums that anglers are experiencing this week.

08/26/2008

Read and Kirby depart, bound for ocean race around the world
NEWPORT - With his long-time friend Jerry Kirby on the bow, Newport skipper Ken Read sailed out of Narragansett Bay this morning, heading for Spain and the start of the Volvo Ocean Race around the world.

08/24/2008

Outdoor notes: Public hearing on duck hunting more like an expo
If only every public hearing could be like this: The state Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Division of Enforcement and Ducks Unlimited are sponsoring an outing with retriever demonstrations, decoy carving, door prizes, refreshments and other activities Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Following the outing, the state will conduct its annual public hearing on waterfowl hunting for this fall and winter.

08/21/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Aug. 22
Bass fishing is slower, said Greg Zeek of Zeek’s Creek, but anglers are still taking fish at Brenton Reef.

Turner’s bass tops in Junior Worlds
Thirteen-year-old Lowell Turner, an eighth-grader at Chariho Middle School, caught only one bass last Saturday, but it was a lunker. The 6.6-pound largemouth was the largest bass Turner has ever caught, and it was big enough to win the National Guard Junior World Championship and a $5,000 college scholarship.

08/15/2008

Outdoor Notes -- Lots of programs available to improve field skills and fitness
It's back-to-school time for outdoors enthusiasts.

08/14/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Aug. 15
"Fluke fishing is phenomenal," says Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

08/11/2008

It’s golf — but just don’t call them Frisbees
We blame 15th-century Scotland for golf, a game Mark Twain described as “a good walk ruined.”

08/10/2008

Outdoors Notes -- Werner is the new top gun
Hawaiian free diver Kimi Werner unseated Californian Amanda Ernst as the women’s national spearfishing champion Thursday in Newport.

08/07/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Aug. 8
Fishing has slowed in the upper reaches of the Bay, says Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle, but the lower Bay offers fine fishing for fluke near Beavertail Point, Austin Hollow, south of Dutch Island, and north of Goat Island.

08/05/2008

Adventures at Hand: Clamming is R.I.’s perennial pursuit in the mud
NARRAGANSETT –– The tide was running out of Point Judith Pond as the two women, spattered with mud, moved their buckets, crouched down over the flats and searched for the telltale “eyes” beneath their feet.

08/03/2008

Outdoor Notes -- U.S. spearfishing championship at Newport this week
Sixty-eight of the country’s top athletes are scouting the waters off Newport this week in preparation for U.S. National Spear Fishing Championship on Thursday.

07/31/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, Aug. 1
Frank Tameo and Kenny Landry continue to catch bass in the 25-pound class off Beavertail Point and Annawan Cliffs, says Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

Novice sailors taking to the sea to win first Mayor’s Cup
PROVIDENCE — Who needs the America’s Cup? Providence is bringing competitive sailing back to Rhode Island with the inaugural Mayor’s Cup tomorrow in Narragansett Bay.

07/28/2008

A nice day for annual Bay swim
The Save the Bay fundraiser draws hundreds from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and beyond.

Adventures at Hand: R.I.’s wildlife refuges a rich treat that’s easy on the budget
CHARLESTOWN — “White pines have five needles in a bundle.

07/27/2008

Outdoors Notes -- ‘Secret spot’ mile off New Harbor yields record catch
Peter Vican has won three Governor’s Cups for releasing trophy striped bass. This season, he has already released four 50-pound stripers.

07/24/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, July 25
The big news this week is the 75-pound striper that East Greenwich angler Peter Vican caught about a mile off Block Island's New Harbor (photo at right). The full story about the catch will appear in Outdoor Notes on www.projo.com/outdoors tomorrow and in the newspaper Sunday.

07/18/2008

Mystic company gets a big prize for its innovative fishing lure
LAS VEGAS - A Mystic, Conn., company has won the top prize for best new lure at North America's largest fishing-tackle show.

07/17/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, July 18
"The fluke fishing in the Bay is pretty good right now," says Jim White, author and skipper of the charter boat White Ghost.

07/13/2008

How Dave Hochman shot his record bass
Dave Hochman set a world spearfishing record on Independence Day, when he shot a 68.4-pound striped bass on a reef in Block Island Sound. The fish was 55 inches long with a 32.5-inch girth. The diver was in 54 feet of water.

07/10/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, July 11
Connecticut freediver Dave Hochman shot a 68.4-pound striped bass off Rhode Island's south shore last weekend. It is a new spear-fishing world record.

07/08/2008

A Summer Series: Putting summer on ice
Theresa Fox is a mother of two, a middle school English teacher and a rat. A happy, self-admitted rink rat, that is, an endearing term reserved for aficionados of ice.

07/06/2008

Tom Meade: Outdoor Notes: Key to reeling in plenty of pike is finding cool pond water
What a memorable afternoon of fishing!

07/04/2008

Strong tides pose danger
WESTERLY — The lifeguards at Misquamicut State Beach earned their $10 an hour Monday.

06/30/2008

A Summer Series: Going with the wind
Facing high gas prices and less money to splurge, many people are choosing to stay close to home for vacation. This summer, The Journal will help you find some activities and outings nearby. Some may be old favorites, while others you’ve never tried.

06/29/2008

Meade: AMC’s Narragansett Chapter has full slate of July events
The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club is looking for new members, and the group is offering plenty to do this summer.

07/01/2008

The Fishing Report for Friday, June 27
Bass continue to bite in the waters from Providence to Bristol to Prudence Island, says Kenny Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle.

06/19/2008

The fishing report for Friday, June 20
"The fish are still really keyed in on bunker, and that's all I am doing, live-lining bunker,'' says Bill "Eelman'' Nolan.

06/15/2008

Climb of a lifetime: Warwick chiropractor summits Everest
WARWICK — Balanced on a fin of rock at the top of the world, stalled in the “death zone,” where the air is too thin to sustain human life, Timothy Warren felt fear grip him once more.

06/17/2008

Mariner en route from Bermuda to Newport on 18-foot skiff
Bobby Doe, 66, a boat builder, commercial fisherman and professional sailor, is steaming from St. George’s, Bermuda to Newport aboard an 18-foot skiff, powered by a 9.9-horsepower outboard motor.

06/16/2008

Meyers wins Class 1 at Newport Regatta
In the end, it was Dan Meyers' Numbers that took IRC Class 1, where most of the attention was focused.

06/15/2008

Breachway parking dispute turns nasty with nail traps
One angler calls it “vigilante vandalism:” concealing boards with 3-inch nails in the sand along a sandy road that fishermen use to drive to the western side of Quonochontaug Breachway.

06/12/2008

The fishing report for Friday, June 13
Bass continue to bite on the Providence River, but, says Thom Pelletier, “If you go there, wear a helmet. It’s a combat zone.”

06/06/2008

Outdoors Notes: Block Island skipper's team claims striper tournament
Team Triton Mercury -- led by Block Island skipper David Chieffo, with Andy LoCascio, John Luchka and Dave Lilly -- won the FLW Outdoors Stripers Series Tournament and $10,000 in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., last weekend.

06/05/2008

The fishing report for Friday, June 6
Bass were biting on the upper reaches of the Bay until Wednesday’s storm.

College sailing: Georgetown denies Boston College at Newport
Georgetown University denied Boston College the Eagles' third straight sailing championship in Newport yesterday as the Hoyas sailed to the top of the fleet in the ICSA/Gill National Championship.

06/04/2008

In Newport, Boston College pursues triple crown of college sailing
NEWPORT -- In the 41 years that college sailors have fought to win the three national championships held every spring under the umbrella of the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, only the U.S. Naval Academy has earned all three.

05/30/2008

Outdoors Notes: Lawson Cary Jr. remembered as a force for conservation
Members of the Narragansett chapter of Trout Unlimited gathered along the banks of the Wood River for their May meeting, the first without their president, Lawson M. Cary Jr., who died last weekend.

05/29/2008

The fishing report for Friday, May 30
Prudence and Patience islands continue to be best bets for anglers with boats, even in heavy wind.

05/28/2008

Black bear roams South County
NARRAGANSETT — A black bear spent a drizzly morning yesterday roaming the banks of a South County river, tearing apart a backyard birdfeeder and eluding the police and officers from the Department of Environmental Management responding to calls from residents who spotted the bear in a heavily populated neighborhood.

05/23/2008

Outdoors Notes: Tournament to benefit fishing trips for kids
A lot of fishing clubs organize take-a-kid-fishing days, when members gather to take children fishing in private boats.

Newport's Read, Kirby get set for Volvo Ocean Race
They are almost always wet and cold. Sleep can be fleeting, meals are Spartan and, by all means, forget even the slightest comforts.

05/22/2008

The fishing report for Friday, May 23
Randy Bagwell, skipper of River Rebel Charters, wrote Thursday: "We went out early this morning on a bait run for the charters we have over the next several days."

05/21/2008

Sailor Vincent Riou of France is at risk in The Artemis Transat race
Solo sailor Vincent Riou of France, racing across the North Atlantic from Plymouth, England to Boston, was forced to abandon ship yesterday when the keel on his boat failed.

05/16/2008

A changing but bountiful bass catch in Narragansett Bay
"There are some awesome fish in the Bay now, just about everywhere," said Bill "Eelman" Nolan.

Recreational fishing registry law sparks an angry reaction
Anglers are upset about a federal law requiring fishing regulators to establish a registry of recreational anglers who fish for striped bass, shad, and other fish that live in salt water but spawn in fresh water.

NRA Friends plan shooting event June 7
The Narragansett Bay Area Friends of NRA has scheduled a 50-target sporting clays shoot, prime rib luncheon, and shotgun shooting exhibition for June 7 at Addieville East Farm, in Burrillville.

05/15/2008

The fishing report for Friday, May 16
Billy Silvia, skipper of the charter boat Can't Imagine, has been catching blackfish off Hog Island light and on the wrecks of Mount Hope Bay.

05/16/2008

Newport boat show on tap
The three-day event, beginning today, will feature nearly 200 boats with a total of 300 exhibits.

05/15/2008

Miles from shore, R.I. surfer prayed to get back home
Natalie Baggesen, 19, of Hopkinton, was out to enjoy the heavy waves off Matunuck on Tuesday when the wind took control.

05/14/2008

Boat show comes ashore in Newport
The 34th annual Newport Spring Boat Show will bring hundreds of 35- to 65-foot power yachts and sailboats to the Newport Yachting Center, America’s Cup Avenue in Newport, tomorrow through Sunday. About half the boats will be shown on land, and the other half in the water. All are for sale and ready to be launched for the season. There will also be all kinds of boating equipment for sale, and information on services and products will be available from exhibitors. New this year will be a Marine Consignment Tent selling used marine equipment. Educational seminars are offered on all three days of the show.

05/13/2008

Check it out: Libraries that will lend you fishing gear
Equipment for the little-known program is provided by The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association.

05/10/2008

Checking out the chicks: 3 baby peregrine falcons atop a Providence skyscraper get the once-over
PROVIDENCE — Blood stained the falcon’s feet.

05/09/2008

His Goal is to Show that Nothing is Impossible
Jason Pisano, of West Warwick, last month completed his 41st marathon — his 14th Boston Marathon — a particularly grueling challenge because cerebral palsy requires that he use a wheelchair. Here is his account of that race.

05/08/2008

The fishing report for Friday, May 9
The blues are back.

Puma skipper sets sail on worldwide voyage
Ken Read is leading his crew through training on Narragansett Bay for a nine-leg race around the globe.

05/07/2008

R.I.'s bike paths: A great ride
Suddenly it’s summer –– or at least summer-like –– and all at once everyone seems to remember those bicycles that have been gathering dust in the garage all winter. Time to get them out, hose them off, pump up the tires (once you’ve located the tire pump), and get riding.

Heed the rules of the road
Rhode Island’s four main bike paths are already crowded on good-weather weekends, not just with bicyclists but with walkers, dog walkers, Rollerbladers –– even Rollerbladers with dogs. With so many people using the bike paths, the potential for accidents and collisions is ever-present, so the start of the season is a good time for all users of the bike paths to be reminded of the rules.

05/05/2008

DEM casts line to enhance fishing piers
The Department of Environmental Management has a plan to expand shoreline access and increase public-fishing sites. The Pier A Year Initiative goes beyond the proposed pier at Plum Point in North Kingstown, although that project is on the list. The initiative’s goal is to build or improve a fishing pier each year for eight years.

05/01/2008

The fishing report for Friday, May 2
"A lot of school bass to 26 inches have invaded the mid-Bay," writes Bill "Eelman" Nolan.

04/30/2008

Migrating Fish Get a Boost at Omega Pond dam

With the help of residents, conservationists, and anglers, herring surmount a major obstacle to their annual migration and spawning.

Dumping ground may become park
COVENTRY — The Town Council has taken a first step toward transforming 55 acres of town-owned land on the Pawtuxet River’s western shoreline from a weed- and tree-filled dumping ground into a recreation area featuring walking trails and a boat-launching ramp.

04/29/2008

Peregrines control the air space over Providence's Kennedy Plaza
On the 30th floor of the Bank of America building in Providence, peregrine falcons nest and hunt for smaller birds.

04/27/2008

Readers have their say about the Plum Point Pier
Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA), said he was flooded by e-mails from his members, alarmed by last Sunday’s Outdoor Notes column.

04/25/2008

The fishing report for Friday, April 25

04/18/2008

The fishing report for Friday, April 18
Small bass were swirling on the surface off Conimicut Point Wednesday, said David Henault of Ocean State Tackle.

04/14/2008

A fresh start for Opening Day: Trout are running in the Pawtuxet
WEST WARWICK — For the first time perhaps since the Industrial Revolution, anglers are fishing for trout on the stretch of the Pawtuxet River that flows through this town.

Web site has fishing tips
“Trout is not the only fish on the menu this coming week,” says Bill “Eelman” Nolan. “There are fresh-run mini stripers at the West Wall. They’re spotty bu