Yale Fishing Club Newsletter - 2023

During the early morning on Saturday, October 28, members of the Yale Fishing Club boarded the ferry to fish and explore Horse Island, one of Yale’s best-kept secrets. Horse Island, an extension of the Yale Peabody Museum, is an environmental research facility just off the coast of Branford, Connecticut. As a private property, Horse Island is notoriously difficult to access. This Saturday, however, the Yale Fishing Club was granted ingress. 

 

Horse Island is perhaps better known as one of the many Thimble Islands. These islands, likely owing their name to the large swaths of thimbleberry bushes that grew on the rough seaside terrain, are scattered throughout the Long Island Sound. The islands provide a hazardous course of boulderfields, cliffs, and other marine obstacles–dangerous for boaters, but perfect for fish. Legend has it, in fact, that the infamous Captain Kidd capitalized on the Thimbles’ practically unnavigable topography to hide his treasure hoard somewhere on one of the more than 100 islands that comprise the area. 

 

The weather on Horse Island was practically without fault. A cloudless sky, warm temperatures, and a light breeze greeted us as we assembled our gear near the boat launch. An assortment of fly rods and spinning gear was constructed, and we soon made our way to the island. We were lucky enough to experience a tour of Horse Island from one of the researchers. During the tour, the critical role that Horse Island plays in both research and conservation was quickly revealed. The sheer biodiversity on Horse Island is remarkable. The Yale Peabody Museum has created a well-preserved and unique outpost for essential environmental work, one of the many ways through which Yale University maintains its position at the forefront of research and education. 

 

Following a conservation-minded hike of the island, members of the Yale Fishing Club broke into small cohorts and began to fish. Some adventurous fishermen experimented with the fly rod in current seams. Others stuck to the tried-and-true topwater plug ripped through a boulder formation. Vast hordes of peanut bunker skirted in and out of rocky structures; the water appeared ripe for an old-fashioned Connecticut striper blitz. 

 

Unfortunately, the weather that had allowed us to experience summer conditions in the middle of fall proved unconducive to the bite. The bright sun beat down upon the clear water, and the bass were not enthused. Slightly offshore, boat fishermen had been hammering tautog all morning. Unequipped to pursue this bottom-dwelling gamefish, the Yale Fishing Club was left to practice their casting accuracy and dream of a bite. One fisherman – who will remain unnamed – reported a torn-apart fly as possible evidence of a bluefish in the mix. This event was much more likely the simple result of poor tying skills at the previous week’s meeting, mixed with a sloppy backcast that caught more trees (many) than fish (zero). 

 

Although the club ended the day with a less-than-desirable fishing report, the trip to Horse Island served as a beautiful reminder of several truths. Our very presence on the island lent credit to the oft-floated quote, “only at Yale”. Yale University offers unparalleled experiences to its undergraduates. Today, the Yale Fishing Club was able to capitalize on one of those moments. Another truth offered by the outing is the importance of environmental protection. Horse Island’s beauty and ecological diversity serves as a testament to the work of its caretakers and guardians. If we wish to sustain this location and countless others like it, we must contribute to their preservation.

 

The final truth offered to us by this outing was perhaps the hardest pill to swallow of the day. The Yale Fishing Club isn’t called the Yale Catching Club, and there’s a reason for that. Nevertheless, our members found consolation in the beautiful trails, rocky cliffs, and fascinating wildlife that make Horse Island the hidden jewel of the Thimble Islands.