David Porreca Flyfishes in Rivers and Riptides

Who says fishing truly ends in summer? Not David Porreca, owner of , tucked in a small plaza off Rt. 3 in Coventry.

The store, a year-round headquarters for fishermen and fishing of all kinds has an undeniable niche: flyfishing. A prominent sign at the top of the road simply says, “Fly Shop” on the large sign on the busy road.

“It is not too difficult to learn how to fly fish,” Porreca states. “We will tell you where you can fish, when the hatches are and match up the flies to the catch.”

And “matching the hatch” is the key, he says, to successful fly fishing. “To catch a fish you try to closely match the pattern of the aquatic insects that are eaten by fish or match the bait fish eaten by your target fish.” In the store are many flies for sale, but many anglers prefer to make their own flies, called dry, wet or emergent.

Customers can purchase a variety of threads, hooks and other materials to make a fly. Lining the walls is a colorful array of feathers- even fluorescent ones- to fur and tail patterns of synthetic or natural materials.

The process of fly fishing might seem complicated, but Porreca and his employees offer constant guidance and support offered through clinics and flytying sessions at River and Riptide Anglers. October, for example, begins Monday Night Fly Tying, continuing through March.

Porreca says there is a long list of rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and estuaries and so many to fish, all within a 10-mile radius. He points to Tiogue Lake, Wood River, Big River Management area and many others within a hour of Coventry. And all of Narragansett Bay beckons, too.

As a native Rhode Islander who grew up in the Silver Lake section of Providence, Porreca says he was influenced by his grandfather and other relatives. “I started flyfishing in freshwater when I was 16 and 22 in salt water,” he says.

Porreca also links up with friends or sponsors fishing trips as far away as the Bahamas, Florida and upstate New York. In November, in the annual trek to Pulaski, NY, steelhead trout is the main prey, along with salmon and other species of trout.

As a licensed charter boat captain and veteran guide, Porreca brings a lot more to fishing than products and services. His advice and guidance often brings success for him and others. He points to a mounted 20-pound bluefin tuna. “I caught that one a mile off Point Judith,” he said. Then there is a mounted tarpon, 63” long and 34” around, that weighed in at about 100 pounds. “I caught that at Venice Beach in Florida.” And there are also several pictures of satisfied customers with their catches.

His top-of-the line flyfishing rods popular with saltwater flyfishing diehards "are definitely getting better, stronger and are much more advanced than ever," said Porreca. 

Another trend he has embraced in the past decade is the use of kayaks specifically made for fishermen. “I sold about 10 kayaks last year,” he said.

While trout and salmon is undeniably a favorite of freshwater flyfishermen, largemouth bass, pickerel and pike can also be caught on the fly.

Larger game fish such as shark, tuna, striped bass, bluefish and tarpon are among the large species he has caught. He reports false albacore and bonito are beginning to gather and bite and there should be a spike soon in their activity up and down the coast. “The storms didn’t hurt the fall run,” he said as he explained of other species in estuaries or along the coast as they begin their fall migration.

One of Porreca's closest associates and frequent fishing companion is Captain Bob Hines of Smithfield, a noted flyfishermen who had experiences with renowned Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame slugger and expert flyfishermen, the late Ted Williams, in Nova Scotia.

Along with Hines, Porreca has offered expert opinion and demonstrated proper techniques and skills on Cox-3 and on Don Coyne’s, Fishing the Ocean State Show. He is often on call to offer expert tips, advice and reports and has written for Blackstone Press, Surfcasters, On the Water Magazine and Rhode Island Salt Water Anglers, among others.

“Fly fishing is simple,” he contended, though flyfishing anglers often do encounter ripples and swollen streams or crashing waves and raging surf to make catches.

“Someone can get started for as little as $69,” he said of novice flyfishermen. “For those who want to take it to another level the most expensive equipment can cost $1,000 or more. But that is true with all kinds of other fishing, too.”

River and Riptide Anglers is located at 2435 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Unit 4A, Coventry. Phone: (401) 392-1919; Website: riverandriptide.com

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