Veteran anglers fish 9 to 91/2-foot rods for 7- to 11-weight lines. Large-arbor reels with fast retrieve rates, ample backing capacities, and smooth, dependable drags are particularly helpful when fishing for bonito and albies.

Floating, intermediate, and sinking heads are the three most popular fly lines. For floating lines I like the Orvis Striper Wonderline (8 to 11 weights); for intermediate lines I favor the SA Striper Coldwater Sinking (7 to 11 weights). I mostly use the dark gray, but the clear works equally well and may be better for clear water. For fast-sinking heads, the Airflo Depth Finder, the Orvis Depth Charge, and the Cortland Quick Descent are great choices. Many anglers who frequently change fishing locations use the Rio Dredger VersiTips; there are three tips that range from 200-400 grains and easy-to-use loop-to-loop connections for quick changes. Be sure to match your grain weight with the flex profile of your rod; generally speaking, a 300- to 350-grain loads an 8-weight, a 350-400 a 9-weight, and a 400-450 a 10-weight. A head that's too heavy can break your rod. It's best to try several different grain weights on your rod to see which casts the best.

Stripping baskets, lights for night fishing, Bogagrips, and pliers are useful for bluefish, and you'll need insect repellent for fishing the salt ponds or estuaries. Korkers or spikes for your boots are necessary if you plan to fish the rocks, and for night fishing you should wear a low-profile floatation vest for safety. Nautical charts and tide charts round out your gear bag.

Boat rentals. Many anglers rent small aluminum skiffs with outboards from Ocean House Marina in Charlestown to fish the channels, flats, and rock gardens in Ninigret Pond. Ninigret also has a consistent worm hatch. For more information or for reservations, call 401-364-6040.

Fly selection. Rhode Island has a rich fly-tying heritage. Ken Abrames is well-known for his flatwing style of flies. He ties his saddles in so they are parallel to the hook shank. The hackle's lateral movement closely resembles the swimming movement of baitfish.

Flies top to bottom: R.L.S. Striper Moon; R.L.S. Eel Punt; R.L.S. Clam Worm; R.L.S. Razzle Dazzle.

Ray's Fly, Flatwing; the Razzledazzle; and Hunky's Finest Kind are three excellent big-fish flatwings, for they achieve the length and width of herring, menhaden, and mackerel without adding bulk. Ray's Fly, tied by Ray Bondorow, is an excellent olive, yellow, and white saltwater bucktail for imitating small bait.

Dave Skok's Mushmouth, a Thundercreek-style small-bait pattern, was created with skipjack tuna in mind. The Mushmouth is tied with white Super Hair and Umpqua Angel Hair in a variety of colors. While it catches skipjacks, bonito, and false albacore, it also does well on striped bass.

Capt. Johnny Glenn's silicone Johnny's Angel is a great small-profile fly that is extremely durable. When tied about 4-inches long and on a #1/0 hook, the fly resembles a sand eel or silverside. Downsized to a #2 or #4 hook, Johnny's Angel works well on bonito and false albacore.

The Mystic Bay Hardbody Shiner is also a great bonito and false albacore fly. If you fish the salt ponds on either the full or new moons, you'll want to have some worm patterns in your box, and Dixon's Cinder Worm or Page Rogers's Velvet Worm are two excellent patterns. Since bass may be fussy during the worm hatch, Abrames's Clam Worm is also an effective pattern.

Clouser Minnows in a variety of colors, Deceivers in different colors and sizes, small epoxies and poppers, and sliders all take their share of Rhode Island fish. Fly sizes vary between #2 and #4/0 and the more successful colors for both Clousers and Deceivers are brown over white, blue over white, olive over white, and chartreuse over white.

Access. Rhode Island has large spans of beaches, packed in summer with sunbathers and swimmers. Parking and access can be difficult in some areas. Boat anglers can easily maneuver the private coastline, but shore anglers can reach many beaches by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Mean low water (the average low-tide mark) is public. Surrounding land, such as a beach, can be private. For access information call the Coastal Resources Management Council at 401-222-2476. Mid-April through Memorial Day and from Labor Day through Christmas are less crowded periods.

Boat ramps are in good to excellent condition. To fish the Westerly area, there is a ramp behind the old Cove Edge tackle shop in Westerly; in the Sakonnet River area, there is a ramp near the Sakonnet Point Marina (401-635-4753); in the Newport area, there is a public ramp off of Ocean Drive near the Ida Lewis Yacht Club (401-846-1969). Other fee ramps scattered around the area can be located in the Embassy Guide Maptech book, available at most marinas.

Lodging. For information on the Watch Hill area, call the South County Visitor's Bureau at 800-548-4662. For the Newport area, call the Newport County Convention and Visitor's Bureau at 800-976-5122. For the Barrington area, call the East Bay Tourism Council at 888-278-9948. For Greenwich Bay, call the Warwick Tourism Information Bureau, 800-492-7942. Also check out Rhode Island tourist information online at www.visitrhodeisland.com/.