Winter Reading Assignment:Books for the Avid Angler

Along with the reality that winter and its long cold nights have settled in, I am sure there are already thoughts of the first fish of next spring, as our lives are governed by seasons. By now, boats have been winterized and rest quietly beneath a blanket of shrink wrap, and the beaches are devoid of all but the most of intrepid anglers wishing for a miraculous Christmas gift while our most cherished gamefish are sunning themselves in southern climes. Like most avid fishermen, I too am going through withdrawal pains and eagerly counting the days until aquatic life returns once again to our waters. While a trip or two to some tropical climate is in my future, I also enjoy staying in touch with the world of fishing through the printed word. There are a quite a number of terrific books on the market right now that can make for a nice interlude between the fall run and the spring renaissance. The following are some wonderful titles that are sure to whet the angling appetite of the most seasoned anglers as well as the winter armchair fishermen among us. At minimum, these books will certainly help ease the pains of angling withdrawal.

THE GIGANTIC BOOK OF FISHING STORIES
Nothing leads to more holiday boding between family and friends than sharing stories around a fireplace or dinner table. Stories have a way of enriching our lives, and fishing stories especially can add a measure of that to our own outdoor experiences. One of the best books to have come my way recently is The Gigantic Book of Fishing Stories (Skyhorse Publishing, Inc, 2007), edited and introduced by Nick Lyons and with a forward by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author and historian, David Halberstam. And “gigantic” in this context is an understatement. The book is massive. By my count it contains 117 wonderful, well-written stories and essays by many of angling’s most notable authors and writers – past and present. The stories are well organized into seven parts and cover a very wide array of angling topics, enough to please even the most demanding and insatiable reader of angling literature. You will be busy many a night reading this book. It is surely destined to become a classic.

FLY FISHING FOR STRIPED BASS
Another outstanding volume that will sit nicely under the holiday tree is Fly Fishing for Striped Bass (Wild River Press, 2007), by Rich Murphy. Rich is a very accomplished striped bass angler and a master fly-tier. He has devoted much of his adult life to the pursuit of striped bass with a fly rod. While this book is written primarily for the fly angler its general content and descriptions of striped bass will be of interest and value to all readers, regardless of the methods they employ to catch their bass. The book contains an exquisite collection of photographs that are nothing short of striped bass angler eye candy. Some of the photographers for this book are Barry Beck, whose work appears frequently in many national fishing magazines, Tom Pero, David Skok and Dave Klausmeyer, among others. What impressed me most about the book is the quality of its usable content. The sections on fishing beaches, estuaries, rocks and flats contain information that is valuable to all anglers, not just fly fishermen. You cannot help but pick up a few pointers that will help put the angling odds in your favor. This title should be in the collection of all those who enjoy the pursuit of striped bass.

HOW TO CATCH THE BIGGEST TROUT OF YOUR LIFE
I’ll stick with Wild River Press for one additional recommendation, How to Catch the Biggest Trout of Your Life, by Landon Mayer. This book is a must for anyone who has ever dreamed of catching the trout of a lifetime. Landon has obviously achieved that goal on many occasions not only for himself but also for many of his guiding clients. He shares with the reader his techniques and secrets for catching large trout. Regardless of where you fish for trout, this book will give you the edge you need to catch the biggest trout of your life. The author is a full time fly fishing guide in Colorado who specializes in catching huge trout from hard-fished waters. He accomplishes that with a high degree of regularity as evidenced by the photographs of massive trout that grace the pages of this book. The book is well written and reads easily. I was hooked right from the foreword where the writer stated that he had just hooked a 16-pound brown trout from the same run he had hooked a 14-pound fish an hour earlier, and that he owed all this remarkable success to Landon Mayer. The author holds nothing back in this book and reveals all one needs to know about the habits of large trout and the methods necessary to catch them. I just may take this book to the river with me next time!

TAKE ME FISHING
Another winning title from Skyhorse Publishing (2007) is Take Me Fishing edited by John Bryan with an introduction by Howell Raines and a foreword by former United States President, Jimmy Carter. The book is a compilation of fabulous fishing stories and essays from 50 of the sport’s greatest writers. What is unique about this publication is that all of the writers donated their works to this book so that a portion of the proceeds from sales can be donated to the Fish America Foundation. That organization works to keep fish and waters healthy in all 50 states. Proceeds are also donated to the Future Fisherman Foundation, an enterprise that works to educate hundreds of thousands of new anglers each year. Some of the venerable anglers/writers whose work is contained in this volume are: Joan Salvato Wulff, Lefty Kreh, Lamar Underwood, William Tapply, Mark Sosin, George Reiger, Nick Lyons, Nelson Bryant, John Randolph, Steve Raymond and many more. You will be entertained! And buy purchasing a book you will also contribute to the future well being of the sport we all love.

TOP WATER
This next book is a personal favorite not only because of my love for fly fishing the waters of Alaska but because the authors are two remarkable anglers and writers. The book is, Top Water (The Countryman Press, 2004). The authors, Troy Letherman and Tony Weaver, take the reader on a remarkable fly fishing journey throughout Alaska, our nation’s last frontier. Through their experiences you will gain insight into Alaska steelhead, Chinook, sockeye, coho, chum and pink salmon, rainbow trout, arctic char and dolly varden, grayling and all of Alaska’s saltwater species. The combined fishing experiences of both Troy and Tony are quite impressive. Troy is the founding editor of Fish Alaska magazine, the state’s premier fishing publication. Troy’s writing is nothing short of high quality literature. He would certainly get my vote for Alaska’s poet laureate of fly fishing. Tony has been a guide, manufacturer’s representative, fishing industry consultant and life-long Alaska angler. Both writers demonstrate deep love for Alaska and its sport fish.
The book is a must for anyone who has either fished the Greatland or has ever dreamed of fishing there. It is very well written and reads like angling literature. This is the perfect book to read in front of a fireplace on a cold winter’s night.

LONG ISLAND’S BEST FRESHWATER FISHING
The second local book is Long Island’s Best Freshwater Fishing (OutdoorTom Publications, 2004) by Tom Schlichter. Tom has more than 40 years of fishing experience under his belt, with most of that know-how specific to the freshwaters of Long Island. If your interests include catching trout, largemouth bass and panfish from Long Island, this book is a must have. Tom will guide you to the most productive freshwater hotspots and explain how to catch our most coveted gamefish.

The Teacher
The final recommendation is not really a fishing book but rather a psychological thriller authored by Long Island fisherman and outdoor writer, Robert Banfelder. Bob is not only a very accomplished angler but also a very talented fiction writer, who manages to weave fishing tidbits into his compelling suspense novels. His book, The Teacher (Port Town Publishing, 2006) will have you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for what comes next. If you enjoy your reading on the scary side, then this is a book you should read on a dark and cold winter’s night. If you like being frightened, you won’t be disappointed. This is really a great read.


Personal Fly Fishing Favorites

Saltwater Flies of the Northeast is being acclaimed as one of the best and most thorough works on the subject. Included are over 400 patterns, many of which have evolved from existing patterns as part of the renaissance that saltwater fly fishing has experienced over the last decade or so. It is published by Frank Amato Publications (www.amatobooks.com).

Fly Fishing Long Island should be required reading for any Long Islander who practices the art, whether in freshwater or salt. It is an amazingly thorough guide that gives up numerous hotspots from Staten Island to Montauk. Another chapter covers baitfish and the best patterns to match the available forage. You’ll find this soft cover book filled with valuable insights into the fly fishing game, in addition to its extensive where-to coverage. It is published by The Countryman Press.

The Fourth Quarter

This week’s local fly-fishing tracked closely to the performance of the financial markets and the economy – it moved south in a hurry, with a few signs of imminent promise. Reports were rather thin this from most sources since the very low temperatures kept many anglers off the water. The early part of the week did see some rather large schools of small bass off the north shore shoals but that action was primarily in very deep water…too deep for even the highest density sinking lines. And that action is now fading. Some large blues were mixed in with the bass. The north side beaches were - for the most part - very quiet, and for the first time this season nothing of note to report from the north shore harbors. Montauk was extremely quiet for the fly crowd but there was some success farther west down the south shore beaches. Yet, it is not all doom and gloom. Most of the general reports indicate there were numerous small bass dispersed throughout areas of the central and western beaches on south side of the Island. Some of those fish were right in the wash offering good shots with the fly rod. The stripers seemed to be traveling with schools of bunker and shad.
The final stages of the Long island season can prove a boon to fly anglers under one very special situation – the presence of herring. When herring make a showing striped bass – usually big ones - home in on this late season dietary preference and feed aggressively. The larger and more widespread the schools of herring, the more the bass will school in an attempt to maximize the consumption of this annual bounty. Some of the largest bass feeding binges of the season will occur at this time.
Fly fishermen eagerly await this potential bounty. When top water feeding blitzes are encountered they can often cover acres and the bass will readily hit flies. The stripers are most receptive to larger fly patterns at this time of year. Big white flies with flash fished on intermediate or sinking lines in and among the feeding bass will often times bring forceful strikes, resulting in some of the largest fish of the season.
The real opportunity of this fishing is that it often goes unnoticed since most fly anglers are not on the water at the time the herring appear. There is still time to give this fishing a try so keep an eye open for diving gannets that also enjoy the tasty herring. While herring will move though the Sound, the best bet for encountering this type fishing is off shore of the south shore beaches.
We have to look slightly to our south to see the week’s most consistent fly-fishing. Now more than ever during the remaining part of the season the most dependable action for the salty fly angler will be along the western reaches of the south shore and down through Staten Island, the New York Bight and all along the New Jersey beaches. It may be time to gather up a few of your fly fishing buddies and take a road trip to the Garden State.

Fundamentals of Fly-Fishing the Surf

Fundamentals of Fly-Fishing the Surf

Join Angelo Peluso for a unique fly-fishing class. Instruction will take place at a beach location where the fundamentals of fly-fishing will be taught in an informal and conversational setting. The basic program is geared for the new or intermediate fly angler with customized sessions available for those anglers with more experience.

Topics covered will include:
*Casting
*Retrieves
*Line Selection
*Leaders/Knots
*Fly Selection
*Essential Gear
*Reading Water
*Elements of Structure
*Tactics for local game fish

Individual and group sessions (up to four participants) are available, and can be structured to meet any specific needs or interests. The full program runs three hours. Specialized hourly classes can also be arranged.

Individual Rates: Full 3-hour program: $195.00/ personalized one student class
$75.00 for customized hourly sessions

Group rates (two to four students): $160.00 per student/3-hour program

Classes can be scheduled throughout the year. Some light beach walking required for the full program.

Contact: SaltyFlyLIF@aol.com or
Apdotcominfo@aol.com

Fly Fishing Around the Island

It’s a bit like singing the same old tune but Montauk again proved music the fly rodder’s ears this week. The fish, mostly bass, pushed anchovies close enough to the beaches and into the wash for great action with flies. The southside was inundated with bass in close and offshore albies, while the northside saw bass mixed in with hordes of ever-present bluefish. While most of the fish have been mid-sized bass there have been some huge stripers coming within range of the fly rod. A friend’s email to me stated, “At times it looked like the breaking waves contained 90% fish and 10% water!” It doesn’t get any better than that so now is the time to cash in on the action before the bulk of the schools move south. Actually, that has already begun to happen, as there have been quite a number of solid fly catches reported in the vicinity of Shinnecock and Moriches beaches. While the east end should continue to stay hot for a while longer - since fish are still being caught to our north - plying the beaches further south could yield impressive results in the coming days and less angling competition.
The flyrodders on the beaches of the Sound are singing an altogether different tune. The west end of north shore has been producing well with bass and bluefish as those fish stage to move further west into the NY Bight and out to the ocean for their annual trip south. The beaches of the east end from Southhold out to Orient have also been very active with fish, some days providing great fishing, others days a bust. Those fish are beginning to move around the horn to the south side and then down the south shore for their migration down the coast. But the central part of the Sound is quite lethargic at the moment. It’s a coin toss as to whether any meaningful run will still occur, with the exception of fish still in the harbors that will soon begin to move out. Some of those bass and blues will move east, while some will move west. The best advice right now is to move around and don’t stick to just one place waiting for the run to materialize. Take your fly rod on the road and go find the fish. As for the false albacore, nothing of any substance to report on the north shore. If anything, the sightings have been few and far between and no reported catches of merit.
I’ve received some emails about fly choices for this time of year and I’d like to pass along my response: “As far as flies go, the keys this time of year are the various baitfish that are moving long the beach: peanut bunker, mullet, spearing, sand eels, bay anchovies, butterfish, etc. Flies that imitate baitfish in size, profile and coloration will serve you well for most situations. In generic terms you can't go wrong with Epxoy Baitfish, Deceivers, Clousers, Half and Halfs, and an assortment of EP Flies. And mix up the fly lines as well from intermediate lines to high-density sink tips.”

Head East Young Man

The temptation to head “east” was building within me since the week before last, reaching a zenith when I spoke with my good friend, Captain Adrian of Alpha Fishing Adventures about getting together to toss some flies around. We decided to head out to Montauk on Thursday, with the primary objective of exploring for hard tails…albies. As it turned out, Montauk didn’t disappoint and the rips delivered. The bluefish were easy, the bass required some coaxing and the false albacore made quite a showing, yet displayed a very high sense of feeding selectivity. At first, Captain Adrian and I cast various flies to busting little tunny and had many follows, swirls and subsequent rejections. We tried big flies and small flies and all of our personal favorites without so much as a touch. At one point I had tied on every one of my productive bonito and albie flies, to no avail - not one solid hook-up. There was plenty of interest in our patterns but no takers. We were getting quite frustrated by these fish. It was then that my angling partner reached into his fly box and pulled out a very diminutive pattern that he had yet to try. As it turned out, that fly reinforced the old adage that when fishing for albies, a fly’s size and color often does matter. While I have caught albies in the past on large silversides patterns and even large plugs, on this day they wanted none of that. They were keyed in on flies that precisely matched the size, profile and coloration of the real bait they were eating – bay anchovies.
The first retrieve of that newfound fly brought a solid strike and following a few superb runs, we tailed the icebreaker, a solid albie of about 7 or 8-pounds. I continued using a mid-sized hair fly until Adrian’s second cast brought another strong take. Several runs later we tailed the second consecutive albie on that fly. It was then that I decided to grub one of those flies from my buddy and give it a try. Adrian handed over his only other remaining fly of that design and I tied it on. Coming upon a fresh pod of fish my first cast with the day’s magic pattern resulted in an instantaneous hook-up. Adrian hooked up again as well. We were now onto something. We caught quite a few more albies using that fly and kept praying some errant bluefish wouldn’t hit it - the 20-pound fluorocarbon certainly would not withstand their teeth. Fortunately, for the balance of the day, we encountered only bass and albies.
The albies were present in very solid numbers. At times, there were so many sizeable pods of fish around us we didn’t know which ones to approach first. That is a nice fly fishing problem to have! I am just going to have to head back out there again soon to try for the ones we missed. The albies are sure to hang around for quite a while longer. If you’d like to know more about the specific pattern we used, just email me and I will respond.
I called Adrian (Alphafishing.com) on Saturday morning since he was back out at Montauk with a charter. As soon as he answered his cell phone, it was, “Hi Ang, Its AMAZING today! We have been surrounded by acres of busting striped bass and albies all morning. Gotta go, call you later. By the way, my arms are killing me!” Now how do you think I felt about that report sitting at home at my PC writing this blog entry? I was wishing I were there instead of typing at the keyboard. But the good news is this is only the beginning of some great fly-fishing at “The End”! Montauk should see a terrific fall run for fly anglers.

Alaska Silver

Late summer and early fall are two of the best times of the year to fly-fish the great state of Alaska. The months of August through October are a splendid season to chase magnificent silver salmon (coho), large rainbow trout and the elusive steelhead. For me, there is no better time to venture north to the Greatland in search of bright, ocean-fresh fish that ride the last tides into their natal streams. These fish are very receptive to an angler’s flies. Large, wild rainbows fatten up on omni-present and protein-rich salmon eggs. Steelhead begin a period of activity that typically peaks on many rivers in October. And if that isn’t enough, big dolly varden, arctic char and grayling all willingly eat most any egg pattern that drifts their way. The fly-fishing can often be non-stop.
Silver salmon are truly one of this planet’s great game fish. Coho are my favorite Alaska species, since they are very fly- fishing friendly and embody all the traits of a first-class game fish. Any number of brightly colored patterns can be effective for fresh silvers but one of the very best ways to catch these aggressive fish is on top water flies. The once odd but now accepted method for accomplishing this is through the use of hair-bug Wogs. These are typically tied in hot colors such as pink, fuchsia, chartreuse or cerise and orange. The Wogs are tied in a fashion similar to deer hair bass bugs and typically include a tail, some flash and a big tapered head and body. To witness the gaping maw of a huge hook-jawed male silver track a topwater fly is enough to test any fly anglers mettle.
My first exposure to this form of fly-rodder occurred many years back in Western Alaska on the the Kanektok River. This body of water is part of the Kuskokwim draingage that flows into the Bering Sea. It is an exquisitely remote location renowned for its unique strain of leopard rainbow trout, but the area is also well known for its prolific runs of silvers. It was here that I got my first taste of topwater silvers and I’ve never looked back. Since that time I’ve caught cohos in similar fashion from a number of other Alaska rivers. When conditions allow, there is no more fun to be had than catching silvers on top.

B&B...Bonito and Blues

Sometimes you just have to thank the fish gods for bluefish, especially when it gets tough chasing after the local inshore pelagics. The only guy who is happy to see the bonito disperse is my local gas station attendant! The ratio of gas dollars to fish spotted was astronomical. I did find some very scattered fish early last week in a most non-typical area well away from the crowds but they were there for only one day and gone the next. That is why it pays to explore every once in a while. You just never know where the concentrations of “bones” will show up. I am of the opinion that is how it will be until we get another strong push of fish through our area, which could be in a matter of hours, days or weeks. Or it just might be the next tide. While they do show marked preferences for certain areas around Long Island, these aquatic sprinters can cover long distances in short amounts of time as they search for optimal conditions and bait. If you like pursuing bonito with the fly rod my advice would be to keep at it, be persistent and embark upon a journey of discovery! I guess I’ve just been spoiled with a few of the remarkable past seasons but I will still keep looking and casting. Each and every bonito on the fly is a worthy accomplishment!
Despite the relative scarcity of bonito there are the bluefish - lots of them, with many big fish in the mix. As is typical for this time of year the blue bruisers hit everything thrown at them. They put a substantial dent in my large-fly wallet as their huge maws sliced through 40, 50 and even 60-pound fluorocarbon leaders as if they were 6/0 tying thread. But the ones that were brought to submission were well worth the price I had to pay. One double-digit fish jumped so close to the boat that it brushed against the top of the gunwale, and I could swear by the look in its eyes, it had designs on some “vital” areas of my anatomy. That put me on instant alert! These big fish seem to be everywhere right now: western north shore harbors, south shore inlets and bays, offshore, the central Sound and at both forks of the east end. Striped bass are still falling to flies fished in and around structure, mostly in the very early morning hours or well into the night. Moderately –sized to larger flies seems to work best on often reluctant bass. During the daytime, varied size, color and retrieves and at night give those darker-colored flies a try.
The offshore fly-fishing crowd is enjoying some fine big-game fly-fishing with SBFT, mahi and bonito. That action remains solid from New Jersey up through New England.
Now that there is a tinge of fall in the early morning temperatures I eagerly await those cooler days and evenings that will motivate the bass to more regularly visit the beaches within casting distance of the fly rod. Still no meaningful reports of Little tunny (albies) but if that is going to happen in a substantive way, we should see some fish soon enough.

No "Bones" About It

We have now entered the pelagic zone. This is the time of season when fly anglers' thoughts turn to local members of the tuna and mackerel family. The first of those annual pelagic visitors, Spanish mackerel and bonito have made their way to our inshore waters. I have been chasing Atlantic bonito around Long Island for more than thirty years but I never tire of catching them on the fly. The advance guard of bonito showed up several weeks ago in the central Long Island Sound area, but as of late those early shows have gotten somewhat scarce. The fish that are still hanging around have developed a mild case of selective lockjaw but that could change as quickly as the next tide. If you encounter stubborn fish, mix up the selection of flies and retrieves until you hit upon the right combination. Pods of bonito are now dispersed around Long Island and by all current accounts appear to be moving east to west and setting up shop. Increasing numbers of recent reports indicate bonito catches in areas of the western Sound and central south shore locations in close proximity to inlets and bays. Several fly anglers who chase bonito regularly report finding larger numbers of fish in the western most regions of the Long Island Sound. As the fish disperse they are also showing up in some non-typical locations so it pays to do some scouting and exploring. While the numbers of bonito are not yet anywhere near the epic runs of 2003 and 2007, we should see more fish moving into Long Island and Connecticut waters in the coming weeks and months, and along the south shore as well. Expect the numbers of Long Island "bones" to build to a crescendo as they eventually mix in with later arriving Little tunny and then peak during the fall run. In addition to all the prolific bait that has been around the past few weeks, I've encountered massive schools of bay anchovies as well. Their presence bodes well for pelagic enthusiasts. With a little luck we may also get some inshore shots this season at skipjack and small bluefin tuna. Pelagic species can at times be very tough fish to get to eat a fly. Their presence has a way of bringing out the best and the worst in anglers. Please remember to exercise courtesy when fly-fishing for them. There is absolutely no need to blast in on an angler who is either hooked up or patiently waiting for a pod of fish to surface. The most enjoyable part of this game is finding, hooking and catching your own fish, not finding some other angler who is catching them! Good luck!

No Excuses

If ever there was a corporate slogan appropriate for saltwater fly-fishing it would be Nike’s ever-popular catchphrase, “Just Do It”. For some reason it seems as if a lot of would-be salty fly anglers are always just getting ready to “do it”, but never quite get it done. It seems too as if something always stands in their way and that conditions are not always deemed quite right or perfect for the fly rod. The excuses for non-participation run the gamut: too windy, too calm; too cold, too hot; too much rain, not enough rain; too sunny, not sunny enough; too many bugs, not enough bugs; the Yankees lost, Boston won! On and on the excuses go for leaving the long wand tucked away in the closet. There is no such thing as perfection when if comes to saltwater fly-fishing conditions. If you fish coastal areas anywhere along the northeast corridor – or anywhere in the coastal United States -you will more often than not encounter adverse weather conditions and lots of wind. One can learn to either cope with those conditions and how to catch fish despite them, or keep the fly rod locked away for elusive “better” days.
I recently read a fellow’s fishing report thread on one of the regional fishing websites. He details every element of his outings, from the exact time he awoke in the morning to what he had for breakfast that day, how long it took to get to the launch ramp, including the delays on the highway, and he catalogs each and every fish caught. He also often lists his reports under the category of “fly-fishing” but has yet to report catching a fish on the fly. According to the reports, conditions were just never quite right for fly-fishing so the tackle of choice became either conventional or spinning gear. It seems as if some conspiring set of forces are always at work preventing the use of the fly rod by others as well. More often than not the perceived nemesis is the wind. I overheard one other fellow tell someone he recently purchased a “long wand” for those days when there is the slightest of breezes and generally flat conditions. He went on to say, “…you know, those days when it is just right for the fly rod.” Wrong! There is no such thing as “just right”. Some of the best days fly-fishing are unsettled ones, as they are for other forms of sport angling. Granted, it is much easier to toss a two-ounce plug on an 11-foot surf stick into a stiff 20-mph wind than it is to do the same with a fly rod, but, nonetheless, fish still can be caught under those conditions. It is a matter of perseverance, practice and a positive mindset.
I’ve had many of instances with my own fly-fishing that prove the point but two are real standouts in my mind and have influenced my use of the fly rod. The first occurred during a trip to Alaska and involve 40-plus mile per hour winds and driving rain, and the second was on Long Island involving wind, rain and high seas. In both instances, lots of fish were caught on the fly. So don’t hesitate to grab the fly rod, even if you think conditions are less than ideal…just do it! You might be very surprised at the results.

Flatfish on the Fly

Of all places for the idea to strike me was the lounge area at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage Alaska. Each one of my fly fishing pilgrimages to the great Northland for salmon and trout hasn't officially begun until I am seated at a table in the Millenium savoring a basket of mouth watering halibut chunks and enjoying a couple of ice cold Alaskan Ambers. It has become a tradition for me, and this time I didn’t wait for my fishing buddy’s flight to arrive before indulging myself.

The culinary pleasure I was experiencing must have been obvious since the guy sitting one table over turned to me and said, “Those chunks are pretty good, aren’t they?”

“The best”, I replied, “I wait all year for this. And the brew just hits the spot.”

Then this fellow proceeds to tell me that he is up there to do some halibut fishing -not unusual for the time of year. But what was a bit out of the ordinary was that he was doing his halibut fishing with a fly rod! That grabbed my attention. Another order of chunks and another Amber and I was all ears! This guy proceeds to tell me that he has caught halibut on the fly up to about fifty pounds but wanted to break the one hundred pound mark on this trip and see if he just might achieve a new tippet class world record. Now I am thinking if big fluke are doormats, then large halibut are the barn doors, and it would be quite a feat to land one on the long wand. The largest fly rod halibut on record is currently one hundred and eleven pounds – one mighty large flatfish!

I listened to my new acquaintance tell me how the big flatfish lie in wait on the bottom camoflauged by their speckled brown topside and white underbelly and how they will travel up the water column to pursue a wide range of prey. While they spend most of their time in deep water they can often be found in the shallows but a few meters deep. Sound familiar? Well it should because the habits of halibut are likewise displayed by its diminutive cousin, the fluke.
I wished this fellow well in his quest, my fishing buddy finally arrived and more halibut chunks and Amber had been ordered, but the seed had been planted. I took the concept back to my home waters of the Long Island Sound and have since had a ton of fun with fluke on the fly.

Points of Transition

Edges, corners and points of transition are attractors for all sorts of fish and game. Fishermen and hunters alike gravitate toward contour changes in pursuit of quarry that have a proclivity for these areas as well. A big largemouth on an outer edge of a submerged brush pile, a huge buck in the corner of a woodlot or striped bass at the transition point from sand to rocks are all examples of locations of potential wildlife and fish activity. The salty fly fisherman would be well served to pay attention to these and other similar geographic considerations and variations in structure. Just recently I was fly-fishing a stretch of beach in the wee hours of pre-dawn. Shuffling along the sand bottom I made cast after cast without a single bass showing so much as passing interest in my fly. At one point I sensed a bottom change through my wading boot; the structure beneath my feet transitioned from smooth, soft sand to what felt like a pebbly bottom. Within two or three subsequent lateral steps, I had a nice striped bass strike my fly. A few casts later, another bass hit. At the time I didn’t think much of it and continued my way down the beach, moving off the rocky bottom and back on to sand. But after wading an additional one hundred yards without another hit, I began thinking about the pebbles and stones that had been underfoot. I retraced my steps back to that general area of change and began casting, positioning myself first over the sand bottom. I waded again laterally and as fate or luck or structure would have it, once I hit upon the pebbled bottom, more bass ate the fly. What now became an obvious revelation was that as long as I stayed within that small area of transition I caught bass. If I moved off from that preferred bottom situation the bite became non-existent. I continued to catch bass that morning as long as I stayed within the parameters of the gravely transition zone. But what was even more revealing to me was that this pattern continued for more than a week of fishing, as long as I moved from one similar area to another. Sometimes it just pays to have sensitive feet and to listen to what your wading boots are telling you!

Casting the Whole Chicken

A couple years ago at an Eastern Flyrodders of Long Island meeting I watched world renowned fly casting expert Mark Sedotti toss a 20-inch, large bodied Slammer Fly – the size of a full grown oven-roaster - one-hundred-twenty feet with a six weight fly rod. The audience didn’t believe what they had witnessed, so to convince them Mark did it again. This time the fly sailed the same distance and with pinpoint accuracy almost landed in the cup of a practice hole at Indian Island Country Club in Riverhead. I also witnessed Mark do the same thing at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset NJ, only that time he knocked down the backboard as the cast’s finale! My first thought was Annie Oakley, for this just had to be a trick cast. Mark is a very gifted and athletic caster and a topnotch angler as well. I equate his casting abilities to those of a baseball pitcher. A lot of folks can throw strikes but only a handful can do so at 95 miles an hour! To do so takes an extra special genetic makeup. I mentioned that to Mark and added that only he and a handful of other casters I know could do what he does with a fly rod and big flies. After all, his casting seemed to defy the rules of physics. Mark response to that, “Anyone can do it.” OK, I’ll bite - what’s the trick? “No trick,” Mark shot back. “The secret is a ‘weight-balanced’ fly. My first thought was, I don’t care how weight-balanced a fly is, throwing a chicken on a six-weight is just not possible, even though I had seen him do it.
After the Eastern exhibition the group withdrew to the clubhouse and Mark explained his fly tying and fly casting theories. Simply put, add enough balanced weight to a fly in the form of a keel, allowing the fly to overcome air resistance and drag, and casting really big flies is a breeze. Simple? Yes! Does it work? Yes! It still takes honed casting skills to toss a fly like Mark, but his approach teaches us an even more important fly-fishing lesson - think outside the fly box and don’t always subscribe to conventional wisdom or theory. That is how the sport of fly fishing advances and how we enhance out own abilities. By the way, if the opportunity ever presents itself, take a fly-cast lesson with Mark. Even if you are an accomplished caster, his tips and techniques will make you better.

Don't Go in the Water

A number of years back I was wade fishing for snook along a stretch of beach on Sanibel Island, Florida. It was one of those picture-perfect Gulf Coast days. Being immersed in water up to mid-thigh depth kept me cool, and a cast-friendly breeze aided my distance as I worked the fly rod. I was proud of my casts as the fly sailed out just beyond the first set of small breakers and settled in the trough preceding the next grouping of waves. I shuffled along slowly, casting to new water every few feet. My solitude was interrupted by a surprising voice behind me, “ Nice casting there fella. Too bad all the snook are behind you!” “What? What are you talking about?” I replied.
The fellow motioned for me to get out of the water and come stand up by him. I was taught at a young age not to talk to strangers but I sensed this guy might have some fishing wisdom to share so I took the risk! Out of the water I came. “Let’s just watch for a few minutes,” he said. Within moments he pointed to a few ghost-like images cruising up the edge of the shoreline, the telltale black lines dead giveaways to the snooks’ presence. We waited and we watched as small pods and squadrons of snook passed by one after the other, all well behind the position I’d been fishing just moments before, and very near to the shore. It made me think that had I dropped the fly behind me on the back casts I may have had some hook-ups. The old gent winked at me and continued on his walk. I continued fishing but now I stayed planted on terra firma, and I caught snook.
The lessons of that experience were vividly awakened recently as I waded a favorite stretch of local beach for striped bass. Once again I was in up to my stripping basket and impressing myself with the casting. I heard a slight pop off to my right and just caught a glimpse of silver as a fish appeared to be turning on small bait. I slowly backed out of the water and watched. Within minutes I spied hundreds of small, slender and frenetic sand eels shooting past my vantage point. Hot on their heels were some decent-sized stripers. I made one short false cast angled to the right and dropped the fly no more than fifteen feet from shore. A couple strips were all it took for the first of numerous bass to take. I walked the beach for the balance of the tide, not once getting my waders wet. There are certainly times while fly-fishing our local beaches when it pays to simply stay dry at the water’s edge. The obvious situations are pre-dawn, dusk and at night when fish cruise close to where water meets land searching for shallow water prey. Another similar situation is during the spring when bass run thin water looking for sand eels, as are certain periods during the fall run along both shores of the Island, when high incoming winds force bait into the zones along the edge. Every once and a while make a few casts before forging ahead into the water. You might be surprised at the outcome.

Crab Flies and Striped Bass

Casting crab flies to striped bass might be as close to technical fly-fishing as we have on the local saltwater scene. Bass love to eat live crabs of all varieties, but getting them to eat a crustacean imitation is not an easy task, especially if you’re sight casting to them in thin water or on the flats. That takes patience, stealth, accurate casting, an enticing retrieve and a modicum of good luck. It is one of those techniques where the fly angler has to actually “feed” the fly to the fish. The two most common methods for fishing crab flies are drifting them while blind casting to probable feeding stations, or visually sighting and casting to bass feeding in shallow water. The latter is unquestionably the more demanding and challenging approach. One thing is for certain when fishing in this manner – each bass caught is well deserved and gratifying.
Alan Caolo is one of the very best crab fly anglers in the Northeast. His book,
Sight-Fishing for Striped Bass (Amato Publications, 2001) focuses on various fly fishing strategies and is filled with helpful hints and tips on skinny water fly fishing for striped bass, including those involving crab flies. I touched base with Alan recently and he graciously provided some words of wisdom regarding his experiences fly-fishing crabs. His insights are sure to enhance any fly angler’s understanding of crab fly techniques.
“Fishing crab patterns here in the Northeast for striped bass and tautog is a relatively new approach that’s quite a bit different from the usual tactics employed by fly-rodders. There are certainly times when dead-drifting unweighted crab flies in currents, or casting-and-retrieving weighted patterns (as one would a Clouser Minnow) while “blind-fishing” will take fish, but, for the most part, crab flies are “sight-fishing” patterns. To fish them effectively, anglers must “feed” the fly to a game fish that was first spotted, and then presented the fly. The fish’s response to the fly must be visually interpreted during the retrieve as you “convince” the fish to take it. It is the need to read the fish’s behavior as you cajole it to eat that makes fishing these patterns (for the most part) a sight-fishing game – much like when bonefishing.
There are a number of very good crab patterns specifically developed for Northeast sight-fishing today; Dave Skok’s Blind Crab and Calico Merkin, and my own Green Diablo and Pink Lady are four of my favorites. A key to fishing these flies is getting them in front of the target fish with a presentation that lands the fly far enough ahead of the fish to avoid spooking it, and so as to allow it to settle to the bottom before the fish spots it and the retrieve is started. Once the fish sees it and is interested, try not to impart too much movement to the fly; a tempered retrieve that is punctuated with twitches, nudges, and is frequently paused is best for closing the sale . . . much as with bonefish and permit in the tropics.”
I’ll second the choice of Caolo’s Green Diablo and Pink Lady and add a few more patterns that are personal favorites: BMAR Crab, Samson’s Stone Crab, Mikkleson’s Crab-A-Dab-A-Goo, Courchaine’s Monomoy Crab and Murphy’s Live Body Defense Crab. Within our fishing range the most predominant species of crabs are: fiddlers, green, calico, mud, blue and Asian, all dietary preferences of local stripers. Many of the more effective permit and large bonefish flies also work well for striped bass. Keep some light tan, dark brown and mottled-back crabs in your fly arsenal. That combination of colors can handle most any conditions you will encounter on the Island.
I was honored recently by a stocky 33-inch bass that chose to eat one of my small crab fly concoctions. This occurred in an area with a large number of Asian crabs that wash into a small backwater eddy. Needless to say, that fish made my day! While the fly is more of a hybrid crab/crustacean pattern, it is fished like a drifted crab and the bass seem to like it.

Tarpon...Almost

I returned recently from a few days on the west coast of Florida where I was totally harassed by some large tarpon. I fished with Captain Nick Angelo of Tampa, who guided me to my fair share of shots at these magnificent fish. Catching these oversized, prehistoric herring on the fly can be a daunting and humbling task. While I have had success in getting tarpon to the boat using fly-fishing gear, that objective was not achieved this time. I did manage to stick flies into the bony maws of three “poons”, and I did jump a one hundred-pound plus fish. But in the end, the quarry won! Consistent success at this game requires a resolute will, patience and unyielding determination; success is often measured in small victories. The challenge is to place the fly in the path of oncoming fish, often moving at high rates of speed across open sand and grass flats. The fly must be presented at a correct angle so that it crosses the path of the tarpon in a natural way. This involves leading fish with the cast, much as a quarterback leads a receiver. Easier said than done! Despite their size, tarpon are surprisingly wary of anything – including flies- that comes at them from an unnatural direction. Once the fly is cast and allowed to sink to the level of the fish, long, steady retrieves should get it to intersect the fish’s route and capture its attention. Should the fish react to the fly in a positive way, chalk that up as a minor victory. But this is where the real fun begins. When a big tarpon tracks a fly in thin water it is tough to maintain one’s composure while watching the drama unfold! I can vouch for that from personal experience. Buck fever pales in comparison to this deal! But the fly must continue moving along steadily and in a way so as to maintain the “beast’s” interest. Sometimes, tarpon will nose the fly or bump it. This is when one’s self control needs be at its peak. Often, a break in the retrieve with either a slight pause or some form of subtle seduction - like jiggling the fly with the rod tip - can excite and stimulate the fish. The goal at this stage of the presentation is to make the fly look alive - to get the tarpon to want to eat it. If the fish actually does inhale the fly, consider that another minor victory, or perhaps even a small miracle! When it does eat, one of two things will happen. The strike will either be an unmistakable, bone-jarring smash or a take so subtle you will think a small sea trout may have mouthed the fly. This latter strike is where it gets tricky. The natural inclination is to lift the rod. That is a big mistake! I’ve been there too! At this point in the game one needs to keep the fly in motion, even if you see the take and the accompanying flash of a turning fish. The key is letting the line go completely tight, as if you were hung up on a log. Once that happens, a few strip strikes just might seal the deal. If the fly angler makes it this far, congratulations on a job well done. But the mission is far from accomplished for this is when the difficult work begins. Tarpon can pull as hard as a Mack truck, and they will go missile ballistic as airborne acrobats. Should the fish choose to stay low and deep, just settle in for a long, hard fight. If you hook a flyer, all sorts of nasty things can happen. But that is a story for another time.
When the tarpon frustration levels reached their zenith on my trip, I worked off the excess stress by throwing flies to snook in the mangroves, permit on the points and bars, small grouper on the rocks, and tons of little tunny! Not a bad release valve!

Sand Eeels

At this time of year most fly anglers dream of big fish - stripers, blues and weakfish- gorging on big baits like bunker and shad. So do I. But I dream as well of being surrounded by swarms of more pint-sized bait - sand eels. It is a unique time for salty fly anglers when striped bass get into a feeding mood prompted by hordes of sand lance. Stripers will often throw caution to the wind and feed voraciously and without trepidation. That time of year is now upon us.
It was two years ago and this exact point in the season when I stood thigh deep in water, surrounded by literally thousands of slender sand eels. They were simply doing what sand eels do and I remained an inconspicuous observer of their behavior. I can only describe their numbers as being swarm-like, moving and flashing about with not a care in the world. And then the tide began to change.
At first it was one or two bass, charging in among the small eels to feed. Then the numbers of stripers grew and before I realized what had happened an armada of bass lay siege to the hapless eels, all while I remained a motionless spectator parked in the middle of the melee. Bass came so close to me at times I could feel them brush up against my waders. They were so totally preoccupied with feeding on the eels, they cared not at all that I was standing in their dining room. It was a remarkable sight and very typical of mid-spring outings around Long Island. I watched the display of organized bedlam unfold, and then the opportunity of the moment-hit home – make a cast!
I backed out of the water trying to mimic the stealth of a Great Heron slowly stripping line from the reel. I made my cast and line shot through the guides of the nine-foot fly rod. The fly landed in the fray and sank to the sand bottom. I retrieved it with a slow, deliberate pulling motion. The fly didn’t get very far. Its forward progress was halted almost instantly and as I set the hook I could feel that satisfying bulk of a good striper. The vigorous fight didn’t at all deter other bass from their feeding onslaught. I could still see numerous slashes and splashes and the omnipresent bright silver reflections as the sun’s rays re-bounded from the small eels bodies and the larger masses of pursuing predators. The bass continued with their feeding fixation even as I landed and released a stocky 32-inch fish.
Quite a number of full-bellied stripers were landed and released that day as the fishing lasted for more than three hours - it was at a pace that could not have been surpassed. Almost every cast brought a bump, a hit or a hooked bass, mostly school fish but a half dozen or so keeper-sized bass as well. It was one of those perfect days that fly anglers dream of. But that is just how it can be when sand eels are around. And that time is now upon us!
As far as sand eel flies, there are a wide assortment of patterns that are very effective at this time of year but you can’t go wrong with any of the following: Mikkleson Lavender Sand Eel, generic Epoxy Sand Eels, slim Deceivers, long Clouser Deep Minnows, Ray’s Fly, Angel Hair Sand Eel, BMAR Wounded Sand Eel, Bunny Tail Sand Eel, Yak Hair Sand Eel, Corsair Sand Eel and the Popovics Jiggy.

The Importance of Lines and Retrieves

The question most often asked of successful saltwater fly anglers is, “What flies do you use?” But the more revealing question is what fly lines do you use? Some might say the fly is everything when it comes to catching fish. After all, it is called “fly” fishing. And I must admit that there have been certain times in my own experiences when that magical pattern was the only thing to elicit strikes from reluctant fish. One design picked from among the many would somehow hold all the charm. There is no denying it; we all have our favorite “go-to” flies. But more often than not, success for the salty fly angler is defined by how a fly is fished rather than the actual selection itself. Size, profile and silhouette are the key factors to a fly’s success, much more significant than anatomical precision. And above all else, how a fly behaves in the water is the most critical element. If I might proffer a contrarian view, the fly is not always the key to the kingdom!
The goal when fishing any pattern is to replicate the movements and behaviors of natural prey; in essence, to create the illusion of a familiar food source that appears to be easy pickings. Salty fly anglers should attempt to match the natural movements of natural prey. A key to achieving this is utilizing the ideal fly line for a given situation. Unless I am fishing top water flies exclusively or fishing extremely skinny water over very wary fish, I rarely employ the use of a floating fly line. Almost all of my saltwater fly-fishing involves the use of some form of intermediate or high density sinking tip, or a complete sinking fly line. Simply put, sink-tip and full skinning lines are essential to any salty fly angler’s consistent success. Add to the equation that most striped bass feeding activity occurs beneath the surface - not on it - and I’ve come to depend on those sinking lines more than my choice of rod and reel. New York-based Cortland Line Company (http://www.cortlandline.com/) makes an excellent selection of very versatile saltwater fly lines that cover a broad range of water conditions and levels, and they work very well in Long Island waters. I am especially partial to their intermediate sink-rate Ghost Tip series and their selection of Quick Descent high-density sink tips, in 15 and 30-foot lengths. The running line on their Quick Descent products doesn’t hinge or bind when casting or retrieving. That is a big plus. They also offer an expansive selection of changeable Precision Shooting Heads to meet most any circumstance.
Certainly, there are good flies and there are bad flies, at least from the perspective of pattern structure and quality of tying. But chosing the right fly line and employing effective retrieves will bring the salty fly angler greater catch reliability than constantly laboring over the selection of the absolute “perfect” fly. Get an enticing fly into a bass’ feeding zone, make it look alive and more often than not, you’ll be rewarded with a hook-up, regardless of the feathers, fur or synthetics tied to the hook. When it comes to saltwater fly- fishing success it is better to fish the wrong fly right, than the right fly wrong! Vary your retrieves, and like all good baseball pitchers, change-up every once in a while. The fish will tell you what they like and what they don’t!

Welcome: Spring has Sprung

Welcome to my new fly fishing blog, dedicated to fly-fishing the great waters I fish. Whether you are a novice, intermediate or advanced fly angler, this space will be devoted to topics of interest and value to all who pursue salty game fish with the long wand. Our focus will be on fly-fishing commentary, fly tying, products, timely reporting and any and all issues relevant to today’s avid saltwater fly angler. If you are inclined to toss flies into reshwater or saltwater this blog will be your weekly guide to a rewarding time on the water. We will cover the beach and boating beats as well as the increasingly popular kayak fly-fishing scene, and we will take a look west and east, north and south - wherever fly anglers roam.
Should you have any questions, areas of special interest, feedback or a report of your own fly fishing accomplishments that you’d like to share please email me at apdotcominfo@aol.com(not case sensitive). I welcome all comments and would very much like to hear what topics readers of this column would like to see covered. But as the saying goes, spring has sprung, and the fish are becoming increasingly cooperative and receptive to flies.
The table has been set for a feast of spring fishing on Long Island and early-bird fly anglers are beginning to earn their seasonal stripes. The Island’s fishing is developing steadily and consistently. At the moment, it is two thumbs up west and south with a slow build on the north shore and east ends. As is typical on the local fly fishing front, areas to the west lit up first. Jamaica Bay and Little Neck Bay have maintained their reputations as two perennial hot spots where fly anglers flock to get a first crack at spring stripers. Areas around City Island like Turtle Cove and the Orchard Beach Lagoon quickly followed suit by relinquishing schoolie-sized bass to flies. But for some J-Bay anglers the real surprise of this young season has been the size of the weakfish. While these large tiderunners – 12 to 16 pounds - were initially caught live lining bunker it wasn’t long before diligent flyrodders began hooking-up on smaller weakfish using a variety of bunker flies. It might serve the fly angler well to use patterns that incorporate hot colors such as yellow, orange, pink and chartreuse. Much like their cousins, the spotted seat trout, northern weakfish can at times be very partial to those hot hues and tones, and those colors have a solid track record of inducing weakfish to strike flies.
The eastward progression of the season has resulted in some fine striper catches in the back bays of the south shore and the sheltered harbors of the north shore. The majority of fly activity has been in and around the shallows of Fire Island, Jones Beach and Great South Bay. Bass also have been caught on flies in Riverhead area, Peconic Bay, Moriches Bay, and the western end of Shinnecock Bay. On the north side of the Island, Manhasset Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington Harbor, portions of Smithtown Bay and Mt Sinai Harbor have seen the first of the year’s bass succumb to flies. While most of the fish have been school-sized bass there are some nice keepers in the mix. The early arrival of hungry and aggressive bluefish has also kept a steady bend in the rods of many conscientious flyrodders, especially along the entire south shore. With blues already entrenched in the “hood” it might be worthwhile getting that bite tippet on the end of your leader soon rather than later. With the invisibility factor of fluorocarbon don’t fret too much about going too heavy – it won’t spook the bass. Depending on the size of the blues, 30 or 40-pound shock tippets should do. Just remember to use a loop-type knot so the fly swings freely when retrieved. Very often when using heavy leaders, standard attachment knots like the clinch or improved clinch knots tend to bind up the fly and cause it to track awkwardly while lessening its effectiveness - loop knots tend to be much more effective. Also change frayed tippets regularly. An assortment of bunker flies, slim Deceivers, Clouser Deep Minnow and Half and Half patterns have been some of the early season favorites.