Weatherby's: A "Grand" Destination

I first visited Grand Lake Stream Maine in July 1988 and became as hooked on the region as were the fish I caught. My wife and I traveled to this destination as part of a summer road trip that included sightseeing and fishing. While the tourist part of the trip was most enjoyable, the fishing was nothing short of spectacular, especially for smallmouth bass. Our mid-summer adventure did not necessarily coincide with peak spring and fall smallmouth fishing, but you could have fooled me. No matter where we ventured, we caught bass, and lots of them. Most were fish in the 1-½ to 2-pound class but there were enough quality fish in the 3 and 4-pound range to keep me on my toes after each cast. We fished for five days and literally lost count of bass that certainly numbered in the hundreds. I have been back this region many times since and often refer to the area’s fishery as a smallmouth bass factory. And if the smallies aren’t enough to keep you occupied, Grand Lake Stream proper is home to some exciting fishing for landlocked salmon.One of my favorite bass fishing spots is the St. Croix River, bordered by Maine on one side of the river and Canada on the opposing bank. I would always begin and end my trips to this region with a float on the St Croix. Nothing quite beats the aesthetics of fishing the St Croix in a traditional Grand Laker canoe and enjoying a timeless Maine shore lunch. The upper reaches of the St Croix hold some very magical smallmouth waters and prolific populations of fish. Flies, small plugs and any assortment of plastic baits work wonders on those river bass. But the St. Croix is far from the only game in town. Grand Lake is a classic Down East smallmouth bass water, replete with boulders, shoreline structure, coves, creek inlets and deep water holding areas. For a taste of Maine “wilderness” fishing, Third Lake Machias can’t be beat. It is one of a chain of Machias Lakes that includes First Lake through Fifth Lake. All Machias lakes are wonderful and productive places to fish; Third Lake has yielded some of the best dragon fly-fishing for smallmouth bass I have ever experienced. During the course of my visits I have also been treated to day expeditions to other places like Pocomoonshine Lake, Big Lake, East Lake, West Lake and Long Lake. I have never been disappointed by the outcome on any of the area’s waters.The smallmouth season typically begins in late May as the air and water temperatures steadily increase and become more consistent. The pre-spawn and post-spawn bass fishing can be as good as it gets anywhere, with 50 to 100 fish days not that uncommon. The month of June offers high quality finest top water smallie fishing with popping bugs or topwater plugs. The fishing remains productive throughout the summer months with flies and a variety of artificial baits quite effective. The season runs through September, a month known for fast action and big fishThis region is one of four in Maine that have native populations landlocked salmon - cousin the mighty Atlantic salmon. One major difference between the landlocked salmon and its larger relative is that the landlocked salmon are actively feeding while in the Stream during the summer. The season for the salmon begins early May after the ice leaves our lakes and they follow the smelt, a favorite forage fish, into Grand Lake Stream. Not long after the white suckers move it to spawn another wave of salmon targeting the sucker eggs follows. Late May and June bring the May fly and caddis hatches, followed by alder flies, stoneflies and other terrestrials in July. Typically during mid-summer the salmon move to the deep pools or into the lakes to feed, only to return in late September and October to spawn. We fish until October 20 and experience tremendous fishing for large salmon in the spawning dress during this time.Your best choice for a base of operation for your Grand Lake Stream adventure is Weatherby’s, an outstanding historic lodge situated in the heart of town. Weatherby’s offers central access to some unique landlocked salmon fishing and is a hub location for spring boarding to the areas unsurpassed smallmouth bass fishing. The lodging, food and hospitality are second to none and Weatherby’s also boasts one of the most professional cadre of skilled guides available anywhere. The lodge is one of the oldest and most famous fishing destinations in North America. Many famous visitors have stayed and played outdoors using Weatherby’s as a their home base, including the “splendid splinter” himself, Ted Williams.Weatherby’s is also an excellent destination upland game hunting. The area is renowned for woodcock or “timberdoodle” shooting.
For further information about accomodations, seasons and rates visit the lodge's website at www.weatherbys.com .

Fundamentals of Fly Fishing the Surf

Join Angelo Peluso for a unique fly-fishing class. Instruction will take place at selected beach locations on Long Island 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 more experienced anglers. With more than thirty-five years fly-fishing experience under his wading belt, Angelo has a wealth of information to share with the students attending his classes.

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

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 to meet specific needs, interests or time constraints. Most classes are offered evenings and weekend, and are scheduled throughout the entire year. Some light beach walking required for the full program.

Classes are scheduled throughout the entire year. Some light beach walking required for the full program.
For individual or group rates please contact: apdotcominfo@aol.com

Fabulous Long Island

It is no secret that Long Island is a sport-fishing Mecca. Anglers from around the globe travel to this piece of extraordinary real estate to sample its remarkable bounty of marine game fish species. Some of the best of that fishing occurs off the north shore of the Island. The waters of the central Long Island Sound are especially fertile and rich in wide variety of marine life. Harbors, beaches, bays and the open Sound are collectively ground zero for some of the finest fly and light tackle angling our region has to offer. Indigenous species, joined by migrating pelagic visitors are present seasonally in local waters, offering numerous opportunities for recreational anglers. Local area fishing literally heats up as springtime air and water temperatures rise, fueling a resurgence of many forms of baitfish, crustaceans, crabs and other varieties of prey species. The larger game fish predictably follow in hot pursuit. Fishing activity builds throughout the spring and continues into the late fall months.

Each spring brings with it a fly-fishing and light-tackle renaissance. Within the parameters of legal seasons the local angling scene revolves around a number of prominent game fish: striped bass, weakfish, hickory shad, summer flounder bluefish, Atlantic bonito, false albacore and Spanish mackerel. These great game fish provide wonderful fly and light tackle sport fishing opportunities. Fortunately for the fishing community many of these fish linger in the neighborhood, providing not only a productive season but an extended one as well. For most avid anglers, fishing exploits begin in April and end as late as mid-December. By any standards, that is a long fishing season.

The Long Island Sound is the beneficiary of time honored fish migrations from the west and east. Species like striped bass and bluefish move into the Sound either coming up the south shore and then heading north and west, or by moving through the New York Bight and East River, heading east. The Sound is a unique melting pot in that it is often the place where fish traveling from the west meet fish moving in from the east; they congregate and they stay. And as long as conditions of water temperature and bait sources remain conducive to their life styles, the game fish too will remain.

The numerous harbors that dot the Sound are very productive fishing grounds. The harbors and other protected bays and backwaters, can be quite productive in the spring striped bass and shad. The Sound is also well known for its phenomenal run summer flounder, colloquially referred to as fluke. The season for fluke typically runs from late spring until the end of summer. Bluefish also consistently roam this area and range in size from small snappers to massive “choppers” of over twenty pounds. Within the boundaries of the harbor one can explore other productive backwater areas, some even containing very fishable flats. These early season locations are ideal for a shallow draft boats or kayaks. One might also chose to wade into the Sound to surf fish or to launch a boat at one of the many launch ramps. If you have not fished this area, the services of a professional fly and light tackle charter guide will trim your learning curve and put fish on the end of your line.

Black Nose Dace and the Grease Line

The very first streamer fly I ever tied was a Black Ghost, and that was many full moons ago. I took painstaking care to craft it true to its original recipe –my tying instructor would expect no less. It was a great fly for brook trout and largemouth bass. The second streamer of my young tying career was a Black Nose Dace. It too was a terrific trout fly and also accounted for its share of freshwater bass, but it did something else - it caught schoolie striped bass as well. I tied that first simple and classic “dace” more than thirty-three years ago and it is still a favorite pattern of mine, only in a slightly different form. I fundamentally super-sized the Dace for saltwater duty and found it to be a most effective fly for bass when early season sand eels are present in back bays and harbors.

I have always been a believer in the transferability of patterns and techniques from freshwater to saltwater and vice versa. What works for one species of fish often is effective for others. I have experienced that with fish like striped bass, salmon, redfish, snook and other species that have similar feeding habits and life styles. About eighteen years ago I started converting some of my favorite freshwater streamer flies for use in saltwater. The first of those were Pacific silver salmon flies that I discovered worked well for striped bass. After sixteen trips to Alaska fishing and catching all fives species of Pacific salmon I had amassed an arsenal of very effective patterns. I began thinking that some of those flies just might work on my home waters for striped bass. After all, stripers and Pacific salmon share some similar traits: both fish are anadromous, living a portion of their lives in freshwater and saltwater; both spawn in rivers; and they have many similar feeding behaviors.

Pacific salmon are partial to bright, hot colors, especially the tidal fresh fish that are just days and weeks away from beginning their spawning metamorphosis. Colors such as pink, cerise, orange and purple are especially productive. Striped bass have a tendency to prefer more subdued colors that present the hues and tones of local baits. Once I got to tinkering with my salmon flies for stripers I made a few modifications to those silver salmon patterns, the resulting variations proving quite productive on stripers and other game fish that inhabit the northeast. I replaced the hot salmon colors with favorite bass colors: white, yellow, green chartreuse, olive, blue, red and black. I added some hackles as undulating tails, replaced the “loud” sparkle with understated flash and added some weight. Abracadabra…hocus pocus…presto-change-o…a fly that striped bass and largemouth bass love. Since making those fly conversions I frequently use my favorite classic freshwater streamer flies as the basis for saltwater patterns. It has turned out to be a fun way to experiment with flies. If you’d like to give that a try, one great classic resource book is, Streamers and Bucktails, Joseph Bates Jr. circa 1950. Its been reprinted a few time so it should be fairly easy to find.

While on the subject of streamer fly conversions I’d like to mention a salmon and steelhead casting and retrieving technique that works wonders in saltwater – the Grease Line Technique. It is especially effective when fishing streamer-type flies that have a lot of inherent action from the use of flowing materials. This line management technique allows a fly to be presented to fish with a broadside presentation. An advantage of this perspective is that a fly drifting in this fashion allows its wide profile and silhouette to be much more visible to fish. The origins of the technique extend back to European Atlantic salmon fishing and dry fly fishing. The method got its name from the practice of applying grease to silk lines to prevent them breaking the water’s surface tension and sinking.

I have found that grease lining works very well when using intermediate sink tip lines or higher density tips like Types III through VI. Using sink tips enhances the technique and allows the fly to reach deeper into the water column without having to add any additional weight to a fly. While originally applied to currents in streams and rivers for salmon and steelhead, the technique works very well in rips, seam water, and in currents where striped bass feed.

The objective of the grease line technique is to allow the fly to drift through fish holding areas with no drag to the line or fly. This enables the fly to simply float naturally through the course of the drift with the enticing movement of materials as a key attractor. As the fly nears the end of the drift and begins its upswing motion, additional action is imparted to the fly by retrieving it as one would a streamer or wet fly. It is important when employing this technique to maintain contact with the fly since fish can strike at any point during the drift. In many ways it is like drifting nymphs to trout.

The manner in which the fly is allowed to float freely throughout the course of the drift is achieved through a series of line “mends”. Mending is accomplished by picking up the line periodically during the drift and moving it back up current, thereby maintaining a drag-free flow. Using the rod, the line is actually picked up off the water and then re-positioned at a point above its last location. The combination of streamer flies and greased line is unbeatable.

Fly Fishing Long Island

FLY FISHING LONG ISLAND is now available... If your travels take you to Long Island and if you enjoy fly-fishing then this book is a must have. Fly Fishing Long Island by Angelo Peluso (WW Norton and Company/Countryman Press) is the most comprehensive guidebook ever written about freshwater and saltwater fly-fishing on Long Island.Long Island has long been known as a fisherman's paradise - now it's been rediscovered as a world-renowned saltwater fly fishing destination with equally impressive freshwater opportunities. The fall runs of striped bass, bluefish and false albacore draw anglers from far and near. The Island also boasts world-class freshwater fisheries with opportunities for sea-run brown trout and rainbow trout; bass and panfish also abound in lakes and ponds.While much has been written about various aspects of Long Island's fly fishing opportunities, Fly Fishing Long island is the first comprehensive compilation of all that Long Island has to offer. Fly Fishing Long Island highlights everything the experienced - or the novice - angler needs to know, ranging from destination information to how to catch the available variety of game fish species.Angelo is a regular columnist for the New York and Long Island edition of The Fisherman Magazine, as well as a contributor to numerous local, regional and national publications His previous book, Saltwater Flies of the Northeast, is an acclaimed best seller. His writings and photography have been recognized by the New York State Outdoor Writers Association, the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Association of Great lakes Outdoor Writers.Angelo lives and fishes on Long Island. Copies of the book can be purchased directly from the author at angelopeluso.com or emailing him at Apdotcominfo@aol.com. The book is also available at all major retail outlets, online booksellers and various fishing shops throughout the region.

Saltwater Flies of the Northeast

The Northeast United States is home to some of the finest saltwater fishing our planet has to offer. It is a destination all serious fly anglers should fish. Saltwater Flies of the Northeast, authored by Angelo Peluso and published by Frank Amato Publishing(Portland Oregon) will serve as an essential reference guide for both beginning and advanced fly anglers and fly tyers. It is also a window on the world of some of the region's most successful fly fishermen. It contains the profiles of exceptional flies of more than 100 professional and amateur tyers, guides and captains. Their designs and patterns have been successfully fished regionally - from the southern tip of New Jersey up through the rugged coastline of Maine, and most all locations in between. Within these pages are the "go-to" designs that each contributing fly tyer, professional guide and captain uses when the going gets tough.This comprehensive book contains beautiful photographs and stunning artwork, plus descriptions and recipes for 370 of the most effective Northeast saltwater fly patterns being used today. An indispensable guide for fly tying, this book will become a "must-have" for the serious or aspiring saltwater fly tyer and fly angler on either coast.Angelo lives and fishes on Long Island. Copies of the book can be purchased directly from the author at angelopeluso.com or emailing him at Apdotcominfo@aol.com. The book is also available at all major retail outlets, online booksellers and various fishing shops throughout the region.