AP's Fly Fishing Journal

Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast

2010-07-24T11:21:00.003-05:00

Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast(Amato Publishing 2011)is the sequel to the highly acclaimed and popular Saltwater Flies of the Northeast. This latest project by author, Angelo Peluso covers the geography from the Carolinas to the Texas Gulf Coast. The focus of the book is fly patterns and their development throughout that entire region. The book will present approximately 360 of the best saltwater fly patterns, representing more than 100 fly tiers, captains, guides, club members, shops and outfitters. The list of contributors includes some of the most well known contemporary tiers as well as a number of exceptional amateur artisans. The work is being designed as a functional, comprehensive "bench" resource book of significant saltwater fly patterns developed and used in the Southeast and Gulf Coast for all primary game fish, flats, inshore and offshore. Images of the specific fly patterns have been achieved through high-end professional digital photography. Every effort has been made to portray the flies in a manner that will offer significant differentiation from those images that appear in other fly tying publications. A unique studio set was created to achieve these desired results. The book will also include the unique artwork of a very prominent and talented Florida fish artist. This unique art form has never before been paired with fly patterns. SWFSE&GC will also include a collectoin of informative vignettes and essays. No matter where you fish the flies in this book will help increase your angling effectiveness and efficiency. If you love to fly fish and are intrigued by flies, this volume is destined to be an essential part of your arsenal. Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast is scheduled for publication mid to late 2011. To a reserve a first edition copy and to receive updates simply send an email to apdotcominfo@aol.com with SWFSE&GC in the subject line. Thank you. AP

Mid Summer Report

2010-07-24T08:03:00.002-05:00

Well…this week’s fishing scene finally forced me to tie on a bite tippet. There are just too many bluefish around and not enough time to tie replacement flies for all the ones they destroy. The beaches of the Sound, the beaches of the south shore and all offshore locations on both sides of the island are packed with our favorite yellow-eyed devils. North-side bass seem to have temporarily abandoned the shallows in favor of deeper haunts but early morning and nighttime excursions have yielded some nice fish for fly and light tackle fans. Before the last blast of tropical heat many of the backwater areas off the Sound had reached temperatures of about 80 degrees. And it is only going to get hotter. That level of water warmth is more conducive to bonefish, snook and redfish, so the stripers as well as the bait sought cooler water. The south shore bass bite continued at a solid pace with massive hordes of bunker spread out from west of Fire Island Inlet out to Shinnecock Inlets. This past week big bluefish in the 12 to 14-pound range found the bunker and most often beat the bass to the bait. Light tackle angers have been enjoying that action. While bluefish and fluke continue to dominate the daytime programming inshore, bass have settled into their mid-summer feeding patterns. It’s been flies and plugs at first and last light and under the blanket of darkness. Mostly school-sized bass in close with a few teen-sized fish. Bait dominates right now on offshore structure. About this time in the season my thoughts begin to turn to the arrival of Atlantic bonito to the shore of Long Island. The bait and water temperatures are conducive to attracting these pelagics once again so keep your eyes peeled for these hydrodynamic rocket ships. They are one of the finest fly and light tackle game fish that visit our area. Stay tuned.

Montauk Tackle Company Fishing "T"

2010-06-18T20:45:00.007-05:00

Two pieces of fishing apparel that I consider essential for rounding out my fishing arsenal are a lucky hat (aren’t all fisherman superstitious?) and a great long sleeve tee-shirt; a technical “T” as those anglers in the know refer to them. I have a clothing dresser full of those shirts. That all started with my days fishing in Alaska where my wife would comment that all the fish in the photos looked the same and I always had that same dumb (she meant lucky) hat on. All of my Long Island-based exploits were always met with the same reaction, so I needed to differentiate from among the fish in the photos. My solution to the dilemma: different fishing T-shirts. But now I have acquired a shirt by the folks from Montauk Tackle that is so good all I want to do is wear it on all my trips. You can well image the confusion that will once again create with my fish photos. I can hear it now, “How do I know that isn’t the same fish in all those photos. You are always wearing that same green tee-shirt.” Yes, I am guilty! Truth be told I’ve worn the Montauk Tackle “T”on fifteen consecutive fly-fishing trips this spring. That shirt, my lucky hat and some terrific sand eel flies did a number on early season stripers, and I simply refused break up the outfit. I was afraid not to wear the shirt for fear of also breaking the good spell that I was under. Actually, I was wearing the tee so much my wife had to remind me to… “take it off and wash it before it stands up on its own." She was right but so was I since the shirt even in its unwashed state was the most comfortable, durable and functional fishing tee I’ve worn. The Montauk Tackle “T” shirt wears well, does an excellent job of wicking away perspiration and washes nicely (I eventually gave in) with virtually no shrinkage or color fade. I will be inclined to wear it throughout the entire spring months, cool summer mornings and in the fall. All in all it is a very fine product, competitively priced, starting at $24.00. For further information you can check out the tee shirts and the entire line of outstanding Montauk Tackle products at MontaukTackle.com

Oh, one final thing, my solution to the inevitable, “That’s the same shirt in all the photos, so how do I know it isn’t the same fish?” is to buy one “T” in all the colors they offer. That should do it!

Productive Spring Stripers

2010-06-18T13:50:00.001-05:00

This spring’s productive fly and light tackle fishing continues at a strong pace. Solid reports filtered in throughout the entire week with no signs of the action letting up. If anything, the way the bait is shaping up should signal even better fishing days ahead.
This week alone bass were found sipping sand eels, chasing spearing, chewing on bunker and herding massive schools of porgies to the surface. The porgie-fest occurred in the Sound and anglers lucky enough to be there when it came off were treated to hours of aggressive bass to twenty pounds smashing top water plugs. Now if that action doesn’t set the stage for some fast paced fly and light tackle fishing nothing will. Most of my time on the water this past week was around evening and early morning tides with some decent results with bass and blues. The highlight of those outings was during the weekend while I was roaming around a north shore beach during an early afternoon tide. With fly rod in hand I was picking away at bass on a sand eel pattern. On the way back to my truck I stopped at one last spot and tied on my hybrid ‘Creature Fly. My fly must have landed at precisely the right spot and at the right time since four fish ate it on four consecutive casts. Two of the bass were over 35-inches. On the Boga, one was 18 pounds, the other 16 1/2 pounds! The last of the four hit like a freight train and after more than fifteen minutes of tug-of-war, I got to see it. It was a bit more than the size one hook cold handle. The fish rolled on the leader and it was bye-bye. Best bass of the day! But at least I got the best of it. Sometimes it just pays to try one more spot! And I am definitely tying up a few more of that pattern! Stay tuned.

Long Island Striper Fishing Gets Hot

2010-05-23T18:04:00.000-05:00

It didn’t take any magic, crystal balls or alchemy to predict that last week would yield a solid bounty of fish all around the Island for many fly and light tackle anglers. The presence of bunker, sand eels, spearing, grass shrimp and crabs, combined with the building new moon phase, cloud cover and low barometric pressure all worked to pop the lid on the local fly and light tackle scene. One of the seasonal guideposts I use to gauge saturation of fish in local waters is when good numbers of bass and bluefish reach central Sound areas…and that they did this past week in solid numbers and size. The low pressure phase of the week yielded the best results as evidenced by this week’s array of reports. Based upon my own personal sampling of the opportunities there are tons of small bass around in the 20 to 27-inch range and a solid core of keeper-sized fish that have been falling to flies and other artificial baits. Slim Deceivers, elongated Clousers and any variety of sand eel patterns have been getting it done. Keep the retrieves on the slow side and try a change-up or off speed retrieve every once in a while. You’d also be amazed at the number of bass taking flies that are being inched along right off the bottom. On the light tackle side of the equation, the hot bait of the week had to be light bucktails tipped with small soft plastic trailers and freshened with scent. Fish are both in backwater areas as well as inlets, harbors and off open beaches.

Captain Vinny Catalano of JoeyCCharters.blogspot.com logged in to let us know that it is happening big time for his charters. He advises that, “For the past week or so I’ve been waiting for the bite to bust wide open with the amount of sand eels and bunker around. It was only a matter of time this week coming up to the new moon; finally, the bass bite has been epic! According to Captain Vinny, many of his trips saw 20 to 30 fish days, “…with lots of big fish in the mix in the mid to upper teen range.” All fish were taken on both fly and light tackle spinning. Vinny has also been spotting some of the first signs of fish on the flats but that fishing has not yet materialized due to conditions made tough with wind and thunderstorms. Captain Vinny expects this coming week to bring more rolling bass in the mornings and increasing sight fishing opportunities on the flats for the rest of May and June.

I also heard from fellow flyrodder, Larry Winston who recently returned from fishing down in Bonito Springs, Florida. While Larry reported a severe winter snook kill in that part of Florida his welcome back to Long Island included a few very productive trips for spring stripers. Larry has been fishing some East End flats and been doing very well on bass. According to Larry, “I've managed two sight fishing trips on local flats since I returned and was only held back by poor sighting conditions and the two day ‘hurricane’ that just ended. The fish I have been seeing are big and hungry and also all covered with sea lice.” Larry’s two best fly rod fish so far have been a 37-inch, 19 ½ - pound bass he I got on a streamer fly of his own design, and a 32-inch, 11-pounder. He added that he has only caught three fish under 28-inches since he’s been fishing the flats.

Joe Cravata from J&H Fishing Outlet also touched base to let us know there were reports of bass and blues at Jones Inlet by the Coast Guard Station. According to Joe, those fish were taking Lefty’s Deceivers and sand eel patterns, olive over white. Joe added that there were also bass at Moriches Inlet and along the east jetty…“The east side flat have has also been producing. These fish were taking large bunker flies on sinking lines the flats by Sayville have also been producing.” Over on the North Shore Joe reports bass and blues in Northport Harbor, Sunken Meadow, the mouth of the Nissy, the Brickyard, and along the open beaches from short Beach and Long Beach to Porpoise Channel and Stony Brook Harbor. A variety of Deceiver and sand eel patterns are seeing the most action. Andrew from J&H reports that AJ Forzano has brought in a nice selection of saltwater flies to the shop and that they have also received a solid array of freshwater flies. Andrew would like readers to know that the shop’s fly rod selection is growing: St. Croix fly rods have been delivered, as well as a full selection of Cortland rods and reels; any G Loomis rod is available to be ordered. Call 631 244 0600 for further information and shop hours.

Captain Danny Reich of NYCFlyFishing,.com tells us that J-Bay was hot again this week. According to Captain Danny, “I'm happy to say I was right about the fishing getting better with the weather. This week has seen a new push of bass, crystal clear water, and great fishing.” Danny added that the best part of the fishing was that for the entire week he didn’t lip a fish under 24 or 25-inches. “Most of the fish caught were in the 26-inch range, with some in the low and mid 30s, and up to about 40-inches. All fish were eating the fly really well, and many times we could see 2 or 3 fish competing for the fly.” As far as bait goes Danny advises that there are immature spearing around as well as, adult bunker. He expects a solid push of sand eels in the next week or so.

Captain Paul Peluso of Momma Mia Charters emailed to let us know that he has been taking light tackle bass in the Moriches area on bucktails. Tuesday morning saw 6 bass come to the boat with 3 keepers. On Wednesday, he netted a couple more linesiders with one keeper. Captain Paul indicated that Wednesday’s outing also found him in the midst of a major league bluefish blitz.

Fishing should only get better from here!

Legacy of Respect

2010-04-07T18:33:00.003-05:00

by Angelo Peluso

The opening scene in the movie adaptation of James Fennimore Cooper’s, “The Last of the Mohicans” is a revealing simile for those of us that share a love of the outdoors, especially fishing and hunting. The setting is the mid-1700s somewhere in the Hudson River Valley, a river that today gives life to many of the striped bass that northeast anglers are fortunate to catch. Back then majestic elk roamed the woods and were a valued source of food and clothing. As this scene unfolds Nathaniel Poe, better known as Hawkeye, sets his musket sights on an elk running through the thick woods. He fires the long rifle and Hawkeye remains true to his nickname - the elk crumbles. Poe and his two Native American companions rush to the side of their harvest. Upon seeing this great animal in death a somber reverence envelops the three hunters. Chingachgok pays homage, “We are sorry to kill you brother. We do honor to your courage and speed, your strength.”

Our Native American cultures all shared a belief that none of us can ever really own the land or that which cohabitates the land with us - “We just borrow it briefly from our children.” Interestingly, there is no term in Native American language to describe owning anything within the natural world, including the earth’s natural resources and its fish. Having spent a considerable amount of time fly-fishing the waters of Alaska I have been influenced by those traditional values and relationships between the first inhabitants of North America and the fish and game they pursued for survival. With respect to fish, they continue to demonstrate a deep and abiding reverence for the salmon they harvest. Simply put, they honor the fish they catch and take only what is needed to survive. Theirs was a quest was for survival, while today we participate in fishing and hunting mainly for recreation and sport. But our actions as sportsmen should always embrace respect toward the quarry we pursue.

I’ve had cause to reflect upon those values recently while perusing the pages of several fishing magazines and various on-line fishing websites. In one instance I was deeply moved to witness what I can only describe as the ultimate “hero conquest” photographs of images depicting a disturbing and unfortunate trend. There before me on those pages were images of numerous, large striped bass. These were not mere twenty-pound specimens; the bass were exceptional examples of their species, collectively ranging in weight from forty to sixty pounds and all taken on the same fishing trip. While their proportions were impressive, the most remarkable thing about this photograph was the fact that all the fish were dead! In some images the fish were arranged and photographed in a manner that depicted pure carnage and slaughter. In the course of one week I counted more than one hundred such chest-pounding conquest images. Most seasoned anglers reading this know the type of bass they were; big breeders, the ones brought to the point of extreme depletion in the 1970s. The ones whose demise lead in part to the precipitous decline in striped bass stocks throughout the entire northeast. The ones whose magnificent genes will no longer flow among the critical biomass.

Those photographs and other similar images don’t convey the kind of reverence we should show a great sport fish, particularly one that gives so many much enjoyment. Beyond the simple images, the words used to describe these modern day conquests are equally as unappealing. While our Native American brothers used words like honor and respect and courage to express their sentiments toward the fish and game they harvested, captions that accompany these dead striped bass photograph typically include words like, hammered and slaughtered, drilled, bailed, pounded, slammed and massacred. I often wonder if you don’t respect the fish you catch how can you ever expect to protect and preserve them?

While I choose to practice catch and release I am not at all opposed to keeping one’s necessary limit of fish. But to kill large bass simply because the limit affords the opportunity seems a bit archaic. And above all else just how much fish can one eat! Unless some of these anglers are provisioning third world nations, my guess is that a lot of those big fish fillets eventually wind up in dumpsters! The neighbors or the pets simply can’t eat that much fish either!

Most, if not all, of the fishermen I know release the vast majority of their big bass. They enjoy the tastier meat of smaller fish, and there is less fat tissue in those fish to capture harmful pollutants and contaminants. I will admit, there was a time in my distant past when a measure of a successful fishing trip was a stringer of dead trout or largemouth bass, or a limit of bluefish. I suspect that if you are over the age of forty-five or so, the same can be said of your fishing experiences. As I look back on those days and the photographs in my albums, they are stark reminders of a time when we simply didn’t know any better. It is not that anyone tried willingly to do any harm to fish populations. That simply was simply the way it was.

Enlightened organizations like Trout Unlimited and BASS began to change that mindset by aggressively promoting catch and release fishing. The practice was quickly embraced by their membership and spread throughout the ranks of freshwater fishermen everywhere. It became an accepted approach to fishing. There was a realization that a live bass or trout was a much more viable and economically profitable commodity than a dead one. It even became the basis for what are now internationally recognized tournaments. Early on, saltwater organizations like Save Our Stripers also worked to spread the gospel of sound conservation. Unfortunately, the results of those efforts were overshadowed by the striper’s demise. With the changing times, we now have entities like Stripers Forever, the Coastal Conservation Association and the Fisherman’s Conservation Association that work to herald the need for forward thinking resource management practices. Yet, there still remains a lag between those developments and the willingness of some recreations angers to embrace sustained catch and release practices in saltwater for trophy fish.

I can vividly recall the garbage-can loads of bluefish during the height of their population numbers in the 1970’s and 80s at just about any major launch ramp along the northeast coast. Given the astronomical numbers of bluefish around at the time, most folks believed it a limitless resource. It didn’t take long for us to realize that was far from the case. While bluefish saved the day for inshore anglers during the bass drought, they themselves were in the same danger of having their numbers drastically depleted. Many had even wondered if their populations had reached the point of no return. Some have even suggested that those populations may once again be approaching the danger zone. And let us never forget that devastating decline of striped bass could happen again. We need awareness, sound conservation measures, better science and a more sporting perspective toward our game fish. We need more saltwater recreational anglers thinking like their freshwater counterparts…limit the kill for there is no need to always kill your limit.

While there are substantial numbers of striped bass in our coastal waters today, my synthesis of many of the current striped bass population statistics leads to an observation that the last three years has seen a more than 26% reduction in the biomass of spawning female bass with a corresponding approximate 17% reduction in the numbers of migrating coastal stripers. While no one has quantified the effects on the bass population of the harvesting truly large trophy bass over the forty to fifty-pound mark, I think those referenced photographs speak volumes.

Today we are a lucky lot to enjoy some of the most prolific stocks of sport fish ever to which we can cast our flies and lures. But with that privilege comes an enormous responsibility to ensure that future generations will continue to share in the bounty. Perhaps we should all think about that the next time a magnificent striped bass or other great game fish honors us by eating one of our baits. Experience the immense satisfaction of seeing that remarkable creature swim away for others to enjoy.

Fundamentals of Fly-Fishing the Surf

2010-03-14T15:57:00.001-05:00

If you are interested in exploring the exciting world of saltwater fly fishing you may want to consider joining Angelo Peluso for a unique fly-fishing class. Instruction will take place at selected beach locations where the fundamentals of fly-fishing will be taught in an informal and conversational setting. The basic program is geared toward the new or intermediate fly angler with customized sessions available for more experienced anglers. With almost forty years of fly-fishing experience under his wading belt, Angelo has a wealth of information to share with students attending his classes. Topics covered include: Rod and Reel Selection; Casting; Retrieves; Line Selection; Leaders/Knots; Fly Selection; Essential Gear; Reading Water; Tactical Wading; Elements of Structure; Tactics for local game fish and 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. Individual instructions as well as small group (4) sessions are available. If you want to cut down the learning curve and quick start your fly-fishing game this may be just the ticket you need to get into ‘fish on the fly’ this season. Angelo’s popular and comprehensive guidebook, Fly Fishing Long Island, is also included as part of the class material. For further information and rates please contact Angelo directly at SaltyFlyLIF@aol.com or visit his website at http://www.angelopeluso.com/.

The Joys of Shad

2010-03-06T11:22:00.000-05:00

One of the feistiest early season light tackle and fly game fish is the American Shad. While Long Island sees mostly visits of Hickory Shad, the Americans are well within striking distance of Long Island anglers who might like a late March or early April break from the winter hiatus. The Delaware and Connecticut Rivers both still enjoy returns of American Shad. Most of my fishing for shad has been in the lower portion of the Delaware River. That shad run is still a much-heralded fish happening in all the towns along the Delaware. The run has been celebrated for as long as this great nation of ours has been united republic. Once living close to the town of Lambertville, New Jersey I had numerous opportunities to witness the last remaining seine netting operation of shad on the river. The Fred Lewis family still nets shad as it has done since 1888 from an island bearing the family name. From those nettings, the well-known Lambertville Shad Festival is kept stocked with an inventory of fresh fish for visitors to sample, cooked in a variety of tasty ways. The seining process is quite a unique sight and even more of a tourist attraction. Seeing all those shad is enough to get any fisherman excited.

I have been fishing for shad on a fly rod and light tackle for about twenty-six years now. My indoctrination to the species came during a period when I lived along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in Hunterdon County, NJ.
Big roe American Shad can reach weights of eight or nine pounds. The buck shad are about half that size. They will be active in the Delaware River from late March in the lower portions of the river until late June in the upper reaches above the Water Gap where they spawn.. Shad prefer cooler water temperatures and will become active with water around the mid-fifty degree mark and into the low sixty-degree range. While they can still be found during summer months, the spring is by far the peak time.

Since catching those first shad I make it a point to target them in the early part of each season and I always have a wonderful time with a suitably sized fly rod or light spinning outfit. Most any small to moderately sized flies work well, and truth be told they offer much more sport than early-season stocked trout. They strike lures aggressively, and go airborne. When the choice is planted trout or fresh sea run shad the shad will always win out in my book. Shad belong to the same family of fish as herring and the same family as tarpon. While diminutive in size they have inherited many of the same sporting qualities and attributes of their very large cousins. They are a fun fish. And they will offer a ‘quantity’ experience as well.

When fly fishing for shad, the lighter the outfit the better. Any good trout rod in 6 or 7 weight is ideal; no need to go much larger than an 8 weight. Even if school-sized striped bass are in the neighborhood, the lighter rods will offer much more enjoyment. Since shad feed on a wide array of food sources from plankton to small crustacean and baitfish, a number of different flies will work quite well. Small versions of Deceivers and Clouser Minnows are ideal but I have found that tiny dart-sized flies used for Sockeye salmon work very well in all sorts of wild colors, chartreuse, orange, gold, yellow and red being some personal favorites. As far as lines go, preferences are toward high-density sink tip lines. A short, 6-foot leader is all that is required since shad are far from being line shy. Shad can also be fished effectively on light spinning gear with traditional darts, spinners and small tins.

Shad populations fluctuate so check on local state regulations before pursuing this spunky game fish.

Winter Happenings

2010-01-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

Brrrrr! What’s up with global warming? It feels to me like we are heading into another Ice Age! Time to get those tip-ups ready. Actually, as my fly-fishing thoughts turned to the southeast I contacted a number of my guide friends in Georgia and Florida to check out the ‘warmer’ fishing scene but they have been experiencing a bit of an unusual winter freeze of their own. While they may not be as good as we are at driving in the snow, they are still catching fish. In Florida, despite 20-degree temperatures and snow flurries, redfish are being caught with a high degree of regularity. They are a hardy fish, within reasonable temperature limits, and the months of January and February can be especially good months for the traveling fly and light tackle angler to target reds. Stay tuned for future issues of The Fisherman where we will present some terrific winter destinations for redfish as well as other species.

There is a line from the classic Sinatra song, “My Way”, that is a most appropriate lament at his time of year for Long Island’s fishermen. It goes something like, “…and now the end is near and so I face the final curtain…”
While not nearly as dramatic an ending as implied in that song, the distressing reality is that the curtain has long fallen on the 2009-fishing season. But fear not for we have budding hopes of a new beginning that is just around the corner. Perhaps we can develop a method of fly-fishing for cod! Fortunately, spring is but a few months away and with each lengthening day comes the anticipation of even better fishing prospects.

Luckily there is also a “fishing season” of sorts that can occupy our time while waiting for the warmer weather to herald the return of the fish. It is the season of fishing shows. During the winter months a number of excellent outdoor shows can keep one’s thoughts on fishing and help hone angling skills. The local and tri-state area hosts a number of excellent venues.

Here are a few of the winter offerings that local fly and light anglers can take advantage of. All are informative, entertaining and will go a long way toward reducing the effects of cabin fever. Mark your calendar with one or all of the following and take along one of your fishing buddies. You’ll have a great time.

A perennial favorite show for area fly fishermen is the Somerset NJ Fly Fishing Show. The show has once again returned to the Garden State Exhibition Center. It draws fishermen from the tri-state area as well as Pennsylvania and many mid-Atlantic and northeast states. It is a well-attended and popular show for both the beginner and advanced fly fisherman, and fly tier. It is also can be of interest to light tackle and traveling anglers. The big draw of this event tends to be the presence of many well-known names of the sport, in addition to a wide array of retailers, tackle manufacturers and destination outfitters. There are numerous casting and fly tying demonstrations and well as a comprehensive agenda of guest lecturers. The show has a reputation for being a great place to book a trip for the coming season; outfitters are on site at the show from Long Island to Alaska. The show runs from January 22 through January 24.

One show that is close to home is the annual New York Sportsmen’s Outdoor Expo at the Nassau Coliseum. The exhibitors at this show typically represent an eclectic array of interesting products and services for the outdoor enthusiast. As well, there will be a wealth of local information to be had from a series of daily educational seminars presented by some of Long Island’s best fishermen. The show runs January 29-Jan 31.

An interesting addition to the show slate is the Long Island Recreational Fishing
Expo at Queens College in the Fitzgerald Gymnasium. The show runs form February 5 thru February 7. The planned schedule includes free lectures and clinics.

Another good event in February is the New York Sportfishing Federation Show that has a schedule loaded with seminars by local experts. That show runs
From February 12 through Feb 14.

An annual favorite of area sportsmen is the Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition. This show is one of the area’s oldest and largest sportsmen’s shows. It is held each winter at the Rockland County Community College Field House in Suffern, New York…a relatively short drive from Long Island. This show is a veritable treasure trove of outdoor “stuff”. There is aisle upon aisle of new products, outfitters, tackle dealers and numerous other equipment manufacturers. Various demonstrations and lectures round out the offerings and can enhance any angler’s skills. The show runs from March 4 through7.

The Saltwater Fishing Exposition is a terrific show for saltwater fishing enthusiasts. With over 300 planned exhibitors, there should be something of interest for every fisherman who drops a line into the briny deep. The show is expected to cater to all forms of saltwater angling, including offshore, light tackle and big-game fishing. Retailers, captains and trip planning services will be available to show attendees. Boats, motors and kayaks will also be on display, as will all other types of gear associated with the sport of saltwater fishing. Rounding out the offerings will be a series of expert seminars that will run throughout the course of the show. The show runs from March 19 through 21 at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset New Jersey.

For those anglers shopping around for a new boat, the Suffolk County Boat and Sportfishing show will run from February 26 to 28 at the Suffolk Community College Sports and Exhibition Complex. A number of Long Island’s boat dealers will on hand with some of the current market favorites. This is also the show that the Fisherman magazine and the Long Island Outdoor Communicators Network award the prizes for the 2009 Youth Essay Writing Contest on February 27. This should shape up as a very nice event.

Many of the local Long Island tackle shops also host an interesting agenda of informative sessions during the winter months. Two of the more popular locations on the Island for in-shop seminars and lectures are the Orvis store in Greenvale and Campsite Sports Shops in Huntington Station. You can check directly with these shops for the dates of their winter programs. Local area clubs also offer interesting winter programs. Check out Eastern Flyrodders of Long Island, Salty Flyrodders of New York and the Long island Flyrodders

For further details and directions, simply “Google” the shows or clubs you are interested in. Enjoy!

Fly Tyer Profile: Bruce Marino BMAR Flies

2009-11-08T12:49:00.006-05:00

I first met Bruce Marino a number of years back at the Somerset New Jersey Fly Fishing Show. Bruce was one of the show’s featured fly tyers. I was at first struck by both the artfulness and originality of his signature BMAR Wounded Baitfish flies. Equally impressive were throngs of onlookers watching to see how he tied his creations. Since that first meeting I have come to know that the Wounded Baitfish series is a very effective collection of flies for an ever-expanding range of game fish species. These flies have garnered international acclaim and are widely used by fly anglers and guides alike.

Bruce has been at the game of fly fishing and fly tying for over thirty-five years and has traveled to many destinations to fish for both freshwater and saltwater species. Along the path of his travels some of Bruce’s flies have become staples in the arsenals of the local area guides –many consider the Wounded Baitfish as a “go-to” pattern. A number of places have adopted Bruce’s flies including Cooper's Minipi Camps in Labrador where they employ the BMAR Norway Rat, Hex and Stonefly patterns. Guides at Crocodile Bay Lodge in Costa Rica use several of the BMAR Wounded Baitfish patterns as well, where they are used to catch both offshore and inshore species.

Bruce is also an accomplished guide on the crown jewel of Connecticut, the Farmington River, and as a shore guide along the Connecticut coastline. He shares his knowledge and expertise as a writer and in the capacity of fly tying editor for Fly Fishing New England and Fly Fishing the Mid Atlantic States magazines. Bruce is also a March Brown travel fly rods endorsed pro. Among some of the of the projects that he has recently completed is one where he ties flies on circle fly hooks for a study being conducted by Left Kreh along with many working captains in the Northeast. In the past, Bruce was on the research and development team for D.H. Thompson Cobra Vise and he is one of the lead designers for Pacific Fly Group; they have mass-produced many of Bruce’s innovative patterns that are sold worldwide. Bruce will tell you that guiding on the crown jewel of Connecticut, the Farmington River and shore guiding the coastline of Connecticut are now his passions. He is also currently promoting his DVD, "Fly Fishing for Mako Sharks" and completing a second DVD on "Fly Fishing the Farmington River". I was so impressed initially with the BMAR WoundedBaitfish that I included the entire series in my recently fly pattern book, Saltwater Flies of the Northeast. If you would like more information about Bruce’s flies or his guiding operation you can contact him at BMARflies@aol.com

A Building Fall Run

2009-11-01T11:35:00.001-05:00

We are pretty well into it right now. Fish of all sizes seem to be spread out evenly all around the Island to the delight of many fly and light tackle anglers. Even the north shore got a nice jolt of bass this past week cruising the wash along the beaches. It almost had the feel of a legitimate fall run. While the western reaches of the Sound have been pretty hot as of late, the central Sound area only just heated up a notch. The area from about Cedar Beach in Mt Sinai out to Shoreham was especially productive with schoolies to mid-teens bass. I took a stroll on the beach slightly west of there Saturday morning and found some friendly fish. A group of local anglers was into them pretty solid. While most were small schoolies there were a few just-keeper bass in the mix. Fish in the wash, just a roll cast away, made for some nice in-tight fishing. The bass I saw taken were mostly caught on an assortment of plastics. Farther west the fishing remained consistent with the Triangle giving up a number of decent fish - both bass and blues – and Smithtown Bay is still showing signs of life. There were some solid reports as well coming in from the extreme western reaches of the Sound highlighting good bass, blue and ‘togs. The offshore shoals and deep water of the Sound also gave up some goods numbers of fish to diamond jigging. That is somewhat standard operating procedure for this time of year but the more that action builds the more the fish are staging for their retreat from the Sound, so the time to cash in is now. Albies are now more the exception than the rule with remaining pods taking up the rear of the run. Next stop, New Jersey and North Carolina. Moriches was hot this week as were many of the beaches to the east and west. The west-end had solid catches of fish and J-Bay is crankin’. Just a quick word on stripers. There is a report out on the state of the Chesapeake “young-of-the-year” striped bass. The report has been generated for that stock of fish for fifty years now, so there is a broad base of data that has validity. What it shows in summary for the period 2001 to 2008 is a dramatic reduction in the young-of-year stripers for the Chesapeake fishery, a resource that represents about 75% of the bass we see here on Long Island. As one renowned oceanographer put it, “the reduction is significant.” While we will report in more detail on those findings, as you fish the last innings of the 2009 season, try to keep only what you need and release the rest. I think some self-imposed limiting of the current take will go a long way toward ensuring the future health of the striped bass stock not only for us but also for our children. We don’t always need new laws to guide us to do the right thing. Thanks.

2009-10-13T06:02:00.000-05:00

In like a lion, out like a lamb. While usually reserved for a description of spring’s arrival and departure, that phrase may have applicability to this year’s fishing season. The Long Island spring run was stellar but the formation of a complete fall run around the Island has been slow to start and even slower to form. It’s more of a jog than a run. Some believe we may have already seen the best of it but just like Mr. October’s home runs, the best may be saved for last. That said there have been some very consistent bright spots for fly and light tackle anglers. Despite tough conditions, a number of anglers are putting together a decent string of fall catches. The easy blitzes that have become a trademark of east-end fall action are few and far between so far this fall. One key to success is putting in the time and being persistent. Right now the skills at finding ones own fish are much more important than following the crowd.

The Sound has continued to deliver bass, blues and albies on both the New York and Connecticut sides. The CT shoreline has even maintained a continued run of Atlantic bonito around the Norwalk Islands, as have some areas to our east in Rhode Island, the Vineyard an the Cape. Some “bones” continue to be taken on the Long Island side of the Sound as well, but the vast majority of the pelagics in that body of water are albies. Leaving the fly rod in the truck and taking up a medium spinning outfit I bumped some small bass and blues along the beach and spied some albies a few casts out of range. Shinnecock continues as one of the strongest albie magnets this season, when the water is clean and the bait in strong concentrations. The fish are not only feeding on small rainbait but the masses of sand eels that are working their way down the south shore. Small butterfish are also on the menu.

Despite often challenging conditions, a number of anglers are putting together decent strings of fall catches. The easy blitzes that have become a trademark of east-end fall action are few and far between so far this fall. One key to success is putting in the time and being persistent. Right now the skills at finding ones own fish are much more important than following the crowd. I took my usual long fall walk and wade trips along the a few north shore beaches and was totally amazed at the lack of in-close surface activity but bass, blues and albies are still being caught. Much of the north shore action is sub-surface, with fish hanging near the bottom so it is better right now to fish proven structure-holding areas rather than just looking for typical topside fall activity. Some recent crab hatches have given a few top-water anglers a real treat. Moriches gave up some very nice bass this past week with a number of solid fish taken on Friday and Saturday along the beaches west of the inlet. Perennial fall favorite, Shinnecock, has also continued to produces as increasing numbers of fish begin to move west and south. Beach bass are also being caught at Moses and well into J-Bay. The western Sound is fishing much better than central areas. Orient has been on at times with large blues and mid-sized bass on top-water and bucktails. The Montauk rips have been seeing some bass into the 30s on bucktails and a few diligent fly casters have taken schoolie to teen-sized fish from the sand beaches west of the Point.

Hard Tails Are Back

2009-09-17T05:10:00.000-05:00

They’re back! For those of you eagerly anticipating the arrival of false albacore, the long wait is over. While there have been some concentrations of fish around the Island for a few week, the albies seem to have engaged in an all out invasion this past week, on both shores of the Island and to the west and east. They are strong in Montauk, around Fishers, in the Sound and around Shinnecock. They are still active in the west end and J-Bay has a solid concentration of them. Some of the numbers of fish landed have been impressive. The “Alberts” are tending to run smaller than previous years, 6-8 pounds but they still are full of all the energy any light tackle or fly angler could ask for. I know two anglers whose catches last week would make an entire hard tail season for some. While the albies are gaining in strength, the bonito are the exception in local waters. There weren’t many reports of bones this past week. They still seem to be their strongest along the Rhode Island coastline. Big bluefish are still chomping they way through local bait. I hit upon some nice sized blues cruising right up along the edge of surf and beach. They had that early fall-run behavior about them and didn’t appreciate my flies intersecting their paths! My flies paid the price! In some quadrants of the Island bass are still responding well to flies and artificials and should only get better in the coming weeks. Montauk is just being Montauk and for those of you who throw flies, an entire season can be made out of the blitz days that are happening right now and will hopefully continue right through October.

Where Art Thou Atlantic Bonito

2009-09-07T19:11:00.001-05:00

There is slightly better news to report on the “bones” front for this week. Some of the bonito and Spanish mackerel that were tight along the near-New Jersey beaches are reported to have moved into Jamaica Bay. While the formerly steady Rhode Island fish have been an on-again, off-again proposition, and with some good catches one day and spotty action the next, a few pods of “bones” have been encountered in the extreme eastern reaches of Long Island Sound, and even fewer pods more further west. A friend of mine who fishes under the radar managed two fish this week out in areas of the eastern Sound. Reports of bonito in the western reaches of the south shore have been slim to non-existent. It will be interesting to see if those N.J. and J-Bay fish move east along the coast or up into the Sound. There’s plenty of bait around so the fish have options. There have also been bonito and abundant skipjack offshore traveling with the larger tuna so it remains to be seen if those fish choose to move inshore or stay out in blue water. Some of you also asked if I might suggest a rationale for this year’s pattern of local bonito behavior. The short answer is that fish do what fish do, not what we always expect based on prior seasons. A lot of variables affect fish species’ movements: water temperature, weather and winds, availability of preferred bait, water quality, spawning instincts and the element of serendipity…and do they ultimately take a left turn or a right turn in their wanderings. Many of the “bones” in our area seem to be traveling with their other tuna cousins and are mixed in with bluefin, yellowfin, skippies and ablies, all of whom have found good water. You can also find bonito mixed in with bluefish, usually hanging on the fringes, picking off the easy meals. Bonito are also affected by another key element, as are other fish, birds, mammals and anything else that migrates…angle and available amount of sunlight and length of day. That latter element has triggered mass migrations for millennia and presents a bit of a modern day dilemma for local bonito anglers. My best year for bones in the 33 that I have been fishing for them involved a great September run that ran into the first three weeks of October. But there were early fish around that year in August as well. That year also witnessed incredibly large schools of exceptionally large spearing, and from my personal experience and observation that is a preferred baitfish – big bonito love them. But as the days of this season shorten and fish begin to instinctively sense the pending migration, the big question involves timing and whether or not they will still head east only to then head back west. I’ve caught bonito well into November so the game in the central parts of Long Island is still a wide-open one. While all that remains to be seen, my humble guess is that we will still see a reasonable semblance of a run for both bonito and albies in those areas.

Fall in Alaska

2009-08-30T14:24:00.000-05:00

Some of the best Alaska fly-fishing can be enjoyed during the early fall months. September and October can spectacular for silver salmon and rainbow trout. And in some locations the latter part of October can be magical with steelhead. The remote tidal creeks of the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island can be teeming with late arriving cohos, some of the finest you will find in the state, and some of the best fly fishing you will ever experience. The Lost Coast anchored by the town of Cordova not only yields some of the largest silvers of the Northland but also has a wonderful steelhead fishery. If rainbows are your cup of tea the Iliamna region of Bristol Bay can be magnificent. Byt the Katmai region is a personal favorite.

Inshore "Bones"

2009-08-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

It’s time to make your bones? Atlantic “bones” that is. For some savvy anglers this is time to give chase to pelagic speedsters that grace our inshore waters. The first of those species to arrive is Sarda sarda, the Atlantic bonito. As of this writing the bulk of those annual visitors are slightly to our north on the south shore of Rhode Island, on the Vineyard, and south of us along the New Jersey beaches. There are plenty of fish in those locations because there is also substantial bait. Some very in-the-know Long Island anglers have been fortunate to find the first few fish and have also been very closed-mouth about exact locations. But I can tell you from personal experience, they are not yet in all the “usual places”. The best advice that I can offer those willing to search and find bonito is to fill up your gas tank and be prepared to run it dry. Bonito are cruising deeper water in the Sound and off the south shore and have yet to cycle into their more predictable inshore haunts. Since my boat is high and dry at the moment I hitched a ride with a friend and we ran almost an hour before bumping some fish! They were in a place I haven’t found them in years. There are a lot of reasons for that change of behavior but we don’t have room to go into that in this report. I’ll save that for another time. If you’d like to chat about bonito feel free to send along an email.
I took a break from the brine to join my brother-in-law, Ed on a trip to one of Long Island’s hidden freshwater ponds. Despite sweltering heat we managed a number of feisty largemouth and pickerel, and we were treated to a dragonfly mating ritual that just turned the bass on!

2009-08-14T05:07:00.000-05:00

The table is set as we await the arrival of some eagerly anticipated special houseguests. Peanut bunker, bay anchovies, rafts of sand eels as well as spearing are in the neighborhood. Now all we need is the first solid showing of inshore pelagics. But this year they just might be delayed just a bit. Reports of one or two fish popping up here or there do not a major run make, but with all this varied bait buffet, it is only a matter of time before the arrival of strange “bluefish” that can’t be caught. Those tough-to-catch- mini tunas will most likely be Atlantic bonito. They too have a preferred water temperature comfort zone and with this year’s cooler H2O my bet is that there will be about a two-week lag from previous years’ full swing run of the early hard tails. In all the years I have been fishing for Atlantic bonito – and that goes back 1975- fish have already hit the decks! So, we need to keep our fingers crossed that they will still make a solid showing. But if all goes according to nature’s grand plan in an odd season we should see some bones, Spanish macks, albies and perhaps even some skipjack move in the area to cash in on all the bait that is in our area. Some fish have already passed us by and are up in the Cape and the Vineyard; to those fish we bid a fond adieu and hope their cousins stop by the Island for a visit. Both sides of the Island receive their annual share of these most coveted of inshore gamesters. That said, there are already fish in the neighborhood so this is the time of year to start prospecting so get out those light spinning outfits and fly rods and hit the water. Small tins, plugs and thin plastics work well on pelagics as do slim Deceivers, Clousers, and any assortment of epoxy baitfish, hair flies, and marabou or rabbit strip flies.

Hosted Alaska Fly Fishing Trips

2009-07-12T12:40:00.001-05:00

Alaska is one of the finest fly-fishing destinations on earth. I took my first trip in 1989 and have been on many annual trips since, fishing for king salmon, silver salmon, chums, sockeye and pinks, as well an indigenous species - char, graying, dollies and magnificent rainbow trout. I have a unique opportunity to host a small groups of fly anglers at several remote lodges during the 2010 season. Good fishing in Alaska requires advance preparation to ensure prime weeks for the targeted species. You would be surprised at how many anglers make the mistake of selecting the wrong times for the species they would like to catch and end up verky disapponted. My experiences can help you avoid those costly mistakes that can ruin the trip of a lifetime. If you are interested please reposnd to me at apdotcominfo@aol.com for further details. Thank you. AP

Just One of Those Days

2009-06-26T04:58:00.000-05:00

It was a fly-fisherman’s dream day. And what better way to enjoy it than being in the water, wading with feeding fish. While I thoroughly enjoy fishing from my boat or kakay, nothing quite beats catching fish in the surf with a fly rod while immersed in the fish’s element.
I thought about what exclamation might best describe my last few outings with the fly rod. I could simply just say, “WOW”! Or perhaps, “Extraordinary or even “Sensational.” But I think rather than one word the following sentence may do the fishing justice: “Two days of great bass fishing, out of what is some of the best spring striper fishing I have experienced in more than a decade.” And that might be an understatement!
Rewind to the other morning on the Sound. After playing around with some hickory shad and a few small bass I put on the hiking shoes and took a long walk – fly rod in hand. As I crested a high point of land all that came to mind was “Holy Striped bass, Batman!” As far as I could see east and west, bass were slapping on sand eels. Many of the fish were a fly rod cast away off the beach and my pace quickened to meet those rises. The first cast with my favorite sand eel pattern brought a hard strike after three short strips of line. I ended the ensuing tussle with the first of many bass - a solid 35-inch linesides. Time to get serious. I followed those fish up and down the beach for eight solid hours, and they were in a mood to play. I am not sure of the final tally, but it was a lot, including stripers up to 37-inches, and many fish 28-inches or better - all taken on flies. But the best part of the day was releasing them back to rejoin the fracas. The few times the bass got a bit finicky all it took to get them back on the bite was to downsize the pattern slightly and changeup the hackle color combinations. I just alternated between light and dark colors and flies of between three and five inches in length. It was a magic day. I can nly hope that I will be blessed with many more!

Weatherby's: A "Grand" Destination

2009-04-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-17T06:18:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-05T14:14:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-03T07:41:00.001-05:00

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

2009-04-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

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.

Anticipation

2009-03-29T09:51:00.000-05:00

The hint of near fifty-degree temperatures that teased us all a couple weeks ago got me into a very optimistic frame of mind about the coming fishing season. I did some pre-season beach scouting and once again began to tinker with gear that lay dormant as if in some form of tackle hibernation. I took hold of all my favorite rods and one by one gave them each a very familiar flex-test, making certain they would serve me well for another season. It felt reassuring to take hold of the graphite and fiberglass wands once again. And one by one I spun the handles of my most loyal fly, spinning and bait casting reels, simply to hear the sound of the spools revolving, and to feel the mechanism’s dependable smoothness. For the reels with line still on them I gave a quick test of the drags, just to make sure they too were smooth as silk and that there would be no binding or hesitation as this year’s future trophies would try their best to terminate the tenuous connection between angler and fish. I won’t go so far as to say I caressed the tackle, but I have a favorite fishing tee shirt that reads, “My rod and reel give me comfort.” Truer words were never spoken.

I pulled out my collection of fly wallets to take inventory of favorite patterns, those I have in adequate supply and those whose stocks I still need to replenish at the tying bench. Among the flies were a number of battle tested warriors, hackles sprung loose and thread undone from sandpaper-like mouth of one too many striped bass. And there were a few flies that had seen better days before the tooth-filled maws of bluefish clamped down on them and shredded them to bits. What a way to go! One of the smaller rain bait patterns instantly brought me back to the fall run at Montauk fishing with my buddy, Captain Adrian Mason, and all the bass, blues and albies that fly fooled into thinking it was something real and alive. In do time, I will return once again to that space with fresh flies, a renewed spirit and a new batch of fish to fool. I placed all those worn flies in a pile and contemplated for a moment tossing them in the garbage can but instead dropped them in a “retirement” container along with other flies that once before also enjoyed active duty. You never know when they might provide inspiration. At minimum, they deserve to live out their remaining years with others of similar persuasion. I can only imagine the stories they will tell.

I descended next into the basement where I keep my supply of plugs, lures and all other forms of terminal gear. I needed to make sure they too were ready to serve. My boat tackle bag was the first to receive my attention. The plug boxes were in pretty neat order since my first post-season maintenance routine usually begins with me straightening out my entangled plugs mess. But one box that contains many fall favorites had escaped my due diligence. It was plug chaos at best. I sometimes fantasize that those intermingled lure bodies and hooks might just be a sign of a plug mating ritual that will result in a spawn of new year-class swimmers for me to use without having to shell out more money. But that never seems to happen. The plugs just remain intertwined in some form of spiritual bliss until I come along and ruin their fun. What struck me was that a few of my favorites seemed in perilously short supply, a direct result of my inclination not to use wire leaders when monster bluefish maraud late season baitfish. I make a mental note to use higher pound-test fluorocarbon next season. A few of my favorite bonito and false albacore plugs are in really bad shape, perhaps even beyond hope. They are actually small, modified freshwater plugs and the pelagics just beat them up mercilessly. I will attempt some plug surgery to restore some dignity so they might enjoy at least one more season with me. I hate getting rid of old plugs so I work hard at restoration. That’s the least I would want someone to do for me! Prop me up, fix me up, stick me in a pair of waders, hand me a rod and give me one more season. I hope that goes on forever! Don’t we all?

Living ones allotted time around fishing seasons is much more than a life style choice; it is a way of living ones life. And part of that process is the anticipation that comes with the arrival of a new fishing year. Sometimes, it’s the best part.

Of Flies and Plugs

2009-03-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

I was party to a discussion recently about the optimal size for a saltwater fly. As you might imagine that dialogue was quite lively, with individual preferences all over the lot. One of the anglers suggested a pattern of about two-and-a-half inches in length was his favorite go-to size since that dimension represented most of the bait he encountered. Another angler offered six-inches as his preference, since he tended to fish most frequently during those times of season when big baits were present. And yet anther opined that flies of at least seven-and-a-half inches are ideal if one wanted to really grab the attention of striped bass and feed them a fly of substance.

When it was my turn to speak, the response was measured and a bit hedged. I fly-fish throughout all of the Long Island seasons and in so doing come upon the entire progression of bait available around Long Island, from small shrimp and crabs in the early season to larger shad, bunker and herring as the season advances. Throw in some micro rain bait that we see in the late summer and fall and the entire spectrum of bait sizes are represented. There are certainly times when one must replicate bait as closely as possible in all aspects of conformity if consistent success is to be achieved – but that is not always the case. My arsenal of flies includes pattern sizes from about an inch-and-a-half up to about eight inches. But as you have read here many times before, the most important elements of a fly’s design embrace the characteristics not only of size but of profile, silhouette and contrast as well. That said, I do have one fly wallet just chock full of one fly size that I guess would qualify as a favorite; “…that size is 4-½ inches”. My response generated a question from one of my friends, “Why 4-½ inches and not 4 or 5 inches?” I smiled since that was a very logical question considering I am not an advocate of exact anatomical precision when tying flies.

My answer was simply, “That is the size of one of the most effective swimming plugs of all times.” I was referring to the class of swimming plugs most often associated with the Rebel 4-½ straight and jointed plugs and a similar Rapala and Red Fin series of plugs. The response brought a few quizzical looks from my companions and one asked, “What does that have anything to do with a fly?” I immediately realized that he must have never fished one of those Rebel plugs, for had he done so he would have never asked that question. I’ve lost track of the number of game fish species I’ve caught on that genre of swimming plug and I know of countless anglers from Texas to Maine who have had similar experiences with that “old school” plug and others like it. The successes are endless: largemouth bass, smallmouth, stripers, redfish, snook, trout, bonito, false albacore, Spanish mackerel, pickerel, pike…the list goes on and on. Over time, 4½-inch plugs have consistently gotten the job done. And over time a 4½-inch flies have performed equally as well.

What’s so special about those specific Rebels, Rapalas or Redfins, and what
do they have to do with fly design? First off, I believe the size and action of
those plugs have proven over time to be effective at motivating fish to
strike. Game fish being opportunistic want a substantial meal that appears in
peril, and they prefer not to expend too much caloric energy chasing
down dinner. These swimming plugs can be fished “lazy”, with subtle and
enticing action. The combination of size and action work in concert to present
what appear as easy pickings. To be sure, there are plenty of other smaller
and larger plugs that are as effective as the “4-1/2 inchers ” when employed
under the right sets of circumstances. But in my case and with others I know
who’ve enjoyed these plugs, a heightened degree of confidence is always
evident when one is tied on to the end of a leader.

The fly angler can achieve the many of the same plug results with the right pattern. I’ve known tiers who toiled endlessly attempting to create an exact fly replica of these swimming plugs - a few have come very close to doing so. Many of those flies perform well, and in all cases those that do have success are close size matches to the plugs. Replicating the unique action of a Rebel or a similar-style plug is a horse of a different color. That too takes some doing but successful replica flies have incorporated a variety of natural and synthetic materials and more than just a modicum of ingenuity. One particular fly design incorporates the use of a molded plastic swim lip secured to the head region of the pattern. This innovation gives the fly surprisingly enticing action…not quite the tight motion of the plugs…but close enough to be a stimulant to the fish.

There are no absolutes in fly-fishing - or any fishing for that matter. The only constant in the fishing equation is that fish drive our response to their behavior much more than we motivate their reaction to our flies, lures and plugs. When it comes to the size of a fly, experiment with different patterns under different conditions and always let the fish tell you their preference. And make it a point to keep some 4-½ flies at the ready.

Selecting a Saltwater Fly Rod

2009-03-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

Whether one is a novice or seasoned angler much thought typically goes into the selection of a new fishing rod, especially if it is a fly rod. While the experienced fly fisher will most likely be adding a specialty rod to an already established arsenal of gear, the newcomer is often seeking an all-round fly rod to handle diverse angling situations and conditions encountered around Long Island. Fly rods fall into the equipment category of “no one size fits all”. But for the inshore saltwater angler the selection process is made a bit easier since there are in fact a few rod styles and designs that best meet the needs of anglers who desire to toss flies to striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, false albacore and bonito. There are some pundits out there who still shroud the process of fly rod selection in opaque mystique, but buying your first saltwater fly rod need not be an anxiety filled event.

There are fundamentally two types of new entrants into the world of saltwater fly-fishing, those who have converted from freshwater and those whose initiation into the sport is through a baptism by saltwater. If you fall in to the former category you would be well served to leave many of your freshwater experiences and habits behind, especially as they pertain to casting a fly rod. In saltwater, the entire casting process slows down and the dynamics of loading a rod take on more significance.

When selecting a rod, the most important consideration is to actually cast a few models so that you have a feel for what all the labeling lingo really means. And cast the rod with some form of fly resistance at the end of the line. I always get a kick out of the parking lot cowboys who revel in how far a rod can cast without the effects of bulky fly resistance, and without the effects of actual fishing conditions. One time while on a tarpon trip in Florida I stopped at a fly fishing shop a cousin of mine frequented. The proprietor of the store raved about a new 12- weight model he had just received in stock and twisted my arm to give it a try. So out into the parking lot we went. It was a very fast-tip rod with a 13-weight sinking line spooled to the reel. That rod was like a rocket launcher. I threw several casts out of the parking lot and into the street and had no remaining fly line on the reel. It was one of those “gotta have this rod” moments, until I was brought back to reality by the facts that there was no big fly on the tippet, there was no wind, there were no rolling tarpon to frazzle my nerves and I wasn’t trying to balance myself on a small casting platform while listening to a cantankerous Everglades guide bark out distance and watch face commands at me – “Tarpon 11 o’clock, 25 yards…cast, cast, cast!” I resisted the temptation to shell out a few hundred bucks for that rod and maintained faith in my tried and true travel rod. In the end, we landed two tarpon on the fly that trip and jumped a few more.

Most fly rod blanks are described as having parabolic actions that are full-flex, mid-flex or tip-flex in their design. Simply put, this means slow, medium and fast action blanks. If you envision a blank loading under the weight of a line being false cast, a full-flex blank will behave much like the designation implies, the flex will be spread throughout the entire blank, from the tip to the butt section. A mid-flex action involves those portions of the blank from the tip to the mid-region of the rod. And lastly, a tip-flex rod will have most all of its action contained in the tip section of the rod. This latter form of rod action is most commonly referred to as being “fast”. Most saltwater fly anglers will opt for rods that are mid or tip-flex models. One advantage of a mid-flex rod for the new fly angler is that the action is much more forgiving of the casting errors that typically come with the learning process, and before a level of consistent casting proficiency is achieved. On the flip side most anglers I know choose fast tip rods. In average to good casting hands tip-flex rods can load heavier lines very effectively and efficiently, and adjust well to those fly rodders who like to step-up their lines one size. As well, a fast tip can offer quick loading for speedy shots at cruising fish. Either action would serve you well for most all inshore applications.

If I had to choose one size fly rod as a standard all-arounder for Long Island use it would be a 9-foot, 9-weight, fast-tip model. That type rod is one I employ for about 75% of my local fly-fishing. It gives me range for most all of my beach, boat and kayak fishing for bass, blues, bonito, albies, Spanish mackerel and weakfish. I occasionally can size a 10-weight line on it and I can effectively fish a 300-grain sink tip. While the 9-weight is my go-to fly rod I must admit to enjoying the benefits of a 10-weight when throwing larger flies or when I go dredging with very high-grain sinking tips. I will often resort to an 11-weight when tossing large top-water popper for big, tenacious bluefish.

A good entry level 9-weight need not break the bank either. There are quite a few models on the market right now that are moderately priced. If you’d like a few recommendations shoot me an email and I’ll suggest a few.

Make Mine a "Margarita"

2009-02-23T07:14:00.000-05:00

About this time each winter I begin reading feverishly any materials related to the outdoors. Much of that has to do with the onset of seasonal affective disorder arising both from fewer hours of daylight and less time outdoors. I also spend more time at my tying vise adding to an already humungous inventory of flies. The reading and the tying both help alleviate the symptoms of fishing withdrawal. I was at the vise the other day looking through one of my many fly wallets and came upon a pattern that I originated for Alaska silver salmon about a dozen years back. It is a fly that has served me well on numerous salmon trips. The pattern has relevance to the local fishing scene since I modified it for use on striped bass. So I figured I would share the history and the tying pattern

When it comes to fly tying I take my inspiration however I can get it. I learned a long time ago that some of the best of tying ideas sometimes come from the most unusual sources. And so it was with the Alaska Margarita. I guess I must first admit to being a Parrot Head, a disciple of lord Jimmy Buffet. While reading the recipe for his sublime margarita concoction I got to thinking about all the tropical colors associated with the blend and instantly thought about how those colors might work in a fly design. The more I contemplated the design, the more I became convinced that coastal silver salmon would just go bonkers over a fly with those hues, tones and contrasts. When I finally got to try out the fly on some feisty silvers, I wasn’t at all disappointed. As it turned out, striped bass also love the pattern.

The most tantalizing effects of the fly result from the pulsating and undulating motion of marabou. The striper version incorporates the addition of a slender saddle hackle tail. That too adds seductive appeal. The bead chain eyes in the weighted version also allow for a jig-like motion to be achieved during the retrieve. That combined with the blended colors - proven over time to stimulate strikes from silver salmon - has led to an effective and dependable series of patterns. By varying the color combinations, the pattern becomes a very versatile fly for replicating a wide variety of bait, and for addressing different fishing conditions. Though I have not yet discovered all the secrets of the perfect margarita, the “margarita” and its variations come close to being some of the best patterns that I have used for tidal cohos and striped bass.

The Virtues of Light Tackle

2009-01-25T10:26:00.001-05:00

Long before the fly rod entered my life and became a preferred tool, I was equally as hooked on light tackle angling. As a matter of fact, I still am. In great part, that predilection stems from my early freshwater fishing roots for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Back then I didn’t venture anywhere without several spinning and conventional casting outfits rigged with a range of lines from eight to twelve-pound test line. Over time, I added a bass-bugging fly rod to my arsenal, accumulating what I believed was a very well rounded array of tackle, capable of handling most any bass-fishing situation. And when I first dipped a toe in saltwater I did so with that same gear. I will admit, the feistier briny bass, and other salty inhabitants fully tested that tackle but in the end stripers, bluefish, weakfish, Atlantic bonito, fluke, Spanish mackerel and a host of other indigenous and migratory species succumbed to my light-line orientation. While today’s tackle is much more sophisticated than it was back when I started to fish, the common thread between then and now is that maintaining a broad-based approach to my fishing endeavors was and remains a key to consistency and success. Fly-fishing and light spinning or casting gear are very complementary tools of the trade and work well in tandem with one another, enhancing the overall fishing experience.

A New Paradigm
The sport fishing industry is witnessing a rather interesting phenomenon. We seem to be in the midst of a light tackle renaissance. Back about two decades ago, and paralleling the striped bass revival, sport fishing saw an explosion of interest in saltwater fly-fishing. More than ever before literal throngs of anglers took up the long rod. Many were freshwater trout converts motivated by the opportunity to hook larger and stronger fish than they were used catching. Others were seasoned surf and boat salts looking for a new way to entice fish to strike. And then there were the completely new entrants into the arena, beginning their fly-fishing journey in saltwater. For nearly twenty years that community of anglers grew to a point where it spawned a dynamic and full-service industry centered about fly-fishing. We now have more fly anglers among our ranks than ever before in the history of the sport, fueling guiding businesses, charter captains, equipment and clothing manufacturers, lodges, exotic destinations and much more. And this is all for good reason – fly-fishing is a very effective way to fish. At times, fly-fishing techniques will out perform other forms of angling. But several years ago something interesting began to happen. Fishing tackle retailers saw a spike in the number of light tackle outfits they were selling and a little research revealed that many of those of those buying spinning and conventional outfits were fly fisherman. Heresy you might say. Not I. Just the application of some common sense. There simply are times when one needs to be flexible in the approach to fishing if you want to maximize the opportunities. Admittedly, there are those die-hard anglers and guides among us who remain pure to the use of the fly. But the growing trend is to move more toward the middle and fish both fly and light tackle as conditions warrant. One very famous TV fishing personality is prone to say of his personal fishing, “Take what God gives you.” Simply put, give the fish what they want and how they want it.

Optimizing Opportunities
There are many examples of optimizing fly and light tackle gear but a couple of situations best illustrate my personal experiences. Much of my fishing takes place along the beaches of the north shore. In the spring when the sand launce swarm there is nothing I would rather have in my casting hand than a long rod rigged with my favorite sand eel pattern. This is truly a time of year when flies can out fish just about any other form of artificial lure and astonishingly, even bait. If all goes well I can get a solid month and a half of this sort of fishing with bass very close in range to the fly rod. A similar scenario plays out in the fall as well with migrating fish within east reach of the fly rod. But mid-summer can present some surf fly-fishing challenges unless a retreat is made to the cover of darkness. This is a time where and when light tackle comes to the rescue. Within the areas I fish bass and large bluefish set up along summer cruising and feeding lanes that are often more than two or three solid fly rod casts off the beach. Hard as I might try and regardless how efficient my casts are, my longest fly line is only 125 feet in length. That limits casting and catching potential. Fish do come in close but not with the frequency they remain out of fly rod range. A friend of mine often shares this stretch of beach with me, usually armed with a spinning outfit. He will most often put up better numbers on the scoreboard and will also usually have a better quality catch. I can still manage fish on the long wand but his ability to reach the outer edges of where the fish congregate and feed insures much better results. I too have now come to fish this location at this particular point in the season with light surf tackle. It is just a much more dependable way to fish.

Playing Both Ways
But there is a flip side to this story as well. As the summer progresses and small rain bait - like bay anchovies - make an appearance, the probability of encountering Atlantic bonito or false albacore along the beaches increases. While pelagic species can certainly be caught consistently from boat or beach with conventional plugs or lures, flies are the best way to imitate the micro baits that bones or albies are often keyed in on. Some days flies will totally out fish any other method. And the satisfaction of taking fish this way is tough to surpass. But here is where the plot thickens further. There are also times when game fish are so keyed in on such masses of diminutive bait that even the most anatomically correct fly goes unnoticed from among the real deal. Ay fly rodder who has spent time pursuing pelagics will attest to this very frustrating situation. The challenge here is to catch the attention of fish and cause them to react to an artificial bait. Many fly anglers will resort to larger or flashier flies when this selectivity occurs but I have found very light spinning gear gets the job done much more effectively. The reason: you can get a flashy plug or lure in front of the fish quicker and move it away faster than you can with a fly retrieve. That accelerated “fleeing” motion is more apt to trigger a reaction strike. It is for that reason that during the bonito and albies seasons the rod holders on one side of my boat contain fly rods, while the other side holds spinning gear. That way I am ready for the fish’s preference, not just mine.

While there is a place in sport fishing for tackle purists those of us who adapt our methods to the circumstances will fare far better in the long run. Until next time, start thinking light.

2008-12-14T08:06:00.000-05:00

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

2008-12-02T17:36:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-02T11:45:00.001-05:00

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

2008-10-18T07:26:00.000-05:00

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

2008-09-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

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

2008-09-09T06:34:00.000-05:00

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

2008-09-02T07:03:00.000-05:00

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

2008-08-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

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

2008-08-13T19:18:00.000-05:00

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

2008-08-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

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

2008-07-28T07:14:00.001-05:00

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

2008-07-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

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

2008-07-14T19:32:00.001-05:00

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

2008-07-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

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.

2008-07-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

Tarpon...Almost

2008-07-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-07-04T07:47:00.000-05:00

Sand Eeels

2008-07-02T16:22:00.000-05:00

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

2008-07-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

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

2008-07-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

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.