Sand Eeels

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