Legacy of Respect

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.