Cape Cod &

the Islands

August 20th, 2004

Playing the Hagfish Lottery

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Don't forget to send me your own reports, and until next week...

Tight Lines!

Dave Churbuck

Buzzards Bay

Captain Joe LeClair reports:

"Difficult week with the weather. I have had some really slow days searching for Tuna on the fly, and I have turned to the smaller tuna as a back up. They are all over and willing to hit a fly when presented properly. It is still August so it could get a lot better before it gets worse...."

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Captain Bob Paccia writes:

Well, the muggies are upon us right on schedule and so too are the dreaded “summer doldrums”. Striper fishing in the bay has definitely slowed down as the bigger fish have moved off seeking cooler waters. We are putting a lot of extra miles on the new Merc to locate the bigger bass.  

If you’re serious about getting into some big bass and you don’t want to travel any great distances, you will have to set your alarm clocks accordingly. You should be fishing the pre-dawn to early morning or after dusk hours. Big bass visit the inshore waters after dark to take advantage of the relatively cooler water temperatures and the lack of boat traffic.

There are still plenty of schoolie bass available in the Bay waters with a few bigger bass mixed in to keep it interesting. This is a great time of year to get a kid hooked on fishing. Just remember, kids love nothing better than catching fish, any fish as long as they are catching something. So don’t make the mistake of spending too much time trying to get them into big fish. Just ask a kid about how his fishing trip was and nine out of ten times they will respond with how many fish they’ve caught. Very rarely do the even mention the size of their catch.

There are no summer doldrums as far as bluefish are concerned. If you’re looking for some great top-water action or if you have a ton of so-so flies that you want to get rid of in a hurry, the blues are waiting to accommodate you. Buzzards Bay is alive with these toothy battlers so get out your 60# to 80# fluorocarbon bite tippets and give them a go. Some people have forgotten how much fun these fish are to catch, especially on poppers, sliders or gurglers.

It seems much too early to be true, but have you noticed that the days are getting shorter, the tropical storms and hurricanes are upon us and the Patriots are playing football. What does all this mean?

Summer is nearly over! So, listen to the weatherman and don’t take chances, but get yourself on the water weather permitting.

You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned BONITO. That’s because I haven’t seen any in the Bay yet and I haven’t heard any credible reports yet. They are around the Vineyard and some are moving into Falmouth so it could be any day now that they’ll show up in our waters. We never know how the late summer storms will effect their arrival. Right now, before the bonito and false albacore season starts, is a good time for us to all practice our proper “funny-fish manners” so that we aren’t one of those idiots out there who make it miserable and dangerous to be on the water during the bonito and false albacore season.

http://www.shore-line.com/

mailto:CaptBob@Shore-line.com

The Cape Cod Canal

Bill Downing reports from the place I will not fish:

"This morning was for diehards only. Caught Bill Downing reports from the place I will not fish:

"This morning was for diehards only. Caught 1 schoolie from the west end for two hrs of effort. Switched to the east and got one small legal. After sunup, saw a ton of fish breaking at mid-Canal and plugged up a couple of smalls before the boat traffic put the fish down."

TonyO, who has attained Ditch Deity status for the dependability of his reports this summer, reports:

"Fished with Angling4bass this morn. 32in on 2nd cast that I had to keep(gillhooked), then another rat on rubber. Switched to eels and hooked what I thought was going to be a really good fish. Fish gets buried behind something and I can't budge it. After a couple of minutes of just holding it I had to reach into my bag of tricks. First climbed halfway up bank to get better angle. Still wont budge. 2nd trick, Hit freespool and let her swim about 30yds to untangle. She swims out and I think heavy. A little give and take then she beelines to the bank and noses herself in the rocks 25yds away. Still thinking it was gonna be 35-40lbs I called an assist to Angling, as I did not want to risk scrambling to and losing fish. She ended up being a little under 30lbs, but she did some big fish things that got me fooled. 1 more rat after that. Stayed for a bit but could not get breaking fis to hit my plugs or metal.1 GOOD THING, saw my first school of peanuts today. Maybe they have been here. but its hard to see at nite."1 schoolie from the west end for two hrs of effort. Switched to the east and got one small legal. After sunup, saw a ton of fish breaking at mid-Canal and plugged up a couple of smalls before the boat traffic put the fish down."

The South Side

Bob Parsons is keeping the waters of Vineyard Sound honest. He went on a bonito scouting expedition this week:

"Did the loop again over to martha's vineyard in search of hardtails. This time I include Edgartown and L Hommedieu. Not much showing. Picked up wife at ramp and told her it would be much nicer to have our picnic at Tarpulin Cove. This gave me a decent amount of time to hang out at Lackeys. Had some excellent shots at bonito with only one bump on a fly. Return trip was on the Buzzard bay side of the island. Nothing showing in the late afternoon there."

GreenPondEd replied:
"Bob, next time try Hedge Fence. I was there 10 days ago. Day 1 I picked up a bone with a white/green jig (home made, a standard 1/2 oz white lead head, tied with some white bucktail and some green mylar) which I got to the boat, but broke the bluefish bitten line. Next day I got a bone hit on a silver yozuri, again the western portion of HF, away from the crowd. I hope to check the area out again next weekend. Any word about Wacky or Succonesset shoal for bones or spanich macks?"

Well, no reports from Succonesset or Waquoit, but a well known newspaper columnist said on Friday last week that there were spanish mackerel looking blitzes going on around Craigville.

Martha's Vineyard

Captain Leslie Smith of Backlash Charters reports:
"Not much has changed on this end of the island, though it seems there are a few more bonito popping up in their usual spots.  I must admit that I don't have the patience I used to to fish for them inshore, always trying to outmaneuver the other boats, hoping I'm positioned right to have a shot, only to have some idiot do the old run and gun rountine.  The Hooter area continues to produce a lot of hard tails and still a few small bluefin in the mix.  Bass fishing has slowed up down there but there's no lack of bluefish.  Look for albies to start showing anytime now."

Nantucket

Captain Lynne Heyer at Cross Rip Outfitters reports:

"It’s a beautiful day outside of Cross Rip. It feels like September. The tourists are in a good mood and the fishing is good. I just got a report of the first False Albacore caught up at Great Point a couple of days ago. I think it’s a little early but with the weather that we had it may have been blown off course. I have also heard that the Vineyard has Albies on the far shore. Good new for beach fisherman Great Point is open again. Just got off the phone with the folks at the gate house and they will be closing the access at 7pm. The West End is fishing well also. Captain Jeff’s client Warren Stern got a nice Slam yesterday. Congrats to Warren. Captain Shawn has been fishing for Tuna’s east of here and has some good success. I had a nice piece of Tuna just two nights ago. Captain Jeff’s late afternoon had some shots of fish on the flats too. Rich Furman tried to feed three fish at once, first fish took the fly and just swam towards the boat, the second did the same and the third finally turned so he could set the hook. The Bonito bar is still producing fish, but who knows for how much longer. If we do get a push of False Albies that may move the Bonito out. Keep you eyes open and flies and plugs at the ready, maybe you could get the Grand Slam. If you should get some pictures so I can post them on the site. Proof is in the pics. "

The Outer Beaches, Chatham & Monomoy

Randy Jones, the man who knows the Southeast Corner of the Cape like no other,is hanging up his waders for the season to attend to family business.On behalf of the R-T community, I'd like to extend my gratitude for his excellent reports this season!

"Final S.E. (and beyond) Cape Cod Fly/Spin Wade Report:
First off I'd like to thank all of you who visited me this summer and over the years.
I'm packing and finishing up some last minute photo shoots for a couple of books and a couple national mags. Breaking down everything and gearing up for my next 8 month season on the Salmon River, Pulaski NY. I'm even going to try to take a little vacation in-between all of this, most of which will be spent working. (No I wont be fishing unfortunately)
This will be my last report for the Saltwater season and my first report on the Salmon River, Pulaski, N.Y. (See below) Please see the already posted Saltwater Fishing Reports for the latest. Nothing much has changed, except for the tides increasing in speed which will help all of you catch more fish.
Don't be afraid to change up from your usual and imitate some of the different bait showing up now. Juvi Herring, peanut bunker, etc....

8/17 was my last trip and we had a great day sight fishing on the flats to tailing fish, flashing fish, fish boiling on the surface and some nice school's of fish in the shallows we were able to see, even with the poor lighting. At one point we found 50 or so BIG Bass just milling around in the shallows. We got a few cast's at them before it was time to catch the ferry back. Days like today made me wish I was hanging around a lil longer!
I have some family "fun" business to attend too out of state. Then back up to the Salmon River, Pulaski N.Y. for Salmon and Steelhead all the way until April. Time to book now as my calendar is booking up daily.
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Thank you all for your words of encouragement, kind words andyour continued support through out the summer. Ill continue to do my best in sharing what I've learned through experience, experimentation, borrowed ideas and taught techniques.If any of you are interested, I will continue to post pictures, educational articles, fishing report's on my web site regarding the Salmon River on Pulaski, N.Y. 
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Boy, my legs are soooo tired from walking the flats. My voice is soooo sore from calling out fish. I can hardly lift my arm up from pointing at fish all day. The annoying sound of all those birds diving to pick up bait and the fish splashing on the surface as they feed on whatever today's tide brings them. The hot sun beating down on me, that cool breeze blowing and messing up my hair.  Starring into that crystal clear water on those white bottom flats can be a major strain on my eye's. That irritating whining sound of the drag, having to watch all that backing go out, all the congratulatory hand shakes, smiles,  seals moaning, bait spraying, the smell of the salt air, that hellish commute on the shuttle boat to the flats. It's all soooooo terribly stressful and exhausting!

Boy, what I wouldn't give for a nice air conditioned desk job. Quota's and dead lines to meet. Four walls, a big soft chair to sit my rear end in all day and an hour long commute in traffic.
Anyone want to trade? :)  Sorry, but I dont want any of you to feel your immune to my sophomoric humor and banter. Even if, your retired and sitting in front of your computer or at work reading my reports when you should be WORKING! ;)
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"OUR TIDE"

As I sat enjoying lunch with a group of Orvis Saltwater Fly-Fishing students during our 2 1/2 day school on Cape Cod, I was asked "What was your best day on the water?" After 20 years of guiding in Vermont, on Cape Cod and the Salmon River in New York, many best days flashed across my mind.

Visions of steelhead on the Salmon River catapulting like a rocket ship skyward, somersaulting like a juggler's baton then tail walking all the way to Lake Ontario filled my memories. Or maybe it was the evening, alone, standing in the foam of crashing waves on Nauset Beach. The fog engulfing me, making me feel as if I was not of this earth as my ears would not stop the sound of my drag racing towards the open ocean. When finally at my feet lay a beautiful 40-inch striper on a fly, released to produce more offspring for my children's pleasure. Or was it sight fishing on the flats off Chatham, in 2 1/2 feet of crystal clear water, seeing hundreds of keeper bass in a tide.

I realized that my answer would not come easily or fast and most eyes at the table were on me. As I searched deep for my best fish story, it suddenly hit me. It wasn't my fish, my day or even my story that gave me the most rewarding experience!

The story that began to unfold was one that no one expected to hear. It was a story about guiding two fly fishermen on a raw, windy overcast day on the salt.

On this tide, it was the most enjoyable, challenging and exciting day of my life. I was helping someone rise above the limitations of a progressive, degenerative disease and letting his soul and mind shine through. Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder brought about by a benign paraproteinemia, which has caused muscle weakness, intention tremors and severe wasting in his hands. Without this control, basic tasks involving walking, writing, grasping and handling documents or other items necessary in a work environment have become impossible.

Ray's day started with the expectation of float tubing in the salt, in an area we call the "Tub". There is no heavy surf or fast currents in this area but flat, calm water loaded with stripers and blues. We planned to float the entire length, about two miles with the incoming tide. Ray's disease would not allow him to stand on his own, so the day started with Ray in the tube with an anchor in place to stabilize him. It was difficult for Ray to fly cast into the wind so we started with the spinning rod. It wasn't long before Ray's rod arched back with a snap any angler would equate to "Fish On"!

Soon afterwards, the wind started to blow a good 20-30 knots. The rain fell unnaturally sideways and even sitting in the float tube left Ray drenched with the chop as it breached his tube. This raw northwest wind negated any further advancement down the shoreline as it pushed us back against our tide.

We then both had to work in sync to overcome the turn in the weather. At Ray's suggestion, I held the back of his shirt to provide him with a more solid platform to help him balance.

Again, Ray instinctively rod set and leaned back as this ten pound bluefish searched for freedom while we both laughed together like two little kids sneaking a piece of grandma's chocolate cake before it had 'proper time' to cool.

We had used the "Outermost Shuttle" in Chatham, to reach what seemed to us to be the end of the world. Solitude, beauty and this incredibly pristine environment were ours alone for this tide. We owned that beach.

The shuttle captain showed up later in the day due to his concern about the weather to see if we wanted to come back early. What he witnessed were two grown men laughing uncontrollably with the tip of the rod pulsating up and down as if attached to a ball bouncing down the street. The launch captain said with grin "Well I guess that answers that question", as he sped off back to port, leaving us again, alone to our private world.

At this point and time in the story I might add Ray's friend John Sobolewski was making spectacular 80 foot casts on his back cast due to the wind. John was catching a few but Ray and I both couldn't help ourselves in ribbing John a bit as Ray was way ahead in the number of fish landed.

Any guide will tell you, we are teachers and our true satisfaction comes in a way that any teacher feels when their students do well on a test. When I guide I feel my client is fishing through me. As a partnership striving for the same goal.

Today, more than ever I felt a part of Ray's hopes, desires and dreams. We shared laughter and the excitement in each other's voices. The look of total satisfaction and awe as we revived, released and watched a keeper swim away, savoring its beauty and gracefulness.

As the afternoon progressed on, Ray conveyed to me that his real desire was to land one on a fly rod. John had purchased a Regal Saltwater fly reel from Europe that had a trigger to reel in the line. They made a leather wrist guard to strap the rod to his arm so that the cast could be made without holding directly onto the rod.

Ray's challenging goal then became mine. As a team we positioned ourselves in an area where the wind was to our back and noticed fish breaking the surface feeding on sand lances just out of reach of us. Ray made a fine cast and as he retrieved the line by pulling the trigger, Ray's back arched. His rod bent and we both came close to hurling backwards into the water as his line suddenly snapped tight.

I will never forget that beautiful fish and the victorious look in Ray's eyes as a smile lit his face.

After telling Ray's story and looking at the pensive faces around me, I realized how very lucky I was to have shared a spectacular day on the water with this amazing man.

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I wrote this inspirational story as not only a fine memory in my life, but also on behalf of others like Ray who refuse to allow the tides to stop running.

Randy Jones

The North Side

ScottNE was out and about in Cape Cod Bay:

"Not a bad day but nothing like yesterday. Big fish were tough to come by and I think they were up in tight to the beaches and the canal. Marked a ton of large schools in the actual ditch on the way out but obviously could not fish them. Marked very little elsewhere until after the tide turned. Bluefish to 15 pounds were unlimited, bass were a tougher sell. Marked some huge schools of mixed bass and blues but kept grabbing the giant headed blues.

"Largest fish was maybe 17 pounds today. Sounds like the fish pushed into the shallows on the bait."

Bob Parsons, the Gadabout Gaddis of Cape Cod, reports from Barnstable Hahbah:

"Met Ed Tedesco at the ramp, Tide was in the last hour of the drop. Motoring out saw a few birds across the way at shell point. Once we figured it was not sand eels they were feeding on, we started to nail very agressive schoolies up to 5# until slack low. We then proceeded out to various shoals where the tide had turned, picking up a schoolie here and there. After the tide had risen a bit, we returned to where we started to find some serious feeding going on. Back on went the small white flies for almost constant action for a couple hours. I think the bait was juvie herring. As the tide reach high slack, bluefish moved into the area, tough to get a decent shot at them since they were cruising fast chasing the bait. Finished the day with another batch of stripers well up into the marsh."

Keep those reports coming,