New York Metro &
New Jersey

August 27th, 2004

"Tree Huggers" and Sportsmen

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For a long, long time the “hook and bullet” crowd have been suspect of environmental groups and the politicians they support, because they were associated with the many dreaded “antis”: “anti-gun,” “anti-hunting,” “anti-fishing etc...” Some even have gone so far as to try and connect successful mainstream organizations like the Sierra Club, The Ocean Conservancy, Pew Oceans etc. to organizations like PETA (that silly group that advocates animal rights). While this may be what the conservative agenda wants you to believe, the fact of the matter is that environmental groups are not animal rights freaks and they are not out to take away your right to bear arms, hunt or to catch and eat fish. Try checking out the websites of some of these groups, and you’ll see that their boards have hunters and anglers on them.

Historically, the two greatest forces in conservation have been sportsmen and environmental groups. Hunters and anglers provided the advocacy and put up most of the money that paid for government programs rebuilding fish and wildlife populations, while the environmental groups worked on Capital Hill to provide essential federal protections for the needed habitat. But despite their obvious common interests, the two groups continue to be estranged from each other. It’s surprising to me that there are still folks out there buying into the stereotype that enviros and hunters/anglers are mutual enemies when its so obvious that they have similar goals. Unfortunately, this stereotype does still live and has become important to those politicians which oppose necessary environmental regulations and needed protection in the interest of allowing corporate special interests to do as they please. They’ve come to believe that regardless how much they turn their back on open space, clean air and clean water, they’re still going to get the sportsman’s vote.

This current administration may have pushed things so far that this sentiment is beginning to change. It has consistently rolled back environmental policies that have protected fish and wildlife habitat for a generation and sportsmen have been taking note of oil and gas wells spreading across previously protected forests and prairies, of waterfowl wetlands having had Clean Water Act protections stripped, of blue-ribbon trout streams being placed in the path of logging operations.

But there is still that contingent which clings to the anti-enviro stereotype. A number of members of and Outdoor Writers organization, which I’ve been a member of for two years, is succeeding from the organization because of a simple letter written to the National Rifle Association in defense of the Sierra Club. How silly… Upon exchanging emails with a well known outdoor writer about the subject he had this to say: “This is the best thing that ever happened to the group. It’s like worming a horse. We’re getting rid of the ugliest element--the “me-first,” NRA, wise-use whackos who see an “anti” behind ever coke machine and who fantasize that the environmental movement is really a plot to take their guns away. Good riddance to bad rubbish!” I have to say I agree.

Progressive members of the group, like me, realize that environmentalists have as much at stake in the battles over clean air and clean water as hunters and anglers. Hopefully, in the near future fish and wildlife issues will cease being a partisan issue. That, for sure, would be good news for hunters and anglers, environmentalists and all living things for that matter.

Now let’s get on to the reports:

Not much to report this week… In southern New Jersey, the back country has been dependable with schoolies and small bluefish. In the central section it’s been on the slow side. No reports came in from the bluewater crowd this week, but there has been talk of increased activity at the canyon. In the New York Metro area, there have been some, although very few, albie sightings. I saw a few fish east of Breezy but not near enough to get a good shot at them. I fear this may be one of those years where they just don’t show up in good numbers, but it’s still early. There have been some bluefish around, but not near the number that there should be during this time of the year. The ones that have been popping up here and there are in the 5 to 7-pound range. Jamaica Bay has been fishing terrible, unless you like 1-pound bluefish. Haven’t heard anything about Raritan Bay so I only assume it’s the same. The North Shore bonito run has been a let down so far, but there are plenty of blitzing bluefish up there and some keeper sized bass are being taken in the mix. There are also some large blues being taken in the flats. On the South Shore, again, some albie sightings but no one, as far as I know, is hooking up. Out east, things seem to be on the slower side as well. A few nice bass are being taken from the beach, but everywhere else the water is reported to be the color of chocolate milk. A lot of rain will most certainly do that. Let’s hope in cleans up by the weekend, because I’m really jonesing for some tunas. Enough already… Give us the fall! Maybe it will come this weekend.

And don’t forget to email me your own reports. Tight lines all.

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

From the Atlantic City/Ocean City area, Captain Bryan DiLeo checks in with this report:

Capt. Bryan DiLeo/ Iowa Fortune
Ocean City Report/Atlantic City

The air temperatures as well as the water temperatures remained constant through out the week, as did the backcountry action. Both for my Fly clients as well as light tackle anglers this week the surrounding waters dished up a mixed bag of Bass and Bluefish. The bluefish jumped in size with the cooler waters ranging in size from 2-4.lbs and willing to take both top water and subsurface lures and flies without hesitation. Mixed in and working the perimeters of the Bluefish were some nice Bass in the 23"to-30" range. The abundance of Blues in on the flats changed the Bass pattern a bit, contrary to prior weeks mostly all Bass this week were most receptive to a slow subsurface presentation rather that top water, the key being getting through the Blues to get to the Bass.  We will have good water pushing through out the back country this week and with late day falling tides that translates into good skinny water Striper action and with the cooler water the Bass should willing to show them selves readily as they balled up huge schools of peanut bunker as they make their way across the flats.  Water temperatures stabilized in the 69-73 degrees and with it being forecasted to remain unseasonably cool at night over the next week you can feel the fall run is right around the corner.  As is always the case all Bass this week were photographed and released in great shape. www.iowafortune.com

From Central New Jersey Captain Gene Quigley of Shore Catch Guide Service reported another week where getting offshore was tough, and inshore things were still slow.

That storm we had on Saturday really dumped a lot of water on us and subsequently we got a lot of runoff from the city.  The water has been dirty brown since then and you have to go a good 7 or 8-miles out before it begins to clean up.  This is not good for the albies, and as long as it stays this way, the less of an albie run we’ll have.  I have seen a few albies here and there, but as previously mentioned, they aren’t thick enough to get a legitimate shot at.  THEY ARE OVERDUE!  Maybe by this weekend we’ll have some solid action. 

Jamaica Bay is loaded with insultingly small bluefish, but the amount of bait is astounding.  Peanut bunker are showing in real numbers.  I’m anticipating an extraordinary fall.  Toward the mouth of the Bay there have been some bunker schools with big bluefish under them, but they have been difficult to get on a fly. 

From the Breezy Point shoreline, Reel-Timer David Berman checks in with this report;

Started fishing the last of the incoming about 1:30 , decent breeze and wave action on the ocean side of the rocks ,plenty of visible small bait on the inlet side ,  no birds working either side or anyywhere that I saw and no fish either. Quit the jetty after an hour or so and fished my way back on the inlet side to no avail. Came across an immature loon on the beach , not a regular sighting among the shore birds. Can't fish tomrrow, the albies will undoubtedly be swarming and feeding on anything that gets thrown at them, Richard will be there!!!

Western Long Island

The North Shore seems to be one of the few places that actually fished well this week.  Capt. Robin Calitri checks in with this report:

There is nothing more fun than sharing my passion with friends and new fisher-people.  This week was special.  I began on Monday with Dr. Steven Moss.  He is a fine fly fisher.  We argued, in a good-natured way, because I promised him a striper and he thought that August was no a striper month.  His first fish was a nice schoolie bass.  He then fed lures to large bluefish in very shallow waters in Northport Bay.  These choppers ate everything.  They bit through leaders, took hooks off plugs and just plain got away.  Doc finished up with some small blues for the table.  He and his wife Lydia are fine chefs.  Wednesday was extra special.  Grandpa Bill Hezig arranged to fish his grandchildren Allison, Ashley and Andrew, ages 10, 7 and 4, with Grandma acting as tech support.  I picked them up, by boat at their wonderful cottage in Duck Island.  We taught the girls to cast and soon Allison and Amy took large blues on poppers.  Latter we took out four year old Andrew who promptly landed a blue.   What a great job they all did!

Also checking in from these parts is Reel-Timer Bob Giordano.  Check it out:

Fishing has been fantastic up here in the Huntington area, with fall Montauk like blitzes taking place daily with mixed sizes of blues with some bass working the periphery. Last Thursday morning I took a bunch of blues and then worked the outside of the schools for two bass to 30". Lost one huge bluefish boat-side that easily was over 30". All fish were on silver or chartreuse Crease flies. These large blues are the best game up here for battle. This is the best August since moving in from Montauk some eight years ago. There's so much going on topwater that even my four year old is bagging cocktails on small poppers. Structure that has held bass all season long continues to hold fish. Off to MV for vacation next week, I'll touch base when I return.

Eastern Long Island

Very few reports from out east this week.  Guess everyone is resting up for the fall run… Which happens to be right around the corner!

Captain Robin Calitri did however get out on a nice day and checks in with this report:

Tuesday was an East Hampton Day.  I picked up ski pals Val Kadisch and Neal Magnus in Sag Harbor.  It was blowing out of the East so we chose to ignore Montauk and fish out of East Hampton.  After a brief refresher for Neal and a crash beginner's course in casting for Val, we went out.  Within five minutes, Neal had a bass and blue.  We then chased stuff around Gardener's Island.  We hooked a huge bass of Cartwright and a giant blue next.  Both fish won.  Later on, we found blues in quiet waters.  Val and Neal caught until their arms fell off, on poppers.

That’s all for this week…  See ya on the water…