8/31-9/2: Albies get a vistor

[Tuna]

Having heard the albies came in last week, I was psyched to get out. Heard Thursday my Merc was running, so took Friday off.

Got out Friday and made it to the Point. Saw nothing, so took a few bass and blues on sinking line near the lighthouse. A guide stopped by to describe the week's action, and seconds later the albies popped up near him... for seconds.

That was pretty much it for my 3 days out. See nothing, quick pop-ups, see nothing. Sunday, as I left at 4:30, saw larger groups outside, left before they came to shore in numbers.

Back to Friday. Went to the south shore, saw more albies here and there. Got a few more bass near the surfers, albies sometimes coming up within feet of them.

Chased samll pods of albies, then saw a vistor...

I had stopped near 3 rising albies and cast poorly. Then, to the left of where the albies came up, saw several larger fish. Incredible green bodies with dark vertical stripes and big heads. Not racing through the bait - rather cruising slowly through it. Mahi!

Picked up my first cast to them quickly and saw another below the surface on my backcast. Put the fly behind, stripped fast, it turned to the fly and made a half heaarted swipe at it. Slowed the retrieve down - strip, stop, strip, stop. On the second strip, it followed and on the stop it kept coming and sucked the fly in. 10 yard run then straight in the air, another 10 yard run, another flight to the air. Nice long run, punctuated by 7 or 8 incredible leaps, then a long struggle near the boat. Wanted to get it in the boat to video it (and maybe keep it to eat), but it broke off as I held the leader wondering how to get it in the boat (couldn't think of the boca grip I had, was too amazed). Although its size has fluctuated considerably in my descriptions of it since then, it was bigger than what I heard are sometimes seen near shore, probably 10 to 12 pounds. What an incredible sight seeing it in the water.

Later that day I managed one fat albie off the beach near the cottages.

Saturday, based on a NOAH report that never materialized, took Josh and Howie out. Although the winds were up briefly, never to what NOAH had predicted and the afternoon was calm and a day Howie normally would have been offshore.

The albie pods were more numerous and had a few more fish in them than I saw Friday, but it was still touch fishing. Josh got an early blue, appropriately Howie got the first albie (got that one on video) and Josh got to watch me break another rod on the only other albie of the day.

Got a different perspective on things, as the fish we caught were "bait" in Howie's eyes. Heard some great stories (not just his offshore experience) and saw a great picture of him younger with an Atlantic Salmon.

Despite fascination with his offshore offer, decided to chase albies again Sunday.

Sunday morning was slower than the two previous days. Hooked up near the surfers when a pod came up near me, but had my line wrapped around my hand and broke it off. Didn't see much for a while, then got a nice albie near Caswells. As the line ran out, saw a nice bass follow the fly line. A few minutes later, saw a few bass surface, watched as a plugger and several fly guys took nice bass off the rocks.

The wind died in the afternoon and the albies got a bit more active. Followed pods half way to Hither Hills, seeing bait everywhere, but had no real shots. Got the Point late, seeing the aftermatch (many boats) of some good schools I hear came up around 3 PM. Saw them way outside, and between the point and Shagawong on my way back.

I can still feel my heart pound when I saw those mahi in shore. Cool fish, cool enough for Howie to resist calling them bait.

[AndyF]

Holy ****, great day.
I only made it out Monday (I'm still out east, posting this from my laptop.) Chased some big stripers on the south side off the Point and then saw the albies pop up. They were popping up all over the place, but in pretty small pods that went down quickly. Didn't get one in the short half-hour or so I had left to chase them, and didn't see anyone else land one either. They were out pretty far off the point and it was tough hanging on to the boat at times. I saw some pods in calmer water on the way in, off the north side of the point and wished I hung out there.

Any particular files seem to work for you? Last year I had some luck with very small white and red/white epoxies, which I'm going to try again next time I can get close enough to them.

I wouldn't feel too bad that you didn't get the mahi in the boat--sounds like it was an awesome show. (But they are great tasting fish when they're fresh!)

[fmw]

That is truly a great story. I guess you can say that as you got hold of the leader, you have the "catch." How close was this to the beach? Were you literally just outside the surf line at the time? I would love to get mahi on a fly.

My only experience with mahi was in my "pre-fly fishing days" about eight years ago on the only offshore charter I ever did. It was out of Shinnecock Inlet. We trolled around for tuna and caught six or seven yellowfin around 40 lbs. It was not really fun sitting in a fighting chair cranking a huge reel attached to a telephone poll. But, at the end of the day we found a floating wooden pallet that held 5 to 10 lb. mahi underneath along with triggerfish. We cast with light spinning rods with just a small strip of squid on a hook and caught mucho mahi. I will never forget the color on those fish and the way they jumped. It was an experience as memorable as any of the massive bass blitzes I've seen at Montauk. To this day I say to myself that I wish I was flyfishing then.

Did not fish too much over the weekend but for an unsuccessful outing at Sammy's Beach. Took a drive to Montauk late afternoon Sunday and stood on the cliff at Camp Hero. Saw birds working in several places but boats scattered. Looked from a distance to be the typical scene where finnicky albies are popping up for just a brief second. Drove around by the concession stand and saw more concentrated feeds. These appeared from a distance to be cocktail blues. Observing the scene made me realize two things: I cannot wait any longer for the fall run and I have got to get a boat.

[Tuna]

To Andy:

Albies will hit almost anything in front of them, the problem is getting the fly in front of them, enough times. At various times I have been convinced that red-brown clousers were best (big ones, then small ones, then big sparse ones...), then chartreuse clousers, then chartreuse epoxies, then white epoxies, then chartreuse half and halfs. Right now I am convinced that light brown or tan epoxies are king. I like the color even if the fish don't. The Mahi did (at least enough), and so did some albies.

To fmw:

Outside of the surfers there is a second bar the waves rarely break on. It was on the outside portion of this bar I saw the mahi. About 100 yards or less from the break the surfers are on.

[venture]

Just read Tuna's post saying "Albies will hit almost anything in front of them, the problem is getting the fly in front of them". I am a little confused with that statement, and I think that if Tuna sits back and thinks about it, he will agree with me.

Firstly, we all know they are extremely selective at times. When there are few of them, and not competing with bluefish and others of their species in a frenzied compact rip, they are extremely selective. This is when there are pods of Albies around and they hit a beach with the bait dispersed everywhere, they move fast, no need to stay in one spot, and are vertually impossible to stay with. These are the times you must have the right fly because that's when the fish are really choosie with little competition and easy prey. You get only a few real shots. I suggest that if you do not get a fish on a cast straight into the feeding pod or two, you change your fly quicky. Color and size are key. Some days they just like a color. It's that simple.
On the other hand, when they are thick in a rip, or against a beach, working the bait into a tight balls, at the same time competing with Bluefish and other albies, they will take nearly everything due to the competition, and they stay right there because of the bait concentration. That's the gim'me that Tuna refers to, and that's when it's easy.

Now that's my opinion for what it's worth. Howie

[venture]

May I suggest having a landing net in your boat. They come in handy sometimes, especially when one goes fishing. You maybe lucky enough to have a similar event uccur, and again have no pictures to really prove these unbelievable stories you spin. Howie

[venture]

May I suggest having a landing net in your boat. They come in handy sometimes, especially when one goes fishing. You maybe lucky enough to have a similar event uccur, and again have no pictures to really prove these stories.
Howie

[Tuna]

Howie -

You are right about a landing net - its not doing me any good in my basement and I have room to store one. Not expecting to see mahi in close again soon, but its when you are not expecting that you need it most.

You are also right that sometimes the albies are highly selective. Too many refusals and its time to change color, size and/or shape or water column. The point I was tring to make is that there is no one fly type that is best, despite habits and beliefs fishermen get into (ncluding myself).