Angling Explorations

Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast

2010-07-24T12:40:00.004-04:00

Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast(Amato Publishing 2011)is the sequel to the highly acclaimed and popular Saltwater Flies of the Northeast. This latest project by author, Angelo Peluso covers the geography from the Carolinas to the Texas Gulf Coast. The focus of the book is fly patterns and their development throughout that entire region. The book will present approximately 360 of the best saltwater fly patterns, representing more than 100 fly tiers, captains, guides, club members, shops and outfitters. The list of contributors includes some of the most well known contemporary tiers as well as a number of exceptional amateur artisans. The work is being designed as a functional, comprehensive "bench" resource book of significant saltwater fly patterns developed and used in the Southeast and Gulf Coast for all primary game fish, flats, inshore and offshore. Images of the specific fly patterns have been achieved through high-end professional digital photography. Every effort has been made to portray the flies in a manner that will offer significant differentiation from those images that appear in other fly tying publications. A unique studio set was created to achieve these desired results. The book will also include the unique artwork of a very prominent and talented Florida fish artist. This unique art form has never before been paired with fly patterns. SWFSE&GC will also include a collectoin of informative vignettes and essays. No matter where you fish the flies in this book will help increase your angling effectiveness and efficiency. If you love to fly fish and are intrigued by flies, this volume is destined to be an essential part of your arsenal. Saltwater Flies of the Southeast and Gulf Coast is scheduled for publication mid to late 2011. To a reserve a first edition copy and to receive updates simply send an email to apdotcominfo@aol.com with SWFSE&GC in the subject line. Thank you. AP

Mid-Summer Weekends

2010-07-24T09:10:00.001-04:00

Mid-summer weekends are always interesting from a fishing perspective. Anything that can float is usually on the water and the beaches are packed like sardine cans. But amazingly fish are caught; sometimes a lot of fish are caught. Despite intensified angling pressure this past weekend was a prime example. The weekend’s fishing fireworks began for some lucky anglers on Friday fishing in the area of Smith’s Point in thirty feet of water. But from Jones Inlet to Shinnecock a number of persistent fishermen came upon some nice-sized bass on bunker. While most of the bass were caught on meat a number of quality fish were duped by bucktails and deep swimming artificials. Those bunker bass all seem to be in the range of twenty to forty-pounds and there were a solid number of them being caught during daylight hours. Very few fly anglers got into the mix since feathers were the last thing these bass wanted. Most of this activity was in the ocean off the south shore of the Island but quality bass continued to fall on the north shore, especially off structure near deepwater haunts. Areas of strucuture from Eatons Neck out to Herod Shoal all produced bass during the week. Small bluefish are a constant source of light tackle sport around the entire Island with schools of larger fish occasionally popping up. Fluke and porgy fishing remain strong. Adventuresome fly anglers from New Jersey to New England are gearing up for their shots at small bluefin tuna that are beginning to be caught. Very soon other small tunas like Atlantic bonito should begin to appear around the area. With all the available bait and the unseasonable warm weather they just might make an early visit.

2010-06-19T08:27:00.002-04:00

Two pieces of fishing apparel that I consider essential for rounding out my fishing arsenal are a lucky hat (aren’t all fisherman superstitious) and a great long sleeve tee-shirt; a technical “T” as those anglers in the know refer to them. I have a clothing dresser full of those shirts. That all started with my days fishing in Alaska where my wife would comment that all the fish in the photos looked the same and I always had that same dumb (she meant lucky) hat on. All of my Long Island-based exploits were always met with the same reaction, so I needed to differentiate from among the fish in the photos. My solution to the dilemma: different fishing T-shirts. But now I have acquired a shirt by the folks from Montauk Tackle that is so good all I want to do is where it on all my trips. You can well image the confusion that will create with my fish photos. I can hear it now, “How do I know that isn’t the same fish in all those photos. You are always wearing that same green tee-shirt.” Yes, I am guilty! Truth be told I’ve wore the Montauk Tackle “T”on fifteen consecutive fly-fishing trips this spring. That shirt, my lucky hat and some terrific sand eel flies did a number on early season stripers, and I simply refused break up the outfit. I was afraid not to wear the shirt for fear of breaking the good spell that I was under. Actually, I was wearing the tee so much my wife had to remind me to… “take it off and wash it before it stands up on its own. She was right but so was I since the shirt even in its unwashed state was a most comfortable, durable and functional fishing tee I’ve worn. The Montauk Tackle “T” shirt wears well, does an excellent job of wicking away perspiration and washes nicely (I eventually gave in) with virtually no shrinkage or color fade. I will be inclined to wear it throughout the entire spring months, cool summer mornings and in the fall. All in all it is a very fine product, competitively priced starting at $24.00. For further information you can check out the tee shirts and the entire line of outstanding Montauk Tackle products at wwww.montauktackle.com. Oh, one final thing, my solution to the inevitable, “That’s the same shirt in all the photos, so how do I know it isn’t the same fish?” is to buy one “T” in all the colors they offer. That should do it!

Fish on the Flats

2010-06-19T08:12:00.004-04:00

If the good Lord allowed me but one method of fishing for all eternity it would have to involve a fly rod and sight casting to cruising fish in thin water, preferably tailing redfish, mudding bonefish and stripers on the flats. And so it was that my wish was granted this past week, albeit here on earth and, thankfully, not the eternal hereafter. For me it gets no better than tossing crab and creature flies to striped bass cruising the shallows and in an eating mood. I got to play that game this week right here on Long Island with Captain Vinny Catalano of Joey C Charters, and to say we had fun would be understatement. Not only did the fish want to play the game but having the opportunity to share that time and special space with someone who fully understands the dynamics of skinny water fly-fishing and is very good at it made the game all that more enjoyable. Captain Vinny and I hooked up to catch a perfect tide on a perfect day, with plenty of sun and limited wind… ideal conditions for this pursuit. Fishing crab patterns and other small crustacean flies we had a ball casting to many…and I mean many…bass; hooking, landing and releasing our fair share of stout stripers, from cookie cutter schoolie fish to keeper-sized bass. We spread the wealth around taking turns on the ‘push pole’ and had some really spectacular hook-ups. This is a totally visual experience. Believe me, those “takes” alone are worth the price of admission. After the bass eats, the rest of the game is just icing on the cake!

While this was but one day out of a productive e week for Vinny, it was fishing he enjoyed for the entire week, and it will only get better. In his words, “From rolling bass at first light to sight casting them on the flats the bite is totally on! I had the most enjoyable week poling the flats watching clients come tight to big bass! I even had a chance to get in the action myself during my outing with “AP”. He put me right on them. I'm expecting this kind of fishing right through June, especially around the new moon for the big boys.” If you have an interest in a great fly-fishing or light tackle experience give Vinny a buzz at 631-766-1695.

Long Island Bass Fishing Heats Up

2010-05-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

It didn’t take any magic, crystal balls or alchemy to predict that last week would yield a solid bounty of fish all around the Island for many fly and light tackle anglers. The presence of bunker, sand eels, spearing, grass shrimp and crabs, combined with the building new moon phase, cloud cover and low barometric pressure all worked to pop the lid on the local fly and light tackle scene. One of the seasonal guideposts I use to gauge saturation of fish in local waters is when good numbers of bass and bluefish reach central Sound areas…and that they did this past week in solid numbers and size. The low pressure phase of the week yielded the best results as evidenced by this week’s array of reports. Based upon my own personal sampling of the opportunities there are tons of small bass around in the 20 to 27-inch range and a solid core of keeper-sized fish that have been falling to flies and other artificial baits. Slim Deceivers, elongated Clousers and any variety of sand eel patterns have been getting it done. Keep the retrieves on the slow side and try a change-up or off speed retrieve every once in a while. You’d also be amazed at the number of bass taking flies that are being inched along right off the bottom. On the light tackle side of the equation, the hot bait of the week had to be light bucktails tipped with small soft plastic trailers and freshened with scent. Fish are both in backwater areas as well as inlets, harbors and off open beaches.

Captain Vinny Catalano of JoeyCCharters.blogspot.com logged in to let us know that it is happening big time for his charters. He advises that, “For the past week or so I’ve been waiting for the bite to bust wide open with the amount of sand eels and bunker around. It was only a matter of time this week coming up to the new moon; finally, the bass bite has been epic! According to Captain Vinny, many of his trips saw 20 to 30 fish days, “…with lots of big fish in the mix in the mid to upper teen range.” All fish were taken on both fly and light tackle spinning. Vinny has also been spotting some of the first signs of fish on the flats but that fishing has not yet materialized due to conditions made tough with wind and thunderstorms. Captain Vinny expects this coming week to bring more rolling bass in the mornings and increasing sight fishing opportunities on the flats for the rest of May and June.

I also heard from fellow flyrodder, Larry Winston who recently returned from fishing down in Bonito Springs, Florida. While Larry reported a severe winter snook kill in that part of Florida his welcome back to Long Island included a few very productive trips for spring stripers. Larry has been fishing some East End flats and been doing very well on bass. According to Larry, “I've managed two sight fishing trips on local flats since I returned and was only held back by poor sighting conditions and the two day ‘hurricane’ that just ended. The fish I have been seeing are big and hungry and also all covered with sea lice.” Larry’s two best fly rod fish so far have been a 37-inch, 19 ½ - pound bass he I got on a streamer fly of his own design, and a 32-inch, 11-pounder. He added that he has only caught three fish under 28-inches since he’s been fishing the flats.

Joe Cravata from J&H Fishing Outlet also touched base to let us know there were reports of bass and blues at Jones Inlet by the Coast Guard Station. According to Joe, those fish were taking Lefty’s Deceivers and sand eel patterns, olive over white. Joe added that there were also bass at Moriches Inlet and along the east jetty…“The east side flat have has also been producing. These fish were taking large bunker flies on sinking lines the flats by Sayville have also been producing.” Over on the North Shore Joe reports bass and blues in Northport Harbor, Sunken Meadow, the mouth of the Nissy, the Brickyard, and along the open beaches from short Beach and Long Beach to Porpoise Channel and Stony Brook Harbor. A variety of Deceiver and sand eel patterns are seeing the most action. Andrew from J&H reports that AJ Forzano has brought in a nice selection of saltwater flies to the shop and that they have also received a solid array of freshwater flies. Andrew would like readers to know that the shop’s fly rod selection is growing: St. Croix fly rods have been delivered, as well as a full selection of Cortland rods and reels; any G Loomis rod is available to be ordered. Call 631 244 0600 for further information and shop hours.

Captain Danny Reich of NYCFlyFishing,.com tells us that J-Bay was hot again this week. According to Captain Danny, “I'm happy to say I was right about the fishing getting better with the weather. This week has seen a new push of bass, crystal clear water, and great fishing.” Danny added that the best part of the fishing was that for the entire week he didn’t lip a fish under 24 or 25-inches. “Most of the fish caught were in the 26-inch range, with some in the low and mid 30s, and up to about 40-inches. All fish were eating the fly really well, and many times we could see 2 or 3 fish competing for the fly.” As far as bait goes Danny advises that there are immature spearing around as well as, adult bunker. He expects a solid push of sand eels in the next week or so.

Captain Paul Peluso of Momma Mia Charters emailed to let us know that he has been taking light tackle bass in the Moriches area on bucktails. Tuesday morning saw 6 bass come to the boat with 3 keepers. On Wednesday, he netted a couple more linesiders with one keeper. Captain Paul indicated that Wednesday’s outing also found him in the midst of a major league bluefish blitz.

Fishing should only get better from here!

Fundamentals of Fly-Fishing the Surf

2010-03-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

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 www.angelopeluso.com.

Bass Awakening

2010-03-06T11:27:00.000-05:00

The show season will soon begin to wind down and the official beginning of spring is but a month away. And then April will bring with it the first signs of striped bass being caught off the jersey Shore, J-Bay, Island’s west end, Little Neck Bay and many of the shallow back-water areas that awaken to the Spring’s warming sun. Increasing bass activity will also take place in many of the more predominant fresh water rivers around the tri-state area: Delaware River, Hudson River, Connecticut, Thames and Housatonic Rivers. So, it’s never too early to prepare for the seasonal renaissance and return of stripers.

Most of the bass that visit Long Island waters originate from either the Chesapeake River or Hudson River stocks. Stripers are classified as anadromous, meaning they live predominantly in saltwater but return from the salt to their natal freshwater rivers to spawn. Once the spawning mandate is satisfied the bass move out of those rivers and begin to move back to saltwater. They will infiltrate the inland waters and move up the Northeast coast. Starting in about mid-April bass will begin to be caught in the western most parts of Long Island and as the season progresses gradually flood into all areas around Long Island. Many will take up residence in the waters surrounding Long Island, including numerous bays and harbors, while many bass will continue their journey right up the entire length of the coast. During the fall migration huge masses of both bait and pursuing striped bass will move south to their wintering areas. When this movement occurs it seems as if every bass in the world passes through the toll gates at the east end of the Island, most notably Montauk at the tip end of the South Shore and Orient Point and the Race off the Island’s North Fork. Striped bass are essentially an inshore fish and as such provide numerous angling opportunities for near shore fly and light tackle anglers. Stripers show a marked preference for boulders, rocks…as one of its nicknames, “rockfish” implies… jetties, pilings, docks, piers, riprap and other forms of visible or submerged structure. They can also be caught in open water as well as on sand and gravel flats in literally inches of water. It may come as a surprise to some but sizable flats exist on Long Island and a growing number of fly fishermen and light tackle anglers are pursuing them in that venue. It is a sight fishing phenomenon comparable in many respects to tropical bone fishing and casting to tailing redfish in Florida.

See Bass Run

2009-10-22T06:56:00.000-04:00

It’s happening, it has happened, it will happen. Those are the tenses used to describe the fishing during the past week. One’s view of the fall run is totally dependent on where and when you fish. For example, Montauk seems to be on one day and off the next. A friend of mine left a message on my phone that he enjoyed a few days of terrific fishing in the Montauk rips for bass up to 35-pounds. A couple of other light tackle guides I know fishing the Point and the southside reported having to work very hard to make a decent day of fishing for their clients. The north shore has spurts of activity with bass and bluefish making an appearance along the beaches and then a day later the only game in town is blackfish. And then some good bass, blues and even a few leftover bonito showed up at Mt. Sinai Harbor. The western Sound produced some nice bass this week with a number of fish into the mid 20’s. The folks over on the CT side are still into bass, blues and the occasional albie. The south shore beaches can be hot as a firecracker one tide and all quiet the next. J-Bay has been active as have been some of the beaches in northern New Jersey but even that fishing has been far from predictable. The most consistent shot at the Long Island Hat Trick has been in the area of the Race where some of last week’s hottest albie action took place. The south shore beaches from The End down to Moriches have yielded mostly bass and blues this past week with some sustained blitzes in the foam.

Fall Coming to Long Island

2009-09-07T19:56:00.000-04:00

As the summer nears it traditional end we see the local fishing scene in its state of annual transition. This past weekend’s weather sent August out on a wet note and kept anglers off the water. Big bluefish continue to dominate the light tackle and fly scene but most of those catches this past week on the north shore have been offshore of some of the more notable locations like the Middle Grounds, Stratford Shoal, Crane Neck and the Triangle. Some good bass were also taken this past week, but most feel to rigged eels. The harbors are still holding both schoolies and keeper bass and many are falling to light tackle and flies. There are numerous snappers around now in the harbors and bays so if you want some fun grab a 2 or 3-weight fly outfit and give them a go. They can pull better than most stocked trout! There were some isolated reports of a few bonito landed in the Fire Island and Shinnecock Inlet areas but still very few landing reports on the north side of the Island. Such is the same situation across the Sound in Connecticut. We have not yet seen any large concentrations of fish in our local near shore waters. The only substantiated bonito reports have been from the extreme east end of the Sound. Albies so far have been scarce to non-existent inshore but are still being caught off the deep lumps and holes along with skipjack and bones. There is still some fabulous inshore fishing for various species of tuna off the near-New Jersey coast, making for some fine fly and light tackle fishing. While our spring runs have, as of late, been more of an event than the fall runs – with the notable exception of Montauk- there is a lot to be hopeful for with the congregations of bait that are amassing. Sand eels are so thick off the east end that they have attracted whales. New England areas are seeing much the same phenomenon. All that bodes well for a solid Montauk and south shore run…the bass are already there! That run is a paradise for fly and light tackle anglers.

Hosted Alaska Fly Fishing Trips

2009-07-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

Alaska is one of the finest fly-fishing destinations on earth. I took my first trip in 1989 and have been on many annual trips since, fishing for king salmon, silver salmon, chums, sockeye and pinks, as well an indigenous species - char, graying, dollies and magnificent rainbow trout. I have a unique opportunity to host a small groups of fly anglers at several remote lodges during the 2010 season. Good fishing in Alaska requires advance preparation to ensure prime weeks for the targeted species. You would be surprised at how many anglers make the mistake of selecting the wrong times for the species they would like to catch and end up verky disapponted. My experiences can help you avoid those costly mistakes that can ruin the trip of a lifetime. If you are interested please reposnd to me at apdotcominfo@aol.com for further details. Thank you. AP

August in Alaska

2009-06-28T11:57:00.000-04:00

August is an exceptional time to be in Alaska. It is a month blessed with an extraordinary abundance of game fish, all quite eager to engage the visiting fly-fisher in continuous contest. It is a time when the much heralded silver salmon make their stage debut, entering the many small, flyfishing-friendly rivers throughout the state. This time of year also witnesses the aggressiveness of indigenous rainbow trout as they bulk up on the nutrient rich eggs of the millions of sockeye salmon now in full spawning mode. During August,one also has the opportunity to introduce a multitude of egg- fly patterns too large numbers of hungry grayling and char and Dolly Varden, since they too are now enjoying a natural buffet consisting of this unique form of caviar. The spawning salmon attract the magnificent bald eagles that feast on the remains of spent and dying fish. This is also a time when one of Alaska largest carnivores, brown bears, bulk up on a seemingly endless supply of spawning salmon, building fat reserves to carry them through winter hibernation. It is fair to say that the presence of salmon in Alaskan rivers attracts all varieties of wildlife that benefit from this most natural of all resources. The fish also attract an abundance of anglers. But Alaska is a big state and one can find spectacular solitude and fly-fishing beyond comparison. Yes, August is my favorite time to fish the Greatland, especially the AK Peninsula. When I am there you will be sure to find me on some remote tidal spawning stream, fly rod in hand searching for hard fighting and bright silvers. See you in the bush!

Weatherby's: A "Grand" Destination

2009-04-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

I first visited Grand Lake Stream Maine in July 1988 and became as hooked on the region as were the fish I caught. My wife and I traveled to this destination as part of a summer road trip that included sightseeing and fishing. While the tourist part of the trip was most enjoyable, the fishing was nothing short of spectacular, especially for smallmouth bass. Our mid-summer adventure did not necessarily coincide with peak spring and fall smallmouth fishing, but you could have fooled me. No matter where we ventured, we caught bass, and lots of them. Most were fish in the 1-½ to 2-pound class but there were enough quality fish in the 3 and 4-pound range to keep me on my toes after each cast. We fished for five days and literally lost count of bass that certainly numbered in the hundreds. I have been back this region many times since and often refer to the area’s fishery as a smallmouth bass factory. And if the smallies aren’t enough to keep you occupied, Grand Lake Stream proper is home to some exciting fishing for landlocked salmon.

One of my favorite bass fishing spots is the St. Croix River, bordered by Maine on one side of the river and Canada on the opposing bank. I would always begin and end my trips to this region with a float on the St Croix. Nothing quite beats the aesthetics of fishing the St Croix in a traditional Grand Laker canoe and enjoying a timeless Maine shore lunch. The upper reaches of the St Croix hold some very magical smallmouth waters and prolific populations of fish. Flies, small plugs and any assortment of plastic baits work wonders on those river bass. But the St. Croix is far from the only game in town. Grand Lake is a classic Down East smallmouth bass water, replete with boulders, shoreline structure, coves, creek inlets and deep water holding areas. For a taste of Maine “wilderness” fishing, Third Lake Machias can’t be beat. It is one of a chain of Machias Lakes that includes First Lake through Fifth Lake. All Machias lakes are wonderful and productive places to fish; Third Lake has yielded some of the best dragon fly-fishing for smallmouth bass I have ever experienced. During the course of my visits I have also been treated to day expeditions to other places like Pocomoonshine Lake, Big Lake, East Lake, West Lake and Long Lake. I have never been disappointed by the outcome on any of the area’s waters.
The smallmouth season typically begins in late May as the air and water temperatures steadily increase and become more consistent. The pre-spawn and post-spawn bass fishing can be as good as it gets anywhere, with 50 to 100 fish days not that uncommon. The month of June offers high quality finest top water smallie fishing with popping bugs or topwater plugs. The fishing remains productive throughout the summer months with flies and a variety of artificial baits quite effective. The season runs through September, a month known for fast action and big fish
This region is one of four in Maine that have native populations landlocked salmon - cousin the mighty Atlantic salmon. One major difference between the landlocked salmon and its larger relative is that the landlocked salmon are actively feeding while in the Stream during the summer. The season for the salmon begins early May after the ice leaves our lakes and they follow the smelt, a favorite forage fish, into Grand Lake Stream. Not long after the white suckers move it to spawn another wave of salmon targeting the sucker eggs follows. Late May and June bring the May fly and caddis hatches, followed by alder flies, stoneflies and other terrestrials in July. Typically during mid-summer the salmon move to the deep pools or into the lakes to feed, only to return in late September and October to spawn. We fish until October 20 and experience tremendous fishing for large salmon in the spawning dress during this time.
Your best choice for a base of operation for your Grand Lake Stream adventure is Weatherby’s, an outstanding historic lodge situated in the heart of town. Weatherby’s offers central access to some unique landlocked salmon fishing and is a hub location for spring boarding to the areas unsurpassed smallmouth bass fishing. The lodging, food and hospitality are second to none and Weatherby’s also boasts one of the most professional cadre of skilled guides available anywhere. The lodge is one of the oldest and most famous fishing destinations in North America. Many famous visitors have stayed and played outdoors using Weatherby’s as a their home base, including the “splendid splinter” himself, Ted Williams.
Weatherby’s is also an excellent destination upland game hunting. The area is renowned for woodcock or “timberdoodle” shooting.

For further information about accomodations, seasons and rates visit the lodge's website at http://www.weatherbys.com/ .

Long Island - A World Class Destination

2009-04-11T07:03:00.000-04:00

Long Island, New York enjoys a well earned reputation as a world-class fishing destination. The availability of outstanding freshwater and saltwater angling draws anglers from far and near. The saltwater oppportunities are as plentiful and diverse as any other destination and offer superb inshore, offshore and flats fishing.

An Impressive Array of Records...

The waters surrounding Long Island have relinquished a remarkable number of fish to the record book, from diminutive perch and catfish to offshore giants. As one might imagine, the majority of records attributed to Long Island are saltwater milestones but there are a couple of freshwater line class records in the big book and some fly fishing records as well. As one peruses the book some extraordinary accomplishments jump off the page and are most worthy of special note.

Some Long Island records are truly astounding accomplishments and are hall of fame-type catches. Most of these are line-class records where large fish were taken on small lines. Others are truly extraordinary specimens of a game fish species. While all of the Long Island records represent significant achievements the following are a few that catch the eye:

- Stephen Sloan took three blue sharks weighing 119 pounds, 184 pounds and 251 pounds on 2, 4 and 6-pound test line respectively! Stephen also landed a 91-pound blue shark on a fly rod with a 4-pound class tippet, and another blue of 114 pounds, 12 ounces on a 6-pound fly rod tippet!
- Tred Barta landed a 63-pound, 12-ounce yellow fin on 6 pound test line!
- Emme Golinski landed two large striped bass of 46 pounds, 12 ounces and 57 pounds, 15 ounces on 6 and 8-pound test line respectively!
- Dr. Einar Grell dredged a massive 18 pound, 3 ounce fluke up from the
depths on 6 pounds test line!
- Diane Mellish bested a 26 pound, 12 ounce pollock on 4-pound test line!
- Bob Rochetta’s 76-pound striped bass!
- Chester Berry’s 70-pound striped bass!
- Ann Houseknecht’s 63 pound, 2 ounce Atlantic cod!
- Joe Seidel’s 528-pound blue shark!
- Jame’s Melanson’s 1,080 pound mako shark!
- Charles Nappi’s 22 pound, 7 ounce fluke!
- Dennis Rooney’s 19 pound, 2 ounce weakfish!
- Mark Kaminski’s 56 pound, 5 ounce tilefish!
- Mason Horn’s Junior/Smallfry striped bass of 57 pounds!
- Joseph Marino’s Junior/Smallfry bluefish of 22 pounds, 8 ounces!
- Kevin Dunckley’s oversized Junior/Smallfry Spanish mackerel of
11 pounds, 13 ounces!
(Source of records: IGFA Record Book)

A few key findings might prove helpful if you are interested in fishing Long Island and taking a shot at landing a record of your own, or just gaining some insight from the current records to aid in your own fishing.

- Of the total Long Island records 34% were caught during the dogs days of summer, July and August. There are a total of 94 Long island records in the book.
- When adding in the records for the month of October to those of July and
- August, the total represents a full 51% of all record fish taken. Each of the three months carries a 17% share of the total.
- No record fish were taken in the months of March and April.
- Six of the total records were taken during the winter months.
- 45% of the record fish were taken in the months of May (7%), June (12%), September (15%) and November (11%).

2009-04-02T19:13:00.001-04:00

The Northeast United States is home to some of the finest saltwater fishing our planet has to offer. It is a destination all serious fly anglers should fish. Saltwater Flies of the Northeast, authored by Angelo Peluso and published by Frank Amato Publishing(Portland Oregon) will serve as an essential reference guide for both beginning and advanced fly anglers and fly tyers. It is also a window on the world of some of the region's most successful fly fishermen. It contains the profiles of exceptional flies of more than 100 professional and amateur tyers, guides and captains. Their designs and patterns have been successfully fished regionally - from the southern tip of New Jersey up through the rugged coastline of Maine, and most all locations in between. Within these pages are the "go-to" designs that each contributing fly tyer, professional guide and captain uses when the going gets tough.
This comprehensive book contains beautiful photographs and stunning artwork, plus descriptions and recipes for 370 of the most effective Northeast saltwater fly patterns being used today. An indispensable guide for fly tying, this book will become a "must-have" for the serious or aspiring saltwater fly tyer and fly angler on either coast.
Angelo lives and fishes on Long Island. Copies of the book can be purchased directly from the author at angelopeluso.com or emailing him at Apdotcominfo@aol.com. The book is also available at all major retail outlets, online booksellers and various fishing shops throughout the region.

2009-04-02T19:03:00.001-04:00

FLY FISHING LONG ISLAND is now available... If your travels take you to Long Island and if you enjoy fly-fishing then this book is a must have. Fly Fishing Long Island by Angelo Peluso (WW Norton and Company/Countryman Press) is the most comprehensive guidebook ever written about freshwater and saltwater fly-fishing on Long Island.
Long Island has long been known as a fisherman's paradise - now it's been rediscovered as a world-renowned saltwater fly fishing destination with equally impressive freshwater opportunities. The fall runs of striped bass, bluefish and false albacore draw anglers from far and near. The Island also boasts world-class freshwater fisheries with opportunities for sea-run brown trout and rainbow trout; bass and panfish also abound in lakes and ponds.
While much has been written about various aspects of Long Island's fly fishing opportunities, Fly Fishing Long island is the first comprehensive compilation of all that Long Island has to offer. Fly Fishing Long Island highlights everything the experienced - or the novice - angler needs to know, ranging from destination information to how to catch the available variety of game fish species.
Angelo is a regular columnist for the New York and Long Island edition of The Fisherman Magazine, as well as a contributor to numerous local, regional and national publications His previous book, Saltwater Flies of the Northeast, is an acclaimed best seller. His writings and photography have been recognized by the New York State Outdoor Writers Association, the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Association of Great lakes Outdoor Writers.
Angelo lives and fishes on Long Island. Copies of the book can be purchased directly from the author at angelopeluso.com or emailing him at Apdotcominfo@aol.com. The book is also available at all major retail outlets, online booksellers and various fishing shops throughout the region.

A New Season Looks Back...

2009-04-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

I have been contemplating this new blog for quite some time. The only excuse that I can offer for not publishing it sooner is that fishing, life and a couple of new book projects got in the way. Please feel free to blame my neglect to publish squarely on many game fish species that kept me very busy last season. And I guess while we are at the blame game we can cast some culpability in the direction of those darn baitfish that amassed in incredible number all up and down the northeast coast, Long Island included. By the late summer of 2008 there were literally acres and acres of peanut bunker, spearing, anchovies and other forms of micro-bait in residence. Once the various game fish zoned in on this bait buffet they fed with a vengeance. This is a new season but hopefully, 2009 will be a repeat performance.

It would be fair to say that most anglers experienced a reasonbale run of striped bass in 2008. There certainly was numerous large bass caught. Once the sand eels materialized, the bass showed in excellent numbers. The early season saw some fine catch of nice stripers and in my own experience last spring yielded more keeper bass on flies than similar periods in past years. I was even blessed with a few double-digit keeper bass days on my favorite fly patterns. Most other fly anglers I know experienced similar results. The early weakfish bite for some tiderunner sharpies was also quite good. And what can one say about the bluefish other than this season brought back memories of the chopper halcyon days of the 1980s. But the Atlantic bonito only made fleeting appearance, we caught. One never conquers bonito – they can be too fickle a species.
During the fall prime times, all eyes searched the horizon for busting false albacore. Montauk was the fall run gem. It was an unbelievable experience. Little tunny were once again in the “house” along with prolific hordes of their favorite baitfish. And lest we forget, the herring made a fair appearance along the Island’s south shore and the entire northeast coast, with bigger stripers in hot pursuit. That event kept some of us casting flies, plugs and plastics well into December. The herring run is a time when many anglers catch their largest bass of the season so it is always worthy keeping at least one rod strung and at the ready for that eventuality – and perhaps even delay winterizing the boat
I hope that you will enjoy the offerings contained in this blog and may you be blessed with perpetual tight lines! Have a great 2009 season and please come back to visit with us often.
Enjoy and be safe...AP