This week we have a special report from a close friend of the shop, Capt. Pat Huban of Albatross Fly Fishing. Pat has been up and down the Sound over the last few weeks in pursuit of fall run striped bass, blues, and hardtails. While some days have been productive, other have been tough, and he has penned a great summation of where the salt water fishing is headed as we close out the season.
A good fishing report should tell you what opportunities are out there currently, instead of telling you when, where, and how. I’m going to aim to do just that. Fall has certainly kicked into gear, and for the past two weeks on all my charters, we have had great opportunities to cast to active striped bass. Hardtails are still around—I’ve seen them—but they are not in large numbers and have proved very challenging, but you certainly won’t catch them at home. I’d say if you want one last crack at them, this is your last week before water temps get too cold.
The water is currently crystal clear, and we have had numerous opportunities to sight cast at fish; this, however, requires patience and precision. If you can wade or get your boat into a spot where you can clearly see the bottom, get some polarized glasses, move slowly, and see what you come across. The dead giveaway for fish is flocks of birds. It may require burning some gas in your car or boat, but if you cover enough water, you’ll find something. Somewhat surprisingly, we have come across good numbers of schoolies with bigger fish mixed in; it’s always encouraging, given the state of striped bass, to see smaller fish. Bluefish are not here, plain and simple. I attribute that to increased harvest of Menhaden. The stripers are on a mixed assortment of bait; cycle through your patterns. In clear water like this, striped bass can be extremely wary and picky. I’ve always been a fan of clear or clear-tipped fly lines, so this is the time to utilize that advantage. In summary, the best approach for fall is to go out and look. The fish are here.
You won’t get any report from me without a note on conservation. I hear a lot of discussion on the state of our local fishery and hear some pretty negative and defeatist views; I often hear, “There’s no fish.” I can assure you that is not true. We’ve had some really great days this fall. What is true, however, is that the fishery is not what it once was. So what options does that leave us? To me, it’s two-fold. First and foremost is to be active in conservation; complaining without action is just that—complaining. It accomplishes nothing. The next two years are going to be absolutely critical for the future of striped bass. The young-of-the-year results have been released, and the spawn was slightly better than it has been. That’s good, but it ultimately will not be enough alone to maintain a healthy population.
The American Saltwater Guides Association is at the forefront of this fight. They are funding studies, influencing policy, and keeping the fishing public plugged into the details of fisheries management. If you love striped bass, please sign up to be a member and receive email notifications of specific and meaningful actions you can take. Secondly is to work a little harder and remember to enjoy your time spent on the water. Hard fishing makes a better angler: your skills improve, good results are more rewarding, and the skills you learn here can translate across the globe. Focus on catching fish in a very specific and intentional way; the numbers are less important with that approach. We have a longer saltwater season than most of New England here in CT, and it should continue on through Thanksgiving. There are incredible fishing moments to be had in our local waters; get out there and find them.
