SHE’S ALL BUT SUNG

October 25, 2000 - Well, the band is well rehearsed, the patrons have taken their seats, and the obese one has entered center stage. All that remains is to hear her resounding chorus echo through the hall, at least here in Massachusetts.

If history is a yardstick, hard-core boat people will continue to track marauding schools of linesiders well into November. It’s just that this time of year is so darned difficult to predict, particularly for shore bound anglers. It is near impossible to recommend areas that offer consistent performance once the migration is in it’s downward cycle, and the promised blow anticipated this weekend could spell doom for the duration of the Massachusetts season.

While we continue to receive a few positive reports from anglers frolicking around the backside beaches from Nauset to PTown, most flyrodders have only exercise to show for their efforts, and even some of the more ardent salters have hung it up for the season.

Typically, schoolies will still be found along south facing backside beaches, estuaries and rivers where warmer water temperatures prevail. Bluefish, albies and bonito are very scarce and have begun to dominate the coastlines of Rhode Island and Connecticut to our south.

From the many friends and customers voicing opinions concerning the 2000 saltwater season, we wouldn’t hesitate to issue a solid B, regarding quality, quantity and stability of our saltwater fishery here in Massachusetts. While some areas exceeded expectations and held up nicely throughout the entire season, others were despondent and unpredictable (Boston Harbor, Plum Island, and Maine). The average sized school fish seemed to be up a few inches, routinely in the mid 20’s by late season and very robust in both gamesmanship and physical appearance. Bluefish populations also seem to be on the upswing, with specimens in the 30-34" category not considered head turners. There was also a more than healthy inventory of exotics to tempt flyrodders, as the northeast experienced generous supplies of albacore, bonito and Spanish macs throughout late summer and early fall.

All in all not a bad year to be a saltwater fly fisherman in New England.

Good fishing and safe wading,

JB