YOU CAN TELL IT'S SUMMER

July 10, 2002 - Summer saltwater angling is riddled with inconsistency. With reports ranging from "never had a bump" to "they wouldn't look at a fly" to "we hooked up on every cast" it's hard to get a handle on things. Suffice it to say that July's shore bound angler will fare far better during periods of low light and aggressive tides, while boaters, due to their portability, can often locate fish in the cooler, deeper habitat.

BARNSTABLE
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Sturbridge resident John Amiro who religiously haunts the bay from Wellfleet to Barnstable. John's summer residence in Brewster allows him the opportunity to peruse some of the lesser inhabited nooks and crannies of the north side. A stern believer in compiling an accurate log, Amiro is experiencing his finest season to date both in quantity and quality. His recommendations include the west bar of Barnstable Harbor, Cooperation Beach and the grass flats adjacent to Brewster Flats.

THE SIGHT GUYS
It was a pleasure to run into Dave Surdel on a shuttle bound for North Monomoy Island. Dave, a recent convert to the visual aspect of the sport, enjoyed a pretty fair day while canvassing the west-side flats of South Beach. His email reads: "Thanks for your recommendation to try South Beach last week. I skipped work on Tuesday and Wednesday and had 2 of the best fishing days I heave ever experienced. Tuesday was calm and sunny with a mid-day high tide. The visibility was incredible. Had a double-digit day including a couple of legals that I spotted meandering around the flats. Wednesday was a bit foggy and very windy… still managed to find various rips and cuts to blind cast to with success… loads of blues around. The icing on the cake was watching a pair of cows approach my fly ten feet in front of me during a brief window of sunshine. I saw the take and 5 minutes later brought a fat 35" fish to hand…"

As of this past week there remain a healthy contingent of skinny water fish to occupy the mid-day hours. I have had the best success with olive caste shrimp patterns in 6-8. These fish are very picky during incoming tides but tend to loosen their lips a bit during outgoers.

Good fishing and safe wading,

JB