WHIP OUT THE 9 WEIGHTS BOYS April 30, 2004 - One of the coolest things about pursuing fish in a saltwater setting is no matter how inclement the weather gets it doesn't have any effect on the water conditions. While out sweet water brethren continue to deal with horrid water flows in virtually every major central New England watershed, the moderating weather pattern and rising water temperatures should continue to feed fresh fish into the system. We have begun to field scattered reports from anglers toiling on the south side of Cape Cod, and, while things have yet to bust wide open, there has been some positive signs from typical early spring haunts. These early season affairs could be considered hit-or-miss propositions but we assure you that within the next few weeks angling will dramatically improve. We recently spoke with Brewster resident John Amiro, who is the ultimate source of reliable information, and he experienced a superb afternoon on his initial visit to the upper reaches of the Bass River. The sport was provided by 12-15" schoolies that displayed no particular preference to fly selection. Which brings us to the topic of flies in general. While it would be contentious to assume that fly selection does not play a roll when in pursuit of these early season migrants, there are many other factors that will contribute to a far greater degree than what fly is tied to the business end of your leader. Tide displacement, wind direction and velocity, water clarity, bait availability, water temperature, atmospheric conditions but most importantly fly presentation (that is: the level at which the fly is presented) are far more critical during the early stages of migration. This is why it is so important to arm yourself with the variety of lines you will require to effectively meet the varying situations you are destined to encounter. We would recommend an intermediate (1-1 ½"/sec.) as your primary line backed up by a 300-350 grain (5 ½-6"/sec.) for deep-water work. Having these tools will insure that you will be able to properly present your offerings in a variety situations. Good fishing and safe
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