THE SLAM…COMPLETE

August 18, 2004 - My lifelong ambition to achieve a true Cape Cod grand slam was finally realized this past weekend. No it wasn't the striper-bonito-bluefish variety or even an albie-bonito-striper conquest. Those are left to anglers that possess far less experience than my 40+ years on the water, and quite ordinary really. I'm talking GRAND SLAM here people. With the first two legs (striper and seal) safely attained, it was the elusive tern that would remain the final cog in my effort to procure immortality.

Well it happens that I stray upon a group of little fellas actively working a school of sand eels in water no deeper than one section of my 3-piece rod. On further inspection I become aware of the rather modest school of stripers that is voraciously sharing in the bounty. Well I'm no rocket scientist but I deduct that a well-intentioned cast with a fairly good replica would have me fast on to a linesider, as long as I wasn't detected in the process. The fly was promptly delivered and a swooping tern decides to partake of my synthetic creation on impact. The battle is short and I am happy to report no backing was surrendered as the startled bird was given the standard long-distance-release.

Even though, in theory, I can't regard this a legal landing (after all I didn't officially touch the leader) I do consider it a milestone in my somewhat checkered career as a fly-fisherman. Oh, by the way. While the seal was legally hooked (I actually did get one good jump out of him or her), I found it wise to surrender the effort early in the encounter.

THE FLATS
To my delight I was the solitary angler on the west side of South Beach this previous Sunday and was fortunate enough to put steel in about a dozen or so stripers. Uncharacteristically the fish showed little opposition to my sparsely dressed size 4 DNA sand eel pattern, which in itself, is an interesting phenomenon considering were entering the middle of August. For the record there remains a substantial population of fish on the flats of Chatham. Groups ranging in size from 2 or 3 individuals to throngs of 20-25 were witnessed routinely during the entire dropping tide.

Just a note. Flytyers that have yet to experiment with the new synthetic DNA Frosted are really missing the boat. It maintains all the requisites we look for in an outstanding material; ease of application, durability, movement, sheen, but best of all it doesn't have the propensity to foul.

ON THE OUTSIDE
Central Massachusetts anglers Len Renauld and Joe Dickson spearheaded separate campaigns during the week and are reporting that fishing is holding up quite nicely. Both parties labored the real estate from Chatham Light to the western tip of South Beach and found numerous striped bass (all legal) in 25-30 feet of water. Renauld also points out that dogfish have infiltrated the area and are becoming a nuisance.

BFT's
Depending on who you talk to, and what location they have been prospecting, blue fin tuna fishing has been spotty. The fish have been showing up recently in CC bay as well as off the Chatham coast. While I have yet to verify any fly rod conquests, the conventional boys have been taking their share.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB