THE BEST IS YET TO COME September 29, 2006 - With about 6 weeks of reliable angling remaining to the current season, thing have been relatively quiet. There does seem to be a reoccurring theme that keeps cropping up among the more successful anglers that we've spoken with. In almost every case they are achieving their success under the guise of darkness. The autumn usually presents a new set of criterion for the fly fisherman. Many estuaries and backside beach environments that were occupied with hordes of school fish during the meat of the season are vacant and even landing an occasional micro can be an accomplishment of epic proportion. It seems almost sophomoric to consider but locating fish becomes more of a challenge to the shore bound angler as we proceed deeper and deeper into the season. If history is any indication the fall migration seems to feature two points of relevance … A) Migrants seem to possess a "here today, gone tomorrow" persona that makes predicting their arrival along known migration routes very difficult, if not impossible, and B) If you are fortunate enough to intercept these autumn fish they are uncommonly aggressive and present in exorbitant numbers. Cape Cod's south facing surf beaches like Head of the Meadow, Coast Guard, Longnook, Ballston, Newcomb Hollow, Cahoon Hollow and Marconi can "light-up" overnight, often providing some of the most dramatic fishing opportunities of the entire season. Nauset and the surf of South Beach in Chatham, while not entirely reliable, can provide outstanding sport during the migration. While ground swells spawned by passing storms and the biting autumn wind often play a role it is the persistent fly fisherman that is often rewarded for his patience and perseverance. Another point of interest worth mentioning is the fact that the general consensus here in central NE attributes the inconsistencies we are experiencing are due to the tardiness of the fall migration. It's no secret that the events we've experienced during the current season seemed to be running 2-3 weeks in arrears. Good fishing and safe
wading, |
