MAKING HAY IN THE BAY July 31, 2008 - "I just had the best July of fishing I've ever had," were the words of John Amiro, a part time resident of Brewster. Amiro could be considered one of the most ardent saltwater fly fisherman I know, along with being an excellent source of information. A permanent slip located in Sesuit Harbor enables John access to the entire Bay, right in the hub of some of the finest summer bluefish and striped bass fishing the east coast has to offer. His customary haunts have been the flats of Brewster located just to the east of the harbor, and the Barnstable Harbor area, with emphasis on the east bar. The depths of the summer season will often require more canvassing to locate fish as the warming coastal temperatures push larger fish a bit more offshore, but that has not been a problem. Amiro also shares a love of bluefish angling, particularly during the latter stages of July (when striper fishing becomes a bit more tedious) and well into the month of August. John's most recent sessions have taken him to the skinny waters of First Encounter Beach in Eastham and east to Jeremy Point in Wellfleet. A more typical day will find him plugging with conventional gear ("only to locate fish"), then immediately substituting his 9'9wt Sage fly rod once the bluefish are located. Not a fan of huge proponent of surface style flies (a passion of mine), Amiro usually resorts to more conventional Clouser-type patterns as well as sand eel imitations. Amiro also notes that the summer fish have been in rather sparse pods, usually containing no more than 8-20 animals, further emphasizing the need to be portable when canvassing likely holding areas. With most bluefish maintaining a solid 8-10lb. frame it's not uncommon to stumble upon a group of corkers measuring an honest 36 inches in length. While striped bass zealots often shun bluefish, or consider them a pest, I consider them worthy game fish often maintaining dramatic fighting qualities particularly in shallow water. A few years ago while on a busman's holiday, Captain Kevin Coakley of Wellfleet treated me to a splendid day of bluefishing in the confines of Lieutenants Island. After landing my 6th fish of the outing, a confrontation lasting nearly 20-minutes (all specimens were in the 36" range and were measured) it lead me to pitch the comment, "Let's go bass fishing, I'm exhausted." Good fishing and safe
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