PAIN IN MAINE August 14, 2008 - I just got off the phone with one of our manufactures reps and he was echoing the sentiments of many saltwater anglers that have been exploring the coastal waters of Maine this year, "where are the fish?" While many of Maine's freshwater rivers have been saddled with high water throughout the summer it seems that saltwater zealots have been suffering due to lack of fish, leading to a fair/poor-angling season. While boat anglers in Massachusetts and Maine have been scoring on a regular basis, personal observation has concluded that there certainly has been a transformation along the immediate coastline in the north Atlantic in general. Being a wading angler at heart, I am abandoning the later part of August due to the effort-reward theory, too much effort, and not enough reward. My mater plan is to take up the long rod post-Labor Day and initiate a late summer assault. Recently my early morning sessions have yielded only a few school fish here and there, hardly worthy of the 4 AM starters gun. Even old, reliable haunts from previous years have not produced to their potential. While there has been an exorbitant amount of bait in attendance, it is diminutive in proportion compared to the mature resident of the open ocean. The large striper population that is legendary to the waters off Chatham Light has begun to materialize. Fly fishermen should plan their arrivals to coincide with the rising sun as action usually wanes around 8 or 9 AM. Over the years I've referred to this method of fly-fishing as "vertical gigging with a fly." Even though you may witness the occasional surface "pop" I can assure you that the general population resides in 40-feet of water. Falling under the hardy worth mentioning topic, bonito can now be considered targets of angle. While have I haven't actually conversed with anyone that has actually witnessed them, word on the street has them in fishable numbers within the confines of Vineyard Sound. While Cape Cod Canal enjoyed some memorable action during the 2007 season the entire migration period could be given only a C+ grade. Good fishing and safe
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