A REPS POINT OF VIEW September 30, 2008 - Recently I had a lengthy conversation with Sage Rod rep, Brad Gage, concerning the stability of our New England saltwater fishery. Since our relationship spans nearly 20-years in duration, Brad has always been a creditable source for information, both in his native Massachusetts and throughout all of the New England states. To say that he tempered his view of our current summer population of striped bass would be an understatement. His concern stems from the general lack of striped bass along the immediate coastline, from mid-Maine through southern Connecticut. Numerous fly anglers have shared this opinion particularly during mid summer and on onto early autumn. "It's certainly not due the lack of bait" was a comment he pitched after I prodded him to voice a reasonable explanation for their absence. Recently while on an outing with a well-known Cape Cod guide he was able to salvage the day with a few bluefish, not a striped bass for his efforts. The problem has become even more disconcerting when even the commercial fishermen struggled to meet their quota of about a million pounds, traditionally achieved within a few weeks of inception. During the autumn and winter months I am determined to devour every possible governmental study, census and report in an effort to determine the root of the problem. The coastal event of the previous week has keep many boaters as well as shore anglers from participation, particularly during the past weekend limiting the number of reports. Good fishing
and safe wading, |
