MIDSEASON REPORT CARD

August 20, 2009 - With the summer slump fully involved, I thought it would be appropriate to sum up the 2009 saltwater season. Thus far we have fielded reports from many, many sources with varying degrees of success and failure. Wading through the information and considering the sources, level of experience and locations fished I actually feel a bit qualified in my conclusions. Keep in mind that these opinions originate from a fly fisherman's prospective and from a glass-half-empty sort of individual.

STRIPED BASS- B+
The mid to late spring season was stellar both in quantity and quality, without question one of the better beginnings in recent memory. The only negative that could be taken from this spring were the unrelenting cold weather fronts anglers were forced to contend with, particularly during the month of June. I really can't recall a weekend campaign that numerous schools of fish could not be located; with fish in the 30-36" range the norm.

BLUEFISH- B+
While bluefish arrived on the south side of Cape Cod right on schedule, May 15th, give or take a day, they certainly took their time filling in the Bay. They now occupy virtually every piece of water real estate on Cape Cod and in numbers reminiscent of their heyday. While many specimens generally fall into the 5-8lb category, some persistent canvassing could turn up schools of 12-15lbers with relative consistency. They are absolutely remarkable fly rod fare and provide an interesting diversion during the torrid summer months when striped bass seek the comfort of cooler water.

BF TUNA- B
While conventional anglers and trollers are experiencing a rather healthy season, fly rodders have directed their attention away from this species. This can be evidenced by the amount of blue water equipment we have been selling throughout this season. It could be due to the fact that the size of returning fish has increase so dramatically that they can no longer be considered reasonable fly rod targets.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB