THE END IS IN SIGHT

October 6, 2011 - I'm not actually proclaiming to be the grim reaper but last week was the first week since the middle of April that we failed to sell a single saltwater fly. It's my sense that many shore bound anglers have hung up the spikes (much like the Sox) for the balance of the season.

It's no mystery that the mobility a boat offers will certainly assist you in locating transitory schools of striped bass and bluefish during the fall migration, they have become almost mandatory. I recall, that not that many years ago, the surfside beaches of Chatham, as well as the estuaries of Mashpee, Barnstable, Sandwich, Dennis and Yarmouth would provide almost guaranteed success during the month of October, especially during dropping tides. Unfortunately this has not been the case during the previous few years. It is so uncommon to engage a saltwater wading angler that has experienced a stellar session during the fall migration. It has become more of… "I got one here" or "I missed one there" form of retort when pressed for intelligence.

RIP TRIP PLANNED
The Rip Ryder, based on Morris Island in Chatham, has been servicing both surf and flats fishing anglers for many years. Their last scheduled "Rip Trip" of the season will occur this weekend. The trip is initiated at the Wildlife Sanctuary on MI and fly fishermen are deposited on South Monomoy Island (peninsula), free to patrol the surfside beach of SMI, some of the most productive water on Cape Cod. Since these expeditions usually present anglers with the optimum opportunity for land-based success it will be very interesting to see how the boys do.

ALBIE PALUZZA
We are still hearing babblings from Watch Hill to Mantauk that angling for false albacore remains stellar with bay anchovy imitations providing most of the action.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB