 New York City/Long Island Fly Fishing: Striped Bass Are In, Call A Cab!
Posted by patrickHilbert on June 14, 2008
(3034 reads)
It was April 24th and I needed a break; two tests and an autobiography due the next day for my ninth grade humanities classes. Without my parents consent, I called up a cab, rigged up and headed out on the sound to one of my spots. I wasn't sure if there were any striped bass around yet, but on an evening as beautiful is it was, I had to go in order to maintain sanity. I had to have some fun amidst all of this academic torture. After the awkward cab ride, I was emancipated to a crisp evening with my Loomis 9wt fly rod and only 2 flies. After several hours of dead fishing, I accepted the absence of fish in the area. As dusk began to approach I switched flies from a white deceiver to a silver 5/0 bobs banger fly. If there was a fish within my domain now would be the time for her to take my fly. 15 minutes before dark, I shot my plug-size fly to the other side of the rip and worked it back across the roaring current. Towards the end of the retrieve I stripped faster because I was ready to leave. As I was doing this, I witnessed a happening that I will never forget. There was boil just behind the fly. Had I become delirious? A second later a dark gray beast made an aggressive yet graceful roll as he slurped in the huge top water fly. #%@*+# !, I made a desperate attempt to gain back the slack fly line by jumping back and setting the hook using my rod and a strip. It worked and the beast ripped the loose line from my feet and took off relentlessly down the rip. After 15 minutes of gaining back 200 feet of line, I had the the beast on
shore. It was a 27" fish and it was a night I will never forget. In late April, on a beautiful sunset that I would catch not only a huge striped bass but my first striped bass fly fishing. As of June 1st, I have had one more 27" inch 10 pounder as well as a 29" keeper. I average about 6 hookups per night.
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by jeremy on June 14, 2008 http://www.fliesandfins.com | | Nice! First striper on the fly and good fish too! Pretty sweet too, that it took a top water fly. It's pretty cool these days seeing the articles/fishtales from so many different places and people who do all sorts of different fly fishing in different elements ... Taking a cab to go catch stripers with Manhatten skyline probably in plane view; that's pretty cool and something I would like to do someday... I always thought it would be cool to catch a fish on the fly within clear view of the statue of liberty. Does the striper fishing hold up all summer on long island? |
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by alex on June 15, 2008 http://www.patagoniaflies.com | | Congrats on your first striper on the fly they are amazing fish. I love the black and white photos with the city in the distance. Alex |
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by greg on June 15, 2008 http://www.fliesandfins.com | | great fish and the picture is worth a thousand words. Congratulations on your firdt striper on a fly, it won't be the last. |
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by Austin on June 16, 2008 | | Awsome fishtale! and what a memorable experience for your first striper on the fly. I love the picture of the long island bridge and buildings.... |
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by fishingMOZ on June 19, 2008 http://www.fishingmoz.com | | Beautiful, let the addiction begin! Great fishing story and always nice to hear someone having the time of their life with a fly rod in their hand. Nothing is more fun or more addicting than the sound of a fly reel screaming. |
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Re: Long Island, New York: Stripers Are In, Call A Cab!
by fleyes on June 22, 2008 | | They say a picture can say a thousand words. Those pictures say millions... Looks like a great night on the water. |
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