The Fishery
what fish we target
Striped Bass
Saltwater fly fishing in the Northeast can be attributed to the love and pursuit of striped bass. Depending on the time of year and forage being pursued, these fish can be caught in salt ponds, estuaries, marshes, flats, points, bays, or rips, which make them awesome species to peruse. By May Cape Cod’s estuaries and bays are bustling with striper activity, and migratory fish begin to arrive in droves.
Late spring and early summer are prime time for sight fishing the flats. As the season wears on and weather patterns and available forage change, stripers are also caught from rips and ledges in deeper water.
The fall striper run provides perhaps the best action of the season with fish blitzing bait, sometimes acres at a time.
Bluefish
They are a great gamefish for the fly rod. They fight tremendously hard for their size, take flies willingly. It can be pretty easy to know when blues are around, as they can make quite a commotion when feeding. Lighter gear is sufficient for the smaller fish, but hooking and landing larger blues in rips requires 10 weight fly rods or better.
If you plan to target bluefish and tie your own flies, bring plenty of them in anticipation of lots of action. Bluefish will test the stamina of both your tackle and will.
False Albacore and Bonito
These two species of small inshore gamefish swim like torpedoes and pull like nothing else. Tangling with these speedsters is an absolute must for any fly or light tackle angler. The small sizes of their prey make fly fishing an excellent option for matching the bait. False albacore are renowned for their visual acuity and speed, and their fall blitzes can be monumental.
Hooking one of these small torpedoes on a fly is an experience that you don’t soon forget. They show up in the fall to gorge themselves on small bait for a month or two, then leave broken gear and memories in their wake. Providing area anglers with only about a two month window to target them….but those two months can be tremendous.
Black Sea Bass
Black Sea Bass can be a blast and lots of fun for kids and experienced anglers alike. Jigging with metal jigs brings frequent bites but they readily take the fly as well.
They are a great early spring fish as they arrive early, come in shore and feed aggressively!
