Despite what started off to be a fantastic week and just what we needed to get the fish moving our way, a high pressure system will have moved in by the time you are reading this report, followed by a cold front. Unfortunately it will bring some rain and wind with it for this coming weekend. We tell it like it is around here, good or bad, so it is what it is, but don’t loose faith, there are still fish to be had?
The bait is around and in numbers, just about everywhere from Hempstead to Bridgeport and all places in between, but no big cows to report this week thus far, but it has to happen any day now. Reports farther to our south have been better than good so it’s not a matter of if, but rather when, so make sure you are ready!
Delivering boats at the beginning of the week there is lots of smaller bait around as well. The marina is loaded with small krill and minnows where the yard crew and I have been casting for schoolies up to 27 inches right inside of the marina at first light. You don’t need to go far! If you are going to stay local, this is the year to do it?
Drew and Ron made a go of it on the Ranger 2300 on Tuesday early A.M. This is actually my old boat but it looks like the mojo was not on board for this excursion. They did manage a few schoolies on the long rods with olive/white clousers near the Norwalk power plant outflow.
Jay Thomson was back at it scouting Compo Beach on Tuesday night, fresh off a bone fishing trip and anxious to get back in the groove. Tossing Pete Vs herring patterns on the long rod he managed one schoolie but at least he got to hear the reel sing after a long winter. He also reported that he stepped on what looked like about a 24 inch flounder that scared the crap out of him!
Wednesday afternoon, our own Captain Steve Tiffinger was out for his maiden voyage and was casting his trademarked olive/green clousers with his special bunny tail (super long) and managed a few fat 20 inch fish off of Frost Point?
With the warmer weather, Captain Elser after finishing up a three hour docking session with a new customer all afternoon, just could not help himself and headed out Wednesday evening and pushed East towards Smith’s Reef off of Darien and was once again tossing Pete Vs herring flies with a 400 grain sinking line. Chris has been the official tester for Pete’s flies and was actually throwing a larger version of the ones that have been flying off the shelf?a 12 inch pattern in fact. He managed about half a dozen fish with the largest coming in at 29 inches but had some much larger fish following the monster flies. At this time of year with the water clarity better than average, be patient. Most of his fish were picked up right at the boat, so don’t be too anxious to recast your fly, follow the strip right till the bitter end for better hook ups.
Until next week…Get On Out There!
