November 2007 Archives

I am sure most of you heard the news that Detroit, Michigan was named the nation's most dangerous city.  What many of you don't know is that most of these urban areas all over the world have become spawning grounds for a little known fly fishing group called Flugs.  Flugs are "Fly Fishing Thugs"  They may also go by other nicknames such as Banditos, Gangstas of the Falts or Fish Hawks.  They have been spotted all over the country in the fresh and saltwaters wearing buffs to conceal their identities.  Detroit, NYC, Islamorada, Los Roques, Montauk, Belize City, Missoula, San Juan, Salt Lak City and Twin Bridges are just some of the areas where there have been reported run-in's with Flugs.  They have been known to "tag" the local public transportation or walls with the motto "The tug is the drug!"  Some on-line publications have even promoted this lifestyle (See, This Is Fly - issue 01; pages 13 and 23).  Many of these Flugs are known to "Rip Some Lips", "Put Blood in the Boat" and even "Catch a grand Slam".  If you run into any of these Flugs on your local waters, keep your distance and STAY AWAY; they have been known to straight up CATCH FISH! 

 

 

 

Rich Murphy will be tying flies and signing copies of his new book Fly Fishing for Striped Bass Thursday, December 6th from 4 to 7pm. We'll be serving beer and chips! Come by and check it out.

Santa Has Arrived Early with the Perfect 2007 Holiday Gift for the Dedicated Saltwater Angler!

Fly Fishing for Striped Bass
Rich Murphy
October 2007
457 pages
8½ x 11 inches
Hardcover with dust jacket
Hundreds of color photos and line drawings throughout
Cover price $59.95

The striped bass is America’s favorite saltwater game fish. An estimated 50 million wild-spawning fish roam coastal beaches, bays, and estuaries from the Carolinas to Cape Cod, Montauk to Maine. Transplanted populations swim San Francisco Bay. And fishing for stripers with a fly rod—once regarded as eccentric—is now all the rage.

Fly Fishing for Striped Bass is the most ambitious and comprehensive book ever published on the subject. Author and noted saltwater fly designer Rich Murphy teaches you how to catch huge stripers from salt-marsh banks, shallow sand flats, ocean beaches, and rocky shores. This big, beautiful book is a cornucopia of fresh, practical experience that reveals how an average angler—whether new to fly fishing or a covert from fresh water—can enjoy this wonderful sport with or without a boat.

At an impressive 457 pages, Fly Fishing for Striped Bass is the new striper bible. In extraordinary detail it covers striper life history and behavior (of great value to lure and bait anglers as well), tackle and flies, casting and fishing techniques, and structure-specific tactics in a series of highly original watercolor diagrams painted specially for this book. Spectacular photography puts the reader right on the water beside the author and other striper experts. Underwater photos of startling clarity and stunning aerial views of famous striper habitat complete this remarkable book.

“My first saltwater fish on a fly was a striped bass—I have a great fondness for the species. After reading Rich Murphy’s new book, I KNOW he understands stripers as well as anyone. This is the best book written on the subject to date. Anyone who chases them with a fly rod should buy it and study it. Fly Fishing for Striped Bass is filled with practical technique, fishing lore, history of the sport, and much, much more.”

—Lefty Kreh, world-renowned fly caster and author of numerous fishing books, including the seminal Fly Fishing in Salt Water (1974)

We all know or have friends that are steelhead addicts.  Urban Angler employee Kory Kapaloski is ours. He has been chasing Steelhead all over the West Coast from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia for many years. Kory is what we call "A Double Handed Swinger"; he loves to cast the spey rod while patiently swinging flies for Steelhead. Kory has transplanted himself on the Right Coast and spent the last 8 days chasing steelhead on the Salmon and Cattaraugus. The water levels are perfect, the fish are there and the weather is very mild for this time of year. Kory caught most of these fish off of the Sage 11 foot 7 wt. Z-Axis "switch rod". Being an avid swinger, it is hard, but he will actually admit to catching some of these fish on nymph patterns. The Indian Summer has made the Great Lake Trib season a little later than normal, but I think he hit it just right. Give a call to the shop to talk spey fishing with Kory or ask us to fill you in with latest Steelhead fishing reports.

 

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)- also known as black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfish, rabeaters, aruan tasek, etc.- are perciform marine fish, the sole representative of their family, the Rachycentridae. *Taken from Wikipedia

 

Dave Skok; professional fly tier, fisherman, photographer and all around hilarious guy from Massachussets once told a couple of us,  “I f---ing love fishing to tailing fish, if Cobia tailed, I’d f---ing fish to them all day long!”   Well, this is for you Skok!  It wasn’t tailing but it was a nice one.  Andy, from Urban Angler, got this 52 pound Cobia on a gaff fly...... not really, I think it was a pink popper.

What do Montana guides do on their day off?  I know what Missoula guide Benjamin Hart does......he grabs the wife beater tank top out of the closet, a small bottle of Crown, extra tin of Copenhagen, a mix-and-match of beers that were left over from the past weeks clients, finds whatever frozen venison or elk that is left over from last hunting season to grill and floats a stretch of water that has carp!   I have no idea what fly he caught this on, but I am sure it was a fight.  You gotta love the redneck bonefish!!!

And you thought fishing at Montauk was crowded? 

 

This is what happens when guides get stuck on the L.I.E moving their boats.  Cast a line to pass the time!

 

Captain McCarthy said there wasn't much action, just a couple takes from a BMW.

Fall fishing for Striped Bass is a ritual around the NYC area.  Avid fly fishers head out into the crisp and cool weather to chase bass and look for bait.  Often charters are cancelled due to small craft warnings.  The number of peanut bunker in the water can

be extraordinary.  If you are lucky the

bass are pushing the peanuts up in into shallow water.  This gives anglers a chance to throw poppers at these fish and get smashed!  We've still got the herring run to look forward to, and that's when we'll see the really big fish.  If you are lucky and get the right conditions, this is just a little taste of what you may see.  If you feel like braving the unpredictable fall weather give us a shout at the shop to arrange a trip with one of the local captains.   Thanks to Captain McMurray for sharing these great pictures. 

 

*Make sure you click on the images to see them larger in a seperate window!

 

 

I just got this report from Captain John McMurray this morning-"Things slowed quite a bit in the back of the bay this week.  That big body of bass that we had for the last 4 weeks seems to have moved on.  I do expect we will see another group of fish head back there to feed on all those peanut-bunker before the end of the season, but for now it is slow, slow, slow.  Boy it was nice when we only had to run a few hundred yards from the marina before we were into fish, but that kind of thing couldn't last forever.  Still, the fishing remains very good.  There are lots and lots of bass and

 

bluefish out the outside.  When the weather

has enabled us to get out there, we've been doing quite well.  There are some schoolies, but the majority of fish seem to be really good ones with some in the high 30" range.  There have been sparse and scattered schools of bluefin out there, but totally uncatchable as far as I can tell.  Not enough of them and they are skittish.  I haven't heard of anyone, save one or two guys trolling ballyhoo, getting any.  There are however, more bottlenose dolphin out there than I have ever seen anywhere in

 

my entire life; very cool.  These things were

chasing bait all around the boat.  And speaking of bait, there's all kinds of stuff out there: baby weakfish, butterfish, peanut bunker, sandeels and even sardines!  Water temp is still relatively high.  At the very least we've got another month of fishing left; perhaps more. "   Click on Captain McMurray's link above to see more or go to Urbanangler.com to book a trip online.  

 

 

 

 

I just got this report on Jamaica Bay from Captain Bryan Goulart - "Hey Jeremy, fishing is going really well now with lots of fish, mostly smaller schoolies with some nicer ones in the mix. We are seeing lots of gannets diving on peanut bunker right now and hopefully the herring will show very soon, that means big bass!!!"

I think the big bass have already shown up!? Check out Bruce's 18 pounder caught Tuesdauy morning. It has been fairly cold out there on the water, but that hasn't been a factor for these hearty fisherman. Most of these fish have been taken on sink tip lines down deep.

Call the shop or check out our online booking service to get out with one of our Urban Angler endorsed guides to J Bay before it gets too cold and snotty on the water to fish.

Urban Angler Employee Antonio Panasiti loves to fish for carp and pike in Urban New Jersey, but decided to try his luck "Down South" last week for some species that run a little larger.  Not only did he boat all of these fish before 9 a.m., he caught them all on his Xi2 8 weight!  Antonio said that he could only fish for two half-days to help save his arm and elbow from falling off.  Call Antonio at the shop to get details on his trip to "Down South" or chat with him about the local fly fishing for carp, pike and bass. 

Hey Tony, that cork must taste good, no?

 

 

And let's not forget about the SNOOK!!!!!

 

Urban Angler, Dave,  from New York hooked this nice 18" rainbow on the "Mighty Mo" in Montana this past summer. I am sure this was one of many big "sippers" he caught on his trip!  those who have fished the Mo know exactly where dave landed this fish, but don't worry Mr. Guide, we won't tell.  Check out the Winston and Lamson he bought at the shop.  Nice work Dave!

pdf of the trip details

Southern Charter Air website

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tibor "Ted" Juracsik and Captain Brendan McCarthy show off a Montauk albie.  Many people don't realize that Ted actually established his tool and die business in New York State in the late 50's.  Here, in the waters of Long Island, he chased fish and used his reels before he moved the Tibor Reel Corp. to Southern Florida in 1979.

Many of our "Urban Anglers" love to fish off of the jetties on Long Island.   Most of the hard core jetty fishermen spend hours and hours climbing and wading these treacherous rock walls waiting for blitzing bass, bluefish or busting albies and bonito.  It has been a real "touch and go season" for the local jetty fishing, but when everything is just right, you can be rewarded with beautiful fish.  These are pictures from Breezy Point and some of our secret jetties on Long Island.  These are photos courtsey of Kory and Richie from the shop.  Call us at the shop and we will fill you in on what is happening with the local jetty fishing.

Bryan Goulart, who looks to be a righty, chucks a false albacore back into ocean.