Striped Bass, Bluefish, False Albacore, and Bonito migrate throughout the fall displaying an aggressive “all you can eat” baitfish buffet feeding style. Shoving, barging, heave and repeat as the main course flees for their lives. Fat and satiated to a point of gagging each predator is preparing for a very long and dangerous journey South.

Unlike last weeks’s eighty one degree anomaly, once the temperatures really drop mystical sea smoke appears. At first light the smoke is parted by a nearby school of False Albacore zipping across the surface leaving surreal curly tailed jet streams in their wake. The day warms and the fish keep feeding. If the fish are not on top just look for a bait ball- and you are likely to find fish nearby.

The bait ball shrinks. It always shrinks. Flocks of birds seated on the adjacent shoreline had their fill and indicate food is not far. Looking into the depths also confirms whether a feed has recently occurred as millions of remnant scales fall and sparkle as clearly as the Milky Way during winter’s midnight sky.

The arrival of the seasonal Seal population and Gannets diving like kamikaze jet fighters offshore  is entertainment while searching for the next blitz. Seals make catching Striped Bass look simple as they play with their food. Tossing, catching, surely grinning at the funny guy waving a fly rod on the bow of the boat, as if to say with his mouthful “just grab it like this!” And yes, Seals steal fish right off your line, somehow leaving you to land the optimistic look of the still stunned Striper as they want to believe they still have a tail.

Warm thoughts arrive as whiffs of smokey wood stoves linger off the beach calling the ever weary guide home. Hot cider, fresh baked bread, smoked fish, and plenty of dark evenings lie ahead- perfect opportunities to recall the season’s highlights and gear up for some southern adventures.

FLY OF THE MONTH

Joe O’Clair, of Flycatcher Flies, a NorthCoast Boats Ambassador and well respected fly tier who fishes his new NorthCoast 19CC out of the Bass River on Cape Cod.

SNOW WHITE

When the Striped Bass arrive in the Cape Cod waters, they are small , hungry and tired from their long trip.   The fly should be small, and tasty looking with good visibility.

1.  Start with a long shank #2 hook.

2.  On the bend of the hook tie in 2 small hackles on each side of the hook facing in.    Over the hackles tie in 4 pieces of flashbou.

3.  Tie in your belly hair, flip the fly over and tie in your top wing.  Add a  3/4″ eye and cement head.

This fly can be tied with many color combinations, and is easy to cast….    have fun ……  joe

Flycatcher Flies, “Saltwater Flies made by a fisherman for fishermen”, are as stunning to look at as they are effective. Striped Bass, Bluefish, Albies and Bonito are the typical quarry that fall for his baitfish imitations. One of my favorites is Joe’s Grass Shrimp (see previous post) where he blends a subtle tan fiber throughout the pattern, hidden on the hook by pearlescent flash and wiggly legs. This weighted fly’s action is hard to pass up as a regular go to.

For more information or to reach Flycatcher Flies contact Joe at joseph.oclair@yahoo.com 508-398-0512

flycatcherflies.com

Our Pro Team of Captains /Ambassadors (and Dealers) can be found on or near the water daily. Their adventures and recipes provide more colorful blog material than the tattoos on Queequeg, (see Moby Dick). Come back often and enjoy! As Director of Sales and Marketing for NorthCoast Boats it is my honor to lead off our new blog with a tasty recipe that is close to my heart.

There are some smoky times happening here at Weatherby’s Smoke House. White swirls of deliciousness mixed with overtones of fresh spices and brown sugar tease the nose and peak any downwind, or nearby, Carnivore’s interest. As smoke billows from the edges of the old Smoker doors it would stir memories of my first experiences with smoked fish. There were a couple of friends who annually fished the Albie bite with me and they would consistently bring a compliment of tasty treats with them. I was very quick to kick the old bag of musty muffins from Dunkin Donuts under the gunnel in shame. The highlight was fresh smoked Salmon from one of the client’s Alaskan smokehouse combined with freshly picked local Apples from the other’s orchard. This combined with a bit of chill in the air and the world was right.  Freshly brewed Kona Coffee and an offshore whiff of a wood stove and I long for a warm fire. The weather has been tough, but we know it would give us a shot at some point soon. Meanwhile there is nothing better to fill the time than eating freshly smoked anything. Note: Heavy weather and delay of long awaited fishing adventures can put you in a mood. Best solution, smoke something tasty.

Anytime is the ideal time for fireside relaxation and smoking fish, but anytime you can stage a Summer Smoke Fest- very exciting. This year I have nailed it. Surely first place material in a County Fair, if we had one, and worthy of posting as the first NorthCoast Boat’s Recipe. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Day 1. First go out catch your Bluefish. Size matters and I recommend an eight to ten pound fish. The key to this is to have first successfully plied the waters fly fishing for Striped Bass, using a fly you tied specifically for this event. This spiritual effort, whether at first light or in the middle of the day, is a gateway to the soon to be enjoyed tasty smoked treats. Bleed the Bluefish immediately and prep the fillets- leaving the skin on.

Ideally your confidence level is such that your specially made brine is ready and waiting for you when you return home, ensuring a fresh catch to Brine world record. The Brine is a very personal experience and having to start somewhere, I searched online for basic guidelines to culinary success and would like to thank them all for their hints in the right direction. That said, once you have seen my efforts below, do the rewarding thing and toss it. Develop your own. Consider this your reference point- and only a start.

Fill your large blender with:

1. About 2 Quarts of water from fresh springs in Montana, (or filtered refrigerator water will do).
2. 2 fists of Brown Sugar
3. 2 more of Sea Salt
4. 1/2 a bottle of Worcestershire Sauce
5. 1/2 a bottle of Soy Sauce
6. Pour in some Maple syrup
7. A big pile of Peppercorns
8. A bundle of Cilantro and Basil from the garden
9. 3 Garlic cloves
10. Golf ball size lump of Chili powder
11. 2 Dried Cayenne peppers that make your eyes burn
12. 1/4 bottle of Cholula’s hot sauce (in case your peppers need more heat)
13. Zest with lemon peels- cool term for grate

Cover and blend until the soupy mix looks awesome and pour over the fillets in a pan being sure to cover them completely. Leave overnight in the fridge, if possible, unless your too excited then you might have to get by with at least a few hours of the soak.

Day 2. When you’re getting ready to smoke, take the fillets onto the kitchen counter to warm for a while before the action begins and dry with paper towels. Skip the cloth as it smells fishy forever. Kind of like the first Bluefish Artwork I did in the eighties where you paint a fish and role it onto canvas. Stunk so badly I had to throw it out leaving me to believe there must be more to that kind of art.

The Smoker has some cool tricks to the mix. Timing is everything. Light a pile of about six pounds of coals, well soaked with fuel, and allow this to burn until ash covered. While waiting soak half a bag of Mesquite wood chips in water. Once the coals are ready toss handfuls of chips onto them and place the pan of already very hot water above it, if your smoker has this and it likely does. Quickly place the clean grates on their supports and lay the now warm and dry fillets onto them. Now shut the lid, and don’t peek, for at least six hours. (Cigars are helpful here as they round out this manly experience). You could even go fishing again, provided you’re not worried about your house burning down, or go shoot some sporting clays. DO NOT PEEK.

Like fresh baked bread, or pie, or sushi on the boat, once you remove the lid your mouth will water and your nostrils will fill with what should be an extremely rewarding smell of your freshly caught and smoked Bluefish. Please let me know if you find great satisfaction in this fresh catch to plate experience. – Capt. Gregg Weatherby