Many readers know that for the past several years we’ve made an annual trip to the Florida Keys…for fishing, and to escape Connecticut’s winter. This year, despite increased age and advancing decrepitude, we’re doing it again. Day one found us driving I-95 from Connecticut [14°F at 0730] to Virginia [49° at 1500] where we’ll stay overnight before boarding the Amtrak AutoTrain. The traffic…it being the day before New Year’s Eve…was horrendous. Worst part was going through Maryland where it was three lanes in both directions…all lanes full of cars and 18-wheelers…all doing 70-75…without enough space between bumpers to insert a miser’s charity list. I may be exaggerating slightly. Thank goodness, we saw no accidents and arrived in VA in one piece…although a bit frayed about the collar. We got into our hotel room. Checked for bedbugs [Caryl apparently has studied up on how to do that]. Found none. Went across the street to the town pasta & pizza place which turned out to be a Greek diner disguised as a store-front. I had fresh salmon, grilled…Caryl a fettuccini/marinara that was also very good. We then hoofed down four store-fronts to the Baskin & Robbins for desert [I passed on that]. Just hoping now that the slight bubbling in my stomach is not going to turn out to be the Grecian Grumbles. Back at the hotel after a shower I was feeling substantially less frayed. This place has the best shower. The showerhead is made by Kohler…can’t find a model number…and am thinking seriously of sneaking it out of the hotel in my baggy cargos. Tomorrow we’re off to Amtrak where we’re stuck riding in coach for the first time [I called too late], and although we started out in position #2 on the waiting list for a private room, we’re still second in line. Can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in a coach full of revelers on New Year’s Eve. Can always catch up on sleep once in the Keys, I guess. There won’t be an Islamorada Journal for Day Two as we’ll be on the train and there’s no Internet connection…so check back with us early next week for the exciting conclusion to our three-day travel story and the first of our Journal entries directly from the Keys. First project once we get settled? Go get Shoo-Fly 3 from the marina and bring her to the dock in front of our rental house. Should be interesting as the only boat I’ve ever run in the Keys has been little 17-foot Shoo-Fly 2. Three is a 22-footer and weighs twice as much as -2…and with so much shallow water on the Bay side…am looking forward to seeing how it works out. |
30 December 2010
Islamorada Journal 2011…30 DEC
Support Your Small, Local Commercial Fishermen
“I met up with Phil a couple weeks ago to learn all about small, family-owned commercial fishing operations in the New York area. For 7 hours, I watched as Phil and his grandson Carl dragged for fish in the Long Island Sound. It's a lot of manual labor for a 2-man operation...a lot of nets, gear, fish sorting, fish gutting and fish packing while exposing yourself to whatever elements Mother Nature decides to bring that day.” HuffingtonPost |
29 December 2010
Interested in Basic Handgun Instruction?
For those of you who want to get started, Academy Firearms has three NRA Basic Pistol Courses scheduled early in 2011:
January 15, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36475)
February 5, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36476)
March 12, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36477)
This class is required to obtain your Connecticut CCW [carrying a concealed weapon] permit.
Click on the included links to sign up for one of these classes. Sign up before December 31, 2010 and receive a $20 discount on your tuition.
For further information: usna92llc@gmail.com
January 15, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36475)
February 5, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36476)
March 12, 2011: (www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=36477)
This class is required to obtain your Connecticut CCW [carrying a concealed weapon] permit.
Click on the included links to sign up for one of these classes. Sign up before December 31, 2010 and receive a $20 discount on your tuition.
For further information: usna92llc@gmail.com
28 December 2010
Study: Drifting Fish Larvae Allow Marine Reserves to Rebuild
“Marine ecologists at Oregon State University have shown for the first time that tiny fish larvae can drift with ocean currents and "re-seed" fish stocks significant distances away – more than 100 miles in a new study….” Eurekalurt.org |
27 December 2010
Coast Guard: Paddlers’ Alert
“The Coast Guard is looking for help from paddle sports enthusiasts in an effort to help save lives and taxpayers’ dollars. “Capt. Joseph Vojvodich, Commander of Sector Long Island Sound, New Haven, Conn., wants to emphasize a campaign that encourages kayakers and canoeists to label their boats, paddles and safety gear with their names and contact information. This campaign helps the Coast Guard to determine if gear was accidentally lost, or if someone is in real danger, when it is found adrift.” CoastGuardNews.com |
26 December 2010
1,100 Pounds of Cocaine!
“The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis interdicted a go-fast vessel carrying more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine and also detained five suspected smugglers off the coast of Nicaragua, Dec. 3.” CoastGuardNews.com |
• 2011 Connecticut Angler’s Guide Available SoonThe Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection announced that the 2011 editions of the Connecticut Angler’s Guide and the Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide will be available online on the agency’s web site in early January. The guides can be found at www.ct.gov/dep/hunting and www.ct.gov/dep/fishing. The print versions of the 2011 guides will be distributed in late March. Connecticut DEP |
25 December 2010
NOAA Sets $15 Fee for the National Saltwater Angler Registry
24 December 2010
Invasive Species
• Trying to Find Something Good about Them![]() The Wall Street Journal |
• Nothing Much Good about This One![]() TheWeek.com |
23 December 2010
Offshore Wind Is Next Clean Energy Wave for New York
![]() Hamptons.com |
22 December 2010
Coast Guard Stresses Safety for Ice Fishermen
![]() •Always tell family and friends where you are going and when you are expected to be back, and stick to the plan. •Use the buddy system. NEVER go out onto the ice alone. •Dress in bright colors. Wear an exposure suit, preferably one that is waterproof, and a personal floatation device. •Carry a whistle or noise-making device to alert people that you are in distress; carry a cell phone and/or a VHF-FM radio in order to contact the nearest Coast Guard station in the event you see someone in distress. •Carry two screwdrivers or a set of ice awls. If you fall through the ice you can use these items to help get yourself out. They are more effective than using your hands.” Coast Guard News |
21 December 2010
So Where Does this Stuff Eventually End Up?
![]() “(New Haven) Notice of tentative determination to renew a permit for Sargent Manufacturing Company to discharge to the sanitary sewer. To view this public notice, please visit: www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2586&Q=468808&depNav_GID=1511. “(Wallingford) Notice of tentative determination to renew a permit for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to discharge to the sanitary sewer. To view this public notice, please visit: www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2586&Q=468842&depNav_GID=1511.” Source: CTDEP |
• Taking Out the Trash…Brooklyn-Style“Four people and four businesses at a Brooklyn shopping center face criminal charges over the dumping of raw sewage and restaurant grease into Shell Bank Creek in Sheepshead Bay, home to bluefish, crab, striped bass and other fish, in addition to a marina.”NYTimes.com |
20 December 2010
Ice-Breaker in Long Island Sound?
![]() “The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, a 140-foot icebreaking tug, will arrive in the Great Lakes region a few weeks after it departs its homeport of New London, Conn.” Coast Guard News |
19 December 2010
“Every End Is a New Beginning”
Charles Walsh in the Connecticut Post with some more year-end reflections on fishing Long Island Sound and the Lower Housatonic River…. CTPost.com |
New Salt Water Fishing TV Show in April
![]() “A pair of fishing industry leaders, WFN: World Fishing Network, North America's only 24-hour television network and the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the leading authority on angling pursuits and the keeper of the most current world record fishing catches, are teaming up to present IGFA Saltwater Adventures - a 30-minute weekly fishing travel show airing on WFN beginning in April.” WFN.tv |
18 December 2010
Long Island Towns Say “No” to State Fishing License
“A state court has ruled that New York State cannot require residents of several Long Island towns to have state saltwater fishing licenses if they are fishing within town waters.” 27East.com |
17 December 2010
Salmon, Steelhead Raised in Circular Tanks Are Buff
“Researchers experimenting with juvenile salmon and steelhead at a Washington fish hatchery say fish raised in circular tanks with a swift current are faster and tougher than fish raised in the commonly-used rectangular raceways.” OregonLive.com |
Storm Coming Sunday?
“Get your boots and gloves ready. There's an increasing threat for a coastal storm to produce snow in Connecticut later this weekend.” Courant.com |
How Much Monofilament to Spool Under the Braid?
You’ve got 150 yards of 30-lb. braid that you want to put on your reel…but 150 yards will not fill the reel to capacity. So, how do you figure out how much 12-lb. mono you have to spool on first so that when you add the 150 yards of braid the reel is properly filled? Two methods: First, you can buy an extra spool for the reel. Put on the braid and then fill the spool with mono. Then attach the mono to your reel and reverse the line from the spare spool onto your reel. Second, let’s say your reel has a capacity of 260 yards of 12-lb. test which is usually .014” in diameter. 1. Multiply the spool-capacity yards by the diameter of the specified line size: Spool capacity X mono diameter = 260 yards X .014 = 3.64. And, let’s assume that the braid has a diameter of .011. 2. Multiply the number of yards of braid by the diameter of the braid: Braid yards X braid diameter = 150 yards X .011 = 1.65. 3. Subtract the braid number from the spool-capacity number = 3.64 – 1.65 = 1.99 4. Divide the result by the diameter of the mono = 1.99/.014 = 142.1. You need to spool on 142 yards of .014 diameter 12-lb. test mono…and then add the 150 yards of .011 30-lb braid to fill your reel to capacity. To measure the Mono you can buy a mechanical line counter or measure the distance between two objects out in the yard and use that to determine how much mono you’ve put on. Source: International Angler [International Game Fish Association], Sep/Oct 2010, p. 34 |
16 December 2010
Torrington Flood-Control Project on Naugatuck River Completed
![]() Rep-Am.com |
• U S Fish & Wildlife Publication Available![]() “American Fisheries covers the life history of an important fish, from catfish to the cutthroats, each story written by those who know the fish well. Readers learn about the men and women of conservation from the past – those Pioneers who have worked in fisheries for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1871. “Meanders closes each issue. There, readers find sinuous thoughts and mature and evocative writing – some good story-telling – that pushes at the edges like a mature river wanders a valley floor. The back cover is reserved for a parting snapshot of data that point up the work of the Division of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation.” USFWS |
15 December 2010
Two Stories...
• 2,731 Pounds of Poached Striped Bass![]() SOMD.com |
• Tow Boat Captain…Towed![]() Coast Guard News Photo is not related to this story |
14 December 2010
CT DEP Peddling Christmas Gifts
![]() “What’s the perfect answer for your holiday shopping needs? Do you have a family member or friend who seems to have everything? Are you trying to buy “greener” gifts this year? Do you want to encourage outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, biking or kayaking? If you can answer “yes” to any of the above then the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Store is the place for you to holiday shop this year.” StamfordPlus.com |
13 December 2010
So, Was It a Good Season, or Not?
![]() "If, however, you were a wade fishermen or a boat guy casting swimmers and poppers into the Long Island Sound shallows….” Charles Walsh in CTPost.com |
• License Fee Credits Now Available![]() For information about these credits, please visit the DEP website license fees and credits page |
12 December 2010
Engine Plant, Cod, Scollops, Salmon, and Tangling Hackles
Note: This report is from 2010; for the latest information, please go to:http://www.connecticutsaltwaterfishing.com • 78 Acre Facility on Housatonic River Back Up for Sale |
• Out at Montauk…![]() EastHamptonStar.com |
• A-Scolloping We Shall Go….![]() “Achieving a consistent harvest from year to year is the goal for fisheries managers.” The Martha’s Vineyard Times |
• New Fly Fishing in Salt Waters Issue![]() “Q: I frequently use a fly with hackles tied in at the bend of the hook. It is a very effective pattern, but the feathers tend to foul on the hook when I cast, particularly if I double-haul....” FFSW |
11 December 2010
Weather A Major Factor in Striper Production
![]() “His model, which was developed with data from the Maryland DNR, confirms what biologists have thought for years: The weather during any given spring plays a huge role in determining how many larval striped bass survive to be "recruited" into the overall population.” BayJournal.com |
10 December 2010
Bridgeport: Fisherman Killed by Lighting
![]() Norwalk Citizen |
09 December 2010
Best Fly Gear Ever Made
![]() Forbes.com |
• Fly-Casting for Breast Cancer Recovery“’I discovered this Zen feeling about fly-fishing that I never would have experienced otherwise,’ she said in a recent telephone interview. ‘But I got hooked on it.’“Ms. Carey was one of 556 breast cancer patients participating this year in the 42 free retreats coordinated by Casting for Recovery. Lori Simon, the group’s executive director, said the program had grown significantly; in 2005, it had 331 patients in 30 such events.” NYTimes.com |
08 December 2010
“Two fish, 90 feet out. Two o’clock . . . 80 feet . . . 70. Go! Go!"
![]() Boston.com ![]() |
07 December 2010
Winter’s Use of the Umbrella…Rig
![]() “…at the Sunnyside boat launch on the Housatonic River in Shelton, the Micinilio brothers, Jim and Michael, are all bundled up for a long, cold day of striper fishing. For them, winter is just another season to catch fish. “At precisely 8 a.m….” Charles Walsh’s Fishing Report |
06 December 2010
Striper Blitz Video
![]() Charlie W. says we should go to reel-time.com and check out the video of the Montauk striper blitz. Reel-Time.com |
05 December 2010
NYC & Eastern Long Island Sound Report
![]() “Over in Long Island Sound, the Island Current IV will be making its final local trip for blackfish on Sunday. That's the day Connecticut's blackfish season shuts down (in N.Y. and N.J. it continues into December), thereby spoiling the fun….” NYDailyNews.com |
04 December 2010
Refresh Your Boating Skills this Winter
“Your boat may be out of the water and properly winterized, but you don’t have to wait until spring to begin planning for the next season of enjoyment on the water. Why not take advantage of the winter lull to refresh your boating skills…or learn new ones…in courses conducted by the local flotilla of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary?” Coast Guard News |
03 December 2010
NJ Teen May Have Record Striper
![]() “But it's hard to say whether the soft-spoken and diminutive 13-year-old Vineland resident knows what a big deal that is in the world of fishing.” Philly.com |
02 December 2010
Virginia Sturgeon May Be Key To Ancient Fish's Recovery
“Sturgeon populations across the world have been threatened because of overfishing, pollution and dams that prevent the fish from reaching spawning grounds. Earlier this year, the Washington, D.C.-based Consortium for Ocean Leadership reported that 85 percent of sturgeon populations worldwide were at risk of becoming extinct.” Associated Press |
01 December 2010
Big Plugs, Big Stripers
“He talked about how he surf casts for stripers in Rhode Island. He is one of those guys that you hear about -- you know, the ones who consistently catch large stripers in the 30-40-pound category. It was interesting to hear how he gets to them.” Berkshire Eagle |
30 November 2010
Three Survive 50 Days Adrift
![]() “Three teenage boys have been found alive after being lost in their boat in the Pacific Ocean for 50 days.” BBC Story: BBC.co.uk.com Further information: CNN.com |
29 November 2010
Coast Guard: 2 Rescues in 3 Days Off Long Island
![]() LongIslandPress.com |
28 November 2010
27 November 2010
Blackfish Friday
![]() NYDailyNews.com |
New Issue of Salt Water Sportsman Online
“Browse photos of some great catches sent in by Salt Water Sportsman readers....” SaltWaterSportsman.com |
26 November 2010
Fishing the Tides
“Tides are most important for inshore fishing due to the simple fact that predator fish feed into the current. Fish will always face into the current to keep their positions for ambushing prey swept in by the tidal currents. This is predominantly true with low, or outgoing tides.” FishingWorld.com |
25 November 2010
Turkey…or Striped Bass?
“the notes of William Bradford of the Plymouth Plantation come as no surprise: “’They begane to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against the winter [. . .] For as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, and bass, and other fish of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion.’” EastHamptonStar.com |
• Thames River Area“Normally, by Thanksgiving, hordes of striped bass have begun to collect, if not move up, into the Thames River.”NorwichBulletin.com [in the right frame] |
New Online Issue of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters
Ask Lefty Q & A “Q: I am new to saltwater fly-fishing. Everyone tells me that sand eels represent a good fly imitation for stripers and bluefish. But I've been casting them with little success....” Fly Fishing in Salt Waters |
24 November 2010
Deaths in the East-Coast Fishing Industry
“NIOSH recently completed an in-depth study of commercial fishing fatalities in the United States during 2000-2009. The purpose of the study was to identify the most hazardous fisheries around the country and to describe the unique safety issues in each. For this study the US was divided into four fishing regions: Alaska, West Coast, East Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico. This document is one in a set of four reports summarizing fatality data for US fishing regions…. “During 2000-2009, 165 commercial fishing deaths occurred off the East Coast of the US, an average of 17 per year (Fig. 1). During 2002, the number of fatalities was unusually low, with only three deaths. No explanation for the single-year decrease has been identified. 2009 was an especially tragic year with 29 fatalities. “About 60% of the total deaths were caused by drowning following a vessel disaster (e.g. sinking, capsizing, fire, etc) in which the crew was forced to abandon ship (Fig. 2). About one-quarter (22%) of fatalities were the result of falls overboard. The remaining fatalities were due to traumatic injuries sustained on-board, on-shore, or while diving.” Fatal Occupational Injuries in the U.S. Commercial Fishing Industry: Risk Factors and Recommendations / East Coast Region [PDF 1,036 KB] |
23 November 2010
Devon Power Plant to Have New Owner
“EquiPower Resources Corp. has signed an agreement with Milford Holdings LLC to buy the Milford Power plant, on Shelland Street near the Housatonic River, north of Interstate 95.” NHRegister.com |
• Naugatuck River: We’re from the Corps of Engineers and We’re Here to Help You“When you walk or drive by the Palmer Street Bridge area in the south part of the city, you may notice substantial clearing along the banks of the Naugatuck River. “The clearing was done recently by the city, in collaboration with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. During the past month, some residents have questioned the clearing project and why it is being done, claiming the riverbank is being destroyed along with animal habitats.” RegisterCitizen.com |
22 November 2010
Anti-Fishing Groups Try to Get Rid of Lead
![]() Article 1: WiltonPatch.com Article 2: Wilton.Patch.com |
21 November 2010
DEP Stocked Trout

![]() “The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently completed its 2010 autumn trout stockings. From early September through late October, DEP released nearly 30,000 trophy and adult sized trout into selected waters throughout the state.” Stamford Advocate |
• October: 8th Warmest on RecordOctober ranked the eighth warmest October on record. The first 10 months of 2010 tied with the same period in 1998 for the warmest combined land and ocean surface temperature on record. The global average land surface temperature for January–October was the second warmest on record behind 2007. The global ocean surface temperature for January–October tied with 2003 as the second warmest on record behind 1998. La Nina continues to be a significant factor in global ocean temperatures.NOAA News |
• Look for the Heart at the Supermarket“Shoppers in Connecticut will soon notice little heart-shaped signs next to fish at the supermarket…“The heart will indicate which fish are the healthiest for everybody to eat.” NewYork.CBSLocal.com |
20 November 2010
Long Island Sound Reports
Eastern Long Island Sound Report“Another fishing season is coming to a close, the closings pushed along by a string of windy days that is driving most of the remaining anglers to plan on pulling their boats, getting ready for the holidays and the winter. In the meantime, there is still a little fishing going on, both from the boat and from the local beaches.” Tim Coleman in The Day.com |
• No Luck at Montauk“He stood outside the Montauk 7-Eleven on Monday morning re-rigging his surfcasting rod, wearing camouflage waders and a beret, and bemoaning the weekend’s dearth of fish. “’I fished hard, from Split Rock to the Point. I used wood [surface lures], scented bio-baits, secret baits. I flew 7,000 miles and spent 4K, and not a fish. It’s the seals, too many seals,’ Gunduz opined.” EastHamptonStar.com |
• Western Long Island Sound, NYC Report“On the Long Island Sound…local blackfish - mostly in the three- to five-pound class, were caught in 35 to 50 feet of water, anywhere from Pea and Huckleberry islands to Rye and Mamaroneck.”NYDailyNews.com |
19 November 2010
18 November 2010
Folk to Farm-Raise Striped Bass
![]() “A husband-and-wife team of fish researchers is using baby striped bass as the test subjects for one of the riskiest experiments of their professional careers…. “The Valentis' Amagansett-based business, Multi Aquaculture Systems, took a year and a half to acquire rights to a lease of a 200-acre water column in Gardiners Bay, near a fast-moving current of water called "The Race." Multi Aquaculture Systems secured the rights to the 35-foot-deep column through the New York State Office of General Services….” DolanMedia.com |
16 November 2010
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