It was supposed to be a graduation trip, but our “graduate” got sick so “it happens.” Five of us (Kenny Klimes, Bob Hassett, Steve Baker, Vernon Preston, and Don Varner) made the trip to Montauk on Friday anyway. It was Opening Day for catch and release (C&R) season and the word got out since it was pretty crowded with fly fishers. But we found room to fish and did. It was cold as the moisture and wind caused temperatures in the forties to feel like in the thirties. Kenny offered to “teach” anyone any technique that they needed work on, and Bob and Vernon took him up on the challenge.
Kenny helped Bob with his “hooking” technique and by the end of the day Bob was bringing in some nice rainbows. Vernon jumped in the barrel in the afternoon and fished with Kenny until about 3pm when Kenny just could not take the cold anymore. Next time dress warmer! The top flies used were small – midges (black and red), soft hackles, Barr’s emergers, and an occasional wooly bugger and cerise worm. The rainbows started rising towards the end of the day so swinging soft hackles and emergers did very well. Kenny, Don, and Bob returned home as Steve and Vernon stayed another night and met up with other FATC members.
The second day of catch and release started out a little colder with temperatures around 30* but the wind wasn’t as strong. Vernon and I (Steve) met up with Glenn Haake and Bob Moore at the naturalist cabin. Vernon and I headed to the boulder with plans to meet for lunch at noon. Fishing started out slow but then picked up about 9:30. Steve put 4 fish in the net and Vernon hooked into one before heading up to the top of Walter’s stretch. Steve was able to net a couple more before lunch. Midges and soft hackles and nymphs were the flies that were working. After lunch we went upstream to the end of the cut bank and we each netted a couple of more fish. The stream was starting to get more crowded, and Vernon and I decided to call it a day at 2:30 and head home.
During catch and release season do not forget that you can fish down by the campground area. Just don’t go past the handicap area. That area is off limits in the winter. But many fly fishers forget to fish that area because they don’t fish there during the summer.
