Albie Mania! Coastal Angler Magazine – October 2017
This blog entry was originally written for Coastal Angler Magazine, October 2017 issue.
With October’s arrival, cold nights linger, and turn into cold mornings. To me, this change signals the end of the main fishing season is near. Migratory fish that came to our waters to feast on the abundance of baitfish, have begun their journey to warmer climates. Those that are still here are feeding heavily in an effort to put on weight for the trip and to bulk up for winter.
There are many options available for targeting on the fly in October. Locally, striped bass, bluefish, bonito, and false albacore are available in the salt. If you have never caught a bonito or albacore on the fly, I can’t possibly recommend it strongly enough.
Having chased salmon, steelhead, stripers, and every other local gamefish species, I knew it was time to commit to only using a fly rod for false albacore. It takes only one hookup to understand what all the excitement is about. False albacore can get you from hook set to backing in under 5 seconds, and there’s not much you can do to prevent it. Spend this time managing your line to get the fish on the reel, and then hold on.
The waters off Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the south coast of Cape Cod are the main playground for these mini-tuna, with good numbers also found along the shores of Rhode Island and Connecticut. If you want to give it a shot, book a trip with a local guide. Their knowledge and experience chasing these speedsters will set you up for success.