Just got back from the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show. It was fun. Yes, the large fly fishing shows are not as strong as they were many years ago, but they still supply a great time with plenty to see and learn about. Well worth a visit.
The large theaters in the hotel had an excellent list of lectures, covering a wide range of subjects. And long with those shows, the Destination Theaters offered up valuable information about fishing specific locations across the United States and beyond. All in all a good time. And of course casting demonstrations were part of the show too.
Dave is finding bigger reds on the flats again. That’s very good news and points to the possibility of some recovery, some improvement in water quality.
The coast of Southwest Florida has seen some troubling signs in the last couple of years. I’m sure you saw it on the nightly news. Red tide and blue-green algae arrived, killing a large amount of marine life. Both are signs of coastal eutrophication, increasing harmful runoff from the land. And both issue will require strong action on the part of local governments to insure clean water. Keep your fingers crossed.
Here’s a quote fresh in from cyber. “….scientists fear the Northeast is the fastest-warming region in the USA. Scientists point to warming waters as a reason why the Northeast is getting warmer, especially along the coast.”
Check out this chart. Four Connecticut counties along Long Island Sound experienced a 2.9 degree increase in mean temperature, brought on my increased Sound temperatures. That’s a lot folks. Worrisome.
If you fish in New England that should concern you. As coastal waters warm our fishing will continue to change. After all fish are cold-blooded and therefore have a strict thermal envelope one that has evolved over thousands of years. To survive they are forced to steer where water temperature permit them to thrive.
Consequently anglers must be ready to adapt too. Expect changes in where fish hang out, changes in their feeding habits, changes in migratory patterns and changes season length. And you can bet we’ll hear about the appearance of more warm water species. Fish that were once rare here in the Northeast. Hell a 45″ redfish was caught off Yarmouth this year!
As a long-time striped bass angler allow me to throw a few hypotheticals at you. Bass may migrate farther north in the spring and summer up there as well. They may also prefer to feed deeper, out where the water temperatures are cooler. Night fishing may increasingly be necessary. And the fall run may well occur much later in the fall. Food for thought.
Well, Dave just had an epic day with “tailing” reds. First he hooks 7 in the morning and then 2 later in the day. That’s crazy good. Off the charts. It just goes to show you that the best anglers can locate fish even when the conditions aren’t very good. A tip of the hat to Dave!
Red Tide has returned to Southwest Florida. The question now is this: will it fade quickly in the weeks ahead or will it last and last. Let’s hope for all the folks living along the Southwest Florida coast it’s the former.
Red Tide is the toxic algae Karenia brevis. It causes scratchy throats and itchy eyes for beach goers and boaters. And it can discolor the water as well. More concerning it kills marine sometimes in huge numbers, and even birds that feed on marine life.
Dead Catfish in a Marine
Presently there are fish kills reported in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. In the picture above, taken recently, you see rafts of dead catfish drifting with the tide. Not a pleasant sight.
