Certain features associated with outdoor activities can be good, bad, or ugly; this is especially true of meals that may add to or detract from days spent on the water or in the field. READ
Tag: outdoors
Horses and boats have much in common. When you begin to fish frequently from small craft and subsequently sail on larger party boats, you see the obvious advantages of having your own boat. When you take trail rides or pack trips with horses or rent horses to ride in field trials for pointing dogs, you quickly see the advantages of having your own horse, too. But then you look at the big picture, and you wonder: Should I really be doing this? (more…)
When we drove out to help a colleague of ours on the West End recently, his car was stuck in a deep icy rut at the bottom of his driveway. Clad in a light jacket and wearing no gloves, he was frantically trying to shovel his way down to the bottom of the tires with a small straight-handled snow shovel that might have passed for a child’s toy. (more…)
Planning, like weather forecasting, is tricky business
From December through April, many of us enduring a dreary Paumanok winter seek vacation destinations and book their spots months in advance. Those who gamble on northeastern ski vacations are often in for surprises and disappointments. (more…)
BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO | Surf fisherman at Iron Pier Beach on the Sound.
Summer fishing in the area keeps living up to high expectations, according to recent reports. Capt. Dave Brennan of the Peconic Star out of Greenport was enthusiastic about the large numbers of sea bass, often running five or six pounds. Scup numbers are also good. Dave feels you have to find fish in new areas because many of the old mussel beds that concentrated fish in the traditional places have disappeared.
At WeGo Fishing in Southold, Alex mentioned plenty of keeper scup in the Peconics, especially in the Noyac area, where sea bass, “kingfish” (northern whiting) and weakfish can be found as well. Anglers fishing diamond jigs catch cocktail blues around Jessups Neck, and there are plenty of snappers in the bay.
Charlie Caraftis at Mattituck Fishing Station and Marina on Mattituck Creek explained that bass have been hard to find off Hortons Point but gorilla bluefish remain and are especially active as the sun rises. Chunking is often the method of choice. Sea bass outnumber scup inshore, with many nice fish in the four- to five-pound class. Not many anglers are bothering with fluke right now, but there was one six-pound weakfish noted, taken by an angler jigging for blues in deep water.
Bill Czech at Jamesport Bait and Tackle in Mattituck reported only spotty beach action, with blues and small bass off Cupsogue Beach and a few bass taken off Hortons on eels. Long Island Sound beaches have cocktail blues in some places early and late. Scup specialists often head east to Fishers Island or Block Island, but there was a shot of large porgies up to 17 inches around Buoy 17 last week.
Roses Grove and Nassau Point waters produce some weakfish in the 14- to 16-inch range and small pan-size kingfish abound along bay beaches as well. With bunker schools so tight to South Shore beaches, humpback whales and sharks have been seen close inshore. One fluke angler wound up with a thresher estimated at 150 pounds on the end of a rig, and makos have been taken regularly only 10 to 14 miles out.
As a university instructor and professor, I’ve spent a lifetime teaching students the fine points of math, science and history. While teaching in schools can be challenging at times, it doesn’t compare with the teaching that guides and skippers do on a daily basis when sports step out of their cars or cabins to “go fishin.” (more…)
When taking to the road this summer, be prepared for car trouble. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)
Midsummer is vacation time for a lot of us. Local beaches are starting to draw crowds, local restaurants are starting to fill up with “touristas” from points west, and angling is about to settle into the doldrums unless you’re one of those lucky enough to have friends who go offshore. So we travel, often with the trusty family camper, pickup, or sedan, machines we’ve probably taken for granted most of the year. (more…)
Grilled black sea bass and blackfish accompanied by saffron rice and asparagus. (Credit: John Ross, file)
A good friend of ours who happens to be a terrific angler has often remarked that we’re foolish to “keep” fish for the table when all we have to do is head for a local market and choose wisely from the iced fish on display. He points out that such seafood is surely a lot cheaper and obtained with a lot less trouble, given the cost of travel and tackle (and boats). (more…)
This weather is for these birds in Jamesport. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
As we write a late March column, it’s fun to look out a window and see blue sky. In the morning, on the way to work, I hear competing cardinals, and, upstate on weekends, the turkey flocks are out and about in our driveway, picking gravel and driving the dogs crazy.
Winter travel is indeed tricky for the outdoors person, especially if you’ve set up an extensive trip. Headed for the islands to do some tropical fishing? Headed for the Rockies for the ski trip of your dreams? There may be serious issues getting from here to there. (more…)