FALL RUN by Todd Moen - Steelhead Fly Fishing

Chasing Steelhead on the Great Lakes

Although the flows are down large numbers of steelhead are pouring into the rivers in upstate NY!  It should only get better over the nxt few months

October Albies from southern New England

Fly Fishing the Fall Run - BIG ALBIES

Capt. Ray Stakalac from Castafly charters put his client on a HUGE albie the other day.... They estimataed the fish to be about 18+ lbs.  There have been some hefty fish caught this year!  We have seen fish for the first time over the 30" mark - It's just a matter of playing the numbers until you hook into the one!  

Or just go to the Shrimp Boats in Florida and throw the kitchen sink at'm - They'll eat it if you throw it! The Albies down in warmer waters do not offer the same fly fishing challenge as their counterparts in the North East. They hang close to food sources, like commercial boats that are discharging by-catch and are curious to anything that hits the water.  The fish in the North East have green backs (vs blue back down south) and are smaller by comparison.  Hanging in shallower depths, also makes them more exciting as they take calculated runs in search of deep water.  The tropical Albies are rarely found in water depths less than 60-80'.  So their fight is more of a classic tuna bout with long deep runs and sounding tactics when you get them close.  The unique challenge to the bigger fish down south, is the urgency to land them quickly.  They are constantly pursued by opportunistic sharks and barracuda's waiting to have a struggling Albie swim by.  Both are extremely fun to catch and I can't think of a better pound for pound fight on a fly rod. 

False Albacore and Bonito from the Long Island Sound

This fall has been amazing!  The little Tuna have provided non stop action whether throwing Flies or Casting lures.  The fish have been here for over a month and have been spread from Chatham all the way to Montauk, and inside the Long Island Sound.  Chasing them in new locations has given me growing appreciation for the various coast lines that we have in New England.  

Albie Snax - Check it out

Long Cast Platics makes some killer soft baits for the discerning fall fish.  With the swarms of bay anchovies and small forage fish it is important to have a lure that you have confidence in when trying to match the hatch.  The greatest thing about the Snax is that they're weedless!  No more floating chode on your treble hook and time spent out of the water. Albie snax come in an assortment of colors to mimic the the various baitfish - They also work wonderfully for stripers on the north shore.

Mike Eaton and friends came last week and put the hurt on the hard tails.  Mike is a NH native and Oregon fishing buddy with tons of game which helped him hook drastically more fish then everyone else on the boat :)  It was great having a guy like that on a weekend, where heightened pressure made the fish difficult for the avg angler.  One of my favorite trips of the season!  

Jeff and one of two Atlantic bonito he caught while flyfishing for Albies. This year we have found the Bones mixed in with the Albacore which is not the norm.  Typically Bonito are the first arrive in the fall and vacate the area once the Fat Alberts show up. 

Grand Slam! 
John was here from Oakland, CA this past week and caught an Albie, Bonito, Striper, and Bluefish all in the same day!  A first for Greasy Beaks. 

We had a fantastic couple of days together and John did a great job landing almost every fish he hooked.  We were fishing a floating line and long leader which made for entertaining action as Albies smashed his fly on the surface.