De"peche" Mood

These past days, I have longed for solace through casting a line on the open water in search of a strike, a pull, and the glorifying feeling of catching and releasing a scale-covered cronie. A few weeks ago, I was at a lake doing just that. "The fish are down deeper as the weather gets colder," the man says. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of an older man behind a tree, clad in fly-fishing gear. Yet another longing soul in search of this rush...to find that the surface of the water does not serve as the platform for displaying the tantalizing specimens so sought after by most fish.

In autumn, fishing is quite different than in other months throughout the year. The fish are typically more vivacious and lively, an uncommon occurrence in the middle of July when the temperature of the surface water is far more tepid. Perch prey and trout dine in the fall, whereas bass strike in the summer, striving north from their cooler, lower environs, often a far journey to the warm surfaces that cover their world.

The fall brings the crackle of leaves underfoot and the woodsy smell of fireplaces nearby. Lower, less-intensive light and colder water make wading a choice, not a mandate. Sweaters instead of short-sleeves. Spinning lures instead of poppers. Cotton and wool-clipped gloves rather than bare hands. Sunscreen on exposed areas rather than the entire body.

Autumnal fishing is truly a spiritual experience, as the light and warmth often comes from inside through the opportunity of experiencing the resulting gratitude of such an awakening joy. Appreciating nature, light, and the abundant glories of the fall can be yours, too, if you are in the mood.

As for me, I am newly intrigued with the notion of a strike, a pull, and the uncertainty of it all.

"Carp"e Mortalitas

"Koi"- vey!

A 64-pound carp, coveted by fisher folk in England, was recently found floating on the surface of the lake that it inhabited. Apparently, it was poisoned by nuts. (Of course, that makes me question the contents of those feeders at zoos and gardens across the world).

An article, which recently appeared on global news sites around the world, announced the death of the 20-25 year old carp which had been caught 63 times. Apparently, the local fishing community sought after this carp as the ultimate catch. Carp are amazingly strong; they are also beautiful. Their scales are evenly proportioned, resembling the scales on the body of a 'mermaid.' Their lips are soft, like room temperature butter. And they have these little fleshy feelers at the corners of their mouths, resembling catfish (but they are not poisonous if touched).

This is apparently a big loss for the fisherfolk in England. I've always thought that carp should be admired, not caught. Their life span is around 100 years (I think). Of course, I disagree with PETA on this one; but if offered a chance to catch a carp, I would turn it down. They are too beautiful, sacred, and precious (not to minimize the validity of other gilled swimmers)!

Distressing the "Damsel"fish

The damselfish population is apparently wreaking havoc in Coral Reefs in the Caribbean. Why, you ask?

Ask the Marine Park Manager who has done little, apparently, to curb overfishing of predatory species such as the grasby (much like a grouper) and the parrotfish. By allowing unlimited fishing of these two species, in particular, their presence has been depleted, allowing the damselfish to thrive and multiply. The grasby prey on the damselfish; the parrotfish dines on algae (little herbivores).

According to an article which recently appeared on the NPR website, the damselfish, which is a small fish (approximately the size of a goldfish), uses algae to build nests. It does this by sucking on coral. This frees the coral of the algae, however it kills the coral. Over time, the reef will cease to exist. Multiply this by the thousands and things could change more rapidly.

Parrotfish eat algae and they have been overfished. Grasby prey on damselfish but they, too, have been overfished. Solution? Limit the catching of parrotfish and grasby.

Given the situation, I draw a strong parallel to the limitations placed on striped bass. In order to ensure the species can grow and thrive, limitations are placed on the size of those that you can keep (i.e., no more than 28 inches and no less than 42 inches, depending on where you live). Fisherfolk respect these limitations. Why shouldn't the Marine Park Manager implement some laws with regard to this situation? I don't profess to advocate the control of certain fish species, but when the Marine Park Manager states, "Feel free to fish grasbys, but corals will decline as a result, indirectly. And everything else that depends on those corals, including the grasbys ultimately, will also go down."

It is a complex ecosystem - a coral reef. But the population of the damselfish needs to be in distress. Ignoring the problem is only accelerating the progress of this issue. Either introduce more predatory fish or add regulations. Marine Park Ranger, what say you?

Lake Little Known-ah

...not for long! This little lake is an amazing find. I had heard about it through my friend Amy (who fishes there with her husband on a regular basis), but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I actually experienced it for myself.

I drove to Lake Zoar in Southbury. As I remembered (as it was explained to me), Lake Lillinonah is at the top of Lake Zoar. All I had to do was listen for the jet skis and boats...and follow them north.

And I did. I found the trail guide and fishing advisory board right in a small parking lot. I found a more remote spot to park and I proceeded to this isolated lakeside spot...that was already usurped by two fellow fishers. (These guys became my instant friends as we shared our catches across the lake).

My first cast with a hula popper landed me a nice lake bass. It was not large, but it gave some nice tugs and a good little battle. I gently removed the hook and eased him back into the water with care. The next spinner lures rewarded me with two consecutive yellow perch.

I spent most of the day at Lake Lillinonah. I could have spent the evening, too, as we all know that fish love the cooler water temperatures. But duty called and I headed back to Milford, a far cry from my new found fishing hole.

Try it - Lake Little Known-ah (can you tell I love Maine?)

Sarah "Pailin' " Likes to Fish

I find myself in a bit of a quandary today having spent most of the day fishing myself. I really shouldn't tease another woman who happens to be passionate about fishing. But this one, I simply can't resist.

She resigns her post as Governor of Alaska (less than a year from the date on which she joined the GOP ticket as the candidate for VP). And she manages to find the time (while fishing with her husband) to grant a few interviews.

Sarah Palin, on camera and in papers, donning chest high waders and a plain white tee shirt. Looking natural, real, and calm. Was it that they didn't allow her enough fishing during the elections? She seemed pretty high strung during those times. Balance Sarah, balance!

At the risk of sharing my complete views on political parties, candidates, and recent events, Sarah Palin's personality makes me want to lean overboard and...no, not jump. Let's say, "chum the waters." She just doesn't stop talking. My concern is that if she fishes, does she talk while doing so? I know that I don't like much conversation when I'm fishing (which is probably why I love to fish alone).

I don't mean to be judgmental. But with a last name like Palin, it makes me wonder why a bucket-making company hasn't patented the following: "Pailin'," by Sarah. The idea is a drop in the bucket...it "pails" in comparison to other ideas...it really holds its weight...I mean, isn't she looking for fundraising ideas to raise capital for her next campaign?

Most Fish are Bony but Not All Fish are Dubbed "Bonefish"

A decade ago, I sat in Miami International waiting to board my plane to Abaco, the northernmost island of the Bahamas. All of my friends and traveling companions were on the plane already, as was our weeks supply of frozen steaks, chicken, ribs, and chops. (There weren't many palatable eating establishments in Abaco, apparently). I was not on the plane because I didn't have a passport or a birth certificate. No one told me that I needed either and it wasn't so much that I couldn't GO to the Bahamas, it was that I wouldn't be let back in to the U.S. without one of these documents. After hours of effort to convince American Airlines that I could produce one of these documents while in the Bahamas (via my father and Fedex), they finally put me on the plane. The next plane. And I subsequently met up with my friends on the island.

We were going Bonefishing. With fly rods in hand, a rented boston whaler, and 8 days in the Bahamas, this was our plan. (Incidentally, the New York Times recently had a great article on bonefishing and I managed to find it online and include it here).

The water in the Bahamas is like nothing you have ever seen. It is like one large bathtub with lots of ripples in it. At a long glance, it is light blue / green, but you can see everything right in front of you. Fish. Coral. More fish. Everything.

Our bout to catch bonefish proved successful for a couple of my talented fly-fishing cohorts. It was a game of patience and skill. A bit different than fishing in a river and more challenging to actually hook one. My success occurred when fishing at night off the dock using strips of conch for bait. I caught many fish and enjoyed most evenings that way.

Bonefishing in the Bahamas. Try it.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, No Fish

Recently, I have been reading many articles on our oceans including articles on oceanic pollution (including plastics and chemicals, to name a few), increased oceanic temperature, and the not-so-surprising disappearance of its residents. This includes fish.

Now I love fish. I love to catch them, put them back, eat them, buy them, and cook (roast, pan fry or grill) all types of fish. But one of the articles focused on what we can do to ensure the longevity of fish species. The argument of the article was that if we maintain this level of depletion for much longer, it is possible that a number of species of fish will become extinct.

When we go to a market, we make economic decisions. The products that we purchase contribute to demand. When there is demand, there is supply. But if there is no demand, supply will dwindle. When applying introductory economic principles to the purchases we make (including the types of fish we buy), we could very likely reverse some of the overfishing that is going on in our oceans.

Click here to see the list of OVERFISHED fish.

Just a while ago, I was promoting a Halibut dish. As long as it is not Atlantic Halibut, I still promote the recipe.

If each one of us can make choices that promote the recovery of certain species of fish, we will all benefit...and so will the mammals (standard predatory cycle in the ocean) that are also consumers.

Choose wisely!