It is time to get your box ready, your lines switched, and your rod quiver on point. Albies do not mess around. My box consists of smaller patterns than I fish throughout the rest of the season. There is a certain Feng shui in my Albie box... White, pink, light pink and chartreuse are all I need and use. The classic Mushmouth, Clouser Minnow, Bonito Bunny, and the lovely Albie Whore, take over my boat, box, pockets…everywhere.
The fishing has picked up drastically since last week’s heat wave, but these cooler morning and evening temps have made the bass fishing very productive again. The big blues are still here and were less affected by the heat. The best news is the bonito have officially arrived, and on the last two trips, we have seen and caught our fall friends! We are so happy to welcome them back!
We are still catching stripers in the rips and on the flats. Bass are eating larger profile flies suspended under sinking lines in the rips. Scientific Anglers Sonar Titan S3/S5/S7 is a great choice to dredge those cows out of the cooler water they love this time of year. Pay special attention to your retrieve and utilize jerky medium-speed strips. Imagine a bait fish trying to fight out of the rip but struggling due to the strong current, and this is what you’re trying to imitate.
We are still finding big fish belly-crawling on the flats, and it has been a blast watching monster stripers commit to a fly in skinny water. Crab patterns work really well this time of year, but they can be harder to get fish to eat. However, patience is a virtue, and the biggest fish are often caught on crabs for those mentally prepared to suffer the heartbreak of refusal. Trust us; it is worth the wait! Clouser and sand eel patterns are still working well when big schools of bait are swarming the flats. We've been using RIO’s Flats Pro floating fly line in these situations since it turns over longer leaders and heavier flies well. As a bonus, it is a killer line for bonefish and permit when you join us on our hosted trip to Soul Fly!
Bonito are back, and we could not be more stoked. We started seeing them about a week ago offshore, but they are now close to shore and are even getting caught off our beaches! Since they are a bit leader shy, opt for lighter fluorocarbon tippet over Wirebite. Poor hooksets will lead to breaking off bones thanks to their sharp teeth, so put some extra force into that strip! An intermediate line like Scientific Anglers Sonar Camo works best with smaller bonito flies and offers better accuracy than many of our favorite striper lines.
The birds have been helpful recently, and there is a ton of bait in the water. As the fall draws upon us, the fishing will only get better. There have even been reports of Albies getting caught in the Edgartown Harbor! Late August is shaping up to be a very fish-filled end to summer before the craziness of the Derby sets in. Don’t sleep on booking a trip in this ‘tweener season! Call, email, or stop by the shop for the latest Martha’s Vineyard fly fishing intel.
Abbie Schuster
Owner/Head Guide at Kismet Outfitters
860-944-5225
instagram: @abbie.on.the.fly
Stephen D’Angelo
Shop Manager at Kismet Outfitters
706-580-6712
