It's early October now and most of the "residents" have gone back to NY and Connecticut. Parking is easier now and spots are much less crowded. I got some small keepers just at the incoming spot, now time for the High and start of the drop.... I just walked behind the "house", which in this case is no big deal because the local owners are fishin' friendly with their only request that you pick up your trash.... The wind is picking up now. On a more still night or perhaps with a breeze at your back, you might get a whiff of the wood stoves and chimneys burning with purpose for the first time in months....
Ordinarily, a clear night sky would have you see Block Island and maybe even the far distant shimmer of Montauk. THIS is the triangle of fish. You can really lose you mind as you wonder how many 40, 50, 60 and larger are in that triangle RIGHT NOW and how close are they? Will there be a hard tug tonight? Who will win? But this is not "Ordinary" tonight. The wind has stayed fairly hard southwest and what may only be half a day before it recedes north again. It's a good breeze, enough to pick up the spray as the waves hit the rocks and throw it up into the nostrils. I put on my cleats, hook an eel, and maneuver over to the right and down to the ledge. Its still early, high slack has just passed but I fan cast any way. A little less wind and I could put eel and bring it by that rock, today I'd be lucky if I hit the rock. I hope the eel makes a noisy landing.
Hmmm, been casting a little while now, picking some weeds but far from bad… Tides been dropping almost an hour now, if they are gonna be here it should happen...
"Tap Tap", a soft hit, drop the tip, hit the clutch, don't feel much of anything,maybe a case of curiosity?.... Check set, nope nothing there, no pull, slow crank again, reel slow, humming some Floyd. Wish You Were Here is a tune I like at this spot, and Comfortably Numb, sometimes as light falls you see that ship smoke on the horizon.... Cast the same spot again, just a tic more west. Crank slow, crank slow, you're picking you speed up again, crank slow....
Decent cast, give the eel a chance to sink a bit, pull slack, engage reel, time to reflect on the day and wee... Bump Bump, drop the tip hit the clutch, there we go! One, two, three, reel quick, tension, SET! FISH ON!!! Nice bass too, peeling some line. AND NOBODY AROUND TONIGHT
!! Working the fish, get it turned, semi horse, just enough rip rap to prevent a more relaxed play. Oh, there's another run, she's not done yet, some more peel as the line is pulled off the spool... At this size they are almost always a "she". I hope she is nice, she feels nice, who am I kidding? There all equally nice, just some are more equal than others! Ooooh, there's a splash, in a little closer than I thought, work it a little more left, head down to the next ledge.... Rod in armpit, plenty of slack, Hook in corner of jaw, nice fish, 26-28 pounds or so? Good looking fish and she look real good as a fifty, so I'm gonna let her go. Wife will be mad as I told her I would bring some home tonight, must tell her they were small or something.... There she goes, big kick of the tail!
OK, run fingers down leader, pretty good - test drag - check, Cast to same area? Sure why not, load, release thumb..... feather thumb, eel sink, pull slack, engage reel, figure stay for an hour and then go to... Bump Bump, bow to fish, hit clutch, there goes the line! Ear to ear grin
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