On the Water: In the Saddle Too Soon | The East Hampton Star

As the country-and-western singer Gene Autry sang in 1939, I’m back in the saddle again, or, in my case, the captain’s seat.

Rock Water, my boat of nearly 25 years, is once again in the water. About three weeks ago, I noticed a rather nasty oil leak on the engine when I was tending to my lobster traps. Ultimately, it was determined that it was coming from a crack in the oil cooler. The repairs were made after about 10 days of her being on dry land.

Owning a boat is a pleasure. But it also comes with a rather hefty ongoing cost. As a boat gets on in years, it requires increased maintenance. Just like we do.

Autry, known as the Singing Cowboy, had many hobbies and interests including fishing. He was born in 1907 in Tioga, Tex., a small cow town of around 600 people at the time his best-known song came out.

By comparison, Montauk probably had less than 400 year-round residents at that time. Tioga in 2020 had crept up to about 1,100 residents, while Montauk now has approximately 4,300 full-time residents, a number that balloons massively during the summer, for better or worse.

On the fishing scene, in Montauk and elsewhere, we are in full-scale summer mode as August approaches. In Montauk stripers are still running but have been rather fussy of late. The same is true for fluke, and a plethora of undersize sea bass are making it difficult for anglers to cull out their legal limit of three fish.

Offshore, the bluefin tuna bite continues to please. Even farther off, golden tilefish have been caught by those making the long ride. The Viking Five Star took its fares on a recent excursion where many supersize tiles up to 50 pounds were landed.

To the west, Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton said that blowfish and kingfish can be had at Maidstone and Sammy’s Beach. “And weakfish have shown up at Gardiner’s Island mixing in with some fluke,” he said. “If you are looking for a slot-sized striper, Plum Gut has them.”

Gorgone also said that he just received a large shipment of clam rakes from R.A. Ribb Co. of Harwich, Mass. “We’ve got regular steel and stainless steel in a variety of sizes. They are the best rakes around.” I concur, as I’ve had one for many years.

Back in Montauk, Westlake Marina on West Lake Drive recently reopened its revamped and expanded bait and tackle store. The updated shop now features an exclusive selection of fly-fishing equipment, making it one of the only stores in Montauk to cater to this specialized fishing technique.

In addition to fly-fishing gear, the tackle shop is now offering high-end Van Staal reels and pliers, Costa Del Mar sunglasses, and a broad selection of other premium brands and fishing essentials.

“Our goal is to equip both novice and experienced fishermen with not only the best gear, but also the knowledge and service that can make all the difference during their fishing adventures,” said Eric Morales, the marina manager.

As for this chronicler of all things fish, the recent hot and humid weather has taken its toll. On July 16, I experienced a case of heat exhaustion after playing tennis. With a nasty blend of nausea, fatigue, and a very bad headache, it made me wish that September and cooler weather would soon be here. Playing it smart, I skipped my matches the next two days, but on Thursday, stubbornness and stupidity reigned supreme as I went to check my lobster traps in the tropics-like weather. It was not a smart move.

While I survived the trip, I relapsed with another bout of heat exhaustion and made a trip to the emergency room at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

In this case, I returned to the saddle too soon.

—

Fishing tips, observations, and photographs can be sent to [email protected].