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August 07 - 28 -FI Newsmagazine The Fish Around UsPage 12 Fire Island Newsmagazine - August 7 - August 28 Bluefish, weakfish and stripers are the glamour fish, but when it comes to eating there are few fish that can rival the lowly bottom feeders like the fluke and flounder. These two owe their allegiance to the bays and creeks of the Great South Bay. the Great South Bay. Fish stores' glamorize the weakfish by calling t t a sea strout beautiful fish found In I THE FISH AROUND US by Pad Stouteuburgh Fire Island has so many attractions that many times we overlook the very obvious. Everything about Fire Island is involved. with the sea and it is there that we find a wide of fish on both the bay and ocean. Right now the small bluefish - the smallest are called snappers - are in the bay and if you re a sports for fisherman you know there are few fish that can top the fight, pound pound, Of a bluefish. Usually they're caught on artificial lures that are cast to a feeding school. Schools of bluefish can be found watching for the terns feeding in a frenzy above them. On close inspection you will see the fish dashing right out of thewater pursuit of the small bait fish they are feeding on. Bluefish are also found along our ocean beaches where their movements down the beach bring surf poles off their racks as the fish move close along the beach in their westward migration. These schools of snarling feeders are so ferocious that they often drive the bait fish right out of the water and up on the he high beach. These are exciting times along the beach and occur more in the latter part of the season than now. But then, fishing is never an exact science and they could show up almost anytime. Again, artificial lures thrown in the frenzy of feeding are a sure thing. As August approaches very small bluefish make their appearance in the bays under the name of snappers and already we are picking up these 2" snappers in our seine nets which means it won't be long before they are "taking size." Then the light bamboo poles and spinning rods will come into play. The snapper has probably whet the app more young people than any fish in our waters for they can be caught off almost any dock along the bay front. Live bait or Ispearing are best but artificial lures work with some success.A lready we are picki The most beautiful fish in our waters is the weakfish that uses our bays and creeks to spawn in each spring. The big ones are usually caught in the early months of spring and are laden with eggs or roe. Roe is a gelicacy and when sauteed in butter there are few things better to eat. During the summer these handsome silver, pink and blue hued fish are caught on the bottom using bait. Once in a while they are picked up when casting for blues. They are a good fighter but ` having a weak jaw [hence the name weak- fish] must be handled with a bit more care when bringing them in. A landing net is a must for weakfish. Fish stores glamourize the weakfish by calling it a sea trout. The small fry are sometimes caught when fishing , for snappers, but being undersized they should be tossed back in to grow bigger. Striped bass are usually caught in the ocean, but the inlets provide excellent areas to catch these sometimes monster fish. Arti- ficial lures or baited hooks on the bottom are used depending on how the fish run. Stripers get their name from the stripes running the length of the fish. Its muscular and big - scaled body is usually king sized, and its fight is prized by surf fishermen. During late fall, when the weather turns cool and the wind swings to the northwest, it is striper time. Remember these fish can run up to thirty and forty pounds and more, so appropriate gear is necessary. Bluefish, weakfish and stripers are the glamour fish, but when it comes to eating h there are few fish that can rival the lowly the bottom feeders like the fluke and flounder. ng These two owe their allegiance to the bay and creeks of the Great South Bay. When seining, I often find tiny fluke and flounder feeding in the lush nursery areas of our bay bottoms. Slowly but surely the public is realizing how important our shallow bays and wetland areas are in the production of our fish and shellfish and how the threat of pollution not only interferes with our per- sonal swimming but jeopardizes the welfare of a multibillion dollar 'industry. Many of the big party boats that work out of the south shore ply the waters to the west for these tasty flat fish. Generally speakinf fluke grow larger than flounders, but no matter which you catch, they're sure to be appreciated when cooked and served properly. Along with the bottom feeders, we'll oc- casionally pick up an eel. These squirming slippery one -to- two -foot balls of action can surely mess up your line and slime up your boat. It takes patience and know -how to remove one from your line. Although not as appetizing in the live state, fried or smoked there's nothing better. Eels are in such demand because of their delicate flavor that some baymen make a good living setting eel pots for them. Many, by the way, are air freighted, live, to foreign countries in Europe and Asia. When cooked, they must be skinned. When smoked, the skin is left on. Sand sharks, sea robins, and skates are also sometimes taken when bottom fishing. At one time these fish were considered trash fish, but today with the high cost of fish we find more and more trash fish advertised under attractive names and the public s relishing their taste. Back in the 30's and early 40's blowfish were considered trash fish and were "damned" for always taking one's bait. Then someone decided to try eating them and overnight they became popular. Today they're called "chicken of the sea and bring top dollar at the fish market. So whether its so- called trash fish, bottom feeders or glamour fish, if it comes from the waters around Fire Island, its bound to be good. One more reason why Fire Island is such an attraction to so many.