Fishing is mostly a solitary pursuit. Apart from those momentary accolades heard when you arrive home with a nice striper, in fishing there are rarely commentators watching from the sidelines. […]
ON THE BEACH
Advice Opens the Way to Experience
‘Can I ask what lure you’re using?’ and other questions fishermen here will answer
I’m sure I have forgotten more about fishing than I now know. Every time I go, I find myself remembering, usually too late, that I should be using a different […]
ON THE BEACH
The Old Man and the Beach
On a favorite sand path, an encounter with one’s inner child
The beach is where I learned to surf, learned to fish, and had my first awkward lessons in romance. Most of what I’ve learned at the beach came when I […]
ON THE BEACH
Fifty Years of Chasing Sharks, Imaginary and Real
Ocean biologists are giving Jaws the rewrite sharks deserve
I was a Truro lifeguard the summer Jaws hit the movie theaters almost a half-century ago, causing instant pandemonium on the beach whenever an ocean sunfish or bass blitz passed […]
AN ANGLER IN THE KITCHEN
The Art of Smoking Summer Fish
A good brine, gentle smoke, and patience produce Wellfleet’s second-favorite gift from the sea
A lot of people who go into Hatch’s Fish or Mac’s Seafood markets are shocked to discover that the smoked versions of their favorite seafood are $7 to $10 higher […]
ON THE BEACH
The Tale of One Improbable Catch
If you want to catch a fish, you have to put a hook in the water
Casting alongside a couple of other fishermen in Blackfish Creek a few weeks back, I overheard their conversation, an exchange of information about tides, wind direction, baitfish, and time of […]
APPRECIATION
Paul Brodeur: A Complex and Creative Life
He was a passionate writer who changed our world for the better
Imagine what went through the head of a cub reporter at the Provincetown Advocate in 1978 when he was informed that Paul Brodeur, the prolific novelist, environmental journalist, and New […]
ON THE BEACH
Move, Talk, and Follow the Bluefish
Three tips for catching bass from the beach on a summer day
On most summer days, even when there are no fishermen casting at the water’s edge, fishing rods stick up out of the sand on the back shore like so many […]
ON THE BEACH
Night Fishing Is an Angler’s Alternate Universe
Some of the best adventures with bass and seals are had under a new Moon
Catching a fish at night off the beach is as easy as turning off a light. Only in striper fishing, that light is actually the Moon. I’m surprised how few […]
ON THE BEACH
During a Fishing Slump, Memories of Peak Moments Will Do
Putting in the time, facing frustration, and turning a corner in life
In beach fishing, it’s a sure bet every day will bring some unexpected moment. They happen when you see something unusual, like a great white attacking a seal or whales […]
ON THE BEACH
On Fishing With Other Predators
That sweet flicker of understanding between a fisherman and a seal
I have another raging debate to add to the collection characterizing today’s tumultuous, terribly divided culture. It’s one that’s going on among serious beach fishermen and experienced surfers alike in […]
ON THE BEACH
Looking Back to Plan Ahead for the Future of Striped Bass
The catch has improved — but not because there are more fish
New England groundfishermen complained loudly two decades ago about increasing regulation of various fisheries, notably our region’s cod and haddock, which were easily its most lucrative species. Why cut the […]
ON THE BEACH
Fishing as a Way of Life
Striper fishing offers a glimpse into what it means to be a Cape Codder
A year off from graduate school in 1972 gave me the chance to fulfill my dream of being on Cape Cod all year round. I finagled free winter digs in […]
ON THE BEACH
In Praise of the Single Barbless Hook
When fewer fish are keepers, using the right lure matters more
The last time I used anything more than a single hook while fishing was a memorable mid-September day in 1978, when an enormous school of 15-pound bluefish cornered an even […]
ON THE BEACH
What the Waves Say About Our Impermanence
A 1950s novel reveals the beach as more than sand and surf — it’s what we stand to lose
“On the beach,” was the term sailors once used to describe being on land rather than at sea. Unlike its meaning in our modern beach-and-sun-crazy culture, the original catchphrase had […]
