Much of the shoreline as we know it throughout the Northeast and beyond has been forever changed by hurricane Sandy. Here at The Fisherman’s New England headquarters, as in many areas up and down the coast, the clean-up has begun in earnest.
As part of that process I was walking trash out to the dumpster behind our office, which resides at the edge of a small tidal creek. This location was the scene of some fantastic snapper bluefish action at times back during the summer. Today, however, the stripers moved in and were blitzing a school of 4-inch bunker.
Not being one to let an opportunity go to waste, I ran back into the office, grabbed the only rod I had available (a 5-foot, ultra-light spinning rod with 6-pound test) and tied on a small Sebile Magic Swimmer. After a few casts I was hooked to a feisty schoolie; one of three fish I ended up landing.
While I realize that fishing is only a small part of all our lives, it provides common ground that brings people from all walks together. For many it may also serve as a support and healing mechanism, providing some degree of comfort and an added sense of community during stressful times like these.
A few days ago, the seas along our coast were raging; today, the stripers are biting. After taking a few casts I have little doubt that, given some time, our lives – and our fishing – will return to the more familiar patterns we knew before the terrible storm.
