by John McMurray
John McMurray is the Executive Director of the CCA-NY.
He also Reel-Time's new FishWire Correspondent
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"Well, yes, but only on an outgoing tide." I said since, oddly enough, anchored barges are very productive spots. Then before any further quips could be produced, I preempted them by describing a time of the year in the Harbor the Coast Guard calls "floater week."
Sometime in mid April or early May, the water temperature
changes and bacterial activity bloats the previous Winter's murders and suicides, causing
them to rise to the Harbor's surface – then the stripers come back. In fact, when I
was in the Coast Guard, it symbolized that it was time to start striper fishing again.
Needless to say I was not invited back to Texas after that.
People may be intrigued with fly fishing the big apple but almost always for the wrong reasons; the twisting rivers and bays surrounding Manhattan are loaded with stripers, blues, weakfish, and even sturgeon. In fact the Harbor is populated with more marine species than you could possibly imagine - over 200, according to Nancy Steinburg of the Hudson River foundation. And New York City fly fishing captains Frank Crescitelli, Joe Mattioli, Joe Shastay and Tony Dilernia can entertain even the most jaded fly fishermen with stories of ten, twenty and yes, thirty pound fish caught in the shadows of the United Nations Building or any of the immense high-rises towering over the tidal water surrounding Manhattan.
I've had some of my best days and nights ever tossing a fly into
the prop wash of the Staten Island ferry as it left its Manhattan
terminal. I learned from experience that big bass in
the Harbor are not spooked by roaring diesel engines like their brothers and sisters who
hang out at the eastern sections of Long Island. Fish like to wait by the pilings,
oblivious to the hustle and bustle going on around them, as stunned baitfish are tossed
from the enormous props. Sometimes stripping isn't even necessary. Sounds extreme, yes,
but it's productive too.
The ironic bottom line is that New York City residents
have tremendous fishing opportunities in their urban "back yards." Surprised?
The ripping currents of the arterial East River, flats such as those off Bay Ridge
Brooklyn surrounded on all sides by deep channels, the rocky shorelines of Governors
Island and Battery Park that drop to 20 foot depths, are but a few examples of the fish
magnets in the area. In the Spring, the waters surrounding Manhattan harbor thousands of
hungry pre- and post-spawn fish cruising up and back from the northern sections of the
Hudson.
Sound interesting? It certainly did to a crop of bankers, brokers, and lawyers who peer out of their financial district offices at the piers and rip-rap surrounding Manhattan, wondering perpetually if the rumors of fantastic fly fishing could be true. To find out for themselves, last May over 30 companies and individuals took an early Friday to fish in the first annual CCA Manhattan Cup. The catch-and-release striped bass tournament was the first fishing tournament ever run out of Manhattan. The collective brainchild of conservationists
Dave Fallon, Alan
Evelyn and Ed Schwarzer, "The Cup" was conceived to raise money for the Coastal
Conservation Association (the three were all members of the Manhattan Chapter).But
fittingly, this was not your run-of-the-mill fishing tournament. Aside from the fact that
it was held in what many had deemed fishless and perhaps toxic waters, all boats were
owned and operated by professional captains and guides, who volunteered their time and
experience for this inaugural event. From the East End of Long Island, Connecticut and
Southern New Jersey, captains piloted or trailered their boats to Manhattan for the chance
to participate in the first all-guided event in the Northeast, and to try their skills in
what is arguably the most extreme fishing area in New York.
New York Harbor can provide some excellent opportunities for the adventurous and extreme flyrodder. Although most share a darker view of the waters surrounding Manhattan, New York Harbor is a rich marine wilderness. Once a clean untouched estuary filled with oysters, the Harbor went through centuries of environmental abuse and
restructuring. The waterway suffered garbage dumping, oil spills, sewage sludge,
pesticides, heavy metals, poisonous PCBs, land-filling and dredging that greatly
diminished its life. Its awful reputation was well deserved. Although the Harbor will
never be restored to the pristine estuary it once was, the area's rebirth has proven to be
truly incredible, and the Harbor continues to clean itself up. No one who has experienced
it can deny that fly fishing the big apple is a unique and rewarding experience. Captain
Frank Crescitelli of Finchaser Charters said it best: "With respect to fishing, this
is paradise. The greatest city in the world, definitely some of the best fishing in the
world, and one of the longest seasons on the east coast. Where else can stockbrokers stop
trading at 4:00 p.m. and have a bent Rod by 5:00. The best stress reliever in the
world."If you are interested in participating this year, the 2nd annual tournament, dubbed The Macallan CCA Manhattan Cup tournament to recognize its sponsor, The Macallan Scotch Whisky, will be held on Friday, May 19, 2000. Information about the tournament is available on the CCA web site.
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