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Outdoors

On the Water: A Blackfish Bonanza

I was recently joined on board by Al Daniels, he of the family that has resided here on the East End for 13 generations. Daniels has known all things fishing for nearly eight decades. My wife, Terie, was also ready to catch her dinner. After a ride of more than an hour to the north side of Gull Island, the outgoing tide was still running strong when we arrived. When the blackfish homed in on our baits, they were hungry. Very hungry. The bite was on.

Oct 31, 2024
On the Water: Searching for Scallops

A trip in search of bay scallops with Harrison Tobi, an aquaculture specialist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension marine center in Southold, to examine the productivity, survivability, and density of the population both in the wild, and also those raised in plastic cages that were spawned at the center.

Oct 24, 2024
On the Wing: Love, Hate, and House Sparrows

On the East End, we hear a lot about invasive species in the plant world, but the house sparrow was one of the original invasive species. House sparrows are bullies. They fight over dirt baths. They are nonmigratory, colonize habitat, and then profusely breed. When native migratory birds return to nest in the spring, these pugnacious birds force them away. 

Oct 17, 2024
On the Water: A Step Back in Time

The season for blackfish opened Friday for those who fish in Long Island Sound. Like calamari? Then head to Montauk. The night bite has been pretty consistent of late.

Oct 17, 2024
On the Water: Rather Be Fishing

Looking at my log book, I’ve only fished three times on her this year. That’s pretty pathetic. I made about a dozen runs to check on the lobster traps, but I can’t recall fishing so little in my life. 

Oct 10, 2024
On the Water: Hooked on ‘Jaws’

I’ve probably seen “Jaws” a hundred times, including when it made its debut on the big screen at the East Hampton Cinema on June 20, 1975. I know the entire script word for word.

Oct 3, 2024
On the Water: All the Signs

As we have now formally settled into fall, the changes on the fishing scene have commenced, as have the changes in weather.

Sep 26, 2024
On the Water: A Whale of a Show

There's been plenty of whale action visible from the beaches, and it's been a stellar week for inshore and offshore fishing, with fluke, striped bass, porgy galore, and tuna farther out.

Sep 19, 2024
On the Water: Gilligan’s Lobster

I had a nice chuckle watching an episode of “Gilligan’s Island” in which Gilligan, in his inevitable white bucket hat, hauled in a lobster trap from the overly warm, tropical lagoon (a stage studio out in Los Angeles).

Sep 12, 2024
On the Water: Turning the Page

This was a weird summer. We witnessed it all, from epic rainfall to sustained heat waves to jungle-like humidity. On the fishing scene, anglers are looking forward to the change of seasons.

Sep 5, 2024
On the Water: Last Call for Lobsters

I was surprised to see in my logbook that my lobster catch was better than expected this year, although lobsters in our local waters have been on a downswing for decades.

Aug 29, 2024
On the Water: The Oyster King

A trip to the North Fork to pick up 1,000 oyster spat from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Center means it was time to replenish my North Haven stock.

Aug 22, 2024