Fall is here! Over the Columbus Day weekend I had to get out fishing one more time… actually three times. The stripers are still here and the fishing’s pretty good. I did  land a 28″, 34″, 36″ and a 39″ striper, but overall the action was relatively slow. However, the quality of the fish did make up for it.

On one night, I awoke at 2:00 AM, put on the waders and headed off to go fishing. It was inky black out and the moisture was heavy in the air. When I got to the ocean, the tide had slipped and was going fast.

When I stepped onto the flat, the ground and water exploded in iridescent sparks. The movement of my passing disturbed tiny dynoflagelates which each emitted an iridescent glow that lasted for only seconds, but it was really amazing. I looked back and could actually see the outline of my footsteps glowing in the sand.

I started fishing. As I waded along, my legs sent off showers of sparks each time I moved. Tiny bait fish and shrimp skittered out of the way also emitting a cascade of sparks. Each cast resulted in illuminating sparks and the action of the fly gave off streaks of iridescence.

After some casting I finally got into a fish. It was 28 inches and gave up a good fight. As I brought the fish into the beach I could easily see it’s shape and size due to the iridescent glow. I landed the fish, removed the hook and gently released it back into the water. She lay there for a moment regaining her strength, then with quick acceleration darted out to sea. The movement resulted in an intense burst of illumination as the dynoflagelates erupted with the stripers passing. The result was breathtaking; a iridescent fish, all a-glow, darting into deeper water and in its wake, a fading iridescent footprint reminding me of it’s passing.

That experience was something I will never forget!