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Home My WebLink AboutOctober 30, 2003 - A great day in the Gut October 30, 2003 • The Suffolk Times re � . a ln u , — _ — ��rH n,�� , , , i�Y'� nV�� 'ku - � ��1� ip� �'�k��n�i �� .�y i q�I��i�lN4 'wl �� , ..i �� +rrry , tl'. `� ✓kr i % o-. r h ��w � �w �l �'�""7�� ir ��ivayµy�i�" w � i '"�µ �� M� .i ti� v� ��w� n � +w l!�" �� v��NI� '"�roy, �i,�'�n,�h p,� � � �°�� e n��v �i�,ri ��' �im � �� i� �"N� u �N' �� wrv��,�v,x �N ��ri "°�"!.�nn np,i,�l�� pp '"�aFr:� � W,W, '� �� ' Y-," rA 4 ��'�� Nryhry M � � � �i ��,�[y � I lM �. l nw ,rh��' r� "� � M�yw �� i�l � d �� M-, � �� .w� � �4�n�� . n �� d i4 n� y,� '��y � ��'�lN � �%n �l q �'N � �M � N� �,��o�u;�ra � �'� ��I lr,�'"� �" �� 'M� � "��w� �z �' � �rr �i�y �� !G� �� N �a 'r� w r� �u� -^R' ^y� ��/�H '�'� i I � r i '�� l� y� w� l, �' � ��,, d � Fm�" � ��yh�' {� "�bp��", � �y,� �,� �� /I ��) � h �l��y r ,. �� AA� .�� i�� , i. � �� , i �9�w i, w � � - �1"� �viw� �'�M � � � K� �� A� �, I y ti l h��7A ��'`��i�'�myy�,q� r 4 "'��" ��' "�4' '". °'h � � . �� w� � �"'��'�-� �u„�h idh�G�"�� r�"��" a ar r M �� '� �� l � � �r u� � � �w�� ' �M �'�" � , �n` �tir ��r �` �� dlr u r� � r hy�, � � < , � ,� � ,tiy m� � ll�� ,, °l��"'� , � l�n � N � � �� " ,�rl `�'q' . 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G , l�� q �, �k _ hAqny � 1 ", � � � �, .11 i� �y : �� . � / ll l 4��/1[,: M, ry�, �,, . . ...�, ,�. l � i�// /� j ly , ln id � ' ��,` i�diN//i� ��' i i � � �n , ,� ,, ;, ldn„l�� r� � � . "+�.�»� � � , a . , � +�„� �„� , y, ��d�„ �"i r u i � � �� N„ � d�,��i,,:� G i� � % � ��rN/ ;u" � l ,� �� .w,� �� '� � � � � � �ll �� Y�✓�i _�._____--- -- ------- _ � �J I irncs/Rcvicw photo by Paul Stoulenburyh There was a time when brants were common in our bays. That was when eelgrass was plentiful. When#he eelgrass dis- appeared in the '30s, the population of brants almost disappeared as well. ��ruiti»v s�rA�z�rr�[�ou'r overcast and still. It�lidn't look like it would be [ stallcd to figure out if I really a nice day at a1L It was the kind of wanted to go or not,and if not,what morning you have no trouble turning kind of an excuse I could use.I had over in bed and letting that feeling of none."What do you want me to complete contentment take over bring?""Nothing.I'll pick•up a couple but no,the telephone rang.My son's of heros and something to drink and voice:"Do you the bait."And so my day was set. want to go fish- He came by and we took off for the FO�:V$ ing?"He was dock with all the gear that goes into a ON calling from a days fishing.We'd take his big boat, bait shop where which offers much more comfort.If NATU RE he was asking there were no fish,we could always by Paul �'�'here the big take a snooze in the comfortable Stoutenburgh porgies were.I bunks. It's got a galley and a john and could tell from all the necessities.We got into the his voice he had Whaler at the dock and headed out to his heart set on fishing."Come on,"he the boat moored in the creek.There said,"it's probably the last chance we transferred all the gear and in no we'll get for a good day fishing.There time we were winding our way out of �ren't that man �ood days left." the crcek. We saw a group of large goose-like all along the shores,right throug to birds up ahead.They looked like a prient and the Gut.Out there it small version of a Canada goose.They looked like an army of boats being turned out to be brants.Back in the pitched up and down in the rough '30s,brants were common wherever �,ater between Orient Point and Plum blues brought up.On our way home eelgrass grew.They live mainly on this Island.They were after stripers or we came through that cloud of milling submerged plant.Then,if you remem- bluefish.But that's not what we were and diving birds.It was like a swarm ber,all the eelgrass died,not only in after.We were after those big porgies of bees around us.They'd dive and our creeks and bays,but up and down and had been told the exact spot on pick up some little silver fish off the the entire Eastern seaboard.The loss the north side of Plum Island that was surface.I don't know what they were, of its main food supply almost devas- the place to get them. perhaps sand eels,bunkers or spear- tated the brants.Later we'd see four �rough the maze of boats of all ing,but the birds were definitely or five more out around Orient. sizes and shapes we headed for"that" feasting on them. Wouldn't it be nice if we had those Spot and anchored.No sooner were It was a great day to be on the handsome birds back again?They ve our lines over than we started getting water.We were sheltered out of the been missing from our shores for a big porgies.Man,they are scrappers! rough water and it seemed as if we long,long time. ��y fight all the way to the top. caught a fish every few minutes.We We got out to the last marker of the Every once in a while we'd get two at used squid as bait.Our rigs were one channel and Roger opened up the two a time on our line.We threw back hook on the bottom and the other engines.He turned with a smile and anything that looked small.We were two feet up.Often we'd miss one on said,"Those engines are running the having a wonderful time fishing. the bottom but catch the bait stealer best they have all year."No sooner �ere was a jetty nearby and on it on the other hook.It was a fun day had the words gotten out of his mouth `,�,ere resting hundreds of laughing for father and son and,I must say,a than there was this awful noise and �ulls.The majority of these aggressive relaxing one.We had plans of picking squealing—one of the transmissions f��;ders were out in the Gut picking up my other son somewhere during had blown. up bait fish that drew the birds from the day but unfortunately he called us With the other engine we crept back �ill over.When they got their gullets to say e was tied up in a conference to the mooring in the creek.That did- and couldn't make it.(Cell phones n't stop us;we merely picked up the full of fish they came back and rested are reat when they work out on the gear and headed for his smaller boat, on the rocks,and here's the interest- g water. I'm sure he would have loved a ski boat he uses with his kids.Soon ing part:A bird would come in with a ) to have been with us. silver fish in its bill.The only time a Our tri home was into a setting we were zooming eastward,spray fly- bird carries something is when it's p ing and wind in our hair. sun.The sky was full of clouds,each feeding its young or courting its mate, All along the south shore of Orient and it's way past that time,so why one with its silver lining,for around Beach State Park we scared up small Was it carrying a little sils�er fish in its the edge of each cloud was this bril- flocks of scoters,those big black div- �»�� liant white,silvery ribbon.Again the ing ducks that visit our waters each We theorized that its crop was full wind was out of the northwest,and so winter.These,with an occasional sight from fishing and it couldn't swallow we were protected all the way home. ing of a loon,gave our outing an any more.Evidently it had caught one And it was a delightful trip.I must say added bit of interest for me as we last fish that it was hanging onto to I'm not much for speed on the water, sped along. but this boat did get us out to the It had turned out to be a nice day. eat later.The others realized what it fishin rounds and back quickly.It was doing and two of them immedi- g g Thc wind had swung around to thc ately flew up and chased it.It was was a fun day. northwest,which gave us protection forced to drop its prize and then one P.S.:I don't know if many of you of the aggressors scooped down and have ever tasted smoked porgies,but picked up the easy meal.We saw this my,they were tasty.Filleted—no episode of stealing two other times— bones—golden to look at and deli- an interesting episode in the world of cious to eat. a laughing gull. Tl�ere must have been 100 boats out there tossing up and down,mov- ing and cirifting.With all those birds working,we did see about five or six