Cape Ann Waters from the Angler’s Perspective

Go where the fish go
If you don’t go, you don’t know
Essential gear
Catching with great fishermen

Sarah Milton is the founder and head guide of Current Angler. Exploring Cape Ann from the fisherman’s perspective is vastly different from that of seasonal tourists, locals, and beach goers. Instead of seeking out the best beach spots to relax, build a sandcastle, and take a swim; anglers spend time scoping out the water’s edge along beaches looking for potential holding spots for fish by reading currents, looking for structure, watching bait, and observing birds. Beaches, marshes, and brackish rivers are excellent areas to fish, and they are abundant with wildlife in and out of the water if you know where to go. 

Sarah started fishing over twenty years ago and never looked back. Born and raised in Vermont, remote waterways provided endless opportunities to explore everything fishy. After leaving the mountains and moving to the coastal town of Rockport, Massachusetts, she had the great fortune to expand her fishing skills and learned the art of fly-fishing saltwater beaches and marshes for striped bass and other species from legends Captain Skip Montello, Steve Papows and Robbie Roberts. Sarah upholds conservation efforts by leaving a minimal footprint, catching and releasing all fish, using barbless hooks, and sharing this knowledge with others.

Our monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Salisbury, MA Hilton Senior Center, (43 Lafayette Rd., Salisbury, MA). Admission is free to members and $5.00 for non-members.

Doors open at 6:30 pm. Our club business meeting starts at 7:15 pm and the speaker’s presentation starts around 8:00 pm.

Find driving directions and information here. The senior center is located behind the fire station, which is visible from the street.

Hilton Senior Center
43 Lafayette Rd
Salisbury, MA 01952

Long time PI Surfcasters member passes away

Bob Busch, a Hampton resident and longtime PI Surfcasters member, passed away late last week unexpectedly. Bob was an active member frequently attending meetings and our annual banquet where he generously donated the drinks for many years. As a boat fisherman, his knowledge was unsurpassed as he caught many 50+lb keeper stripers. It was at his request we employ the American Littoral Society to help with the MRWC’s work to get waste water facilities to give advance warning of discharges into the Merrimack. He will be missed.

Bob was also an advocate for organ donations and was very active with New England donrs.  He spoke to the club about being an organ donor and many club members signed up as organ donors after his passionate presentation.

For more on Bob, please click on this link: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seacoastonline/obituary.aspx?n=robert-david-busch&pid=192708441&fhid=4699

The Merrimack River Watershed Council has reported a large sewage release by Lawrence, MA.  See the article here.  In addition to Lawrence, the MRWC will try to report on releases from Lowell, MA; Haverhill, MA; and Manchester, NH.  As noted in the cited link, only Nashua, NH is required by law to make timely notifications to the public of sewage releases.

Please be aware of limiting contact of people and pets to Merrimack River water over the next several days.  See the cited article for more details.

The club has its own public Facebook page here.

http://www.facebook.com/PlumIsland-Surfcasters-500256293450398/

There is no need to ask to join the Facebook page.  There are some other Facebook groups calling themselves “Plum Island Surfcasters” but they are not associated with our club.  Look for our club logo (the gold shield with a black image of a surfcaster) to identify our club’s Facebook page.