Smelt Fishing

[AKSkim]

Just wondering how many people have fully experienced traditional smelt fishing?

This may have started as a lark, but on my way home tonight I began to wonder, really, how many people that frequent this board have actually sat on a cold dock at night with a Coleman latern for visibility and heat, sitting on an over turned bucket with a cane pole fishing for smelt?

As trout fisherman, we are a lonesome group, smelt fishing is a social group, and more for the beer guzzling - Old Grand Dad kinda a group, where it is about friendship and comma..... lets just leave it at friendship. Too many Liberal Communists on this board.

So, I would really like to hear from those who have smelt fished in the fall with your friends, Grandfather's, Dad's, brother's, Mom's, uncles, sister's in-law, cousins, and Grand Ma's.

My first experience with any fishing was with my older brother with drop lines off a pram. My earliest and great fishing experience was with my brother smelt fishing off a dock at night. At first I didn't like it.... till they started hitting. As I got older, the more I began to look forward to it. Marriage, kids... well... somethings you have to give up for the better good (of peace).

I can recall some great fishing experiences in my life time, but the one that truly brings a smile to my face and warms the heart, sitting there smelt fishing with family and friends... lots of them.

As always, just a look inside of AK. So, that isn't an invitation to get all warm and fuzzy now. Just want to hear your experiences.

AK Skim

 

[T1]

Well, it wasn't really fishing, but in the early 60s my father was stationed (Navy) in Argentia, Newfoundland where we were privileged to take advantage of some outdoor opportunities. One opportunity was in the spring, I believe, where we just straddled small feeder streams and, with one of us holding a lamp, just bent down to grab running smelt with our bare hands. Collected them in a bucket and fried them up at home later that night. Best tasting fish ever! Well, maybe not ever, as the sea run brook trout in Newfoundland are probably the best thing ever to hit a pan. Having eaten those two fish early on is probably the reason I don't enjoy eating trout in these current times. All trout taste like mud to me, now.

I think in graduate school at U of Chi there were some drunken episodes with smelt and Lake Michigan, but probably those are locked under repressed memories. Ahhh, smelt memories!!!!!

I think I remember Billy Crystal telling a story that he liked major league baseball the best on games where they gave away free hats or balls or other stuff. He said this, I think, because he had a memory of going to a minor league ball park somewhere in the midwest on "Smelt Night" ...

--T1

 

[Green Highlander]

Guilty as charged AK...What happened to the Celtics last night? Considering they can't win on the road they would appear to be toast at this point:crap:

Before I got addicted to fly fishing, I used to dip net for smelt in the Adirondacks and use them for bait and not consumption. During the run, using them as bait was criminal when it came to catching lakers and LL salmon, dead or alive you caught as many fish as you had smelt.

GH

 

[JeffK]

What is traditional?

When I lived in the Finger Lakes we would head to the tribs and dip net them at night holding a lantern in one hand and a long handled dip net in the other. Of course a Coleman stove with a pan full of hot grease was waiting on the bank. Nothing like fresh fried smelt with a few cold beers. Actually enjoyed when the runs were spotty and you had to chase em. When the runs were heavy the whole stream was black with smelt and you got your limit in a dip or two. Unfortunately, the smelt runs have almost vanished from the Finger Lakes.

In Portsmouth, NH we got them fishing with a canepole and a tiny bit of sandworm in the tidal creeks at high slack tide. The fishing started around Thanksgiving and the runs were at night. There are few activities colder than tromping through salt marshes on a winter night. Fortunately the time spent fishing was limited by the slack tide.

 

[AKSkim]

Guilty as charged AK...What happened to the Celtics last night? GH

I don't know, I was out last night and unable to watch the game.

Ye have little faith..... GH. Ye have little faith...




Jeff: lots of fun and memories in smelt fishing!

 

[Pete]

Lake George 20 - 30 years ago before the smelt started to decline...

When word spread that the smelt run had started, people would drop whatever they were doing and head for the nearest tributary. Women who didn't have time to get a net, would strip off their pantyhose and use them to scoop up the smelt.

The good old days....
Barelegged women and pantyhose full of fish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OT: Why is this in the NJ section?

 

[Future Fanatic]

Women who didn't have time to get a net, would strip off their pantyhose and use them to scoop up the smelt.

The good old days....
Barelegged women and pantyhose full of fish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OT: Why is this in the NJ section?

I'm giving you a pass on this one, wrathmeister...

 

[AKSkim]

AK...What happened to the Celtics TO night? Considering they can't win on the road they would appear to be toast at this point.... GH

GH:

The Boston Celtics won tonight on THE ROAD.... just in case you didn't watch it.

As always, if they want to see their numbers (34, 5, 20) hang from the rafters, they have to win CHAMPIONSHIPS!

GH, the faith has returned?

AK Skim