Nantucket Island :

FLY FISHING CHARTERS
The saltwater flats off of Madaket are the best places to go fly-fishing. June is the best month for stripe bass and July and August are when the Bonita arrive. Bonita are green and striped and streamlined like small torpedoes, which makes them challenging to catch on a fly. The locals know that the "Bonita Bar" which is located in the rip off of Ester Island can light up with all the action you can handle if you hit it at the right time.

I've fished with Rusty Fly Charters on two other occasions. You'll like the user-friendly custom, 18-foot Hewes Light Tackle skiff they work. The bow platform is surrounded by a custom welded railing and a net that will keep you and your fly line safe even on windy days.

Captain Peter Sheppard will let you know what the best time is to head out. It's all about moving water. The tide will have to be flooding or ebbing in order for you to catch fish. If you're taking a cab ride out to the Jackson Point Pier and Boat Ramp launch site arrive a little early and take a stroll from Madaket beach to Massachusetts Avenue. You'll see all sorts of authentic Nantucket beach cottages with quaint names. One of the more famous ones is Mr. Rogers' "Crooked House" which sits at the top of the road.

Captain Pete will provide all the equipment you'll need. If you not a fly fisher then ask him to bring a couple of light tackle spinning rods. They're just as much fun and a whole lot easier to master. It's a short 10-minute ride to the flats off Tuckernuck Island where the stripers are located in two to three feet of crystal clear water. This is an amazing eco-system that on certain days can turn into a beautiful hue of turquoise just like the flats in the Florida Keys.

TRVAEL TIP
Travel prepared with a pair of polarized sunglasses. I'm sporting a brand new pair of Spotters that enable fishermen to see through the glare and spot fish with ease. From the vantage point of the boat's bow, you'll be able to see the brown backs of the stripe bass. The fish will look very small when seen through the water column. However, don't let this fool you. What looks like a small fish can actually be a 40" keeper.

When we get out onto the flats, the wind is howling 15 to 20 knots. This makes maneuvering the skiff with the boat's 15-foot pole difficult. The water quality can be degraded too. It then becomes extremely challenging to get into position to cast to a fish because the boat spooks them before you've gotten a chance to set up the presentation of the fly.

We didn't catch any fish on this trip and that's fishing sometimes. It was however, delightful to be on the water and experience the saltwater flats of Madaket on Nantucket again. The cost for one to three people for the day is $500. In order to book your trip, a reservation with a $100 deposit on a credit card is required. Rusty Fly Fishing Charters, Captain Peter Sheppard, 1 Windy Way, Nantucket, MA 02554, Cell: 508- 982-5398.

CISCO BREWERS
A great place to go and have some fun when the fish aren't biting or when the sun isn't shining is Cisco Brewers, home to The Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyards.

It's the quintessential entrepreneurial operation and was founded by Jay Harman, who came up with the business plan while studying at Fairfield University in Connecticut. The operation is on the cusp of breaking out into the national spotlight. The company offers a full line of micro brews, premium vodkas, rum and gin. The hottest new product launch is the recently bottled single malt whiskey called Notch, which retails for $650 a bottle.

It's hard to get Jay on the phone so don't be shy. Just head up to the brewery, which is located at 5 Bartlett Farm Road, to sample the ales, spirits and wines. The hours of operation are daily from 10am to 6pm. The winery is open on Sundays too, from noon until 5pm. Tours are by appointment. Tel: 508-325-5929.

What makes visiting Cisco Brewers so much fun is the laidback atmosphere of the people running the place, set against a backdrop of an ancestral ....