Fishing | Insiders' Guide® to Cape Cod, 5th Edition

		Fishing Guides For a true Cape Cod fishing experience, enlist an expert to show you how it's done. The following guides provide the expertise and the equipment needed for fly- or spin-fishing for striped bass and bluefish, as well as other species such as tautog, fluke, mackerel, scup, cod, shark, and tuna. Call ahead to schedule your outing. Prices depend upon the length of the session. Most guides will take only one or two people, and often it is the same price regardless of whether you are alone or with a friend. It's great fun. A guide will certainly increase the odds of your getting a fish--and a few good fish tales to take back home.
		Upper Cape Gene Burke Mashpee• (508) 539-0007 For guided shore fishing in the Upper Cape (Cape Cod Canal and Vineyard Sound), Gene will guide up to three anglers for $200 for a four-hour trip. Gene specializes in saltwater fly-fishing and light tackle and will provide equipment if necessary.
		Mid-Cape Bob Alexander Hyannis• (508) 790-8600 Bob specializes in sight fishing from a his 20-foot boat. He'll take up to three people for guided light fly-fishing, mostly around Sandy Neck and Barnstable Harbor. Occasionally, he ventures to the Brewster flats. The cost is $150 for his two-hour minimum tour, with the option to go an extra hour or two at about $75 per hour. Bob operates from mid-May through October.
		Lower Cape Capt. Danny Marini Harwich• (508) 432-1200 Fish from a skiff in Pleasant Bay on the Lower Cape. A full day of fishing costs $200 to $350. Peter Alves Harwich• (508) 432-1200• pgafish@capecod.net Alves offers wade fishing outings in local estuaries and Monomoy on the Lower Cape. The cost is around $225 for one angler and $300 for two anglers for a full day. Tony Stetzko Orleans• (508) 255-2357• www.flyfishsaltwaters.com A day of fishing in the surf in the Nauset area of the Lower Cape will cost about $225 for one or two people for five hours. Tony also offers a shorter service for about $150.
		Bait and Tackle Shops If you're ready to go after the big ones, you'll want to first stop at one of the following bait and tackle shops to stock up on the tools of the trade. From rods and crawlers to lures and reels, you're certain to find what you need. Besides, there's nothing like a bucket of slippery eels to get your fishing day off to a good start! You'll also want to get your hands on a current tide chart, and these are generally available free or for a nominal price at bait and tackle shops.
		Upper Cape Red Top Sporting Goods 265 Main St., Buzzards Bay• (508) 759-3371 With the Cape Cod Canal at its doorstep, this shop is just a few steps from one of the richest sources of saltwater fish--striped bass, bluefish, flounder, tautog, and mackerel--in the region. This year-round shop (hours are limited in winter) sells fishing tackle and other outdoor gear. It also handles fishing licenses and has tide charts. Ask for the staff's advice on what's biting. Sandwich Ship Supply 68 Tupper Rd., Sandwich• (508) 888-0200 This shop carries an extensive line of equipment, bait and tackle, safety gear, flags, clothing, maps, anchors, chains, ropes, and other nautical necessities. Eastman's Sport & Tackle 150 Main St., Falmouth• (508) 548-6900 Open year-round, this large upper-Cape shop carries all types of fresh- and saltwater fishing tackle, including extensive fly fishing gear. At Eastman's you can obtain Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine fishing licenses as well as clamming equipment and tide charts.
		Mid-Cape Sports Port 149 W. Main St., Hyannis • (508) 775-3096 One of the Cape's oldest tackle shops still run by its original owners, Sports Port sells all salt- and freshwater tackle as well as shell-fishing gear and fly-tying equipment. Along with live bait for both fresh- and saltwater, the Sports Port will also offer you fishing information so you'll know what's biting where. This shop is open year-round. Riverview Bait & Tackle 1273 Mass. Rt. 28, South Yarmouth • (508) 394-1036 This store, just a half-mile west of Bass River, sells offshore tackle, bait, custom rods and reels, nautical charts, and fly fishing supplies. It also rents equipment and offers rod and reel repair. It's open year-round. Truman's 608 Main St., West Yarmouth• (508) 771-3470 Open year-round, Truman's supplies fishing tackle, fly fishing equipment, shell-fishing gear, and provides rod and reel repair. Also available are live bait, tide charts, and fishing licenses. Bass River Bait & Tackle 42 Mass. Rt. 28, West Dennis• (508) 394-8666 Bass River sells rods and reels, bait, fishing licenses, and a full line of supplies for freshwater and saltwater fishing. It also rents rods and reels. The shop is open year-round.
		Lower Cape Fishing The Cape Mass. Rt. 137, East Harwich• (508) 432-1200• www.fishingthecape.com An Orvis fly-fishing shop that is open year-round, Fishing The Cape has all the accessories for both saltwater and freshwater fly fishing, and is a complete outfitter, providing local fishing guides and arranging freshwater and saltwater fishing tripsTide charts are also available. The big feature here is the Orvis Fly Fishing School, which offers two-day sessions every weekend between mid-May and September 1. Class size averages about 16 students for each session. Call owner Bob Benson for more information. Goose Hummock Shop Mass. Rt. 6A, Orleans• (508) 255-0455• www.goose.com For more than 50 years (1996 was its 50th anniversary), Goose Hummock has been catering to the needs of Lower Cape anglers. This shop carries a full line of fishing equipment, including a newly expanded line of major brands of fly fishing equipment, outdoor clothing, hunting and hiking gear, canoes, and kayaks. Goose Hummock is open year-round, offers fishing licenses, and has an extensive inventory in both sales and rentals. The tide charts and advice are free. Goose Hummock Fishing guides conduct trips of three hours and longer. MacSquids 85 Mass. Rt. 6A, Orleans• (508) 240-0778 Make MacSquids your one-stop tackle shop. It sells bait, rods, reels, freshwater and saltwater tackle, and lures--even clamming gear. Rod and reel rentals are available, and the store offers free tide charts. It's open year-round.