Fly Fishing Forum banner

Great eateries near great fisheries

4K views 26 replies 20 participants last post by  Swalt 
#1 ·
Charlie mentioned something that set off a favorite subject of mine... fine dining establishments associated with great fishing!

Let's hear them...

I'll start with the Chatham Squire on Main in Chatham, a two-handed cast from the famed Big Girl Bar and Monomoy Refuge, Nauset and Chatham Inlet. Get a little softshell clam on your butter and wash it down with great local buzzards bay brew...
 
#3 · (Edited)
I've got 3 breakfast venues to choose from when the tide goes slack at my bayside spot. Grumpy's for stick to you ribs portions, the Marshside for a tad more effete fare and the Cafe at Northside Marina on Sesuit Harbor.

But nothin beats a fine lunch of the canned cornbeef or spam at the Lil' General in Lovely Bay, Acklins. Only heaven is better.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
After a day chasing Atlantics on the infamous Ridge Pool of the Moy in Ballina Co. Mayo, Cafolla's Restaurant "up the street" (about 3 mins. walk from the river) used to be the best spot on the planet for a heavy cholesterol fix (a.k.a. real man's mixed grille :lildevl: ) They didn't have a liquor licence but the waitresses would go across the street to pick you up a pint to wash it down :smokin:
 
#10 ·
Still on the east coast.. up on the North Showah there's the unique and delicious Mad Martha's for breakfast when the tide goes slack at the Mouth of the Merrimack.

Further north you can feed your seafood jones and hand-feed a pack of huge resident stripers that live under the docks of Markey's and Browns across the street after hitting the crystal clear surf and inlet at Hampton.
 
#13 ·
Take out...

Nothing like biting into a cold piece of KFC held in one hand and running the boat with the other while your buddy fights a SBFT in the bow. I think we had Krispy Kremes for breakfast that morning as well. The defibrillator was an option on the Jones but worth every penny :wink: .

Sean
 
#15 ·
Let's see...

There's Pat's Country Kitchen in Old Saybrook, which is a neat place to chow down after chasing sunrise stripers on the CT coast.

Then there's the Spurwink Restaurnant in Cape Elizabeth / Scarborough Maine....great food before or after fishing.

And finally there's a great little place in Pulaski that I've hit the past few years after spending the day chasing pike on Lake Ontario. I can't remember the name, but it has great pastas, sandwiches, and the like all available for sit-down eating. Cleats allowed for river anglers, too.
 
#16 ·
Boy you guys know some good places to eat and drink!

Chatham Squires a beer and a good single malt what could be better except the great company of stripa fishermen one goes there with.

Brad mentioned the A Bar on the Henery's Fork. I used to eat there every weekend and then fight as many yuppi fly fishermen as would take me on. What a treat that was.

Charlie mentioned Chico Hot Springs my old stomping ground when I lived on old Pete Story's ranch near Emigrant, MT. My wife back then was a good livingston, MT. cowgirl and head waitress there. She was part of the Jimmy Buffett song "Livingston Saturday Night"/ " Rancho Delux" crowd. We ate well after hours at Chico Hot Springs as the owner Mike Art took care of his employees very well indeed. The restraunt Bar would be closed off, food, good drink and other less leagle stuff would be served in great proportions. One never knew who would be eating with you be it the Govenor, movie stars or old and colorful sheep herders dragged out of the back country given a good meal and drink in exchange for the very best of Montana history stories and folk lore. Sometimes those old herders would just start playing their Bango, sweet Montana mountain Blue grass music. It was a time when some waitress could negotiate extra income by giving confort to the politically powerful and the rich and famous. I can only wonder if it still is the same. What do you know Charlie is it still like that? There were nights where we go thru the entire night there then stumble down to the Yellowstone River or one of the spring creeks for a serious morning of fly fishing. Those were great days but ones that had to eventually be given up on or else you were going to crash and burn real hard.
 
#18 ·
Heading south the Islamorada Fish Company sure provided the right dockside ambiance to a bonefisher in sandals and flats attire, stone crab with conch chowder, yellowtail snapper and a key lime pie slice. However the options from there to Key West were so plentiful that perhaps a more knowledgeable party could point some hidden secrets along old route 1... but I am pretty sure the public access spots with nice flats will not be listed :)
 
#20 ·
To the far corner, PNW - breakfast at Tootsie's place at the 'bunny farm' right across the street from the Chapel Run on the magnificent Skagit river nestled in the North Cascade mountains in Washington state. If you're lucky, she might even wish you luck and if she does you'd better have the drag set right.


photo courtesy of Andre Lorenz
 
#22 ·
When I'm on a fishing trip I'm usually by myself and on the run so it's often (too often) a McWendyKing sandwich or a powerbar from the nearest convenience store. The best meals I've had during fishing trips were the group meals at the Boneclaves and Rhody claves :cool:

Q
 
#23 ·
flyinsalt said:
Juro,
Looks like Wilma took care of the Islamorada Fish Company, at least the deck, when I was there in November the whole thing was gone. I'm sure they'll rebuild, though. Great place! Had to settle for the Zane Gray next door. Not Bad.
I can't imagine they won't be back up quickly . . . good food and what an incredible $ factory. It's one of our favorites every year (especially after Manny & Issa's is gone . . .WHAT a bummer) while chasing tarpon.
B
 
#24 ·
Jumping back to New York State, the Athens Family Restaurant in downtown Gowanda NY on the shores of the Cattaraugus Creek serves up the best souvlaki I've ever tasted and I have to thank Charlie, Rick Kustich, Brian Slavinski, Nick Pionessa and the rest of the gang for inviting me there for dinner after the Spey clave. It was the first time I've had souvlaki but if it ever got better than that I would have to pinch myself to see if I had died and gone to heaven.

Nearby is a truly beautiful American steelhead stream meant to be fished with the swung fly and a great Spey river.
 
#25 ·
Well now, I can't let this discussion get away without mention of a couple favorite, if not great, eateries of mine.

There is a taco wagon – for you eastcoasters, a "taco wagon" is a roach coach on four wheels, sometimes an old school bus, that serves Mexican food. Of particular note are the tacos for a buck each – two steamed 6" corn tortillas with chopped onions, cilantro and your choice of chorizo (sausage), adobada (spicy pork), carne asada (beef), pollo (chicken), etc. Squeeze some fresh lime on top and we're talking absoluto perfecto mundo.

The best wagon is just after you come out of the Reformatory Hole on the Skykomish River. Another great one is off I-5 next door to the Mickey Dee's in Burlington on the way home from the Skagit. I've also stopped at the one in Ellensburg on the way home from the Yakima River and shared a six pack of Coronas with the proprietors on Cinco de Mayo in order to guarantee a clean table the next time I stop by.

Leland.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top