FishTales

Drink like a fish….especially if Capt. Harvey Bennett of The Tackle Shop is buying

Blazing late season sunset: Napeague Beach, Amagansett, NY

North Fork winner

December 5, 2010: Big Brother Frank returned to Amagansett for an early December “farewell to fall festival”.  He surveyed the ocean beaches and came to the same conclusion that most sane folk did about a week ago. We’re done. (In the interest of full disclosure, however, I am duty bound to report that Capt. Harvey Bennett of The Tackle Shop is still on the beach, dodging snow flurries and, reportedly, catching fish. So good luck if you have it in you to continue to surfcast.)

Frank, however, chose to cook fish, eat fish and drink like a fish rather than freeze trying to catch one. And I was happy to aid and abet him. He sauteed, meuniere-style, a quart of local Peconic Bay scallops, which we washed down with a highly approrpriate wine: Striper White, from the Onabay Vineyards on Long Island’s North Fork. This very citrusy Chardonnay is the first North Fork wine I ever found palatable.  It was more than good: non-oakey, crisp and fruity. Could be a house staple next summer.

Love life....fish...drink wine. Who's arguing?

Frank’s wife, St. Toni of the Blitz, had the eagle eye to find Striper White at the local wine store, Domaine Franey Wines & Spirits. She also pried from the shelves another promising bottle: High Hook Pinot Blanc.  We didn’t sample it yet, but we’re hopeful it will live up to the Oregon bottler’s motto: Love Life, Go Fishing, Care for the Planet, Drink Wine.

The weekend’s near-wintry weather reminded me of another cold and unproductive time on the beach prior to Veteran’s Day.  NE winds honked at 20-mph plus and the surf piled up, bigger and dirtier with every wave. Passage on most beaches wasn’t possible.

In the morning, I had three small fish near Atlantic Ave. Beach and a few bumps along with a dropped fish near Koosmeyer’s on Napeague. In the afternoon, nada. Making a quick exit after a delicious sunset, I wound up at another “secret spot” for some after-the-limit adult beverages with Capt. Harvey Bennett and Slammin’ Sam the Hook. Capt. Bennett bought dinner, too. The price paid, of course, was putting up with another totally ridiculous episode of the Invisible Flying Mobile Tackle Shop FishTales Report. Get ready, here it comes:

Click the photo for an Invisible Flying Mobile Tackle Shop FishTales Report

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 5th, 2010 at 1:48 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.