Brendan Mason

Brendan Mason is a Canadian born angler who now lives in Seattle, Washington. Brendan has fished all of his life and started a passion for fly in British Columbia where he grew up. His father a search and rescue expert and his mother a teacher, Brendan has the brains and skills to both out think and survive longer than the average Joe Blow. Brendan has fished extensively for trout and salmonids but in recent years has attacked the saltwater with gusto. His travels have taken him to Australia, Mexico, Argentina and beyond. Brendan also has the distinction of catching a 600 lb Mako on fly while fishing San Diego in 2006. You can often find him stalking carp in the shallows of Green Lake in Seattle.

Published on 12/11/2003

Any fly fisher visiting New York City, either for business or personal reasons, should consider getting out to experience the surprisingly good fishing that is available in nearby saltwater.

Any fly fisher visiting New York City, either for business or personal reasons, should consider getting out to experience the surprisingly good fishing that is available in nearby saltwater. This past spring, my friend Steve and I had the pleasure of fishing with Capt. Dave Azar of One More Cast Charters for the Striped Bass and Bluefish of Jamaica Bay. I had made arrangements with Capt. John McMurray, the head guide at One More Cast, to have a taxi pick us up at our Manhatten hotel and bring us to the marina. When we arrived, Capt. Azar picked us up in his boat and took us out to fish right in front of JFK airport. The experience of fly fishing with a Concorde taking off over our heads is something I will never forget! The fishing was as exciting as saltwater fly fishing gets; birds crashing bait from above, bluefish attacking the schools of baitfish, and stripers picking up the scraps below. I was amazed that such a fishery could exist in an urban area with a reputation for being polluted and dirty. Jellyfish were thick in the bay and the baitfish schools were like nothing I had ever seen on the west coast. The cleanup efforts that have happened over the past few years are astounding and if the fishing is any indicator, they're making a difference! Over the past few years I have fished with a handful of guides, and Capt. Azar was the finest I have met. He made sure that we were having fun and it was truly pleasurable to be on the water with him. Hope to make it out there again, ideally during the fall run of Albies!

One More Cast Charters

Score: 10/10