This fat fish struck as I raised the rod tip to grab the leader to check the fly for weed. Much of my night-shift fly fishing is wading in quiet back-bay waters where I use a 7-weight matched to an Islander LX3.6, this combination is light in the hand even after two hours of steady casting. By increasing the distance in increments you avoid “lining” stripers that are close to you, and spooking them. With an electric trolling motor to maintain position upcurrent of the abutments, Leo’s 22-foot Pathfinder is perfect for Long Island fly fishing. “I catch stripers right in the wash only a few feet away from the edge of the beach.