So you've been following the blog and want to give fly fishing for fluke a go. There are several bycatch species you will catch while dragging the bottom with your Clouser or Deceiver. Here is one of them, the Northern Stargazer. This morning I caught this off the rocks in addition to to six short fluke to 16 inches.
The Northern Stargazer ( Astroscopus guttatus) is found on the east coast of the United States from the Carolinas to lower New England. They are found from the wash to water with depths to around 100 feet. You can probably figure out how the stargazer spends his or her life. Buried in the sand with their eyes just above the sand line waiting to ambush prey. They also can create a moderate electrical current in an organ located behind the eyes.
If you take your kids fluke fishing from the beach and catch one, you handle the fish. And when you release it do it in shallow water, the kids will get a kick out of watching it bury itself in seconds in the sand.