Reprinted from The Cape Cod Times, July 6, 2005

'Innermost Waters'
A summer must-read
by Molly Benjamin

"One fisherman may have keener eyes than another, but no one fisherman's observation is enough."
- TALES OF FRESHWATER FISHING, ZANE GREY, 1907

That's just one of the interesting little quotes found in a great new book by Peter Budryk called "The Innermost Waters - Fishing Cape Cod's, Ponds and Lakes."

We should mention here that yours truly wrote the forward and the afterword, both of which, in my ever-so-humble opinion, are pleasant bits of writing, both done as an unpaid favor.

Budryk begins with a little lecture on limnology, or the difference between a pond and a lake. Now matter what you are or what you know, it's almost a sure bet you'll come away from this chapter understanding things you hadn't before.

Then he takes us through Cape Cod's freshwater fish, which would be bass (with mouths both large and small), trout (all varieties), the panfish, pickerel, and the specially-stocked salmon and northern pike found in a few select Cape waters.

"Finding Trout & Other Fish in Cape Cod Lakes and Ponds - What to Look For, What to Do" follows. It's brief but comprehensive, witty and informative. Two chapters explain how to go about catching trophy trout and bass (that means the big honkers, cityfolks) and another discusses ice fishing.

There's an absolutely superb chapter called "Fishing Cape Cod With Guppies,"which is one of the best discussions I've
ever read on how to go about fishing with kids. Budryk offers advice and tactics on how to make this a pleasant experience for everyone involved.

Each of the Cape's 15 towns is examined with an eye toward which ponds tend to produce the most reliable freshwater fishing. The book finishes with "Testosterone/Yahoo/Fiber Alerts," "Trip Log: The Mind is a Leaky
Bait Bucket;" and finally,"S.O.S. Save Our Stillwater."

Tucked in and around these sparkling chapters are a plethora of small gems. One example is a page titled, "America's Most Popular Freshwater Gamefish?" He notes that the same kids who used to argue over whether Roy Rogers or Gene Autry was King of the Cowboys are now debating the merits of the black bass versus the trout.

While many of those who'd vote for bass do so because of their recognition of their brute strength and rugged
beauty, some are influenced by the incredible media hype surrounding bass tournaments, he notes."Catch and release notwithstanding, personal glory, money and machismo, spawned by the industry and testosterone-driven anglers popularize the bass through the ubiquitous and obscene tournament circus," he writes.

How well-spoken is that?

"The Innermost Waters" was written using input from numerous Cape anglers, such as Centerville's Jeff Capute, Falmouth's Gene Bourque and Orleans' Mark Palmer. They and many others provided Budryk with reams of information that it takes years to acquire firsthand.

"The Innermost Waters," put out by On Cape Publications, is already available at some Cape book and tackle shops. Budryk and buddy Fish Hawk Roy Leyva maintain weekly fishing updates at oncapepublications.com, where the book also can be ordered.
Click on "Fishing Updates" to access this fresh information.