August is the month of opportunity when it comes to fishing. You can fish early or late under the stars. You can go by boat many miles out to sea or do it the easy way offshore. The water around the Island is warm enough for one to stand knee deep in the water and cast for hours without getting cold. There is no need for waders.

We’ve seen bluefish chasing bait close to shore, so when heading to the beach bring a rod and a small bag of tackle. It is all about seizing the opportunity.

Early Sunday morning, when most are still asleep, a thin crescent moon appears near the planet Jupiter.

Friday, July 26: Rainy wet morning. Torrential shower overnight. One inch of rain falls from 1 to 2 a.m. Leaden grey morning. Puddles abound in all the down-Island roads. Colorful umbrellas and raincoats decorate Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs. More rain in the afternoon. Drizzle. Light showers in West Tisbury. Pink skies in the west, at dusk. Overcast.

For many fishermen, boaters and sailors, Nantucket Sound is a neighborhood. It is an inland sea with personality where stories abound. The sound ranges in size from 500 to 700 square miles, depending on who is doing the measuring. Nantucket Sound is the water that separates Cape Cod from Nantucket and much of the Vineyard.

In that critically short moment of dawn, an hour before sunrise, the planets Jupiter and Mars appear as a pair.

Friday, July 19: Hazy. Fog over Edgartown harbor. A hot sun burns through the fog for a warm, sunny summer morning. The sky over Dogfish Bar is filled with avian friends, flying terns. Strong wind at the Gay Head cliffs overlook.