And with good reason. Many recreational fishermen, clients of Mr. O'Sullivan and his colleagues in the party boat fishing industry, have been casting their lines in less familiar waters in order to get some fluke action.

"It's the most popular fish," said Mr. O'Sullivan, captain of the Celtic Quest, a fishing party boat that docks in Port Jefferson Harbor. "Just because of bad data we are out of business."

The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently cut the season for the popular (and tasty) fish by two-thirds and split it into two parts, May 15 to June 15 and July 3 to Aug. 17.

The stringent rules are a result of a federal mandate by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council to reduce New York's fluke harvest from last year.

The federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that any fishery designated as "over-fished" by the Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service be rebuilt over 10 years.

Though fluke populations have been a concern for the feds since the mid-1990s, Magnuson-Stevens was reauthorized in 2006 for Long Island waters to allow for another 10-year restocking period.

Now the Celtic Quest is famous for its fluke and porgie runs, like many other party boats that dock along the North Shore -- from Port Jefferson Harbor to Orient, it's prime fluke fishing. But since the new regulations have come into play in peak season, diehard "fish-heads" addicted to fluke fishing are heading off to New Jersey where there are less restrictions.

"Basically, New York is sending its commerce to other states," he added.

Amanda Cash, captain of the Osprey IV, which is docked near the Celtic Quest, also believes the regulations are unfair in New York.

"We have some die-hard fluke fishermen who I would see seven days a week, but I haven't seen them since the fluke fishing season closed," she said.

Local bait and tackle shops have also been affected by the regulations, though not as severely.

John Reany, owner of Miller Place Bait and Tackle Shop on Route 25A, said he has seen a decline in sales due to the restrictions on fluke fishing. If it were not for less stringent fishing mandates concerning other types of fish that are indigenous to the area, Mr. Reany's business might have been hit harder by the changes.

"Thank God that the striped bass fishing is phenomenal or else I would be struggling," he added.

It's possible that fishermen might get some relief from the restrictions.

Earlier this month, Sen. Charles Schumer introduced a bill to add "flexibility to the 10-year time line as a way to ease pressure on fishermen and their communities as fisheries continue to rebuild."

According to Gerry Petrella, spokesman for Mr. Schumer, the Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009 would "provide a series of exceptions to hard and fast federal rules aimed at restoring species deemed as over-fished."

"Keeping our fishing stocks healthy is absolutely critical, but, because it is based on outdated science, the current system not only falls short of achieving this goal -- it's taking Long Island's fishing community down with it," Mr. Schumer said in statement. "We can rebuild fishing stocks and allow for a more nuanced approach to regulations."

The senator's proposed legislation focuses on the 13 percent decline in fluke quota over the span of three years as an example of how new regulations have "hit home" in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

"The problem is that the 10-year deadline is arbitrary and may have no basis in science," said Mr. Petrella. "It must be met without regard to the impact it will have on recreational and commercial fishermen and related industries."

Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, a Montauk-based fishermen's advocacy group, agreed.

"When stocks are clearly in recovery, no one's life should be marginalized or destroyed because of a fervent desire to do it all in 10 years and not one second more," she said.

Until the problem is resolved, fishermen and boaters will have to just hang in there.

"Now, we are sitting here with our boats ties up and there is more fluke than ever before," said Mr. O'Sullivan. "Therein lies our gripe."

eschultz@timesreview.com

peggy@northshoresun.com

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