You take a left off of Route 27 and onto South Fern Street, which turns into West Lake Drive. You find all the hotels, some restaurants, a few bars, and it’s where you find the marinas, as well. It’s where, during the fall run, the guides arrive as the sun comes up and load up all the rods and restock the water bottles in their 150-quart coolers. Through September and October they are on the water every day, running out front around the lighthouse, tucking into Fort Pond Bay, or checking out Gardiners Island. There are hundreds of other spots, but you’d have to be on one of these boats, with one of these guides, to find them. The marinas are also where, at the end of the day, when the sun has disappeared, those guides crush a few beers and decide whether they’re going for dinner or if it’s simply time to head to bed.

However, before you get there, you pass through the town of Montauk. You pass by shops selling sweatpants with THE END written on the butt and old mom-and-pop sandwich shops looking like they’re straight out of the 1980s. The line on weekend mornings at the Montauk Bake Shoppe starts early and is justified. Their jelly-filled croissants should be bought by the dozen and shared with whomever you see. If you happen to spot a friend out in the sound, pull up, flip open the box to reveal the flaky, buttery goodness inside and suddenly the whereabouts of fish are much more readily divulged…

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