EXHIBIT A

         Cover Letter to the Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal

                [Mellon Optima L/S Strategy Fund, LLC Letterhead]

  IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SELL YOUR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY INTERESTS AT THIS
                      TIME, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS NOTICE.
           THIS IS SOLELY A NOTIFICATION OF THE FUND'S TENDER OFFER.

March 27, 2009

Dear Mellon Optima L/S Strategy Fund, LLC Member:

          We are writing to inform you of important dates relating to a tender
offer by Mellon Optima L/S Strategy Fund, LLC (the "Fund"). If you are not
interested in tendering any portion of your limited liability company interests
in the Fund ("Interest" or "Interests," as the context requires) at this time,
please disregard this notice and take no action.

          The tender offer period will begin on March 27, 2009 and will end at
12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, on April 27, 2009. The purpose of the tender offer
is to provide liquidity to members that hold Interests. Interests may be
presented to the Fund for purchase only by tendering them during one of the
Fund's announced tender offers.

          Should you wish to tender your Interest or a portion of your Interest
for purchase by the Fund during this tender offer period, please complete and
return the enclosed Letter of Transmittal in the enclosed postage-paid envelope
or by fax so that it arrives no later than April 27, 2009. If you do not wish to
tender your Interests, simply disregard this notice. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED IF
YOU DO NOT WISH TO TENDER ANY PORTION OF YOUR INTEREST AT THIS TIME.

          All tenders of Interests must be received by Mellon Hedge Advisors
LLC, the Fund's investment adviser ("MHA"), either by mail or by fax (if by fax,
please deliver an original, executed copy promptly thereafter) in good order by
April 27, 2009.

          If you have any questions, please refer to the attached Offer to
Purchase document, which contains additional important information about the
tender offer, or call Anthony J. Mastrocola at MHA at (877) 257-0004.

Sincerely,

Mellon Optima L/S Strategy Fund, LLC