02.12.17 Nice weekend in Buck's County.....

     We were planning a visit on this weekend to our friends house in Pennsylvania but one of them got sick so I went with a Plan B. So I made a reservation at The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm, HERE
We found this a few years back and have been there maybe a half a dozen times. While it isn't cheap, our room was $325 per night, the suites are really cool and the beds the most comfortable. Our suite had a fireplace and a jacuzzi and plenty of room for lounging around.

     We started the trip with some reflexology for Theresa followed by lunch in The Wine Cellar at Lambertville Station. We checked in and grabbed a quick nap before hitting an early dinner at Slate Bleu in Doylestown. The restaurant was set in an old restored agricultural building and the small plate French foods were perfect for me who has a hard time with a full entree. Foie frag was killer.

                                              

     It was our first time to that town and I think it could be a place I could live but it's just too far from salt water, and I'm not sure if there's even a good freshwater fishery near. But while there I checked out Foundations, the behavioral and mental health treatment campus located right outside of town. We were at Sunday mass at 730 in Doylestown and enjoyed driving the streets and checking out the architecture and looking for homes for sale. Breakfast to order was back at The Inn and it is included in the price of the room. We spend what like seemed like hours at The Stockton Market on this side of the river and if you ever near there on the weekend do go, there's all fresh and organic foods from pastas, steaks, produce and prepared foods. You can eat your way around the place and most vendors have samples out. We loaded up on cheeses and breads and stuff for picking.
     I jumped next door and spent some more time with Steve at Large Format Digital Prining of Nw Jersey, www.lfdpnj.com, who I am looking to have make prints of my images that will be available for sale in limited editions. And before heading home we jumped back over to New Hope for some beers and lunch at The Dubliner on the Delaware, a fine Irish pub with good food and always good company at the bar.

                                                        

     I'm glad I got Valentine's Day in this weekend as on Tuesday we're heading down to the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodder's meeting where they'll be showing the new movie Running the Coast. If you haven't seen the trailer it's below and you can buy the movie HERE


Running the Coast. 1,000 miles with the Striped Bass migration.   The new three-part mini-series. from Howard Films on Vimeo.

02.10.17 Got mine......

     I have a collection of old discolored inside and out Igloo coolers on my back porch. Luckily most of my parties are at night so people aren't scheeved out by my beer, soda, and water holders. And as far as keeping ice cold and solid, who knows, they don't seem to keep things cold that long. 

    For several years I have seen anglers and some friends that can afford and have a need for a high priced cooler, say one made by a company called YETI. Their cool, no pun intended, in their branding, effectiveness, and ruggedness, with some skippers even using them as a casting platform. 

    Around Christmas my Facebook feeds kept getting barraged with ads from RTIC, a cooler company that seemed to be making an exact replica as YETI. I didn't pull the trigger then, and waited about a month before all the hard coolers were sold out. I was looking at the 65, which YETI sells for $399, RTIC normally for $199 and the special had them at $124. Well I missed it. But I did order the Soft Pack 30 and it came today. This will be a great cooler replacement for use on the drift boat and on the Jones Brothers. 

     I am reading that recently YETI won a patent lawsuit over RTIC and that the loser had to liquidate all of their stock before they announce a unique and new line May 1, 2017. I'm not pimpin' but if you're interested you can see for yourself at www.rtic.com

02.08.17 Nice to go back in time before the storm.....

     Got out of work at 2 this afternoon and since it was such a nice day I needed to go fishing. always tempted by the salt, I decided to change it up and check out my childhood haunt.....the beautiful Manasquan River. While it is no FlatBrook or Upper Delaware River, it is the place where trout fishing started for me some 30 plus years ago. Below is a pic of what I looked like some 30 years ago.....just as my passion for fly fishing became an addiction. Love the Trout hat!

                        

      I felt like I was visiting an old neighbor hood as I approached the water......and WHAM.....I was on my back after clearly leaving my feet as I forgot how slippery the claylike mud is long the river. Funny thing is as you get older, after you fall, you pause, just to check and make sure you're not really banged up or dead.

 
     As I looked around and figured out where the trees were, in front of me, besides me, and behind me, I started to remember how I used to fish these waters. I had started with ultralight spinning gear before switching to the fly rods. The river is stocked well and receives a tremendous amount of fishing pressure. As a freestone it is at the whim of low water levels and high temperatures, and the fish that do survive the onslaught of anglers have to find refuge mostly from the downed trees and holes that they cover.

     I came upon my spot and felt like Norman in A River Runs Through It. I just knew there was a fish there. I had on a Rich Garfield Ausable Ugly and worked it up along the downed tree towards the other side. Strip...strip....drift.....strip. Then cast again. After a few casts I saw the shadow follow.....SET!!!! The only problem was I was about 5 minutes too early, and then the fish retreated.

     That bothered me. I walked and fished wherever I could get in and close enough to make some kind of cast. I had another fish bite the fly but I missed the hook set. I really enjoyed the weather but wish there was some more water and maybe a few more fish. I stayed for two hours but then made the

move to a place where I had caught a bazillion trout, and kept most of them. While it is the same color as the 191 Bridge over the West Branch of the Delaware this one is a tad different. But passing under both, one in a drift boat, and this one on foot brings back great memories of days gone past and fly fishing and trout. Today as I walked I looked down.....how many of these did you have? It was a Mini-Magnum tackle box. They came in assorted sizes. They were gold or rust in color. Opening this

just made me laugh. Tiny ass hooks for salmon eggs or meal worms and split shot in various sizes. After this find I remembered a section on the river that I always did well one. It wasn't too far

just made me laugh. Tiny ass hooks for salmon eggs or meal worms and slip shot in various sizes. After this find I remembered a section on the river that I always did well one. It wasn't too far and it became more familiar as I made my way through the woods. It was at the bend. You know the bend, with the one tree that sticks out that you basically hug to get out past the other trees and branches. I

found some deeper water past the bend and worked real hard getting my fly to work the drop-off and then along the bank.....nothing. I mean I worked it. As I walked back to my truck I remembered just how many times I had done the same walk, and how many times I had a leaky Arcticreel over my shoulder with a few stockies inside.

02.07.17 Here's a look from May 2012.....

     So check this out. This was the scene from Big Monmouth in May 2012. It was at the height of the Sandy Hook to Long Branch dredging and beach nourishment. It just goes to further show what a waste this entire process is. Stop the madness. Rant never over on this one.

02.06.17 Where will all the beachgoers lay out this summer?

Seaview Ave., Long Branch

     The beaches are getting smaller and smaller. That may sound good, but the reality is way we now have is a gently sloping beach extending far out into the ocean. So unless you plan on sight fishing this upcoming spring don't get too excited.

     On November 21st while fishing in front of Pier Village I looked up and saw a good amount of birds in front of Seaview Ave. A quick ride there and I joined maybe four guys who were just starting to catch. Within twenty minutes the beach was full from Big Monmouth down to Pier Village. Below Charlie and I watched as Jack connected on his first cast.

     I wish I had a better pick to show, but where I am standing is at the end of the north side of the groin at the top of the page. Additionally, only one third of the rocks were visible and you could walk over them and not have to step up onto the rocks.

     It is really going to interesting this spring and early summer when the big bunker are getting blasted by the big bass, it will take a 14 foot spinning rod and a 6 ounce popper to get to where they are.

     

02.04.17 No February bass....but they are definitely there

     Got some potentially shitty news on Friday so I wanted to clear my head and hit the beach in the morning. Decided I didn't need to be there at first light with dead low at 7 so I got down an hour into the incoming. Deal is shut down as the madness continues. The sifting for ordinances is ridiculous. Why wasn't that incorporated into the initial pumping of sand? Talk about "Drain the Swamp". People are cheering Pauline as he fights for two more and an inch less for the fluke this summer?? Please give me a break with this guy. Arrests him already for at least stupidity. 

     It was raw cold probably in the teens when you factor in the wind. Allenhurst was all buttoned up but I was glad to find the below structure which should make one local lady happy as this is one of her favorite spots. I fished Bradley until my fingers wanted to snap off. I drove north and hit Long 

Branch. You can see the start of how notched groins get hallowed out at the beach end. Soon there will be a water pass through and a pocket on the north side, similar to the ones that were notched down south. I stopped at Pullman and bellied up, well drove up to the concrete divider. As I sat there I shot the shit with two guys that, while feeling stupid, admitted they swore they saw some fish active in the water. And, the said it wasn't water fowl. I shook it off until I went to Monmouth Beach and with a rod in my hand, I saw the same thing. The birds were around but not diving. I didn't see any bait. I thought it was an illusion. Water temps are above 40 and it has been a relative mild winter though.

    I am thinking that if you were to catch a day where there is some white water, with the ebbing tide around first light, and the  air temps are enough to prevent frostbite, you would find that there are bass swimming around looking to eat. But, I stopped in December.

02.02.17 ASMFC votes for "Option 5".....

     When the stripers thin out there's nothing more fun than fly fishing from the beaches for summer flounder, also known as fluke. Fisheries management is a bouncing ball, and the ball has bounced once again. Today the ASMFC voted on and passed Option 5, which, sets reduced limits for New Jersey fisherman.

     It needs further approval from the technical committee and the Secretary of Commerce, but if approved New Jersey would see the daily limit go down to three fish at 19 inches with a 128 day long season. New Jersey is rejecting this option and plans on leaving the 2016 regulations in place. Regardless of what you think, and which way of the aisle you are on, don't think for a minute that the politics and money that flows with fisheries management isn't in full effect right this minute. There will be pressure on the Trump administration to somehow keep things status quo for 2017.

     If you believe in the science that has been presented, then "you get what you get and you don't get upset". If you believe that the ocean is ever-sustaining, and that recreational guys always get screwed and have nothing to do with poor numbers, then you will join with the groups and the lobbyists and fight until the end, hoping to be able to catch more, and more, and more fish.

     One thing that does puzzle me is, how many short fluke get killed each year until anglers get a hold of the 17-1/2, 18, or now 19 inch sized legal fish? These fish eat, eat hard, and swallow deep. Gulp! and killies and spearing and squid strips deep down the gullet.

Stayed tuned......

01.31.17 Finally back and capped up......

     When I was guiding as full time as I could a few years back I had  a really cool truck. Some of you may remember it. It was like my home away from home. I spent a lot of time in it. Pulled up to or on the beach to look at the ocean or tow the Jones around. Or driving around with drift boat in tow figuring out what float I might due based on the flows and conditions. Several times I found myself sleeping overnight in the 8 foot bed either at a Route 17 rest stop or at one of the river access sites. Most times sleeping in the truck was to save money as either I was getting off the river to late or I just didn't want to cut into "profits" dropping a 50 dollar bill at the Capra. That truck was good to me....except when it came to gas mileage. That 2003 Ram 2500 Hemi got under 10 miles to the gallon. That's another reason why I probably find myself now working in scrubs.





       I can remember the sound and the BOOM! that followed in 2013 as my son Sean and I drove on Route 35. She got towed to the Dodge dealer in Ocean. They diagnosed her "as done". They gave me $4,000 for her which I thought was fair. I put it down on another 2003 Ram, this one a 1500. She was purty and the CarFax came up clean. The truck was almost too clean. I should have known because a few weeks later a guy stopped me and said, "Hey that was my truck". He was a cop in Newark and vividly remembers the night they stole it from the precinct and joy ride it and crashed it on Raymond Boulevard. I could have turned it back in, but I settled for cash back from the dealer and a new set of skins. While she has been pretty, and relatively good, she does get sick from time to time and require yet another thousand. I remember Theresa telling me, "Why don't we just go and get you a new truck?' Perfect! Problem is they cost $40,000, and that's like $600 per month. So I pay my mechanic.



     So I feel fishy in this truck, although I felt really fishy the other. What I have missed, besides my stickers, is the cap. I love a truck cap. I recently stopped at a dealer and priced out a LEER and A.R.E. They ran from $1,400 to $2,000. Too much for a 14 year old truck with 165,000 miles. So I have spent some time on Craigslist and calling dealers that carry used caps. Nothing. Until last week. I found one that not only was made for my year but also was the same color. Today Theresa and I traveled to Feasterville Pennsylvania to check out and buy it. It had been on for a while and started at $500....then went down to $300.....and we agreed on a $250 sale. It's perfect. I am very happy.