01.09.26 "Honey, I'm all packed..."

 

     Well we're off for the not-a-fishing-trip trip. I have to stay focused that this is a celebration of Theresa's 60th birthday. Period. Well asterisk. The weather looks great down there, to me, even though the last few days of 50 degree temps in New Jersey was greatly appreciated. It saves us on the oil and cutting into my supply of wood that feeds the wood stove. Below is what we're heading down to, 

     In case she was wondering the moon phase on her birthday will be a waning crescent at 31% headed towards the New Moon on January 18th. Not the best moon, for a birthday, ha, but it'll be fine. Remember, this is not a fishing trip. 

     If I do get a chance to fish I'll first make a stop by to Southern Drawl Outfitters to pick up a few flies and hopefully some good direction for walk and wade fishing. My plan was to pick up a pair of waders down there but I'm taking my flats boots and will just wet wade. With air temps in the 50's how bad could it be. Plus, I just need the protection for my feet from the oysters more than I do from the cold, I think. 

     The big question is are there sight fishing opportunities, while on foot, in January? Well the water is gin clear and allegedly the redfish, trout, and sheepshead look to the skinny water flats to hang, hold, and eat. A quick Google AI search gave me the below answer,

     I'll be back in a week just as some of you are heading to TTFS at Marlborough. The following week I'll be at Edison set up at the Squimpish booth on Saturday from 9-12 trying to remember how to tie a fly. It's a one-day and done show for me this year, and that'll be fine. 

01.08.26 North Carolina and stocked striped bass...

     As we prepare to head south to Hilton Head, South Carolina tomorrow today's post takes us down to North Carolina. I have discussed striped bass and places south of the Chesapeake in the past usually during the winter months when I'm searching for topics to talk about. The latest was in December 2024 when I brought the idea of striped bass stocking programs to help build the stock along the East Coast. North Carolina has a stocking program and you can read my post about that, HERE. 

     As we know the big three natal locations for striped bass are the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, the Hudson River, and the Delaware River. Coming in a distant fourth is the Roanoke River strain, which is a small part of the migratory striped bass spawning striped bass (SSB). They say the Roanoke River makes up about 1-2 % of the overall SSB. But those numbers, from Chesapeake down to the Roanoke, vary depending on who you speak to.

     There's two big locations, in rivers, for striped bass in North Carolina, the Roanoke and Cape Fear Rivers. The Cape Fear fish don't contribute to the overall East Coast SSB population. 

The Cape Fear striped bass are almost exclusively stocked fish under the management of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Cape Fear's environmental indicators just don't support wild striped bass spawning, while the Roanoke is better, and was better years ago. 

     In North Carolina, similar to the Delaware River and Bay, striped bass spawn in the Roanoke in and around Weldon, NC, which is around river mile (RM) 110. To note, on the Delaware, Trenton is around RM 130. Albany, on the Hudson River, sits at RM 140. Remember, striped bass spawn in freshwater and the eggs travel down and develop and grow. They hatch and spend a few years in their natal waters before making the move to the salt and then joining the migratory stock. That's across the three, well four natal waters, including the Albermarle/Roanoke strain. 

     As far as stocking striped bass that occurs in landlocked lakes and rivers, mostly down south, and the hybrid striped bass, a mix of striped and white bass, in waters near us in New Jersey. Stocking striped bass in natal waters is controversial. It's akin to the put and take stocking programs for trout. While some waters that are stocked aren't environmentally stable enough to maintain holdover fish, stocking trout where there are wild fish can be detrimental. Imagine if the Upper Delaware system, not including the Beaverkill and Willowemoc, was pounded with stocked fish, it would change the population, and the world class fishery. One famous river that gets healthy stocking is the West Branch of the Ausable in New York's Adirondack Park near Lake Placid. 

     This post came to light due to a post I saw on Facebook from Ross Squire over at The Striped Bass Pledge page. In a linked article from Axios it is mentioned, hopefully, that stocking programs there have had good returns. In 2023 Roanoke River fish were sampled and it found that 97% of the fish caught were stocked fish. A year later returns showed only 3% were genetically hatchery fish. They state, "there must have been millions of wild fish that spawned in order to catch so few hatchery fish". 

     So why do states stock fish? Well, one of the big reasons is the economic machine that fishing brings. License sales and fishing related revenue from tackle shops to lodging and restaurants all fall under what a solid fishery can bring to a locale. Without a stocking program you would need a solid world class fishery. The Upper Delaware system is one that comes to mind. While the spring and early summer is when that fishery fishes best, there's also opportunities in the summer and fall below the Cannonsville Reservoir in the cool waters of the West Branch. But still, in the end, it's all about the spring. And in the salt, where migratory and pelagic species make up those fisheries, they are seasonal as well. You can only draw anglers and catch what's in front of you. So if the bait, and say striped bass, aren't there, then the economic benefits that a fishery brings won't be there. Hence businesses along the East Coast do best during the spring and fall runs, and historically but not recently, those locations in New England where the bass summer over see their best seasons while others wait for the run.

    I followed a link over to a podcast titled Better Fishing with Two Bald Biologists. You can listen wherever you check out podcasts or over on their YouTube Channel, HERE. There were several podcasts that I listened to before, and while, I penned this post. It's an easy listen and these guys do a great job breaking down all things North Carolina striped bass along with other fishes. 

     One of the takeaways from listening to them was the idea of genetic conservation when it comes to stocking programs, especially for migratory and spawning striped bass. I mentioned the caution of stocking wild fisheries above. So basically stocking goes like this, at least from my perspective. Females and males are sampled and their eggs and milt stripped and mixed. They grow in the hatchery and are then released in different sizes. If you've fished trout in New Jersey then you know the difference from cookie-cutter finless 10-inch rainbows and those horrific looking, like you want to take it out of it's misery, broodstock fish they release after their spawning work has been done. Caution is always considered if stocked fish make their way into wild trout rivers, like those tiny brook and brown trout streams we have in northern New Jersey. 

    North Carolina, like other states with natal striped bass rivers, does an annual YOY survey. Above is the latest from 2023. You can see, like we're all seeing, poor recruitment numbers, and that's where their stocking program comes in. To note, North Carolina not only stocks the Roanoke and Cape Fear Rivers, but inland waters as well. 

     But as far as the Roanoke River the following are the stocking numbers for 2024. They state 2024 was a "monumental stocking effort" with 2.5 million fry, 430,000 1-2 inch juveniles, and 7-tons of 6-8 inch striped bass released. The question a lot of people ask is do stocked fish spawn and would these NC striped bass join the SSB, or migratory striped bass pollution. Without digging deeply on that, I would say no. Stocked fish do mimic spawning activities, but usually they get caught up in the spawning runs that correlate to other forage fish predation while they are on the move, like shad and herring. 

     We've seen stocking of striped bass, some successful, from 1879 when the Navesink fish took the ride out to California, and places like the Kennebec with fish from the Hudson, and the Cape Fear fish that came from from Santee-Cooper system in South Carolina. 

    In my opinion the ASMFC has failed with striped bass management. It's not all about the fish, but the economic machine that the fish, in meat and catch and release, brings along the East Coast. Stocking programs can increase the sheer numbers of available striped bass, but there are major risks. Watering down the various genetic strains of bass with non-migratory and spawning fish could keep commercial and recreational sectors happy, but in the end only add and aid to the destruction of wild fish.

01.07.26 "Loose lips sink ships"...

     With winter in full swing it's time for the shows and the seminars. It's the time of year where most guides and anglers look to things other than fishing to keep the Cabin Fever away. For fly rodders The Fly Fishing Shows are a big annual draw. For other types of fishing there's regional fishing and outdoor shows that keep the blood flowing in and around things like the run to the NFL's Super Bowl, in early February.

     Over the years, moreso early on, I did the local club and shop circuit giving seminars trying to drum up business for my guided trips which included those on the Upper Delaware and along the Jersey Shore. While there was only a few bucks offered to offset the time, gas, and tolls, the get was booking a trip or two and increasing the exposure out there to draw in new clients. 

     And while the fly fishing community is one based on sharing, teaching, and learning, I always made sure I protected "home" as to not give away too much information. These days with social media, well for about 10 years now, keyboard anglers can become well versed on all things about a particular fishery. I use my early days on the Upper Delaware as an example. 

     I first discovered the Upper Delaware River in the mid-1990's after having made my way to the furthest points north in New Jersey. I was all about trout, first with the spin rod, and then with the fly. That brought me from the Manasquan, to the Rockaway, to the Paulinskill, Pequest, 

Pequest River 1994- Nice hat- goof

and Flatbrook. Then it was my first trip to the Upper Delaware, and I never returned to fishing New Jersey for trout with any kind of regularity.

     Back in the day there was no internet. No cell phones. No social media. Magazines and the shows were THE source for intel on fly fishing for a particular species or a body of water. It was during those days that I would call "Larry's Hotline" at the West Branch Anglers's for river conditions and which bugs were coming off. If I went I can remember driving a stick into the waters edge before I went to bed only to check in the morning to see which way the flows on the river were headed. I can also remember eavesdropping the local guides while hanging at the bar when they returned from a days fishing. It was a time when knowledge and success came strictly from time on the water. 

     But we have morphed into a time when a guy or girl can wake up and do a quick search online and know, well appear to know, everything they could about current fishing conditions on that day, even if they are planted in front of the computer hundreds of miles away. I can remember having a conversation with a guy who told me the flows and what kind of bugs were coming off- even though he hadn't been up there for over a year. The same goes for todays "anglers" who's first move it to check Facebook, Instagram, Stripers Online, or the local beach cams. Truth be told from time to time I've been sucked into that as well. 

     In my opinion there's a difference between sharing and teaching and giving away the farm. Bob Popovic's always told me the best part of our community was teaching and sharing- but I always stated that was all good to a point. If you share too much you risk at becoming a spot burner, which in today’s world is akin to committing a felony.

     So why do I write this today? Because I have seen, without calling anyone out, the various lineups of guest speakers at some of the local upcoming shows. I see it more with the non-fly guys and gals then I do the fly fishing crowd. 

     Fishing for striped bass has changed as we knew it along the Jersey Shore, and moreso in the bays and rivers where during the spring and fall bass call home, either for a few months or a season. We all know some spots are golden and limited in access based on the time of year, tides or not, and time of day. I have seen firsthand a spot with relative low participation only to watch it become blown up after someone makes a post or attends a talk. And that is more annoying for those boots on the ground spots then the ones you motor around to.

     There's a fine line between sharing knowledge and expertise in a business sense vs ego and status. Most guide operations are a one man show and once you're booked you're booked. Increasing the potential of more clients has it's limitations because there's only so many days you can book trips, in and around bad weather and times when the fish, especially migratory fish, are around. 

     Left Kreh and Bob Clouser once had a conversation ( as heard on the Millhouse podcast) where one of them said, "They don't know what they don't know". Years ago you had to earn your stripes, no pun intended, and the book of knowledge of fishing that sits in your brain. In these times of instant gratification putting lots of time in has become a thing of the past, and more about big fish holding pics that gives the false appearance of being dialed in to a spot. With striped bass now becoming an all-or-none blitz type event those that put their time in and fish tides and time are a thing of the past. So I caution those presenters who are sharing those spots and times of the year because they can ruin what other people have worked hard in learning and keeping secret.

     So truth be told there's some seminars I would like to attend to see what they are letting out of the bag but I won't. In the end it would take away from the work and discovery of something special. It's like finding your own fish, there's nothing better. While yes, I have a small group of guys I share intel with, but truthfully, in the end it's a selective edited version of all the facts that is shared. And, sometimes I have to even practice what I'll say before I do, because one person tells another's and so on, and so on. And then there goes the neighborhood. 

      So my prediction for 2026 in some of my favorite locations will be this..... "It's over Johnny". The word is out, or will be even more, and everything will change. I just look at the Upper Delaware and what that that fishery has become over the years. Yes, still fantastic and one of my favorites, but it's totally different.  It’s become a game of trying to escape the crowds and the boats and finding trout without scars from that were previously hooked, especially as the spring turns into summer. And the same can and will be said for those that fish for striped bass and fishes of the salt. 

     Fishing pressure changes a fishes behavior. And while we're all entitled to go fishing, the more we fish in those limited spots, the more the chance of ruining it will occur. 

     So in the end I ask those that do teach and speak to be careful. Yes, you're doing it for your business and your status, but giving away the farm can have big and negative impacts on what others may call home and their favorite fishery. For most shallow anglers, they follow a bite, and then leave, and in the meantime they just blow it up for the regulars. 

     For my first time I went to ChatGPT for some help with artwork for this post. I entered "Fly fisherman giving a presentation" and the top image is what it came up with. 

     While I was happy with what came out, because I didn't want to post a pic of some of the people I'm talking about or list the upcoming seminars that I fear are dangerous, I had to laugh when I looked closer. The above cropped image shows what ChatGPT came up with for a fly reel. WTF is that? 

So be careful when you attend a show a show this winter and get sucked in to the room like a bug to a bug light. What you may learn may actually do you harm and kill the fun of putting in time and learning a fishery for yourself. 

01.06.26 Add these dates to your calendar this winter...

     With the doors at Orvis Princeton now shut some Garden State anglers may be looking for a new fly shop to call home. I'm near Trenton and I can't think of any on this side of the river from just north of me down to Cape May. Maybe Atlantic City, but Bass Pro Shops isn't a fly shop. The closest would be across the river in Doylestown with Mainstream Outfitters on Route 611. That's about a 35 minute drive. 

     It's crazy to think all of the fly shops and all-tackle shops that had fly fishing and tying stuff that have gone by the wayside. The Fly Hatch, Down-N-Trout, Harry's, the Sportsmen Center, Efingers, Orvis (Shrewsbury, Marlton, Short Hills, and now Princeton) and Bob Kislans to name a few. There's a big gap for the New Jersey fly tier and rodder. 

And remember there's that newly created Orvis Bermuda Triangle now with all the Philly stores closing. You can pick your closest store to visit and for me that's either Manhattan, Pittsburgh, or near Washington DC- there's nothing in-between. Orvis used to have stores in Plymouth Meeting, Downington, and Haverford- now all gone. The only shop I know of over there is TCO Fly Shop in Bryn Mawr. 

     The closest true full service New Jersey based fly shop to me is Andrew and Nancy Moy's Tightlines in Parsippany. It has been around since 2001 and I made my first visit there (above) in 2011. It's in a great location near the intersections of Routes 46, 80, 280, and 287. For me though it's kind of a hike coming in just at 60 miles, which takes me

about an hour and fifteen minutes. I have made the drive to see their guest speakers and have made a half a day or so of it. While on the small side it's a full service shop with everything from fly tying and rods, reels, and flies, to casting instruction, guest speakers, and local guided and destination trips. They also have a place on the lower Beaverkill in East Branch which is available to rent, HERE. (Might be the next go-to Leif.)

     While the fishing shows during the dead of winter are a draw you should visit Tightlines, their website and store, to check out some of the talent they have scheduled. It starts off in January and wraps up in March just in time for the Cabin Fever to have worn off. Here's the list below,

• January 17 JC Clark
• January 31 Tim Flagler
• February 14 Jonny King 
• February 21 Mike Rosa (Susky smallmouth)
• February 28 Zach Flake
• March 15 Matt Rooney (NJ Stripers)

     They also have had a big presence at The Fly Fishing Show's in the past. Each year the size is different I guess depending on the vibe and the anticipated return on investment. It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to attend these shows. For vendors it's not how many people Ben and Chuck claim came through the doors it's how much is in the till at the end of the weekend. 

     I've been creeping on The Fly Fishing Show's website to see what we can expect this January. While the map and vendor list is out for Marlborough,

we're still in a wait and see for the Edison show. It wouldn't be fair to predict who is doing Edison based on Marlborough so we'll have to wait and see when the 

exhibitor list and map goes live on the Edison link. 

     In the end we DO still have local fly shops in the mess of a world we live in these days. Not everything has to be purchased from Amazon or on-line. We, the customers, have killed brick and mortar stores by changing the way we live and shop. It used to be an event, not it's just a click, and then a return. If you're looking to shop and need something, and not just pick through the cheap-ass bins at the show, check out the smaller local fly shops that could use your business, and loyalty. They stay in business, yes to make money, but to service you as well. 

01.05.26 Alright, what's really going on here?...

     I received the above email yesterday. I'm not sure if you do but I get a lot of them. Usually I just hit the delete button when I go to purge my Inbox but this was different, as I wanted to see what Orvis was up to. So I clicked on and saw "Mirage Now at 50% Off". Now that's a big deal.

     I'm not sure if I'm 100% on this but I'll go with it. The Orvis Mirage line of reels came to be around 2012 with development and prototypes (below) starting a few years earlier. 

 

     I first learned of the Mirage reels and Helios rods when I attended my first Orvis Guide Rendevouz up in Vermont in 2011. They use to run it annually up in Vermont before moving it out west and then south to places like Missoula, Asheville, and then east to Roscoe. When they first ventured away from Vermont it was called the Orvis Guide Renedevouz and Down the Hatch Orvis Film Festival. Needless to say the Down the Hatch part came just about Orvis moved to target a new audience, hard working and hard drinking guides wearing trucker style hats. It was around that time we started to see pics of guides and customers in their catalogues with PBR's in their hands. It was the start of the move to get away from "Not your Grandfather's Orvis anymore". 

     In my opinion now, and it was then, was it should have just remained at the Mother Ship in Vermont. It was not only a great time but a chance to see all the workings of what happened at Orvis. Mixed in with the fun was working sessions where the business end of things was discussed as in attendance were the store and fly fishing mangers. And then the hands on part of the few days event would happen as they had rods, reels, and new products attendees could try right before they went to the open market. It also gave us a chance to buy stuff at a deep discount. 

     So I ordered my first Mirage reel and received it in 2012. It was a gold 12 wt which has served me well over the years, and still does to this day. That's 13 years. And there's no reason for me to replace it. What it was time for me to replace was my fly tying skills as that yak hair fly surely wouldn't look more then a straight line of hair in the water. 

     In 2017 Orvis came out with a redesigned Mirage line of reels. Like everything else in fly fishing the price tags started to crop up to where we are now. Fly reels approaching $1,000 and fly rods over it. Before the new launch and new price tag I added more Mirage reels to my arsenal, mostly for my 10 wts. Those are now totally beat to shit. They look like hell and are all out of true, especially the spare spools which I've dropped more times then I can count. We know I'm cheap but why didn't I replace them? 

     One reason is I always felt like, when it came to reels, was to purchase a few bodies with several spare spools. Get rid of the old and in with the new. But remember, each change in the Mirage and Hydros line of reels meant they were different. So if you, or I, didn't buy the spare spools then you would be left to Ebay or a fly fishing show trying to locate one, in the same color. I also didn't fall prey to the next line coming will be the best ever. Ho hum with that guys. 

     And just so you know when it comes to companies. We've looked at flys before. At least the ones you can order online. Most come from fly tying mills located overseas. Same tyers, well some of them, cranking out flies sold under various companies names. The same is true for fly reels. Orvis tells us the Mirage reels are made in the United States and the Hydros reels made in China. But do you think the folks at the rod shop up at the Mother Ship are turning metal into reels? Of course not. 

     Companies like Orvis develop product lines and then send them out to be manufactured. Below is from a pressor sent out from G.S. Precision, the company that actually made the Mirage Reels, in addition to all kind of things aerospace and defense, located in New England.

     GSP was involved in the Mirage Reel manufacturing which was done by Headwaters Precision located in New Hampshire. In October of 2025 GSP acquired Headwaters, which has 

since closed it's doors in New Hampshire, just about the time Orvis started circling the drain. I guess that's how companies start and evolve and then move on. Joint venture with a company with a product and then move on as things go in a different direction, or south. To me, it seems, and I may be wrong, but Orvis knew it was getting out of the fly reel business, or at least Made in America, and let Headwaters know, and they then went and closed up shop. 

At the end of the day it just opens my eyes to big business and manufacturing, and in a way holding companies. Who owns and does what happens vs what we really think is going on. Was Headwaters, or other aerospace type manufacturing companies, turning out products for multiple companies each under a different label? Of course, all were sworn to secrecy under those NDA's, or non-disclosure agreements. 

     I've been a loyal Orvis customer for as long as I can remember. The only time I strayed was when I ventured over to Simms for their Guide series of waders, which, in the end wasn't a good move. One thing I can say is my current Orvis PRO series of waders are the best I've ever worn, and it's time to by another set of boot foots before Orvis blows them out and doesn't replace them with a new line. One of the perks of being a guide, and I guess some kind of industry personality, is I'm part of the Orvis Pro Program. Not Pro Staff, which is a term I've always hated. That became oversaturated and just a way for average anglers to just get a deal on stuff. The goofiest ones wear embroidered patches on their vets and jackets for you to know who they are.

     So I clicked on the link in the email to see what a new Mirage reel would cost the average Joe with the 50% off price tag. Surprisingly they come in at $399 which is a very, very appealing price.

     When I went to the Orvis website and entered into my account and the price posted in almost $200 more. That does happen from time to time when Orvis is blowing out stuff. So my cost 

would be $558. What's funny about being a "Pro" is I could order stuff cheaper then say a Orvis employee could. That always seemed wrong to me. But back to this deal. 

     Checking further into this deal I see that only size III, V, and VI are still available. I never thought you would need a high performance reel for say 5 or 6 weight rods so if you're looking for a reel to accompany your 10, 11, or 12 weight rods then this might be appealing to you. But 

know the spare spools aren't available at this time, which may be a deal killer if you're like me. But if you're just looking for a high performance reel then head over to Orvis, HERE, before they are gone. 

     I've shared my opinion on where Orvis is headed these days and that's based solely on my opinion, with no industry insider intel. I could be dead wrong, and hopefully I am. But when I see a fire sale happening with their top of the line products I worry. They're not blowing out the infamous Orvis dog beds here. Now, truth be told, this happens when there's a new line about to be introduced to the industry. They do this to make way, on the shelves and in the stores, for the new line that's about to be put out to market. But the way things are going these days I have little consumer confidence. 

     With Shawn Coombs starting his new career over at Scott Rods this past week it's not like there's a big reveal coming. What will replace the Mirage reel line? And further what is going on with the Helios rod line? I think you're going to see a big shift in what Orvis will have to offer in the future, and that may not include rods and reels. That would leave Orvis customers sticking to what they already have in their arsenal or having to jump ship over to one of the other manufacturers of fly fishing gear. 

     I've opined on the idea of Orvis being bought by Fulling Mill or Bass Pro Shops but there's other options out there as well. Just like we saw with the sale of Simms to Vista Outdoors in 2022 and then to Strategic Value Partners this past year, it would make sense Orvis would be bought by some holding company. Holding companies are the death of the companies we have come to love and be loyal to. 

     One such holding company is Mayfly Outdoors. This Colorado-based company owns several brands we know of. They own Abel Reels, Ross Reels, which Orvis owned until 2014, Airflow fly lines, Airlite Fly Rods, and Dyna King vices. They "acquired" Dyna King in 2023 and then bought Renzetti in 2024. Same companies owning competing brands. Huh what?

     Holding companies aren't new to fly fishing. For years Far Bank has owned several brands under their title. Currently they own Sage, Redington, RIO, and Flywater Travel. I remember early on trying to become a Pro member and having to be vetted by Far Bank, which is the parent holding company. Orvis was kind of a holding company after they purchased Scientific Anglers, which they still own, and Ross Reels, both 3M companies. Now Ross Reels is owned by Mayfly Outdoors. 

     These companies are bought and sold without most of us even knowing, or caring. Let's look at Lamson Reels. Lamson was owned by Sage Manufacturing until Waterworks, a company founded in 1996, purchased them in 1998. They ran as Waterworks-Lamson until 2023 when the company was re-branded as Lamson Fly Fishing. Currently Lamson offers fly rods and reels with their rods about 3/4ths of what a fly reel goes for, $499 and $829 respectfully. 

     So what does this all mean? Nothing for most people. These days things are tough for most of us and disposable monies for things like fly fishing aren't available. Now I have to be honest I thought about asking Mommy what it would do to us if I picked up one of those blow-out Mirage reels, but I let it go. Why? Because I just don't know what direction Orvis and their product lines are headed. The unknowns in a company lead to consumer indifference and reduced confidence. Is it time to find another one-stop-shop company where a fly rodder can get a solid fly rod and reel under the same roof? One with a good reputation and solid customer service? 

     Maybe the days of the big companies are coming to an end, well not ending, but changing. Truth be told there's only a small part of the 1%'s who actually go out and but new fly rods every year, or every other year. Don't include those guides and anglers who get products gifted to them or offered at a reduced Pro-Staff rate. Just regular guys and gals that write a check for the full $800- $1200. I don't know them and definitely don't fish with them. Coming soon to a booth at The Fly Fishing Show you'll see the who's who's manning the booths of the various manufacturers who are trying to get you on board with their products and in some way their "community". But, truthfully, you'll never really be in that group, so just grab a sticker and be happy and go home and pull out that 10 year old scratched fly rod you've been using. 

     For a bit there I tried to align myself with Colton Fly Rods. Colton is owned and operated by Bob Filger based in Dingman's Ferry, Pa. It was when I was thinking of going from a big company to a small owner-operated one. He offers fly rods and reels and has extensive engineering experience. While we went back and forth via email I never got the chance to visit his place in Pa and it didn't go anywhere. But, with the chaos that Orvis is going through it might be time to revisit the possibility of being a Colton "guy". 

     Anyway, that's what I got for today. In a few weeks it'll be time for The Fly Fishing Show (Jan 23, 24, 25) in Edison and a week earlier in Marlborough, Massachusetts. If you're in the market for a new fly rod or reel maybe this will be an opportunity to learn more and maybe make a purchase. Since this post is about reels maybe you'll head over to the Orvis website and take advantage of their offer on a Mirage reel, before they are gone, maybe forever. 

01.02.26 If I only knew...

 

     This past August Theresa and I took the girls over to Ireland. It was a two-week trip that had us land in Dublin and do a big counterclockwise circle around the island. We've been over to the Mother Land twice now and there hasn't been an opportunity to fish. I have to start changing my thinking when it comes to vacations and fishing. In my mind these jaunts are either a fishing trip or not a fishing trip. All or none, no in between. For some reason, either because I'm cheap or just selfless, I can't bring myself to just take some time for myself and go fishing for a couple of hours. On this trip I could have hired a guide and hit one of the trout or salmon waters or took advantage of the saltwater that bathes the Emerald Isle. 

     It wasn't like I wasn't in the know. I know that there are plenty of opportunities to experience fly fishing over in Ireland. Each year I spend some time at the Angling Ireland 

booth at The Fly Fishing Show. Last January I got the names of some local guides over there and some maps to point me in the right direction. But in the end that intel stayed home on my fly tying desk. And I can't blame Theresa or the girls, Theresa always encourages me to fish, to a point, and I could have thrown the girls a couple of bucks to do something on their own. 

     So I write this not to explain why I don't put myself first at times and just hire a guide to go fishing while away. In a week I'll be heading to Hilton Head where I'll probably pass on just hiring a guide and catching fish. It'll be some wrong time and tide sunk up to my waist in mud dodging the alligators DIY outing that will surely leave me skunked. But hey, it makes for a good story. In the end maybe I'm just cheap, but truthfully spending $500 to fish on top of the trips cost to catch a few fish? Yeah, just cheap. 

     While scrolling through Facebook I saw a post from a fly tier from Ireland that caught my eye. Her line of flies is called Minka Fly. While most of her streamer flies are meant for toothy predators like pike she also ties smaller versions for trout and saltwater fishes as well. In one of her posts I saw the top picture pop up which is an online magazine titled Predator & Salt. As we all know tabletop magazines are a thing of the past although there are a few that have snubbed the online version only readings. And what caught my eye was the fish on the cover of their first version. To me it looked like a striped bass. Did I miss an opportunity to catch a striped bass while over in Ireland? 

     We all know about our striped bass here in the United States. The Atlantic striped bass, the species morose saxitalis, is pretty much an East Coast fish with a range from Canada down to Florida. 

      Thankfully that train ride from the Navesink River to the San Francisco area in 1879 the East Coast strain of striped bass made it's way to the West Coast. Some of the fish, depending on where you are located, are migratory, while others stay put living their best striped bass life. In addition there's sodium free striped bass that live far from the ocean in rivers and lakes. 

     So I had to dig into these Irish fish a bit. I'm no expert and the info for this post was taken from that Predator & Salt first edition along with some online searches. So what is that fish I'm talking about? Over there they call it sea bass, or just bass. Around these parts we have 

sea bass, also called black sea bass. They belong to the species centroprisitis striata, if that helps at all. The reason I mention it here and checked it out was to see if our eastern United States sea bass was at all related to the sea bass from across the pond, which it is not. 

     The sea bass of Ireland and the United Kingdom, aka Irish sea bass or European sea bass, belong to the species dicentrarchus labrax. Its range is from around Ireland and the United Kingdom down to France, Portugal, Spain, up into the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and the top of Africa. Depending on where you are European sea bass are called branzino, yes that branzino, of the species dicentrarchus labrax. If you order it in a restaurant with a server who has a brough, then it's Irish Sea bass, sea bass, or European sea bass. If you're near Italy or over here in the United States it's called branzino. It's a fish that can be caught fresh the same day and prepared for the table or farm raised, like so many of the fish we consume and aren't aware of their origin. We see it, as branzino, from time to time offered at Costco, "fresh frozen", aka farm and pen raised. 

     So we've identified the Atlantic striped bass, morone saxitalis, and the European sea bass, dicentrarchus labrax. Each of the above fancy names are the species they are. I'm no fish expert by far and when you get to those Latin names I'm just about done. But in short, and hopefully in the right direction, fishes are broken down by Class, Order, Family, Subfamily, Species and so forth. The striped bass and European sea bass, yes your branzino, are related, like distant cousins. 

     Both are from a larger family, with distinct but similar traits, and bloodlines. Striped bass are from the family Moronidae, while sea bass, European not black, are from Serranidae. It's there, in the Subcategories of the Family and Species, where they are distantly related. For someone like a me with a simple mind the cover of Predator & Salt piqued my interest, because that fish just looked like a striped bass. And looking into it there are a lot of similarities, and differences as well. 

     We know striped bass are anadromous, which means they live in saltwater and migrate to fresh water to spawn. European sea bass, ESB for short, spawn in either offshore and inshore waters and their eggs migrate into the estuaries to grow, the same way menhaden spawn. The spend years in the shallower water acting and eating pretty much the way striped bass do. Smell, lateral lines, and sight help them find prey, which they do more at night then during the 

day. They rely on ambush tactics, and their caudal fin, at the rear, is usually large in scale attached to the body by a thick and muscular peduncle. As far as teeth, they don't have teeth. like bluefish per se, but their tongues and upper palate have "teeth" to hold prey before it makes its way down the gullet. So I guess my Irish brothers and sisters get the occasional "bass thumb" when fishing for ESB.

     If you look at the image below you might guess that's taken at one of our groins here on the Jersey Shore. Nope, that's from rocks on the south of Ireland. The similarities are, well, very similar. 

     One big difference is the size of the two fish. The world Record ESB currently stands at 22 pounds taken in 1999 by French angler Phillip Boulet. although heavier fish to 29 pounds have been caught by spearfishing and commercial trawlers. As far as striped bass Greg Myerson still holds the World Record after his 81.88 pound fish that was caught in the Long Island Sound in 2011. Jeez, that was that long ago? 

     In my search I found a Facebook post by Flavien Malempree, a Frenchman who penned a book titled Le Bar a la Mouche, or Sea Bass on the Fly. He too found similarities 

between striped and European sea bass and has traveled over here to Cape Cod to experience what our fish has to offer. I'll have to get a copy of his book especially before I make another trip 

over to Ireland where next time I'm definitely going to fish. Well at least I'm saying that now. 

     And just like our challenges with striped bass and the ASMFC over here, Ireland, and I'm sure other countries, do their part to manage, or like us, poorly mange their bass populations. Like here, management of bass is written into Irish law, and managed by Inland Fisheries 

Ireland (IFI) and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). Also like the striped bass the ESB populations plummeted in the 1990's due to commercial overfishing. The IFI runs the National Bass Programme which is dedicated to the research and conservation of European sea bass. And like the striped bass over here, stock assessments are performed and regulations are set annually for recreational fishing. Currently recreational anglers are allowed one fish per day, which is down from two, with a minimum size of 42 cm, or 16 inches. Sound familiar?

     Like the United States and our EEZ, or Economic Exclusion Zone, there is one around Ireland as well. It extends out 200 miles like ours does. I see mention of a "Territorial Sea"

which extends off the coast 12 miles. Is that like our 3 mile-line? I'm not sure nor do I think I really care. But the EEZ's around the world came to be in 1982 at the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea. It's pretty much up to 200 miles off the coast of everywhere. 

     Where I get confused is between at the difference between the three mile-line and the territorial sea line, which is twelve miles off . In New Jersey the three mile line is the boundary 

where the state has jurisdiction over those marine resources and waters, out from that is under Federal control. That seems to be common wordage between here and there. Three mile line, territorial sea, EEZ to 200 miles off, and then the high seas. If you fish with waders on and throw a fly rod then all you care about is the first 100 feet off the beach. 

      I have to say that was a fun wormhole to travel down this cold January morning. Digging into fish and their relatives is kinda like doing a 23 and Me search. You never know who you're related to no matter how far away they are. Thanks to Predator & Salt and authors like 

Jason O'Riordan and Marcin Cantor who provided me the intel and images to go along with this post. If you'd like to read more Predator & Salt you can check it out HERE. I'll have to admit

I got excited when I saw "Jersey Kayak Fishing" in the third edition. But that "Jersey" referred to one of the largest Channel Islands, which is located between England and France. 

So striped bass is still number one, redfish could become a solid number two, and these European sea bass could be third. The next trip over is in 2027 and I'm going to make it a point to get out and get one of these on the fly, if I'm still not too cheap.