11.25.25 In a word, or two, absolute torture....

  

     This was supposed to be my day, the day. It's Thanksgiving week. The winds swung around from the west. It's the fall run in full effect. Clash, bang boom. I was out the door by 430 am taking the ride to somewhere to no doubt get in on some of the action, somewhere. I'd be doing the day solo but knew the two Leif's would be out sometime in the morning. At least I'd have another set of eyes somewhere in Monmouth County. 

     I beelined it to Long Branch for no other reason then that's where I chose. The day before I filled up the truck with oil, boosted a rear tire's air from 23 to 38 pounds, and topped off the fuel tank. I was ready. My thought was to hit Long Branch, then go north, and then hit points south not knowing where I'd end up. For me it's usually a north or south thing with the Manasquan Inlet kind of the Mason Dixon line. I hate swinging around Wreck Pond to hit Sea Girt and then having to do that big swing down into Point Pleasant. While it's only a few miles mentally it's just a commitment to either continue a torturous day or head into blitzing bass bliss. 

     This past weekend the Atlantic Saltwater Flrodders held their annual Fall Classic. I usually go every year but rolled the dice and held strong to my commitment to get things done around the house. While the venue had changed due to the demolition of the Island Beach Motor Lodge the new location and change in the dates had the boys comfy and on the bass, which is something 

new because in year's past it's been more about the hang then the fishing. Well they did good this year not only getting some fish, but good ones as well. So coming off that news I knew there were fish around, even thought I chose points north to play. 

     Long Branch just before first light was dead so I moved up to Little Monmouth. There were a few guys on the beach and bait in the wash. It was bunker within range and white bait or sand eels in 

the wash. There were dimples and swirls along the scarp and I hoped it was bass but for me it turned out to be nothing but hickory shad. The pod of bunker, or bait, moved quickly down the beach and just before I drug up to head north I saw a familiar face. Andrew Hamilton was off from 

packing up the soon-to-be closed Orvis Princeton store and was looking for his first bass of this fall run. We decided to walk towards the tight bait cloud that seemed to be moving towards the beach. In it we could see good feeds as larger bass were blowing up from time to time. But it became a what-to-do? Continue to walk down to Pier Village or make a hard stop and walk back and play leap frog?

     We made our way back to the viewing stand and met up with Bayshore Flyrodder's John Gillis who had started his morning up in Sandy Hook. He findings really threw a monkey wrench in my plans as he found nothing promising up north. We decided to jump in the trucks and head up to 

the old Coast Guard Station for a look. It was more of the same. A flat ocean with barren beaches and nothing building in the water. So we went south to see if we could cut that pod of bait and bass off down in Long Branch. We wound up getting separated and my old iPhone 5 crapped out so we lost contact. I don't think it mattered because Long Branch looked like the rest of the water we scouted. 

     It was around 9 o'clock and I had already been at it since 530. I was hungry and losing hope so I made a stop at the Bagel Guys Deli in West End for a quick bite. It's a place I was 

familiar with because it was our go-to when I worked in the psych unit at Monmouth Medical about 10 years ago. I ordered an everything bagel, scooped out and toasted, with scallion cream cheese and a large coffee. I was shocked when it came in at just below 11 dollars. 11 dollars? I asked the lady how was it so expensive and the twenty-something girl behind the counter looked at me cross-eyed. Everyone else who ordered just took it on the chin and held their phone up to pay. I was using cold hard cash and thought it was just to much. I knew she was thinking "Old-man where have you been?". The large coffee was $4.50. That's is too much, especially for an average cup of Joe. Although the bagel was spot on. It all just added to the start of a disappointing day.

     I drove south and headed to the start of Deal thinking I'd just find my own fish. Maybe I should fish some structure and might find a cruiser or two sniffing around for some bait in the trough. It was just before the flip from high to outgoing and there was plenty of water from the nicely cut up beaches from the recent storms we had a few weeks back. 

     It took me about twenty minutes to get out on the rocks because memory told me the last time I was here I face planted when my near flush studs took me for a ride off the top of a large flat rock. I found a good perch and fished, well made a 100 casts before landing another hickory shad. That just added to the bad taste from the overpriced breakfast. I was feeling the day was done. 

     I had committed to the day. This was going to be my fishing day. If you live close then these kind of outings are hit and miss and don't mean much in the end . Hit them to not there's always tomorrow. But when you live far away and make plans for "this day" then the hopes are high. I thought about just heading home and catching a 1 o'clock staff meeting, but that wasn't my original plan, and I was sticking to it. But while crossing the Mansaquan Inlet makes me feel like Washington Crossing the Delaware what almost drove me west was the thought of having to sit in all those lights down Main Street in Asbury Park. In the back of my head I was just looking for a reason to bail out. 

     As I made my way around Fletcher Lake I saw a few birds high in the sky so I parked and looked. There was some bird action north into Ocean Grove just on the other side of the off-limits pier. A few guys were fishing off the ends of the short groins heading up towards Asbury Park. Between the piers I could see a head boat approaching, it was Captain Ron's The Fishermen, and I thought, "If he's this south then this day sucks". And it was, and it did. 

     A guy waking past stopped and we talked. He said he had fish the evening before on the lower tide. It seems late afternoons have been the ticket. But it wasn't noon yet and I had no intention of making this a twelve hour day. I was done. 

     I could have made a right before the Shark River Inlet and headed home but I thought at least a drive down into Sea Girt might be worth it. That drive through Belmar gives you a good view of a good portion of those beaches. There were a few boats and a few guys out on the groins. In the 

distance I could see a bunch of boats in tight. I stopped near the old Essex-Sussex House. When I looked over I was at Mercer Street, my new adopted county, and I thought it might be a hidden good luck charm. I brought out my real camera in case there was something happening on the beach. As I stopped at the stairs I met up with Bill Hoblitzell who was just getting out. We talked and he too confirmed that it has been a late afternoon thing with some mid-day action in lower Monmouth to down in Ocean County. He made me feel a tad better when he said this has been a tough fall. 

     We watched as the boats shuffled around each other working the large bunker pod. In was more of a line of bunker extending from Long Branch down to Spring Lake. In all my stops, and watching the boats, I saw more snag and drop fishing then anything else. I didn't see snag, reel in, rehook, and drop, so I guess most are using those "legal" circle hook contraptions I talked about the other day. 

     Now what to do? I missed the opportunity to swipe in at work to put a few dollars in the kitty. I wasn't waiting for the drop later in the day. But I wasn't done. I still had hope. 

     I drove north from Spring Lake into Belmar and over the bridge. I like Bradley so I parked and figured this would be it. In recent years I've been lucky to have made stops around there and have been one of the first ins to a solid blitz. Maybe history would repeat itself. I watched as boats stayed close to the inlet on the dropping tide. Maybe the bait was being flushed out on the drop and bass were patrolling the outgoing water. But the boats were annoying to watch. As soon as the birds would gather up they would motor in, and through. If you look above you can see what I saw, birds just off East End Avenue. 

     I walked up and out nearly doing another Triple Lindy making my way from a deep trough in front of the beach end of the groin and up onto the rocks. I made my way to the tip and of course birds always look closer then they really are. But there was life in the area and for the first time I felt optimistic. I was feeling good until that stupid US Army Corp of Engineers survey boat came and made it rounds up and down both sides of every groin and as tight to the beach as it could. It couldn't have been a good thing churning up every inch of the gin-clear water that may have held fish. 

      After the survey boat moved out the birds started to bunch up again. I was in position and ready. Then here comes the boats. You can see above what I'm talking about. And just like that it fizzled out. The boats motor in and then turn and motor around to the next flock or bunker slick. I stuck around for a bit walking the beach like a loser before calling it quits. 

     Back at the truck I took off all my stuff and broke the rod down and actually put it in the rod tube. Usually it sits in four pieces in the back sliding out from time to time when I open the door in the parking lot of Home Depot. Not only was I done for the day, but might be for the 2025 fall run. 

     But before I drove around the Shark River and to get on 195 I went back into Belmar. There were birds doing what birds do. It would have taken bluefin breaching to get me to get my stuff all together and back on again. And as I watched I could hear the roar of the motors as the boats moved in and sat birds down. 

     And just as I watched the action through the long lens I could hear the sound of another motor entering my ear canal. I looked up and there was that G-dam survey bait running down the beach. 

It was the nail that sealed an already sealed coffin. I thought back to any potential action I might have had on the end of the groin in Avon. I thought of Frank Pallone and another round of beach replenishment. I thought that today sucked. It was torture. If I had a bazooka I would have gave aim, just to make me feel better. 

     When I got home I looked down on the speedometer, 147 miles traveled for todays outing. I don't think I'm doing it again. This is Quit #1. While I may be tempted to venture out in 24 degree morning weather in early December for "An epic sand eel bite" I think I'm done this year.

11.22.25 Don't get caught taking one for the table...

 

     Last month the ASMFC approved Addendum III to Amendment 7 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass. While we know the Board kicked the can downtime road in terms of reductions in harvest for the recreational and commercial sectors, they did make some changes which will become law. One of them is how to properly, and legally measure striped bass.

     During the meeting I kind of turned it all off in my head once they decided to not take some action in regards to reducing the harvest numbers which may have included some No-Target and or No Harvest seasonal closures. But now the measuring stuff comes into play, especially since we're now about to enter the medium sized fish fall run. Historically, in my opinion, it's giants early, normal sized fish next, and then the micros when your guides ice up and you're pissing out of your balls. 

     Measuring fish has always been a thing when you're taking one for the table, telling your buds how big your fish was, or when claiming you best your PB, or personal best. Let's be honest, 26 inch fish easily become a keeper, 28 inch fish a 30 incher, and a 46 inch fish a 50. The only real way to know is to take out a tape measure and measure it properly. When I catch a larger fish and want to know it's weight I take its length and girth and do the Length x Length X Girth / 1200. When fish are rounder then they are longer weight becomes a better indicator then length if it was a "good fish". 

     Anglers have, for ever, pinched tails, even snipped tails off, to make them legal. We see the Edward Scizzorhands moves in effect when it's summer flounder season. With New Jersey's 3 fluke @ 18 inches catching 17-3/4 inch fish all morning can tempt some anglers to take some drastic, and illegal, action to put one in their stomach. 

     But now when it comes to striped bass we know how to properly measure striped bass, from Maine down to North Carolina. This becomes important when you have a slot limit. When it's over and unders then it's just one length measurement, but in a slot you have two. Currently the ocean wide slot size is 28 inches to "less than" 31 inches. Ocean fish are basically those fish out front, excluding the Chesapeake and other waters that have specific limits. And New Jersey has their Bonus Tag program, which is one fish 24 inches to less than 28 inches. Less than 28 inches fellas. 

     To properly, and legally measure, striped bass the tail must be squeezed together. It must be a straight line measurement after squeezing together the upper and lower forks of the tail. It can be a double edge sword. It can help you when your fish on the sand comes in at 27 -1/2 inches, and hurt you if it's 27 -3/4 inches unpinched. And if you're having problems with the later, remember the fishes mouth must be closed. Opening it up wide will lessen the length. 

     Massachusetts did a study regarding pinched, natural fan, and forced fan total length measurements. I would assume the study, of 413 striped bass that were studied, was to see how many fish get included or excluded in the tight slot window. 

     And you're not only inning and outing fish by size, but year class as well. We only have a few good years before the last seven year YOY drought. In the end, and I always say it, dead striped bass are less striped bass. 

     And tis' the season for bunker, whatever the reduction boats didn't harvest this year. Peanuts, cupcakes, and adults make their way in and down depending on the wind. Remember, west is best. I'm going to do a post on wind and fishing this winter after doing some research. When the wind is from the west the bait hugs the beach and fishing is good. When anglers reach their frustration limit after throwing plugs, metal, and rubbers, that's when the old reliable snagging hook comes out. 

     Snag and drop used to be a thing before treble hooks were banned when using live bait. But don't think for a minute everyone is in compliance. In order to reduce mortality they made using circle hooks law when using live or dead bait. But alas, those crafty couldn't leave that go-to type of fishing alone. There would be no snag a bunker on a treble and transfer it to a single circle hook. That'll take too long and they might miss the bite. So they used their brains and came up with an alternative. 

     "You say I can only use a circle hook for snag and drop?.....Take this". So what we see now are weighted circle hook snagging hooks. I'm not judging, but, is that what the ASMFC and the states had in mind? Does it effectively reduce injury and death to fish that are snagged and then released? I don't know. It's either guys just pushing the legal limits, or it's a smart alternative to 10/0 treble hooks. 

     When "they" said circle hook, did they mean circle hook(s) on a single set-up? I don't think so but I checked New Jersey's Saltwater Marine Fisheries regulations (above) and didn't find any specifics, just circle of J-hooks for striped bass. I am sure you will see the regulations and wording change to a single circle hook when using live or dead bait in the future. 

     And then in the funny but not so funny post of the week. So here's what I think is a glide bait. They've been a big thing for freshwater largemouth bass and are now being used more for striped bass. There are plug guys, metal guys, fly guys, and there's glide bait guys. Sorry, and girls too. 

     Glide baits generally have a set, or pair, of treble hooks, one on the front half of the lure and one on the back. If you haven't seen the action of them then they're pretty cool when you see them swim. 

     But, like other baits that have a pair of treble hooks, you never know how the striped bass is going to attack and attempt to swallow it. The above pic doesn't bode well for "Swam away strong". If that boat has a, let's say, upper and lower, set of hooks then they're going to have to open up a surgical suite and call the on-call trauma team in to remove that bait. 

     Besides the surgical procedure involving sausage sized fingers and rusty needle nosed pliers, anesthesia wasn't paged so there's no airway management going on, and the additional time out of the water isn't good. And if that rear set of not-pinched treble hooks snips the gills, they better have a few units of O- on hand at the blood bank. 

     The Heimlich maneuver won't save this fish. It'll save a human whose kid swallowed a rope of mozzarella off a slice from Pizza Hut but not from those turkey bones lodged in the family dog's throat next Thursday. 

      So go one set a trebles on the head, flags off the back, and barbless hooks only. You can say what you want but remember God's looking down on you when you're trying to rastle those hooks from deep down in the gullet of a bass with blood running down their lateral lines and into the water. 

 

11.21.25 Nice date day out in Lancaster...

     I've posted before about Sight and Sound Theatre out in Ronks, Pa, Lancaster County. If you haven't been then you should put it on the list. Set amongst the farms and the Amish sits a huge 

building that houses the theatre. There's room for 2,000 people and just about show is sold out.

     We go every year and have seen some of the best Bible stories there are. Jonah, Esther, Jesus, Daniel, Miracle of Christmas, and yesterday Noah. They built the most incredible sets which usually include an assortment of live animals. Below is a pic of the set looking inside the arc, if you know the story of Noah.

which usually include an assortment of live animals. Below is a pic of the set looking inside the arc, if you know the story of Noah.

     So yes, while it was date day I have to admit at times my mind drifted off thinking what was happening down on the beach. Today's Friday, I in the nursing home with the kids, this weekend is the Atlantic Saltwater Fly Rodders Fall Classic, and there's fish around this year, BUT, I am so close to being where I want to be as far as stuff around the house. Donating this weekend to fishing just isn't in the cards. 

    Even if you love Satan, or are an atheist, you should go out to Ronks and check this place out. Tickets are on sale for next year's show, which is the story of Joshua. See you out there Monday.

11.20.25 Some nice fish within range...

     ...at least with the spin rod. Above is my buddy Tommy who sent me this pic to no doubt make me jealous. That would be a great fly rod fish. What kills me is the photo. If the shooter was thinking vertical then how about less of the sky and getting his feet in. And maybe stepping back a bit to get the whole fish in the image. I'd also recommend bending down and getting his head and the fish above the horizon line. To me, this would be a great horizontal image. 

     But again, whole fish in the pic and from a lower angle putting him and fish above the ocean line in the back. Turning a bit would have that mid-day sun light up the entire fish, if it doesn't spot burn where he was fishing. The fishes dorsal fins and spines are up and that always looks cool against the sky. 

     I know people take quick shots to get it back in the water but I hate to see a potentially great photo missed. If you are out there on the beach think about your angles, getting the entire fish, the background, and lighting before you shoot, especially if it's a good fish or your personal best. These iPhones capture great images these days. Don't forget the Portrait option from time to time especially if you're fishing in a line of blitz chasing participants in the back ground. It'll isolate your subject and blur out the background. 

     And if you're grabbing a quick pic in low light consider using your headlamp as a light source. If you put it to wide it'll give you good balanced lighting. Consider taking it off your head and holding it from a different angle for more dramatic lighting. 

My countdown to fishing is T-minus four days. I'll lay off the chance to dance with the weekend warriors and will be out there Monday on the hunt, or at least the drive around. 

11.18.25 Who cares about your bass on the beach...

     We got HEAT! Well, it's coming. Above is the first fire in our new wood stove. We have to have three fires to prime the stove up before we can full nuclear and turn on the blower. BIG investment for us coming in around $7,000. Lot's of pre-work had to be done including chipping out the back of the fireplace, re-finishing it, and running the vent all the way out the top of the house. But, it should pay us back in dividends. The goal is to use some natural resources for fuel instead of all that oil we burn just to keep the house at 60 degrees. Yep, 60. It can cold in this big old house, and hot in the summer.

     Looks like I was right passing that intel along yesterday. Seems the bass hit the beaches from northern Monmouth to northern Ocean. Now I can't escape all the boat and shore based pics no matter what I do. Looks like it should be good for the next few days. I'm out till Monday, hopefully there's one or two still around. 

11.17.25 And so it begins....

 

     Well, well, well. It's only a matter of time. All those bass, either out past the three mile line, inside the line, in the bays and rivers, or along the beach HAVE, well choose, to move south. Eventually they will pass by you, most out of range, but every now and then, they're in close.

     John from Betty and Nicks gives a daily update, which pisses some people off, regarding the general idea where the action has been. It seems like Monmouth County is starting to see some action as those Raritan Bay bass peel around the False Hook and those fish that were hugging the New York beaches around the Rockaways have started to move. 

     What does that all mean? Not much unless you go, and put the time in. Fish in Monmouth County? Well that could be from the tip of the Death Walk down to the Manasquan Inlet. You might be able to find them at 6, 8, 10, 12 , 2 or 4 o'clock, if you're in the right place at the right time. If you're lucky they may be in Monmouth Beach and if you're in Long Branch they may show as they move south. 

     If you don't have a crew then your cell phone won't help, but some binoculars and your truck will. They're on the move, and you should be as well. These fish don't hold like they used to, especially in those towns that Frank Pallone and his cronies have ruined with beach replenishment. 

     But, it seems, the fish are here, or around, and not boat fish. It's wood burning stove installation for me today, 12-hour shifts in the hospital tomorrow and Wednesday, and date day on Thursday heading out to Lancaster for Sight and Sounds NOAH. Then it's back to the long-term care facility with the students on Friday. So, you won't catch me out there. Catch em' up.

11.15.25 I hit the Inter-state Fly Tying Symposium....

     It was 730 and I had to make the quick decision. Do I hit the International Fly Tying Symposium or not? I didn't feel like making the hours plus drive up to Somerset and was worried it would throw a monkey wrench into my continued push to get things done around the house. Mondays a big day here as we're getting a wood stove installed at the house. I had already turned down a boat trip in Raritan Bay with Mike Ferraro due to to many things on my plate. But I went anyway.

     When I pulled into the parking lot there were a ton of cars. Like a lot. But I realized those lots held vehicles for two hotels, plus anyone working or attending the show. I had missed the first push waiting line to get in since I got there at 910, ten minutes after the start time. 

      The first thing I noticed was the lobby outside the Somerset Ballroom was empty. Last year there were some vendors outside like Brad Buzzi but this year it all fit inside. To note BuzFly was missed this year and while walking around I heard at least four guys say, "Where's Brad set-up this year". many, many people come to this show just to buy tails. I hope all is well with him.

     Inside there was an early show buzz. Tiers along the perimeter and vendors on the inside. To be honest the International Fly Tying Symposium, which boasted tiers from around the globe, should really be called the Interstate Fly Tying Symposium. In the past tiers from England and Norway, Italy and Scotland, and Canada and Belgium attended but now are from states with counties like Ocean and Monmouth (NJ), Sullivan and Nassau (NY), and Monroe and Lackawanna (PA). In fact, almost all of the attendees just needed a current EZ-Pass account rather than a passport to get here.

     By 930 tiers were set up and most had a visitor or two stopping by to say hello or see what was being tied up. I didn't see the vending of flies going on like I have in the past. Most flies were on display, rather than grouped into categories by price. I know the shows charge a bounty if you are vending and tying rather than just tying. But the action was inside the four walls.

     J. Stockard Fly Fishing, a big catalogue company from Connecticut, made the trip down and took over the Hareline/Keogh/AHREX/Regal Vice space in the middle of the floor. They had some Keogh stuff in the middle but it wasn't the must pick through vibe like you see at The Fly 

Fishing Show. At any time, especially right after the doors blow open, you'll find a guy with all kinds of capes, necks, or saddles draped over their arms. 

     I walked over a couple of rows and found Joe already working the bottom of one of the bins at the Classic Fly Fishing booth. He is one of the best pickers I've ever seen. He had a bag full of stuff and probably got the pick of the litter. I went for $9 grabbing two packs of flash and a bucktail at $3 each. When I showed him the one long pearl flash he said, "Where'd you find that?", leaving me feeling I snagged something he would have grabbed. These booths always 

kill it at the shows with folks looking for those tough to find materials or heavily discounted stuff. It can be not only fun but good savings as well. Not all welcome booths like this because they can have a negative impact, in terms of cash flow, on the other vendor's booths. This row of booths was strategically located towards the back of the floor. If it was in the front when you first walked in people would have stopped and spent and then left. As the minutes ticked the traffic at this booth grew. Just about everyone who turned the corner stopped in. It was the place to be. But there were a few other places to browse as well. 

     I stopped to snap the above picture because I was drawn to the guy looking at the vices. Like I predicted the vice makers sat this one out. Last year Renzetti, HMH, Norvice, and Regal were all in attendance and trying to get their slice of the vice pie. But this year it was just Steve 

Silverio holding it down with Regal. It says something when fly tying vice manufacturers decide not to attend an international fly tying show here in the United States. Again, these shows are changing, and not for the better, and it becomes risk vs gain, or investment vs return. And as I've said that doesn't fall squarely on the Furmisky's back, but on a combination of costs, buyer patterns, like the internet and catalogue, and overall interest in this sport. 

     But it wouldn't be fair to say I left not seeing something cool. Jersey's own Joe Nicosia was set up across from the picking booth tying away some flies. "I've been tying up a ton of Albie 

Whores", he said. It's funny. I remember a few years back when the Cancel Culture was strong and hit just about every part of life as we knew it, and Richard Reagan's creation, the Albie Whore, wasn't spared, depending on what shop or retailer you were buying them from. These days you can find that fly, with its original name, in most of the big shops. But, to be fair, I can see when and maybe if, you might have to roll an alternate name. 

     Let's say a Dad and his daughter stop by Joe's booth for a look. She is drawn to the pink and chartreuse flies that lay on the table. "Dad, what are these?". "Well, Cindy Lou these are Albie Whore's, great for when albies are on white bait". So then Cindy Lou writes in down on her Christmas wish list to Santa, "Santa please bring me some Albie Whores". Oh, and that list, she reads it out loud to her 6th grade class. I know, I'm old and soft now. In reality Joe would just have told the pair these are Albie Candies and left it at that. The guy around the corner was offering his flies, the Anal Intruders, for sale. Good luck with that. 

     But Nicosia demonstrated something cool he is using for the heads of these AWs. He's using a glue gun to make the heads on the fly. In the past two-part epoxy, and then acrylics, both in hard or flex, were used. Watching him tie and apply was interesting. If you look at his table he's one of the more organized and tiers I know. Everything is neat, works, and perfect. He's a great fly tier. He had out a few squids he tied with Bob's Fleye Foils which I wish I took a picture of one of them, or slid one into my pocket. I'm kidding of course. 

     I noticed fly angler, guide, and tier Son Tao on my way around. I don't know him and never met him but see his name from time to time in the magazines and on social media. He's comes 

from Pennsylvania, well resides there now, originally from Vietnam. He's become a big proponent for Project Healing Waters having picked up fly fishing after his service in the United States Army which he joined shortly after 9/11.  

     So it may have sounded like I had a long morning at the show. Truth be told, all of the above, plus a trip to the ATM machine, a stop for a bagel in the lobby, and a cleanout in stall #2 in the men's room, had me ready to leave at 1010. All that fun in 50 minutes, at .40 cents a minute, and cash only please, for the $20 entry fee. 

     I said good-bye to John Kavanaugh who was sitting in the lobby on my way out, "That didn't take long", he said. He was right. Unless you were there for the early pick, or to see someone, or catch a seminar or fly tying demo, then it's a quick browse and go. I did stop 

and poke my head in to Tim Flagler's seminar on "What trout like to eat and how to catch them", but I didn't stay. He does a great job with his tying productions and seminars. 

     Well this one will be my last. I'm good. The show needs to morph into something else, which could include being swallowed up by The Fly Fishing Show and incorporating them together. I'm sure they are two independent businesses and there's the whole business side of merging them. But if it wasn't for the picking booths there wouldn't have been that much of a buzz. I feel fly fishing right now isn't doing all that well. Guys and girls still fish, still tie, but the excitement and the passion, at least for me, has subsided. Shows used to be a must attend by the who's who in the industry, but not any more. It's a one night hang at the show, and you don't know if it's the Friday or Saturday. Pick the wrong night and you'll be choking down microwaved chicken nuggets with a beer at the lobby bar, with people you normally wouldn't hang with. And the poor state of the striped bass fishery, don't get me started. The ASMFC. Slots. Bunker boats. Three-mile line violators. All boat fish. Shitty pics on social media. Blah blah blah. 

     I thought the above image was something. Last year this back row was lined with people. Not this year. In their place was a poster remembering Bob that was on display at the show last year. If he was in that poster looking out I wonder what he would think of how fly fishing and tying is going these days. But at least he was in eye shot of the picking booths.