01.21.26 "Hey, what's in your wallet"....

     "A $1,750 fly rod, that's stupid". "Ridiculous". "Overpriced". "Not needed". "I'd never pay that". "Lefty and Clouser said you don't need an expensive fly rod". I say to each his or her own. 

     Interestingly enough, and I'll see it this weekend, is I'll pull my 2002 Chevy Silverado with 300,000 miles on it into the parking lot at Edison and see just what everyone is tooling around in. I'll see vehicles old and new. I'll be envious of some of the pick-ups people have, especially the Chevy's and GMC's. They'll have big wheels, all leather interiors, four doors, LEER caps, 

and the DECKED storage systems in the bed. Throw in a roof rack with some long rod holders and they're all set. Those rides will cost you probably somewhere between $75,000- $85,000 dollars. I again used ChatGPT for the above image and had to laugh, it does so good, until it comes to the reels. What the hell are those things?

      While we both will wind up at TFFS early Saturday morning the difference lie in the start of our journeys. When I get in the cab and sit on the well worn seat I'll hope the truck turns over. And I pray, as I always do, that the homemade bed doesn't fly off on while on the road one day. The other side will wake up, go and take a leak, look outside and hit the remote start, with the heated seats, to get her ready for the ride. If I wanted a heated seat I'd need to bust out a lighter. 

     The point of all of the above is, no matter what kind of ride you're in, they'll both get you to where you want to be, but the confidence and experience may be different. And that brings me to the latest in fly rod technology and pricing. 

     So I did a little research from when I got my first saltwater fly rod. It was around 1999 and Choinard hooked me up while I hung around and occasionally worked at The Fly Hatch between shifts at the firehouse and the hospital. Back then the rod Orvis was 

pimping was their Orvis Trident PM 10+ rods. I'm not a techy guy so I don't know the difference between all of the rod technology out there. But below is a price list for the series,

     So in 1999 Orvis's top of the line 9 weight rod ran $495 dollars. Remember that when I circle back. And I'm sure someone is reading this saying, "See things were cheaper back then". 

     That brings me to the newly released fly rod from G. Loomis. For the saltwater anglers the "Asquith" would be for you offered in a range from 8- 12 weight rods. So I looked up "Asquith"

during a quick Google search and found, "Asquith is primarily an English surname of Old Norse origin, meaning ash tree wood". Funny, when I saw the price tag I thought it meant, "expensive", "overpriced", or "sucker". In the presser that G. Loomis released they explain this update in this series is "the most technologically advanced fly rod series ever produced". Well, haven't we all heard that before?. Remember, Orvis's newest was the "...most accurate ever". Loomis also states that the Asquith "...is purpose-built for passionate fly anglers who demand a rod capable of elevating every cast, presentation, and moment". But hey, don't we all want that? 

     This line of rods run from $1,635 to $1,750, the higher price for the 10, 11, and 12 weights. They are made with a "Spiral X Core" which means nothing to me, and probably most anglers. They are "rolled" over in Kumamoto, Japan and handcrafted in Woodland, Washington. Oh, well there you have it, now I see it. 

     If you know then you know when a new product comes out people love to get their hands on one and do a review. Now, for those invited to the try-it-out party, they get one from the manufacturer to try out and do a review. Most aren't paying retail prices for them which can lead to a biased review. They don't want to be that source, a magazine, a blog, or a dealer, that puts any such product or company in a bad light, so in the end they go easy as to not ruin that relationship.

     I read a review over at Flylords, written by Max Inchausti. He explains the rod and his experience in testing it. Again, these reviews are more for the fly gear techy people, not the average anglers out there. But below was Inchausti's take, or Final Verdict, 

     The line that got me was, "For the price of a new Asquith, anglers could get a new rod, reel, waders, and boots". Tru dat. This is for a very niche fly rodder, one that has very deep pockets. But to be fair all of the big rod manufacturers have crested the $1,000 mark. Although TFO's top 

of the line saltwater rod, the Moment, tops out at $649. It uses what they call a "Kevlar weave" in their technology, which again, means nothing to me. But like other companies out there

they have attracted the big guns to be a part of their team. Above is a picture from the TFO website featuring Blane Chocklett and Flip Pilot. If a $649 fly rod is good enough for them, maybe it should be good enough for you. I also saw a picture of Blane on the TFO site with a 

big bull redfish talking about another of the TFO's rods, The Blitz. That rod is touted as their best seller and comes in at a swallowable $499. You can see and hear Blane explaining it below,

To be honest anything that talks about redfish these days gets my attention. And truth be told I'm not here to boost up TFO over another company, but when you talk price point I had to look what's out there, and supported by the big names in fly fishing. Over the years we've seen Kreh, Clouser, Popovic's, Chocklett, and Pallot all part of the company. And if you compare them to a NBA basketball team that a pretty good starting lineup. 

     A lot of people want things that are made in America, although they shop on Amazon and Temu for the best deals for anything and everything. Companies are slick these days as they label their products, "Assembled in America", or, "Made in America with Overseas Parts". But that's for another time. Truth be told a ton, if not most, of all of the products you buy, in whole or in part, come from some overseas manufacturing company. In fly fishing that goes from flies, to waders, to rods and reels, and all of the apparel. Let's just be honest. 

     TFO is a big company. They have Canadian and United States "branches" with the bulk of the manufacturing taking place in Incheon/Seoul area of South Korea. I found an old "How It's Made" episode on You Tube which explains where and how TFO rods are made,

     But not all of their rods are built overseas as their Blue Bight series, a spinning rod line, is now exclusively made in Texas. 

     So what does money mean these days compared to 1998 when I purchased my first Trident PM -10+ for $495? Of course we think, and rightfully so, that things these days are far more expensive than they used to be. That goes from eggs and milk, to vehicles and houses, to fly rods and reels. I did a quick search to see what $495 from 1998 would look like today.

     If I were to buy that same rod today it would be about $1,000 dollars, which is just about where most of the upper fly rod price points are today. An example would be the Orvis Helios D, which comes in slightly higher at $1,198. But the Asquith, with that Spiral X Core, would be almost twice the cost. 

     The question is what company is going to hit the $2,000 fly rod first? It's funny how no one wants to ever be the first when it comes to the highest price. Back in my old guiding days on the 

Upper Delaware most lodge and guides would charge a max of $495 for a two-person drift boat trip. They figured that extra five bucks would deter people from booking. But if you add in a tip for the guide they were over that anyway. These days a guide trip will cost you a few bucks more with the West Branch Anglers at $550, Crosscurrent $575, and Dette's at $625. I have heard of some owner-operated guides already hitting the $700+ mark. 

     I've been out of the Upper Delaware guiding game since 2014. It was May of that year when I did a three day back to back to back run to end my guiding career. Above is a great picture of me and Charlie "Bunky" Limpert getting ready for a day outside of Steve Taggart's place where Charlie lived in what he called "The Sugar Shack", which was an apartment over Steve's garage. 

     While I always try and keep my licenses up to date I let my New York State guide license go. I was guide # 6225, and I'm sure the number these days is much higher. On my drift boat and truck was the National Park Service (NPS) sticker which meant I was a legit guide, as far as insurance and the required permits go, which included both NY and PA guide licenses. At the time NY's fee was $125 for five years, while PA's was $400 annually, which sucked. I was

NPS sticker number 11, and back then the lower the number you had the better, well, really it just meant you had a lower number. If you know then you know. So what's the reason I went down this rabbit hole? I guess was to explain the cost of things today. Truth be told when I first starting guiding the price tag for a day out on the water was $325, plus a tip, or not, for the guide. I think back on how much money I didn't make while guiding up there. Driving from New Jersey, the gas, the tolls, the gear and flies, the lunches, the shuttles, and the lodging, which some nights included sleeping in my truck to save the money. What was the point of getting a room at the Capra if I wouldn't be getting into bed until midnight? Add into that the insurance and fees, plus a cut if I was working for another guide, lodge, or outfitter. Not a good business move. But it was fun. I tip my hat to those guides that get it done, and don't just support a habit like I did. 

     Today I'll make my way into my fly tying room. I'll need to dig around and find my fly tying stuff to sit at the Squimpish booth this Saturday and not embarrass myself. And during that I'll be editing down and getting rid of things I don't need or use and pack the things that will head down to South Carolina, God willing. I'll also be looking at my gear, my rods and reels, and figure out what's still serviceable or not. So much of my stuff is beat to hell and is past it's life, but, I won't be replacing any of it soon. So for me an Asquith is out of the question, no matter what a Spiral X Core would do for my cast or the pressure I could put on a big fish. If there's one at TFFS this weekend I'll go and put hands on it, just to say I touched a $1,700 fly rod. 

01.20.26 And so it begins...

     If you're family, well more my Mom, is like ours then you know. There's something about a Mom's love that's different than one a day gives. And Mom's love, just love, when their kids were young. And there's no better way to celebrate Motherhood and witnessing as their kid hits all the milestones in life than saving...everything. It's a bitter-edged sword. While discovering all those things that have been tucked away it usually means boxes upon boxes of "stuff" that takes up visual and physical space. All you have to do is take a venture down into the basement or attic for proof. 

     I've, mostly for the good, am a chip of my Mom's own block as I have tons of "firsts" from my kids early lives. And one thing that is a super positive, is after you've lost one, finding these keepsakes can really be a beautiful albeit emotional, experience. 

     But then the question is what do you do with it all? For me, a lot of this stuff has made the journey from Red Bank, to Verona, to West Orange, back to Red Bank, to Middletown, to Ocean Township, to Deal, back to Red Bank, before settling in in Titusville. That some trip, and a lot of heavy lifting. Over the years I've added my own keepsakes, from days in the firehouse, a billion pictures of houses, celebrations, and vacations. Throw in that another bunch, like a ton, of bins of old Lionel Trains, and I could star in a re-make of Sanford & Son. 

      During an edit of my dresser, well not my dresser, but one of those wooden dresser storage valets, I found some things I've been holding onto. They've been around for 57 years now. They're my first curls and my first tooth, which my Mom harvested around my first birthday. 

     So the big question is what to do with them? These days kids want....NOTHING. And if they did want something it wouldn't be my firsts. I called my Mom and filled her in on my discovery. It's funny, when you're the oldest, you take on the role of gatekeeper of family keepsakes. So in the end I let the First Tooth go but kept the My First Curl because it was personalized. 

Imagine I'm worrying about two items that are a little more than a quarter in size. Yeah, how am doing? 

01.19.26 If you're looking for a boat in mint condition...

     Winter isn't only a good time to tie flies it's also a great time to buy a boat. Boat owners are either buying up or selling out. Also, like in fly fishing, it's show season, and the New York and Atlantic City shows are in January and February respectively. 

     When I saw Jersey guy Joe Nicosia had listed his boat I told him I'd put it up on the blog just in case someone here was in the market for a new ride. I'm not a boat expert, but I can tell you Joe is mentally-meticulous and clean, just look at his fly tying table when you see him at Edison this upcoming weekend. 

     What he's selling is his 2021 Layton Bay Backwater 16'. It's the perfect boat for someone wanting to fish the rivers and bays with a shot out front on good weather days. I'm sure Joe has pushed the limit and has taken it out a bit further off the beach. 

Here's the particulars;

     I've seen the boat out on the water and, most importantly, tucked away inside Joe's garage. This is a garage kept boat since it was delivered, and that's big. Theresa and I stopped by 

to drop off a push pole for the boat on our way down to Cape May in May of 2024. So if you're looking for a boat, but not a big boat, that can fish you inside and out front, without the big boat feeling and problems then start to do the numbers and figure out how you're going to ask your better half if and when you can buy it. Joe has it listed on The Hull Truth for another look, HERE.

     The current asking price is $29,900. I saw a reply on THT where a guy said he's building the same boat now with Layton and it's running just over $40,000. 

     And what does $30,000 get these days? Not much. In my planning on the move south I've been thinking, "Do I really need a pick-up anymore?". There's plenty of anglers that tow boats with vehicles other then pick-ups and my HOA fees will take care of the yard work, but then there's always those Yard Sales, oh wait I'm done with those, forever. 

     During my solo tour of Bluffton I stopped by the local Chevy dealer. It's been a while since I looked at a new vehicle and the $55 - $78,000 price tags threw me for a loop. One thing I can say you can't find just a new pick-up anymore, long gone are the days of a bench front seat, plastic floor coverings, and rims that come in less then 20 inches. 

     When I came home I looked up Chevy Tahoe's. I'm figuring I could tow with that since I don't need the bed in the back. Want a used 2018, an eight year old vehicle, with 58,000 miles on it? Well that'll run near $29,000?. "It's just been broken in....", yeah, no thanks. That would come out to $480 per month for 72 months, that's six years, at a rate of 12.58%, with $8,995 down. With a 700 + credit score. Six years from now would be 2032...... and the odometer would surely be over 125,000 miles, in which it would then be "broken in", if not broken. 

     You can find Joe on Facebook or message him off THT, or drop me an email and I'll get him in touch with you. It's a great boat, and it's time for you to be back on the water, before you die. 

01.18.26 Back from the Lowcountry...

     Sometimes trips wind up giving you more than just a pause from everyday life. Heading to any destination during their busy season can bring the best weather, the best fishing, the best restaurants, the best experience, and with that the busiest of crowds. We've now been down to the Hilton Head area three times over the last four years. We took 2025 off due to Tara's wedding and our trip to Ireland. Thankfully, Theresa found a deal with her timeshare putting us at the Barony Beach Resort for $400 for the week, and chose to celebrate her 60th alone with me down there. 

     It was no doubt different weatherize when we got off the plane in Savannah last Friday with temps hitting the high 70's, but that was short lived. The cold spell that hit from 

Maine down to Florida in the coming week had us bundled up with first light temps in the high 20's. So in our travels down there we've experienced the Africa-like temps of their summers and now they're dead of winter Northeast type of winter. Being there off season limited us as far as 

activities like the beach, pool, and dining, but gave us the opportunity to explore the area some more, and the possibility of confirming in our minds where we just might wind up. 

      While it was intended to be a vacation it really became a working trip, both physically and mentally. We didn't "do" Hilton Head and the Lowcountry but used our time to do a lot of exploring of the various towns and communities in and around Hilton Head. We didn't eat out a 

lot and most meals were of the fast food and take out variety. For the meals we did sit down for it was usually at one of the restaurants they had in the respective communities we visited. The 

first two days we were camped inside Latitude Margaritaville where we had our heads and hearts set as that being our go-to place. We did several open houses through the last weekend and came away with the feeling that that place was for us. And for each small roadtrip we took I was always stopping to scout out the water and the various boat ramps that would hopefully see my boat trailered down to.

     Out travels took us to Savannah, Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head which was our base camp, and to Savannah. Theresa has a handful of friends already down there so she was able to visit them while I tagged along. The trip to Charlestown took us to the city center and the parking for the restaurant we were going to was $35. I told her there was a firehouse right near there so I popped in and asked if I could park in the back. In the end I wind up having a beer with the ladies before retreating to the firehouse for a hang in the kitchen for a couple of hours. And with each stop and interaction we had we always asked questions to increase our knowledge of the area and people's opinions of places to move to. 

     During a few of those conversations we were advised on things to consider before a move down south, which included being "sure" on Latitude Margairtaville. A friend of Theresa's friend lives in Sun City, a place we had dismissed, and invited us over for another look. I thought to myself, "Okay, I'll go, but we already know", being nice, but really thinking it was just a waste of time. But after being there, and rethinking out position, we came out with the lucky realization that Sun City was for us. Game. Set. Match. And so it began. 

     Sun City is a large, almost town like, 55 and over community located in Bluffton, well most of it, splitting Jasper and Beaufort Counties. It's broken up into four neighborhoods, or time of existence, the South Side, the North side, Riverbend, and the new and under construction West Side. Homes there vary in size and price, with the most affordable, but oldest, in the South, and the newest in the West, where they're higher in price. The thing that this trip did for me was confirm that moving isn't as much as a buying a home, but buying a lifestyle. One that's just not for me, but for Theresa as well. In the back of my mind I always keep the possibility of me checking out before she does, and what will she be left with and where. 

     That friend of a friend signed us in at the gatehouse and we had a two-day pass. We checked out the Town Center, the three golf courses, gyms, and amenities centers, and ate at two of their restaurants. We stopped people and asked questions, a lot of them. Yes, it's a 55 and over community, and a lot of these folks have been there since the jump, which puts them around 80' ish. But, that's also means those people are aging out and moving on to greener pastures, if you get what I mean, and new blood is moving in. We saw plenty of people in our age bracket, and the ones that were older were far more active and in better shape then we are anyways. 

     We hooked up with a realtor that we had sat with at Sun City in 2023. Even though we told her we're at least a year away she gave us the full tour which started with a stop at the new build sales office. And then we were off. Sun City can be a bit overwhelming with the various neighborhoods and models to choose from, but we liked what we saw. 

     If we moved, or when we move, we are looking at about a 1% real estate tax rate coupled with a $3,000 a year HOA fee, which covers everything from the amenities to the landscaping. That would come out to about $6,000 a year, far less than the near $20,000 real estate taxes alone we are staring down in New Jersey. If that alone didn't rattle my brain then the house choices did. 

     Too small? Too close? Privacy? Those HOA rules? All things to consider, but we'd be buying a lifestyle, not a custom built home on a large wooded lot. No basements, most no stairs, perfect for that post-stroke living. No more leaking, flooding, drafty, grass cutting, snow shoveling, New Jersey living? Sign us up. Now nothing is perfect, and the grass isn't always greener, well it is down there, but the consensus when asking many about the regrets of relocating down there, "We should have done it sooner", adding, "It's hard to find good pizza and bagels." But we found good bagels, and it's just outside the gates of Sun City. 

     Last year a couple from New Jersey opened Nosh New York Bagels. They're made everyday in New York and flown down to the Lowcountry and cooked onsite. The only 

negative was they don't sell those containers of white milk that I like to enjoy with a scooped out and toasted bagel. But once down there I can bring my own and save a couple of bucks at checkout. 

     And then the question is what would we do down there? How many ceramic crafts and exercise classes can you take? Would we take up golf or pickle ball? Moving down there would probably mean we'd still have to work but how many people hang up their work belts at 58 and 60 respectively? I could, and would love to, learn that fishery and start guiding again. Sitting in Sun City, where 278 and 170 meet, means I have a straight shot to the waters around Hilton Head and Beaufort, depending on which way you turn. And both put you on Port Royal Sound and out into the inshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Or we could put our multi-state nursing licenses to work. 

     While there we did some job searches and Theresa applied for a job and I stopped into the two colleges which are literally attached by border to Sun City. I met with the Dean of the Nursing program at Low Country Community College and she asked when I could start. The other is the University of South Carolina Beaufort- Bluffton Campus, which has a baccalaureate degree nursing program. I could walk through the woods or take our golf cart to work. That surely beats that commute I had to Essex County College, or even my current gig at Capital Health in Trenton. 

     So we left Hilton Head with a plan, one that we communicated with our real estate agent, "We'll see you in 2027". But then after some talking to each other, and a conversation with my Dad, "Why wait?". And that twisted up my head yet again. Yes, why wait. The only thing we physically have as a life changing anchor is the house, a place where we lay our head and have our worth tied into. And then of course we have our hoarding disorder stuff, and lots of that, but truth be told, anyone who's up there in age and has lived in a place for a bit, has too much stuff as well.

     While looking at Zillow can be like looking at a picture at yourself with all kinds of filters added on, the price of real estate just always seems to go up. I have to laugh at Zillow's 

$968,800 estimate, but anything remotely close to that would be a big win for us. How nice would it be to live without a mortgage and car and school loans, and of course those oil deliveries, each month? Over at Redfin they have a more realistic range of our home's worth  

coming in between $771,000 and $933,000. But getting ourselves and this big old home ready is going to be a huge undertaking, and that would be in time for a spring 2027 move. And what about an early summer 2026 move? Well probably delusional. But really what has to be done? First, get rid of it, all of it. They say when you move down there, "If you have to store it you don't need it". And what's funny is how many storage places there are located around 55 and over places from New Jersey down to Florida. My parents just downsized and they to have a selection of storage units they need to rid themselves of. 

     So yesterday it began. The start of a new chapter that may take 12 weeks or 12 months to write. We made a pile and dropped it off at the local church thrift store, picked up a bunch of those yellow and black bins from Home Depot, and then started with the what and what doesn't go down with us. 

     So as I wrap this post up I look out at a second round of snow falling here in Titusville. Yesterday's firing up the snow blower was fun but today it'll be a drag. And looking at the picture above I ask, if that's me to the left do I want to be working on the house and blowing snow in my Golden Years? And really how many years do we have left, and good ones at that? I remember the conversation between Andy Dufrense (Tim Robbins) and Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan 

Freeman), in the 1994 movie, The Shawshank Redemption. (Yes, that came out 32 years ago). When Andy said to Red, "It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying". Well now I have to get busy shoveling before getting busy packing. 

01.16.25 That stopped me in my tracks…

    While Theresa enjoyed some time in our room at Barony Beach Resort I took time to take a drive and scout out the neighborhood around Sun City in Bluffton. As I drove around I turned into the local Cracker Barrel and was stopped in my tracks when I saw the above. It was a beautiful Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman sitting there in all its glory. I got out and took a look before heading back to my truck to just sit and stare. That could be me and my boat one day.

     Of course it’ll take some planning, and money, for me to get my sled looking like the one above. In my Jones Brothers dreams I would drive my boat down to Donnie Jones in Moorehead, North Carolina and have them return it to its original glory like when Jim Matson purchased it new in 1996.

     Since I purchased the boat it has sat in my yard more then it’s been on the water. Yes, it’s seen the Delaware River and the waters in and around the New York Bight but it’s sat underused just waiting for her time to be deconstructed and rebuilt from the hull up.

     Over those years I’ve washed her up and have shown her some love but what it needs is an overhaul rather then some boat soap. I started the process by removing and selling the radar and motor, which was an older 175 HPDI, and one that most boat mechanics don’t want a part of. 

     One major issue with these old Jones Brothers is the construction using wood and metal gas tanks. I’ve learned that around 2006 they made changes to more sustainable construction.

       It was in November of 2019 when I sold my Cape Fisherman, HERE. She was a fine boat pretty much exactly as when it was made in 1998. I added a new trailer over the 

years to complete the perfect package. I sold that boat because I was opening my private practice and knew that one day I’d have to address the tank issue. Coupled with that was our move to Titusville following Ryan’s passing thinking I wouldn’t get much use of it out there. While most say the happiest days of boat ownership are the day you buy and then sell I have always regretted my decision.  

      While I prefer to fly fish with waders on there’s no doubt that having a boat can allow for more opportunities to be on the fish, and that’s no where more evident in and around the Jersey Shore these days. I’m looking at the fishery in South Carolina and a boat is a must. Fishing flood and low tides in and around those estuaries on foot can be near impossible, and dangerous at times. So, if our move to South Carolina is a go then making plans to arrive down there with a rebuilt boat will be part of the equation.

     I have several friends who are Jones Brothers owners, both old and new. Some have used third parties to do the work on them but I would prefer to send it back to the Jones Brothers factory if possible, and affordable. Part of that may be stripping the boat down to it’s bare bones and putting it on a new tandem axle Load Rite trailer for her ride to whatever shop will do the work. That’ll also include repowering her with a new Yamaha 150 hp 4-stroke. 

 

     So as I tucked in my truck out of the brisk South Carolina weather and pictured that being my boat, which Theresa describes as my ongoing boat envy, I could see this becoming a reality. This persons boat is towed by a newer van, and the idea of tooling around Sun City in my current 

half-handmade truck isn’t part of my dream. There would have to be a new ride in front of my new boat of course. Now I just have to make it all happen.