02.20.25 And she's off....

      Bon Yoyage! Well the SS United States cleared all the US Coast Guard hurdles and on Wednesday she left her berth in Philadelphia and started the journey to Mobile, Alabama. It's a feat since she has sat in the much and mire of the Delaware River since 1996. 

     By this writing at 330 am on Thursday she has cleared the mouth of the Delaware Bay and is heading out into the Atlantic Ocean for a parallel trip along the coast down and around 

around the tip of Florida to inside the Gulf of America before settling in for prep work in Alabama. Sorry, I'm one of those who likes it called the Gold of America. It's a body of water that sits between North and South America, well actually, not really. You can see where North ends and South begins below. 

     Now, while people are all butthurt about the renaming, probably more so because who named it than actually the name, it does falls within North America, so, it kinda makes sense. Remember when we went and all kinda renamed things a few years back? Now the name of Gulf of Mexico has been around for awhile, like a long time, since 1550 when Spanish sailors first sailed into it. 

     If you are stuck at work over the next week you can check the progress and location of the SS United States in real-time HERE. Hopefully all goes well and the people who are doing the heavy tugging remain safe. While many hoped this once fair Lady could have seen a better fate it will create a new underwater world for marine life and those that like to submerge themselves down into their world.

02.19.25 Looks like some weather's coming....

      In the next few days it looks like Virginia and and parts of Maryland are going to get hit some big snow. I hope it doesn't touch us as I am so done with the cold. I'm also done with paying for oil to feed the 100 year old converter coal furnace which keeps our house a balmy 60 degrees. 

    But there might be some good with the weather for the striped bass. Horse winters and a nice spring can mean a solid spawn, which the striped bass are in desperate need of. As we look at the striped bus numbers we have plenty, well a good amount of SSB out there, it's the younger ones that we don't see. 

     The question is the location of the snow. We see down near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay are the highest totals, near 20 inches. That snow pack will melt and just head ou to sea in the spring. The James, York, Rappahannock Rivers may fare better as the snow totals are up in their headwaters region. The Potomac, a spawning powerhouse of a river, well depending on who you talk to, is seeing it's greatest accumulations below Washington D.C, so that melt won't get down and deep in the earth and feed the river like if the heaviest snow was above D.C.

Who know's what it all means for the striped bass. Here on the Delaware River it' running about 7,800 cfs, which is good, but that only after the deluge of rain we had over last weekend. We need things to be steady, not extreme, for the fish, and the fishing, to be good. 

02.18.25 Be careful what you wish for...

      It was last July when Don Vaccaro purchased a home on Nantucket's Sheep Pond Road for $200,000 which was pennies off of the $1.9 million dollar market value price. While the home and views are amazing, Mother Nature and the receding shoreline are not, at least to people who own homes in paradise just steps from the beach. I first wrote about this in an August 2024 blog titled, "Oh, the sand just keeps moving... everywhere", HERE.

Photos by Kit Noble, Nantucket Current

     Sadly, Vaccaro and his family were only able to enjoy one week in their new oceanfront house during 2024. Luckily he owns the house next door so while it's a shame at least he has a few more options, but not much real estate, before the other home becomes in jeopardy of falling into the ocean. In January of this year the town ordered the home unsafe and to be demolished. 

     That road, Sheep Pond Road, has seen a number of homes forced to be abandoned due to the shrinking size of the beaches in front of them. I'm surprised there's not a Frank Pallone, Jr. up there like we have down here in New Jersey. Imagine if Frankie boy lived up there. The beaches would be replenished far and wide and all would be good. He wouldn't be able to handle it up there, there's only 14,000 people, and the votes, he might be able to count on. That would be equal to about the population of Eatontown, New Jersey. Not enough water front living buds there either.

02.15.25 You can blame this one on NJ.com....

      This past week during one of my internet surfing breaks I scrolled through the NJ.com website. This site is, or was, the digital version of the once printed, The Star Ledger (TSL), New Jersey's largest newspaper. If you go on the site now you don't see any mention of TSL but more of NJ Advance Media, the parent marketing company for several "newspapers" in and around New Jersey. 

Reading The Star Ledger- Rescue 1 kitchen- Mulberry & Lafayette Streets- 2001

     During my 20 years in and around Newark The Star Ledger was the first thing you went to buy in the morning, especially on the way to the firehouse. It was during a time when newspapers and television, not cable, were THE source of local, national, and international news. If you wanted to keep up on the news around New Jersey, and the hotbed of things in Newark and Trenton this was the source. Not only was I a reader, but I also worked for TSL as a freelance photographer starting around 2005.

     Let's just say over the years TSL has morphed from an independent middle of the round, well kinda, publication to a more left-leaning liberal source of news, or what some would call, a rag. Media and journalism have become so biased and leaning, either way, that it's hard to find, and be comfortable with, a news source that just gives you the facts, and not the opinions and skewed reporting we see today. 

     So while I usually pass by articles regarding politics and the economy the above headline caught my eye. Why? Because it is relative to my current position in life. New Jersey and teachers. Hey, I'm one of them. I'm a card carrying member of the NJEA and the Essex County College Faculty Association, which is our Union. Seeing that a district needed $65 million dollar loan to "keep paying its teachers" piqued my attention. So I clicked on the story.

     But after I clicked and read it I saw how misleading the headline was. This wasn't just a district that can't pay it's teachers, it's a district that can't support itself and it's needs far outweigh it's ability to pay for them. Lakewood is a 9-square mile town in Ocean County that is home to about 107,000 people. Of that number about 55,000 of them are school age children. Of the 55,000 about 5,500 attend Lakewood's eight public schools. 95% of the enrollment in those schools are black and Hispanic. 25% of the children in the district, not just those actually attending Lakewood Public Schools, are listed as needing Special Eduction Services. That's about 13,000 students. So outside of the 5,500 of the 55,000 that go to public schools where do the other 49,000 children go? 

     The 49,000 go to private schools and or need to be bused, by law, if the elementary or middle school is greater than 2 miles away or 2.5 miles for high school. Now if you opt out and choose to attend a private school, like a Yeshiva or a Catholic High School, then the district buses the kids there as well. Those private schools fall within or outside of Lakewoods borders. Most of Lakewood's kids are bused to and attend one of 160 Jewish day schools. For some students, as dictated by religious rule, they are not permitted to ride the bus with the opposite sex, or even students from a different school. So most of these buses aren't filled, there may only be a handful on each bus. 

     When I was a kid I was bused from Millstone all the way to Red bank Catholic and the bus would  pick up and drop off kids from public and private schools in Freehold, Holmdel, and Lincroft before the final destination on Peter's Place in Red Bank. When I tell my kids my growing-up story it's something like, "I caught the bus at 430 am....."

     I checked in over at app.com, or the Asbury Park Press, to see if they were on this news story as well. Their headline was a tad more neutral, less skewed, and more accurate. In my opinion I would put the APP in a separate class with TSL, as far as actual reporting is concerned. But journalism these days is similar to fisheries management, it comes down to money and politics, as does everything else. 

     Lakewood's 2024-2025 school budget is $309 million dollars which was voted on by the Board of Education. That INCLUDES a portion which counted on $104 million dollars coming from the State of New Jersey in the form of a loan. What's the $104 million for, well if you ask TSL, it's to pay the teachers. If you ask the APP it's to avoid a budget shortfall. Now listen, Lakewood is educating about 6,000 kids in their public schools. I educate about 150 students personally each year up at Essex County College. This isn't just about teaching, in fact how much teaching is going on in Lakewood? And with that I mean putting the kids butts in the eight public schools seats vs private schools. 

     What the big ticket item down in Lakewood is busing. The cost is about $30 million dollars per year. But remember only about 6,000 students attend public schools there, and how many don't need a bus, or aren't entitled to busing since they fall within the the 2 or 2.5 mile radius where busing needs to be provided. There's another cost, bussing students to out-of-district schools, or Yeshiva's, which costs about $70 million dollars in tuition and additional transportation costs. Now that would all be fine if a towns population handled their own shit. But in Lakewood they demand, and are allowed to by law, to have those costs offset by New Jersey, or, really the taxpayers of New Jersey, many who have never visited Lakewood. They do that in the way of loans. A loan is something that is borrowed, but then paid back, generally. 

     The push this year, in their 2024-2025 budget, was for New Jersey to cough up $104 million, but the state capped that at $65 million, in two $32.5 million dollar payments, one to hit their back account in February and then in May. People are up in arms, "How will we get our kids to school and educate our children?". Maybe they need to come up with a different plan. 

     Since 2014 Lakewood has received $238 million dollars from New Jersey to help educate, and bus, their students. The loans are supposed to be paid back within 10 years but this agreement seems to operate outside of the rule of law. The state loans are as follows-

• 2014-2015- $4.5 million
• 2016-2017- $5.6 million
• 2017-2018- $8.5 million
• 2018-2019- $28.1 million
• 2019-2020- $36.0 million
• 2020-2021- $54.5 million

The 2021-2022 request for New Jersey State Aid, or a loan, was rescinded when the Federal Government awarded Lakewood $108,972,306 million dollars, which is a large chunk of New Jersey's $2,766,529,533 that the state received, as part of the March 2021 ARPF - ESSR, short for American Rescue Plan Fund - Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. That fund kicked $122 Billion dollars to states and school districts across the United States. It was during the start of the Covid pandemic and below was the outline the NJBOE laid out as to "allowable" needs for the ARP- ESSR, 

Here's how Lakewood cancelled their request for the state loan, which was $70,716,798.

• 2022-2023- $24 million
• 2023-2024- $50 million 
• 2024-2025- $65 million ($104 requested)

How can you continue to ask for monies each year if you haven't even covered the first loan? And what will Lakewood ask for, or demand next year, $150 million dollars?

     And to be fair the busing situation isn't just occurring within Lakewood's town borders. As the population of that town has migrated out into Toms River, Brick, and Jackson those towns are feeling the pain that comes with the cost of busing as well. For years private bus companies, like Jay's Bus Service in Lakewood, have had private contracts, all under the Lakewood Student Transportation Authority, which was formed in 2016. And there's costs there as well, in 2022 the Director of the LSTA, Avraham Krawiec, was paid $257,028 while his Assistant Director Schlomo Pichey, was compensated $113,539. The LTSA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit tax exempt "Authority". 

     These days the big gun media businesses, and that's what they are, money making businesses, are focusing on what the Federal Government is doing. Every minute of every day people are mentioning DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, with some running scared that their gigs are up and the fraud and money train is going to fall off the rails. Maybe New Jersey needs a DOGE, or at least people in charge who spend our tax money responsibly and don't keep throwing it at programs that benefit only a small representation of the residents of our State. 

You can thank NJ.com for this post.

    

02.15.25 God, where does the time go...

     Recently I've taken some time to start digging through those dreadful storage bins I have. You know the ones, those that have every type of thing you've ever done, seen, or saved throughout the various stages of your life. Well I've uncovered some real gems documenting my 57 years on this earth.

     Before I became a husband, father, fly fisherman, photographer, EMT, fireman, and nurse I started out in the family business hanging iron as a Union Ironworker. Saying I was "hanging iron" might be a push because, to be honest, I was average at best. Maybe if I stayed in that profession you'd be reading a blog called, "The Average Ironworker". But I did, from time to time, get an opportunity to work in what they call the raising gang. That's the crew of 5-6 ironworkers and operating engineers that work directly with the crane and unload, shake out, and assemble the open iron that becomes the skeleton of buildings and bridges. 

 

     Times are different, no doubt, in all aspects of the world and lives we live today. Back in the day those who had connections, like I did due to my Dad who's an ironworker and owned a steel erection company, union books were obtained in two ways. You either served an apprenticeship working up to journeyman ironworker, or for a little donation and a back-doored meeting, you could buy a book. Well mine came in the way of the later. 

     I got in during a time, when I think, men were men. It was a time when Mom's stayed home and held down the house and the kids which is the hardest and most important job out there. Yes, fathers made the baseball games and mowed the grass, usually on the weekends, but the stops at the gin mills and shaker joints after work were part of the game. And while there was drinking during lunch break and after a long days work, back in the day, drinking occurred during working hours as well. And sometimes, like, heavy drinking. The OSHA's and the patrolling safety officers at every construction these days would have a stroke if they went back in time. There were no random urine tests back in the day. Beers lined the outriggers on the crane, went up in the bolt buckets, and could be found tucked inside the webs of the columns where the beer cans stood in the shadows. Not all change is bad, I guess.

     I think what gets me more than my age is how construction sites look in old pictures. These days you'd be hit with a felony if you got caught walking the iron without being tied off. And most times these days the use of man lifts bring you to the point where the connections are made. Years ago nets were draped over the iron to catch anyone who fell. The only thing about that is that if you fell and landed on the steel below you would pretty banged up, or dead, but your body wouldn't hit the ground.  

     This is stuff from forty years ago. These days I have a hard time remembering where my keys are and when I last ate and I'm closer to natural death then my natural birth. But lucky for me I'm a saver so from time to time I can dig around and see where I've been and the things I've accomplished during my good years. 

02.14.25 Nice commute home with Abe Pieciak....

      After a long day with the kids in the hospital I gave my phone a check while still in the Clara Maass parking garage. On Facebook my buddy Abe, of Marthas Vineyard artist fame, was just sitting down to do a Facebook Live fly tying session. It was just what I needed to keep me company during the long drive home. 

     It was refreshing to watch someone go back to the basics and just sit down and tie. Abe focused on tying Bob's Bucktail Deceivers which is a fly that morphed out of Lefty's Deceiver. The difference is Popovic's stuck with bucktail through and through while Kreh used both bucktail and schapplen feathers out the back. In recent years we have seen a plethora of tiers sit and spend a lot of time creating works of art on flies, that may or not be fished, Pieciak kept it simple and demonstrated that quick and simple ties not only look good enough but can be effective when fished. 

     

     Abe is a tue artist, and like many, his works can be easily identified as soon as you see them. To me, his signature works are those created paining an outer thing, like a fish or a part of one, a crustacean, or even an outline of his beloved Marthas Vineyard. Inside he paints baits, mostly plugs but sometimes flies, to fill in between the neatly drawn borders. I first saw Abe's works hanging prominently in Bob's attic or at The Shady Rest. 

      Last year during my annual trip to the Vineyard I was able to stop by "The Shed" and spend some time inside his studio where he both paints and creates works used from recycled materials found around the island. His series of the "Smoking Gull" can be found in print, apparel, and in woodworks. 

     As I drove down the New Jersey Turnpike I fond myself amongst the truckers and commuters which are normal for a February evening. While the weather and scenery may change with the seasons it's basically the same thing all year round. Even as I pulled in my driveway it's the same neighborhood with the same people just tucked inside now due to the cold and dreary February weather. But I thought of Abe sitting in down up in the Vineyard. It's off season up there, which means it's the resident only skeleton crew of die-hards who call the island home, all year round. 

     During the summer season, where the number of people on the island goes from 20,000 to 200,000, it must be really annoying to those people who hold it down all year long. That can be said for any touristy destination such as the Jersey Shore from Sandy Hook down to Cape May. But this is an island, and there's really no where to go, unless you jump on a ferry and head over to the mainland. 

     While the Vineyard is a wonderful place to visit, and fish, it must hard during the off-season to keep it together, both physically and mentally. Touristy areas shut down during the off seasons, people either Snow Bird or choose to vacation themselves, and I would assume the cold, and with less people around, must get lonely from time to time. Now some people thrive in isolation, but I can only talk to myself, and the same people, only so much. 

     And living in a seasonal destination location is a different way of living. Our friends in Cape May who own a lovely home near the beach, my sister who lives in Saranac Lake, as well as people on the Vineyard,  choose to defray the costs of living in paradise by moving out and renting their houses during the silly season of summer. Imagine being "stuck", if you will, indoors during the winter months and then having to move out of your house just as the gettin's good. But in places that have homes with a price tag that exceeds the income to debt ratio and with high taxes this has become an annual ritual for some. 

     For those locals that depend on the onslaught of tourists to make a living, in the food, hospitality, fishing, entertainment, arts, and maintenance, the winter months must be a financial dry spell during the wet and wintery season. It must take a financially prudent person to manage monies between the cash drought of now and good times when the invaders come by car, boat, and plane. I guess if you're lucky you have a year-round hustle, either in the teaching, medical, bar and restaurant (if it's still open), or police, fire, and public works positions.

     As I joined Abe for the two-plus hour presentation I couldn't help but think of my own plans for this year's trek to the Vineyard. Long gone are the days of finding a cheap place to call home before that third week of June's summer rates kick in. Even with VRBO and Air BnB a small place will run you $ 2-300 a night, that's if you want an indoor shower, a place to boil some water, and a private bathroom. And if you do find a place then you have to add to the trips cost getting there and back on the ferry. Add in gas around the island, food while you're there, a few stops at Coop's or Larry's, and you're looking at a hefty bill, all to fish that may or not be there when you're there. In recent years the only thing that's been there are the winds, everyday, and from all different directions. 

     As Abe laid down the bucktail on the long-shanked hooks I was brought back to the simplicity that effective fly tying can be. No reverse ties, no multi material ties, just some bucktail, some thread, and some glue to keep it all down. Like he said last night, "You can play with it like you want", and I took that as wise words from an artist, who stays away from "Keeping up with the Joneses", in the latest social media tiers of today, and just keeps it simple in a way to please both himself and the fish he throws them to. It's his testament to the innovators who came up with the original patterns that still get it done today. 

      When I finally plopped on my couch he was tying up a squid fly, which can be deadly on the Vineyard when these cephalopods are on the hunt for sand eels and baitfish. While I haven't been on a boat on the Middle Ground or fished Wasque Shoal off of Chappy, I have encountered squid from time to time while on foot, usually at night. It's a nice break to throw bigger flies at patrolling striped bass different from tiny black sand eel flies, white bunny flies, and even crab patterns during the daytime hours. 

     This spring I'll definitely add some squid flies to my arsenal if and when I get around to putting a trip together. And I'll just sit down and tie it like Abe did last night. Without the pressure and the rules of how, with what, and in what order we have to tie flies these days. For me I'd rather take my cues from those that tie and fish, rather than those who tie and display. In the end it's all good, "Just positive vibes", as Abe said several times last night. 

02.12.25 Nice to see the kids all grown up...

      There are some things that make my job worth it. I can tell you if you're going to make any good money in nursing, education isn't that track. But what does make the pain of a lower salary tolerable is the joy you get seeing your students out in the real world. 

     I met Mary in the fall of 2002 when she started at Essex County. Over the next two years, through hard work and dedication, and through thick and thin, she persevered and graduated and successfully passed her NCLEX licensure examination this past July. 

    This week while teaching clinical at Clara Maass Medical Center I found her holding down her position in the Emergency Department. While she found it hard to break from calling me Professor we talked like colleagues. There's something to be said, and to be proud of, when the apprentice passes by the master. If you or your family find yourselves in the CMMC ER and Mary is your nurse you're in good hands. 

02.11.25 Is this going to be a trend?...

      A month or so ago I wrote a post regarding wintering over striped bass. I touched on things happening north of the border and in known wintering over waters such as the Housatonic River in Connecticut. While the ASMFC close to punt any changes in regulations for 2025 things are brewing inside state waters from the south to the north.

     While we're still trying to determine if the ocean side 28 - 31inch slot is good for the striped bass populations plenty of places still allow harvesting of smaller fish for the cooler. New Jersey's Striped Bass Bonus Program allows for anglers to harvest fish 24-28 inches. On January 17th Maryland published their regulations for 2025 for recreational and charter boat fisherman allowing one fish in the Chesapeake Bay with a size limit of one fish 19 - 24 inches. That goes from May 15th till July 15th and from August 1st through December 10th. There's a closed "season" from July 16th through July 29th, which I think was once their "Trophy Fish" season. Pennsylvania allows anglers fishing the Delaware River to keep one fish 22- 26 inches, from April 1 - May 31st. 

     But an interesting thing came out of Connecticut this week when Senator Brandon Chafee put up proposed  bill H.B. 6248. That bill calls for the moratorium on fishing for striped bass in the lower Housatonic. The reason, "To restore the population of striped bass in the lower Housatonic River." Chafee, a Democrat, proposes this on the heels of talks of "No Harvest" and "No Target" during the ASMFC meeting in December, both of which failed to be included in any change of regulations for 2025. 

     So while the push is to protect large spawning striped bass we continue to target, and kill, the smaller fish from 19- 31 inches up and down the East Coast. The smaller fish are still spawning fish, just not of the magnitude of the larger females. Killing the smaller fish, which are the future of striped bass, and targeting the last few decent, at best, spawning year classes is a death knell for the striped bass' future. 

While I am sure Chafeee ruffled some feathers up in Connecticut will the future of protecting the striped bass down to the individual states and the rivers and bays that fall within their jurisdictions? Some talk the talk but then push to satiate the shareholders, both recreational and commercial, but using the data and "science" to skew the numbers but all the while allowing more, and smaller, striped bass to be harvested. 

02.10.25 That big ship didn't go anywhere...

     As I talked about in an earlier post the SS United States, a 1,000- foot long ocean liner, was scheduled to begin its journey south to Alabama this past weekend. It was stopping there before being sunk as part of a reef building project off of Florida. The ship was purchased by Okaloosa County, Florida and will be sunk about 20 miles southeast of Destin, Florida. 

     The ship has sat at Pier 82 since 1997. It was supposed to be moved temporarily to Pier 80 before making its way down the Delaware River to the open ocean before landing at Mobile, Alabama. If successful it will be the largest artificial reef project in the world. 

     The United States Coast Guard's delay in the two-week journey has been ruled "indefinite" with no new target gate announced. Honestly, I'm thinking this could go down as one of the greatest maritime tow jobs ever completed, or the biggest debacle ever to be witnessed by millions of people. 

     While the idea seems to be right and noble, I'm not sure if all the logistics, and common sense, were considered. If anything goes wrong in the Delaware River it will surely 

cause an environmental and economic disaster. In addition, how will all those shad, herring and striped bass get past it? I can just imagine this thing turned on its side somewhere in the Delaware River, hopefully not near any of the bridges it needs to be navigated around. 

     The SS United States was the flagship ocean liner that was built completely in the United States. It holds the record for the quickest transatlantic voyage by going from New York to England in 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. Sadly it has sat for years after being stripped of all of it's beauty and elegance and is now just a hulk of a ship, which could, possibly, become home to all types of marine life off the coast of Florida, or in the Delaware Bay. 

02.09.25 Is it a Super Sunday?...

      Today all eyes, well as least 120 million, well 240 million if everyone that has two, will be watching Super Bowl 59 tonight when the Chief's play the Eagles. That's a lot of people. For us, who moved down into Eagles country eight years ago, all that is The Birds is evident everywhere you go. While the big game is playing down in New Orleans this year the signs of fandom can be seen just about everywhere in and around Philly. I'm sure it's the same in Kansas City. For me I hope the Eagle's win, kind of for Saquon Barkley, and kind of not for Patrick Mahomes. 

     Last year when Joe Biden was our president it was the same thing. Just a pause in the nuttiness of all things politics for a day when social media, television and cable, and the airwaves were focused on the big game. This year Donald Trump is in office and on this day the same hype and anticipation for the 630 PM start is in the air. 

     It's been a few weeks since Trump took office. While I'm no fan of politics, politicians, and Trump, it's easy to get drawn into the fevor and quagmire that is news, both real and fake. Depending on who you watch and who you talk to these days are either the start of a new beginning or the end of the world. While things are bigger than us, meaning country and worldwide affairs, most of us just continue to do what we do with little change in our day to day lives. 

    Yesterday, just a day before the Super Bowl, Theresa and I were out and about for the usual "we're both off on Saturday rounds". It started with a drug test to re-up my Captain's license, a trip to the Trenton Market and the Dollar General, then a final stop at Wegman's across the river in Yardley, Pa. At each stop I looked for signs of the end of the world but surprisingly didn't find any. 

     The days of every house having a political or social movement sign are gone. The ones that are still up are in the yards of people that don't do such a good job of staying current with their homes upkeep. Remember a few years back when planting a sign in your yard let everyone know who walked or drove by that you were "On the right side". That's all gone these days. Also gone are all the billboards and signs regarding Covid and all things vaccines. That's a good thing, as hopefully that scourge and pandemic is behind us. What's funny is if you drive down 95 through Philadelphia there are still Kamala Harris billboards up, maybe they plan on switching them up to the ambulance chasing lawyer ads when the weather gets better. 

     While some folks always have their heads in the sand as to what's going on in the world around them there's something to be said for keeping your head down and your energy and focus on ourselves and our families. Yes, everything is big and global now, maybe more so than ever, but are things really all that bad?

     Without knowing all the ramifications of "Putting America First" I must say I'm all about putting America first, while not putting anyone else down. I do believe in taking care of our country and citizens, and its visitors, first, before lending a helping hand to those around the globe that need it. When something happens abroad, I hope the world responds, each doing what and as much as they can for the greater good. But we have been doing too much for too long, at times abandoning, and hurting, the United States. It's akin to being told to put your own oxygen mask on before helping the person seated next to you on a plane. 

     But if you're going to go "America" then there are sacrifices and practices you have to be willing to make. The internet, now global, has killed local mom and pop brick and mortar shops for the ease and the cost of cheap products made overseas and delivered to our door within hours. We preach one and practice another. Most of us have become used to not living within our means, and then complaining about those basic necessities which are the biggest draws on our checking accounts. 

     In my visit to the Trenton Market, Dollar Tree, and Wegman's, which represents a cross section and the diversity that is Mercer and Bucks County, I didn't see the division that was once seen as soon as you went outside your house or drove to work. On this day it was all things green and Eagles. From cheesy dollar store items to expensive charcuterie platters, everything and everyone, just about, was brought together by todays game. That's not to say everyone, some have left the NFL a few years back when social issues and the sport became too polarizing, and some never cared "about a stupid game". 

     If I cared enough, and with just a click of a mouse, I could immerse myself into all things bigger then my day to day life. There's Trump, and Musk, and DOGE, and the border, and Gaza and the Israelis and the Palestine's, and all the changes that are being made by the current president, who, pretty much ran the table during the election in November. I don't know what's good or bad with all of it, but I do sense a lot of people are running scared, but who really knows, the only thing I can look to are the biased reporting and presentations between FOX, CNN, The New York Times, and The New York Post just to name a few. 

     Sometimes old things need to be blown up and started anew. That could be from something as easy as a room remodel, new landscaping, your own health and wellness, and I guess even parts of our government and the people that run it. But as I have learned, blowing things up are only good if you have a solid plan for a rebuild. And for that to happen you need most of the people that are involved onboard. 

     Since Trump took office here's some of the things that I have seen that has brought people together, or not. Wildfires decimated counties in California. The fly fishing shows continue to make their tour across the country. We've had two airline tragedies occur in the United States. Beyoncé won the Grammy's. Luka Doncic was traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers, if you a basketball fan. Gas prices have come down a few pennies for each gallon. Egg prices continue to be unstable. To note, we purchased two-18 packs from Wegman's yesterday for $15. If we went organic we would have paid more. And with that I'm sure the price of chicken wings is up these days. How many wingless chickens are there leading up to today's festivities? 

      I have to admit I get sucked into the routine of checking my phone, from the first thing in the morning to last thing at night. Most of the time it's on Facebook, where I get sucked in into quick videos of dancing couples, things fishing related, Dave Portnoy's pizza reviews, and memes or shorts poking fun at people, which is usually themselves doing it to themselves. But there's also updates and connections made regarding family and friends who welcome a new edition to their family, the death of a loved one, or a kid going off or graduating from school, and of course hero shots of the one that didn't get away. 

     It also includes checking the news, I don't know why I do that but I do. It's usually biased one way or another and doesn't lead to fact finding and allowing the reader to decipher what is real vs fake. But not all the news is bad. Yesterday I saw that a large group of tourists were heading out 

to sea for an 11-day cruise board "The Big Nude Boat". In a time of "crisis', as some would say, and with so many unknowns yet to be answered, 2,300 people planned, and paid for, the opportunity to be united with like-minded, and unclothed folk, to come together for a winter vacation. There's no MAGA or BLM hats or shirts, no Chief's or Eagles jerseys, just good old stripped down boobs and asses, some I'm sure padded with too much adipose tissue, enjoying the suns warmth while criss-crossing the Caribbean. I don't know what that scene looks like but I'm sure for every 10 you see there's a 2 strutting behind them to ruin whatever moment of excitement hits your brain and your loins. That's for guys and girls on board I'm sure. 

     But for most of us today will mean too much food and drink, a late night in front of the tube (if it's a good game), a shortened sleep, and an early day up and at it tomorrow morning doing that we do. If we, and I, just turn it all off, and take care of ourselves and ours, while ready to help someone everyday, those that pull the big strings won't be able to make, or ruin, our lives.

     For sure we will wake up divided, and for some pissed off. Pissed off at who won, how the refs interfered, how the half-time was great, or not, and how much money, they say 1.39 billion will be wagered today, was won or lost, from the office pool to the internet gaming sites. It will be a 24-hour social media and news dump until someone or something (T)trump's the days news. And then we'll be back where we started on Friday, looking for the next thing to hyper focus on and be pissed off about. 

02.08.25 Trying to figure out who the good guys are....

      Above is a just a quick illustration of how some of the 14 parties as part of the ASMFC Management Board voted this past week on one issue regarding Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for striped bass. That's a lot in one sentence.

     Trust me, I can't come up with this stuff alone and look to the insight and work done by Charles Witek, who pens the One Anglers Voice blog, HERE, Jim Hutchinson of The Fisherman magazine, and additional press releases and published articles. While I do my due diligence in attending the virtual meetings and offering public comments it's daunting to figure out and know, correctly, how this all runs and what it's all about. But when I'm twisted up I look around to those that have a better understanding of it all, even if I don't always agree with the positions I read. 

     What I do know, or believe, is that fisheries management comes down to money and politics. This isn't PETA holding bare-your-breasts (for men and women) sit-ins for the betterment of the striped bass. Behind our favorite fish are shareholders, like commercial and recreational interests, as well as industry sectors- like tackle shops, tourism, and the like, which all want a part of the cash that goes with pursuing, and either killing and eating, or catching and releasing, striped bass. 

     The ASMFC Board consists of voting interests from 16 "parties". There's the 12 states along the East Coast, one district, that's the District of Columbia, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and two federal agencies in NOAA and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. So that's 16 all together.

     Each "interest" puts forth three representatives to make 40 commissioners with the exception of DC, the PRFC, NOAA, and USFWS, which each have one. The three are broken down by 1) The head of the state's marine fisheries department, 2) A member of the state legislature, and 3) A governor's appointee who has "knowledge and interest in the fishery"- per the ASMFC website. 

     So New Jersey, who I think is the the devil reincarnated in regards to striped bass management, brings forth the following to the ASMFC Board. They are,

1) Joseph Cimino, ASMFC Chair, from the NJ DEP

2) Jeff Kaelin, from the LUND Fisheries (Commercial)

3) Senator Vin Goal

     There are two "ongoing proxies", Heather Corbett, of the NJ DEP, and Adam Nowalsky, a former head boat Captain out of Atlantic County, former ASMFC commissioner, and current member of the NJ Marine Fisheries Council representing Atlantic County. 

     So first what is a "Ongoing proxy". Well, there's two types of proxies. According to the ASMFC the "Ongoing proxy serves in the Commissioners stead whenever the Commissioner is not in attendance and will represent the Commissioner at any/or all board meetings unless there is a named proxy for a specific board". Now there's also a "Permanent Proxy" which ...replaces the Commissioner in all aspects and appears on all lists as the Commissioner-in-fact".

     Hey I get it. There's a meeting, you wife is about to deliver your first child, and you need a fill-in. That way the world doesn't get held up by you not casting your vote. But to have someone jump-in all the time? C'mon man. Please. Are we that dumb out here? 

     I always wondered about all of this because I could never understand while Adam Nowalsky is always around and throws a monkey wrench in anything good for the striped bass. So basically he IS Senator Vin Gopal when it comes to the ASMFC Board, but remember just "on-going". 

     Senator Vin Gopal must be really into fishing and striped bass to be on the Board. It's open to any member of the state legislature and I am sure among them here in New Jersey there's a die hard angler amongst them. I Googled "Vin Gopal and fishing or striped bass" and got a fishy related Bill that he co-sponsored. It was back in 2022. That bill looked to make the first

full week of June, "New Jersey Fishing and Boating Week". Impressive. Looking into some of the Whereas's, you can read all that is good about New Jersey and fishing,

     Now, let me be clear. Yes, fishing and kids and families are just nice. I loved fishing with my kids when they were little, but they never took the bait. When I'm into the zone and doing my thing the last thing I want to see is some parents introducing their kids to the sport. Sounds horrible, yes. Introduce them to the sport in July. At times seeing kids fishing is like hearing them at a fancy restaurant when you're trying to celebrate something or do some adulting after a hard day. And when you drag them down to catch a blitz and then pimp them out on social media, well, I just can't. 

     The best is "Fishing and boating are also believed to many to be significant stress-relieving activities", well, for me, when it comes to fly fishing for striped bass, I find it anything but stress-relieving. I'm usually   frustrated and pissed off, but I guess that works for me. 

     Joseph Cimino is a busy guy. He's the head of the New Jersey DEP and represents New Jersey on the NJ Marine Fisheries Council, the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Shellfisheries Council, the ASMFC Commission, and the Mid-Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council. He's been in the fisheries game for a long time coming from the Hudson River, down to North Carolina, then Virginia, before coming to New Jersey. So he must know his stuff. 

     Jeff Kaelin is the Director of Sustainability and Government Affairs at LUND Fishery which is located down in Cape May. He's buddies with those at the Garden State Seafood Association which is made up of commercial operations, mostly based down in Southern New Jersey. A list of those members can be found on the GSSA website as seen below. 

     My point there is there might be a slight bias on Kaelin's part when it comes to the discussion of commercial and recreational fishing for striped bass. Now his buds aren't commercially fishing for striped bass in New Jersey but you know what I mean. Those commercials, and the head boat operators, and the charter operations that do fish for striped bass, dock their boats at the same marinas, and sit down and have a beer at the same bars. Does he represent the fly rod anglers? 

     So when I look into why things may go sideways with managing striped bass I have to just lay it down and kind of decipher if there are any trends. First, do the states vote along the same or party lines? Are there some states who have a more commercial interest vs a recreational one, or both, and how does that affect how they vote? Do the people we send to the commissions and boards truly represent the constituents or shareholders they claim to? We don't have a commercial fishery here in New Jersey.....but.....

     As 2025 turns into 2026 heading into our 2029 rebuilding goal for the striped bass the can will get kicked further down the road and the alliances between the states and voting members of the board will strengthen. Like a phone call, ring ring, "How are you going to vote?" 

     All I know is I can't wait to fish and share a tide with Vin Gopal this spring. Hey he's from Monmouth County and surely knows those good early spring spots to wet a line. 

02.07.25 ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board meeting held this week...

     While we know that regulations will remain the same for 2025 as they were for 2024 the insanity of meetings and kicking the can down the road continue. I like to think I have a gently grasp on this madness but I easily get twisted around from time to time. 

     This weeks nuttiness? What's the difference between a benchmark and stock assessment? Well I got a little help from AI when I Googled the question. So here it goes. Well first let's look at the upcoming assessments .

     Every two years, I think, there is a stock assessment (SA) to determine what is the current status of the striped bass population. And then there's a benchmark assessment (BA) which is an assessment to determine where certain triggers and thresholds are set to determine if the striped bass are "good" or in need of protection in the way of changing regulations for commercial and recreational anglers. 

     It is during the benchmark assessment that they determine things like overfished and overfishing. Above you see the results 2018 BA. You can see that since 2012 we have below the threshold for female spawning striped bass, or SSB. 

     The last stock assessment was completed last year, 2024, with the next one due in the fall of 2026. That's one of the reason the a-holes at the ASMFC punted for taking no action in 2025, "Let's just wait for the 2026 SA". But during these winter meetings held this week there was discussion on the timing of the 2026 SA and the 2027 BA, which would overlap and reported just months apart. 

     In order to determine things NOAA's Marine Recreational Reporting Program, or MRIP, has to be considered and that data changes each year. It's a flawed and inexact science. Trust me. But I have been told to "trust the science", and at times warned that challenging that could be detrimental to "the cause". Having a voluntary and confusing survey doesn't sound like solid data collection. Example, "Did you fish today", Did you fish last month". Yada yada. 

     What we are looking forward to is panic. Remember everything we have been doing has been in anticipation of rebuilding striped bass by 2029. Well folks, we're getting close. And the truth is there's two things going on here, shareholders (commercial and recreational) vying for the same fish, managers not wanting to look stupid, and all the people involved in it with a politically and financial gain. 

     I understand why people flake out on the ASMFC. They gave up on writing letters and listening to the meetings. No one listens to the public, the representatives only look out for their own, and meanwhile the striped bass suffer, which in the end will affect all of the shareholders, the striped bass included.

02.06.25 I forgot how much I like SF Blends....

...and Steve Farrar. Last night I sat in on MOF and listened to Steve explain the history of SF Blends, him and fly fishing, and how he ties simple flies. I have watched him and been coached by him for several hours over the years starting back in the 1990's when he used to visit The Fly Hatch or we worked the booth at TFFS where he would tie at Choinard's booth. 

     So I've watched Steve at the shows, the Atlantic Saltwater meetings, and 1:1 at his home. He's always ready to help another brother out. In fact, if you'd like to see him at work just do a quick search on You Tube or check out the ASWF website, and HERE you can see hims tie up a MV Baitfish, one of his original creations. 

     Steve is one of those no-eyes guys, which I am not, and I have tied tons each way over the years. Again, the statement can be true that eyes are more for the tyer than for the fish. But what Farrar does tie in is a contrasting throat color, usually red, that I don't see many doing these days. 

     So last night it was a nice hour long conversation about all that is him and SF Blends. It was all going good until I sniffed a little tariffs/imports/"current President" bait which Stevie didn't bite on. I have to say I could tell it wasn't just a supply chain question. 

     Steve talked about his flounder fly, which is sick, and I have fished before and caught a bass on. Funny, he has never fished one, or of course, caught a fish on. But between the tie and the tungsten along the bottom these things swim beautifully, and easily give you that "puff" when they touch the bottom. Try one of these while sight fishing and and you'll see how crazy good they are. 

     So after suffering through a remote ZOOM class this morning I got motivated to spend some time reconnecting with SF Blends. I forgot, over time and with Squimpish Flies materials, how much I like tying with Steve's blends. First I had to find one of those "purchased too many blend" bins and recall how I tied with them. It all came back to me pretty good and I just tied with the blends but added some saddle hackle inside and finished them with some faux jungle cock eyes. 

     Above is what I came up with. That fly hasn't been groomed, combed, wet, Plasti-Dipped, or trimmed. That's the way it sat in my vice after a quick 5 minute tie. While I could have been a tad more creative with contrasting colors along the sides I'm confident this will get eaten by something someday. 

     I still have a container of Plasti-Dip which Steve talked about last night. He was the one that introduced me to it and in using the bottles which are coated inside to prevent the dip from coagulating. Orvis sells them, but not the coated versions. I also took his advice about using 

tungsten powder mixed with acrylics to weight down crab flies. While dumbbell eyes are good, this weight on the bottom really allows them to sink, and glide, along the bottom. If you try it the only advice I could give, and something Steve always told me when tying, "Less is more". Too much tungsten and they get a little difficult to cast and are splashy.

     SF Blends are available just about everywhere. Fly shops first, if you have one within a short drive, or you order them from a shop online. I won't talk about the other options. Remember, Steve starting blending synthetic fibers and flash, and you can mix the different colors before you tie them in. Add some hackles inside for a Flatwing style and some bulk along the hook, or keep them sparse and let the silhouette and the tail action of the fly get noticed. Don't forget to add a little dark or peacock herl along the back to really make the fly noticed in the water. Also, Steve was big in using colored markers for some of the detail, like his flounder fly, which is tied using all white blends and then colored.