11.19.24 If you can, please help a brother out...

 

      For many of us who striper fish we can remember the early days when the Beast Fleye first started to gain traction along the East Coast. Invented by Bob Popovics, it kind of went through many transformations over the years before, I would say, would be the final version which happened about 10 years ago. It pretty much has remained unchanged to today.

     I would say around 7 years ago Beast Fleye hysteria hit the fly tying forums, social media, and the fly fishing shows. But before that a Jersey guy named Andrew Warshawer started to tie beautiful versions of Bob's fly with his guidance and permission. If you were from New Jersey, or anywhere in the States, and even abroad, then maybe you to received a package (above) from Andrew with a nice selection of his flies. I know I did. He kept me in flies for many years, as he did for most of the fly fishing Captain's from Jersey to Massachusetts. 

     In today's fly tying circles some of the well known Beast Fleye tyers like Ben Walley and Andre van Wyke, and there's others, all mention Andrew when it comes to the story of the evolution on how the Beast Fleye entered into their fly tying world. He wasn't the OG, Bob Pop was, but he truly was a disciple of his, and he deserves credit from all of us for what he gave us. I have had some of my best days ever on "Andrew Flies" as I call them. None better then

Blitz-O-Ween of 2014 where I bought 16 bass to 25 pounds to hand all on one of his flies, which not only swam pretty but were durable as hell. 

     Today Andrew has some challenges ahead and with his permission a Go Fund Me account has been started in his name. Andrew was recently diagnosed with throat cancer and is working out a treatment plan with his medical team. There are financial challenges that will go along with his fight against cancer and any help you can give is much appreciated by Andrew and his family. 

His Go Fund Me page can be found HERE. Thank You for considering helping out our friend. 

11.19.24 We'll see what happens in the next few weeks...

      It's really a game of either turning right or left when you go fishing. Go left and head north or take a right and head south. Some days you go one way and the fish another, the other days vice versa, or most days, for me, it's just not happening wherever I land. Yesterday it seemed like a day to head south, until you talk to guys who went south and saw or caught nothing. It's a north-south, town to town, beach to beach thing this time of year. 

     I'm not hijacking posts for nothing. This is a post by AJ Richman who is a mate or Captain out working as part of the Captree Fleet in Long Island. There must still be a ton of fish out on the South Fork and who knows what it will mean as far as Jersey in the next few weeks. 

     The Laura Lee Fleet is a powerhouse of head boat fishing out on the eastern end of Long Island, located near Fire Island and Robert Moses State Park. Both beach and boat fishermen out there have been on the meat for over a month and it doesn't seem to be letting up. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean good things for the striped bass as each day hundreds, if not a thousand, of striped bass are hooked, kept, or released. Anyway you put it it adds to the F, or striped bass mortality we talk about. That's either harvested or dead recreational releases. 

     These boats run with anywhere from 20-80 anglers and if on a good drift can go back and forth over stacked up fish catching and keeping, legally of course, or "playing" catch and release. I'm not picking on legal fishing, but more of the need to figure out how these fish can be sustainably managed. 

     All of those racks you see are the 2015 and 2018 year class fish if they fall between that 28-31" slot. From Rhode Island down to Delaware these fish, either a pile on the deck, or a single carted off the beach, all add to each days total of dead striped bass. While the ASMFC manages the fishery with the hope to rebuild it by 2029 how can these years of fish add to the SSB (Spawning Striped Bass) totals if we are killing them off?

     I found it interesting that, maybe just in New York, every kept fish has a Laura Lee Fleet tag it it's mouth or gills. I would guess that's for reporting purposes for each boat that heads out for the day. The only tags I see in New Jersey are for those 24- 28" inch fish part of the Bonus Tag Program. 

     After few days of bunkerless fishing they came back to life and closer to the beach with the WNW wind shift. It went from a metal jig fishery to a rubber shad or plug fishery, at least on the beach once again. Really, each day changes and for the spin and fly anglers having a smorgasbord of offerings in the quiver it's what's needed in case the bait changes. 

     A real fall is about to hit us with changing winds, rain, and a drop in temperatures for later this week. The early word is cold and maybe snow around Thanksgiving. That could do a few things, kull out the fair weather fishermen, like I'm becoming, and get the crowds thinned out, and either mean things will turn on or get shut down for the fall 2024 run. There's always those guys predicting things only get better heading into December. Last year it was literally fish everywhere one day and not a fish to be found the next. 

11.17.24 Spent some time with fly tying royalty...

     The IFTS hit Somerset this weekend. I wrote about it Friday and thought then as I did yesterday morning that it was in Edison. To be honest I just can't get the locations right in my head. Luckily it's just a quick drive on 287 from Edison to Somerset. 

     If it was any longer I don't think I would have gone. I didn't know what this years show would do for me as there wasn't much hub-bub about it and even when I looked on their Facebook page the day before it only got about 15 likes, which was about the amount of

people that were waiting to get inside for the 9 am start. The first thing that irked me was the "Cash Only" sign at the gate, C'mon man, who does cash anymore? And why would you take the chance away of any of the attendees spending their cash inside with the vendors? You offer pre-registration, by card, online, with an extra fee on top but cash only at the door? Oh, "There's an ATM around the corner", thanks.  

     The question I always ask myself when it comes to these trade shows, or concerts, like the many Grateful Dead shows I attended would be, "Did I have a good show?". And my answer for this years IFTS would be yes. That story will come later. 

     The "show", and I'd use that loosely, was a compact four row set up in one on the banquet rooms. Without the partitions it would have been akin to the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo. And if I could make a suggestion I wouldn't put the partitions up, it's just too tight.

     It was primarily a freshwater fly tying event but you could get your saltwater on as there were enough vendors and tyers to get that need satiated. Buzzi was there, as well as AHREX and Keogh, a big showing from the vice makers like Renzetti, HMH, Regal, and Norvise,  and always the crowd favorite of the picking booth of John Shaner and Bob Shelb. What I learned from Shaner is that the goods come from collections and shops that were bought out. 

     There were some local tyers like Brad Lombardo, Fritz Miller, and Joe Nicosia who was tying of some Beast Fleyes on the heels of his article in Tail magazine titled "Big Stripers On

the Fly". Next to him was Adam Hortenberry who had out a nice display of flies for display. It's funny about these shows, especially for the fly tyers. You can tie, but if you want to sell that's 

another fee for the organizers. Some shows you can sell what you tie, at the show, but no unloading those flies you tied at home or elsewhere. No, no, no. Joe Jackson took me back to the Pat Cohen days with some seasonal spun deer hair creations. If this is your first go at a fly tying show then it did you good. 

     Since I don't really need anything for tying and had my change for the cash-only admission fee glued in my pocket I spent most of my time just walking around. It took about an hour to say hello along the way and peek into a booth or two. Then I saw Mr. Bob Clouser.

     In my head the three big guns in fly fishing were Kreh, Popovics, and Clouser. Yes I grew up watching Flip Pallot and Jose Wejebe, but these three were doing stuff I could use, and were accessible at these type of trade shows. Bob was at a booth he shared with his 

wife Jackie and there was always at least one person standing in front of them. One person? Well I set up shop there and talked and listened to Bob for over an hour kinda like a creeper. This is what made my $18 entrance fee into the show worth it. 

     This IS Bob Clouser I thought to myself as people walked past the booth I think unaware of who was in the building. I have met him before, and have spoken with him for a bit, but after last month I knew I had to stand and take in what was in front of me.

     Bob was a hoot. He told me he just celebrated his 86th birthday on a date night with Jackie where he had the most delicious meal of a dozen frog legs. When I asked if it was 12 or 6 pairs he said, "That would be a lot of leg less frogs". He said they taste, "Just like frogs". He joked with some of the older guys, "Welcome to the old man's club", adding, "We did outlive our bodies". When he spoke of Bob Popovics he paused what he was doing on the vice and said, "Bob was the best in the business", adding, "His backcast was so tight he could put that loop through a screen door". 

     Bob tied me up a Clouser, a fly he designed but Lefty named, and this will go on display with some of my other notable flies. Bob's also known for Half and Half fame, a fly he designed using Lefty's Deceiver out back and his Clouser in front. He's a true legend for sure. 

    On the floor there was an empty booth or two and I was surprised Buzzi was out near the entrance and not in the big room. He's a draw and the source for so many when it comes to materials, especially bucktails. That hallway where Buzzi was also held the fly tying seminars. 

     I watched as Chuck Furminsky walked the show floor shaking hands, and maybe checking in on who was vending or not. It was good to see him up, and not using the cane or the motorized chair as I have seen in the past.  Weather or not you have a love hate relationship with him, 

mostly because of the business that goes with running or vending at a show, he deserves a lot of credit to what he has brought to the fly fishing industry and community. It is a great responsibility to run one of these shows and there are so many moving parts, and personalities. 

     Furminsky credits Bob Popovics for getting the International Fly Tying Show started some 33 years ago. It was Bob's idea and Furminsky put it into action. But all good things must come to an end and one year

there won't be a next. Chuck's been at this a long time and the players and the industry has changed. Will there be a 34th IFTS? That's to be seen. 

     It was nice to see a poster in Bob's memory at the show. In the case beside it was a note from Andy and Lily Renzetti who wrote a nice paragraph on Bob's legacy, including "...his pivotal role in shaping the Master Vice Series". He touched so many parts of this passion of ours. That's one reason I was drawn to Bob Clouser's booth at this show. You just don't know how many more opportunities you'll get to stand in front of of good people and that's why it was a good show for me. 

11.15.24 It was an Ava rather than an Airflo kind of morning...

     Like they say, "You don't know if you don't go". It's hard to chase reports during the fall run as the migration of the fish is definitely dependent on the conditions out on the water and on the beach. I don't think there is more of a time when things like the moon, wind, and tides are more relevant than during the fall run. After days last week of the west winds things went south and so did the fishing. Then it went northeast, which can be good, and then a northwest, which can also be good. 

     For weeks we've seen both adult and juvenile bunker off the beaches and even tight to them. We've had good fishing if you get lucky and put the time in to find the birds, bait, and bass. Prior to that the boats were on a steady sand eel bite which was out and over the three mile line, now it seems it's sand eels near, but not on the beach.

     I knew I didn't have to get up too early for fishing as the full moon and high tides around first light would have the surf big with lots of water rushing up the beach scarp and back down. While more water is usually good, it's not always good for the fly rodder. With a swell and waves crashing at your feet, coupled with a sloping and ruined beach from beach replenishment, a bass is hesitant to get pounded on the head trying to find a meal,

especially when just over the bar it's a buffet of sand eels and any remaining bunker or smaller white bait. On a non-moon tide and without a swell bait and bass will come inside the bar, rather comfortably, to continue south or come in for a snack. 

     A quick look had me concerned that things wouldn't be fishable until the tide dropped out. In this stretch the water was stained from the winds and tides which dragged the donated sand from beach nourishment down into the water. Stained isn't always a bad thing as it makes the bass have to make a quick decision on whether to mouth a fly or not. I don't find that in these conditions. 

     When there's a swell sometimes the best shot is from a groin but the way most of the beaches have been deconstructed these days it's impossible to get out there and even if you do the pockets along the rocks have been filled in with sand. I met Leif walking in as I was walking out after just looking and not making a cast. With no birds up and picking I knew it was a sand eel bite if anything. 

     We took a short drive to fish a pipe that we had been to last week. It holds water and is a tad higher than the rest of the beach around it. If there was any shot that was going to be it. Any fish that were there would be out around that first bar and wouldn't be looking to get hit on the head by the waves in search for food in 1 foot of water where you would normally stand on lower water.

     Leif gave the pipe the first shot and it was the place to get the most distance as he could. The waves didn't land on the beach at the same spot so if you fished the beach it was guessing and hoping with each cast. You'd be good on the this wave and nearly knocked down on the next. 

     We had two spin fishermen to our north and watched them land about six fish between them. Both were throwing Ava's, or diamond jigs, way out and finding fish. Not only does metal get you out further it also cuts through the waves and sinks to the bottom where the sand eels and bass are. An intermediate or sinking line only does so much and with the size and force of the swell it really was more of fly fishing practice than effective fly fishing. 

     The pipe was cool, until it wasn't. Those waves were unpredictable and all that was needed was a rough wave that hits you in the ankle to knock you off your feet. It just wasn't worth it. And with that the short early outing was over. Leif had a plan to work and hit it later while I had the morning to try and find fishable water that looked promising. 

     I took the ride north and followed the single line of traffic through a few flooded sections of Ocean Avenue before puling into one of the lots at The Hook. There was tons of room to park and few fishermen on the beach. Down at the waters edge it was fishable but no signs of life. No birds, no bait, and I'll say no fish. A look to the north and I could see the line at Fishermen's which was probably a constant cast and retrieve of metal jigs way out. One thing of note was the water quality where the beaches hadn't been replenished. The water was clean and green. 

     I lost confidence in the day but wanted to fish so I headed back south down to Jetty Country. As quick as the water came in on the flood it got pulled out on the ebb. There was water but less than fishable water, or at least water that would hold fish in tight. But I was there so I decided to fish as hard as I could, even if I doubted I would find a fish.

     All of the boats were out, way out, and no doubt on a sand eel bite. I then started to ask myself, "Is it over?". We had that push of big fish, then good sized fish last week, and now slot and Bonus Tag sized fish which are getting harvested at will by both the boat and beach anglers. Those head boats that go out are filled with the meat eaters, which is legal and fine, well not if you look at the big picture. One for the table means hundreds of fish out of the biomass each day, and it is not sustainable. 

     'There's still big bodies of fish up north", is what I heard from a guy who recently went up to the North Shore of Long Island, and that's what keeps anglers interested until around Thanksgiving when participation drops off except for the hard core fishermen and those that can stand first line bites out in 30 degree weather. Soon it will be 24-30 inch bass bringing up the rear of the fall migration south. 

     After doing nothing on the rocks I moved to the open beach. After getting pulled sideways into the surf I realized I was just casting onto the sand and not in any type of fish holding zone. I had came and fished and that was it. I was good. Mother Nature set the table this morning. 

     The winds will go to a hard northwest this morning and any type of west is better than a south. By Monday it'll go straight west and that may bring any bunker that's left back onto the beach. Some are saying, "There's tons of bait still in the bay", and that may be true, as the boats are staying inside if the winds and wind against tides don't make the bay too dicey to go. That hard northwest and west can make getting out of Sandy Hook Bay a white-knuckler before finding calmer waters out front along the beach. I've been there and it ain't fun.

     I am sure with the cooler air temps the beach buggy brigade down in IBSP will be out in force this weekend. It's fun to drive the beach with the heat on and a warm-up of Joe in your hands. It'll be mobbed at first light at the top of the tide with anglers driving up and down with mostly Ava's at the ready. I can remember listening to spin friends talking about how the fish were on green tubes, or red, or yellow. Now it seems if you can just get it down to them then you're in business. 

     Not all diamond jigs are made the same. Some have an off set hook with a smaller than needed hook size which allows for the fish to swallow it down the gullet. If you can at least pinch the barb down and, while you may be a catch and release angler, if you hook on in the gill rakers and it's trailing blood you might as well take it for the table or give it to the angler next to you. These lures used to be a buck or two, now they're 3-5 dollars and guys hang onto them like gold. And if you buy cheap then you know how those hooks are, shit. Dragging an Ava along the bottom will quickly ruin the point so the only thing holding that fish will be that large barb. 

     At least I had the opportunity to hit Bagel Talk before heading down into Bradley, Avon and Belmar to see if anything was going on. Outside of the usually inlet crowd it was just more of the same as it was up north. While the reports, or a call from a bud who's on the bite, may increase you odds of finding fish it's just time put in this time of year that increases your chance of success. Some days you get lucky, other days disappointed. Thank God I had last Friday because I don't think I'll have a day like that for the rest of the fall. I'm already looking forward to the spring. 

11.14.24 The 33rd Fly Tying Symposium hits Jersey this weekend....

     Each fall the show season kicks off with the International Fly Tying Symposium. It is in its 33rd year, and that's a long run. Over the last week or so I've mentioned it to friends I fish with and in the business and the reaction I got was, well....crickets, crickets, crickets. What was once a don't miss has become low on my buddies to do list. "Maybe I'll stop by" is what I've heard.

     Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting or watching so many of the greats in the business at this show. Clouser, Popovics, Farrar, King, Stryker, Buzzi, Piaksecki, Petijean, Matson, Cohen, Nelson, Taylor, Silverio, Cordeiro, Calcevechia, I think Kreh, Murphy - always one of my favorites, Walley, and one of the first guys who really got me into this, Dick Talleur. That was back in my trout days. I know I'm leaving names out of course but those are some who come to mind. 

     When they switched the location from Somerset to Parsippany I kind of tailed off but then hit it again when it started back in Edison. I'll always say the best days of this show and The Fly Fishing Show were the days when it was held at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset. I have so many great memories made at that location, and I think others would agree. 

     This year I looked for the poster which was put out in advance of the show each year. The image was usually some flies to that guy from overseas that would come over and catch the fall run just right landing 40's while out on Jim Freda's boat. He was name was Theo something. Jim goes back with Chuck and is giving the Saturday night dinner presentation this year. But this year the poster is just a plain banner, which isn't all that exciting. 

     The show used to be packed with tyers along the outside and tons of vendors on the inside. It was the place to shop for stuff you both needed and didn't need. It was back in 2012 I met Jim Matson of "BrineFly" fame and to this date I still have a bunch of those Pulse Discs. The shows aren't just a place 

to learn and buy stuff but to reconnect with like minded people and catch up with old friends or meet new ones. It was a no brainer, it wasn't if you were going, it was are you going both days. Now, times, the shows, and people, are different. The internet killed a lot of that away. Between Amazon, virtual fly shops, and You Tube, you can buy or learn anything and everything these days online. It also seemed years ago you went to see the latest things, and these days just about everything has already been discovered or recreated, and the new people just don't draw like the OG's. 

     I think part of the problem these days is we do to much negotiation in our heads about everything, and quickly use a risk vs gain mentality to talk ourselves out of things. I joke around with Leif somedays about going fishing, too far, too windy, wrong tide, too north, too south, too far out, too many guys. It's a way of self-sabotaging ourselves out of our own happiness. 

     The Fly Fishing Show returns to Edison January 24, 25 & 26. I haven't heard about The Saltwater Edge's "Stock the Box" weekend in January as of yet and then there's the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo on March 8th. Things I usually look forward to attending. 

      I see shift in the industry and how these shows have been going. The big companies went from double or triple displays to a small booth if one at all. Remember the old shows? They were competing for your dollar and loyalty, not so much anymore. I think they, along with the smaller outfitters and 

guides, have looked at the dollars and the return on investment and it just isn't worth it. With companies being sold and laying off long time employees nobody's in the mood to break down the Mother Ship and go and party for the weekend. I just get the feeling fly fishing morale, outside of just fishing, is going down. 

      For those that do vend they may do well because there's not a lot of competition these days on the floor so if you're there and have "stuff", especially bin picking stuff, it could pay off. Years ago you could hit the show, get stamped, walked to the bar and held court with your buds, and then go back in for another trip around. These days it's a pass through the show with your wallet glued inside your pants. Maybe you can't resist the pickle or enchilada guy but outside of some material or a show special you don't go to spend. 

     I see more fly tying offerings these days at the remaining local fly shops. Andrew and his crew over at Orvis Princeton, Tightlines in Parsippany, the Bears Den in Massachusetts, The Saltwater Edge in Rhode Island, along with local fly fishing groups like the Atlantic Saltwater Fly Rodders and the Bayshore Fly Rodders keep anglers interested and connected with fly tying nights. It's good to see the participation in those keeping the sport going. 

     Is this the last year of the International Fly Tying Symposium? Chucks been at it since the jump and now Ben runs The Fly Fishing Show. Might we see somehow a combo show? Three days of The Fly Fishing Show is a lot, maybe Friday run the Symposium and then Saturday and Sunday TFFS? It probably wouldn't work because they are so many moving parts. Over the years I been a part of the show from the set-up to the breakdown and it really something to see. But something has to change, or just go away. It's the fall, the striped bass run is on, and guys are all juiced up so it shouldn't be like taking them for a colonoscopy to get them to Edison this weekend, but we will see.