10.14.24 I don't even know why I'm off anymore.....

     I generally try and avoid stuff that gets people's, men, women and others, panties up in a bunch. While I'd love to start shit for the sake of stating shit I really kind of just stay in my lane when it comes to controversial topics. Religion, abortion, politics, and social issues are things that I really don't care to voice my two cents over or really care what someone else thinks. Now, that's not to say I didn't have fun poking fun at my Haitian students after Trump and Vance came out with...."They're eating the pets....".

      I remember when the cancel culture thing started up. Not only were people being held accountable for things they thought, did, and said decades ago, but we got into a thing of trying to erase our country's history. Now, don't get me wrong, if you did something years ago and it was just coming to light, well, like they say, you wanna dance you gotta pay the band. And celebrating something that was or is offensive to somebody, while isn't good, but, it is what it is. Every single thing in the world is offensive to somebody. From Ricky Gervais, to Diddy, to The View, to Fox News, to Harris and Trump, to all of the buildings and highways named after people, to music and social media. How would and could we cancel it all? 

     Across the United States during the height of cancel culture we knocked down statues, renamed everything from buildings, roadways, and sports teams to satiate those that were offended by everything. Now, some may say, and I could be in agreement, that paying homage to someone or some thing that caused harm, like harm harm, to a group of people, should maybe be altered or corrected, as we become more sensitive and in the know about things we thought were once good. I'd prefer things to have and asterisk, *, with an expanded explanation, if needed, on why something, like history, would need to be edited. 

     That brings me to today. October 14. A day off from school. It's a federal holiday. It's a day off from the world as I have known it since I was a kid. It's one of 11 federal holidays we "celebrate" each year. Today is known as Columbus Day. It was made into law in 1937. It "celebrates", maybe erroneously, the

day Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. Allegedly. If you dig around you will find out that Columbus, an explorer of Italian descent, set foot on lands somewhere in the Bahamas, not the mainland of North America or what would become the United States of America. I don't know if he ever stood on what would become United States soil.

     That was in 1492. Now I am horrible at two things, geography and history. I had to right my head and remember when the Pilgrims first settled after touching down in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which was in 1620. That wasn't with Columbus. And what about the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria? Those were the ships that were part of Columbus' journey from Spain and Portugal over towards South and North America. 

     So how did Columbus landing on the islands of Santo Domingo, Jamaica, and the Bahamas come to represent Italian pride for now almost a century? It seems then President Franklin D. Roosevelt was lobbied heavily by the Knights of Columbus and even the Catholic Church. In 1937 he made the day a national holiday. So every October 14th, we "celebrate", well things shut down and we have off, the day he landed in the Bahamas which really happened on October 12th. 

     In 1992, some 500 years later, some questioned, well I am sure people did all along, how could we celebrate Columbus discovering America if there were people living here all along? Well that led to Indigenous Peoples Day, which, some celebrate today. In fact, several states, 14 of them, and countless cities across the country, don't acknowledge Columbus Day but now call it Indigenous Peoples Day. 

     In October 2021 President Joe Biden signed a proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day. What are Indigenous Peoples? According to UCLA's office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, "... are the descendants of the peoples who inhabited the Americas, the Pacific, and parts of Asia and Africa prior to European Colonization". Here in America there's no doubt that Native Americans, or Indians, or the First Americans, were here before Columbus and the pilgrims "discovered" America. And there's no 

doubt that when we came we didn't try to blend in but rather take them and their land over, no matter what is depicted in drawings from the First Thanksgiving which occurred over three days in 1621. 

     So that leads me back to today. When things are questioned, or cancelled, they lose their meaning, even if that meaning was skewed from what was really reality. Across the country this past weekend and today proud Italians will celebrate their Italian Heritage. In some cities, like Seattle below, they will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day today. 

     So today I am glad to be off from work, although I really enjoy taking students to their hands-on clinical rotations. At Essex County College they have today listed as a day off for "Columbus Day", but 

many colleges, like St. John's in NYC recently did, choose not to acknowledge the federal holiday. I started by writing this post, tying to figure out why I'm really off. Did Columbus "discover" America? How could he discover something that someone already knew about? Do Indigenous Peoples deserve a day of their own? Probably so. But what we have created is another divide pinning one group of Americans against another. That's just the way "they", the powers that be, like it. Rather than enjoying a day gathering around a drum circle watching traditional dance while eating a zeppole and watching a parade we hold fast to what our archaic beliefs are. In the end no one wins, except most of us have a paid day off from work and can't go to a bank or the post office. 

     Below is a list of Federal Holidays, next up is Veteran's Day, how can that holiday be questioned or re-written as we know it? I'm sure someone out there is offended and trying to rename it or have an add- on name to it. There are so many things we was a country should 

be proud of, and things not so much. Every day in every month in every year has become a "Day". Maybe we need to just embrace each other everyday for the things that make us similar and different. We are more alike than we know and like to acknowledge. Next up, our Presidential Election, that's 21 days, 15 hours, and 54 minutes until we have something else to divide us even more. It's just sad. 

Alright, let's go fishing.

10.13.24 Cape May wrap for 2024...

 

     Well that's a Cape May wrap for 2024. It's been good year although I wish the family used it more. I still just don't get it. September along the Jersey Shore is magical, especially after all the tourists he'd back to their respective homesteads. In a way I guess we're visitors as well since we're only part-timers down here with our place open from April 1 - November 1st.

     It was another year of buying $20 worth of raffle tickets for the "Win This Car" put on by the Our Lady Star of the Sea Church down on Washington Street. I met a winner of the raffle from back in 1990's and was still driving that car. She told me, unbeknownst to most people, is winning the car is great, but then you have to pay the taxes and tags on it, which can be about $6,000, and then it goes towards your income tax. Tax. Tax. Tax. 

     Closing up shop only takes a couple of hours and there's more concern about leaving things around that hibernating mammals might like to snuggle up with over the long winter. I might make one more trip down to do some curb work along the road side of our property as

     

roads made up of shells mixed with water can wreak havoc on yards made up of those expensive white rocks. I have a plan to divert that runoff but need permission from the property managers before I begin.

     I first laid some bricks in a straight line along the road but they have been pushed back by the shifting shells, sand, and dirt coming from the road. People ask me if I like having a set season for a second "home". And I do. It's out of sight out of mind for six months out of the year and then open for business the other six. The cost, well yeah, that sucks, but I know people who pay tons of real estate taxes in Monmouth County and then a fortune for a beach club. In New Jersey, you just shut up and pay.

      We took a slow ride through Cape May as a last good-bye for 20-24 and hit a few yard sales just to enjoy the nice day. On the way home we hit Crabby's in Belcoville, "Where's Belleville, New Jersey?", for one last meal of fresh crabs. 

Interestingly, we spoke with the bartender who told us that most of the crabs sold in New Jersey this year come from points south like Florida or the Gulf of Mexico. The Maryland crab catchers and restaurants "..are holding" onto their Chesapeake Bay crabs. The blue crabs of the Chesapeake are surveyed each winter during the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey. That's why your local favorite seafood hut charges you so much money for

blue claw crabs, either whole, caked, or mixed with stuffing into a fish or lobster tail. Even those "She Crab" and crab bisque soups can run you a $10 bill. Not only do the crabs have to be shipped they have to be kept alive. And this year it was hard to get soft-shelled crabs, especially ones that are alive. Crabby's closes October 27th and they received their last shipment on Friday. with today being a football day and with "All You Can Eat" crabs on the menu you'll have to catch them next year. 

     It'll be interesting to see how much fishing I get in this fall. I prefer spring over the fall, mostly because the blitz chasers are out in force from around Thanksgiving until Christmas. I'm not judging, and I like a good blitz or two a season, hopefully while alone, but is there really anything to catching a fish when there's 200 of them within 30 feet of you? All pretty much on the feed? 

     School's back in full swing with my time split between being at the college and at a long term care facility for clinical. Waking up at 4 am and getting on the road by 445 takes a little while getting used to but it's the only way to beat the traffic. 

     The big bass are starting to show as they lurk in the deeper channels around the borders of New York and New Jersey. Chuck 'Tyman" Manny continues to wow people with his consistent catches of large 

stripers. In 2023 during October he released, and tagged, over 400 stripers weighing greater than 40 pounds. While that may leave you feeling like a loser remember Chuck isn't fly fishing for these stripers. He does wave the long rod but for these big girls he prefers live eels which have always been a big fish killer.

     In the current On the Water magazine article Manny's live eel trolling spread was laid out. It's a mix of, a boat, 12 rods, planer boards, and 12 eels, which alone go for $2-3 apiece. I haven't been on his boat, which he regularly invites people to come and witness, but from what I've heard his operation is a well oiled machine. I hope this article doesn't motivate 1,000 anglers to get out there and attempt what Manny has mastered. I can't imagine what tangles might occur when doubled, tripled, or twelved up. Manny is one of the largest contributors to Gray's Fishtag Research Striped Bass Program and his release and recatch data is paramount to understanding the striped bass' changing migrations each year.

     This morning I could have had the opportunity to join my friend making the trip from Pennsylvania down to the Jersey Shore. It was his Shakedown trip, one I did a few weeks ago. while I would have enjoyed the company the thought of driving around looking at dead water just didn't do it for me. But, what it could have done was given me an opportunity to scout the changed landscape from the last few storms. I took advantage of a late sleep on a Sunday morning, which did me well. 

     And while things aren't in full swing yet there are the occasional big fish catches that occur for those putting their time in. The below catch was made I think on Friday along the South Shore of Long Island. The fish are starting to move and eating whatever they find along their way. While the bait is still stuck in the back soon, with dropping temps, everything will be out front and along the beach. 

10.09.24 Stormy weather ahead....

      The world is watching and waiting for Hurricane Milton to make landfall sometime today into tomorrow. This comes less than two weeks since Hurricane Helene roared up from the Gulf of Mexico and wreaked havoc from Florida up through North Carolina. Rescue and recovery operations are still underway from the devastation from that storm. 

     I'm watching and holding my breath as my Mom stays hunkered down at her home in Bradenton which is possibly in the path of Milton. She's been down there "In Paradise" as she calls it for three years now. Her area has been through some storms and she's a brave and tough cookie. Born in New York and raised in Keansburg, where storms and flooding from the Raritan Bay were a common occurrence back int he day. But this may be bit different. Various models are predicting the storm to hit somewhere between Tampa Bay down to Naples. Millions of people have evacuated or are still relocated from the last storm. 

      The decision to evacuate is a personal one I guess. You can be warned, or threatened, with impending bodily injury or death, but one only has to look to past storms that didn't materialize making ones decision to stay correct in their minds. It winds up being a case of the boy who cried wolf. 

     The counties that are could be affected have issued various stages of evacuations in their respective areas. Evacuations are laid out in zones using the alphabet. For Mom, she sits in evacuation Zone E, and they have called for Zones A, B, and C to start a mandatory evacuation to a strongly suggested one. Her complex is a series of four story concrete buildings which just recently passed hurricane inspection from the State of Florida following the collapse of the 12-story condominium in Surfside, Florida. 

     They say this could be the worst storm to hit Tampa Bay, if it lands there, in a 100 years. Wind, rain, and storm surges up to 20 feet could happen depending on the where it hits and how the storm rotates, pulling or pushing water around the bays ands rivers. She's a tad less than 2 miles from the Manatee River at Bradenton and 8 miles from the Gulf of Mexico at Bradenton Beach. 

     As I've said before it's just amazing what this thing called life can bring of us at different times. People waiting for a life changing storm in one part of the country, or dealing with other life altering events, while others enjoy calm weather and good times. Today, in New Jersey, it's an absolutely beautiful fall day. I guess we just have to roll with whatever the day brings. 

     And there's some stormy weather in the fly fishing industry as of late. This week several fly fishing companies announced big news. Vista Outdoors, which purchased Simms just a few years ago to go along with other outdoor brands announced it was selling off part of their conglomerate. Simms is slated to be sold along with the brand Camp Chef to a company called Strategic Value partners for $1.25 billion dollars. What was once a small company started by John Simms back in 1980 has become a traceable asset to big investors who've never laced up stocking foot boots nor ever fished. Simms is now just a pawn in the Monopoly Game of big business. and what that means it just comes down to the bottom line, not worrying if your $900 waders leak or not. 

     And there's some news coming from the Orvis Mother Ship up in Manchester, Vt. Orvis has cut 5% of its workforce, 112 people, will close several retail locations, and eliminate their print catalogues. They are also going to sell their headquarters in Sunderland and move all offices to Manchester. While Orvis may spin this as "...today's challenges are new, and they require us to be bold in order to continue sharing stories, experiences, products that inspire our customers well into the future" as per company President Simon Perkins, the bigger picture is what is the health of Orvis as a company and how is the industry doing as a whole? In 2021 Orvis' revenue was $316 million dollars. According to market 

research the fly fishing industry is going strong with anticipated growth heading in the right direction over the next 10 years. Not surprising revenue generated comes more from online sales than brick and

mortar stores. But that's been going on since the late 1990's when the internet and technology came and ruined just about everything known to man. Long gone are the fly shops outside of destination or lodge based operations. In New Jersey we still have Orvis in Princeton and Ramsey Outdoors, but long gone are Effinger's, The Fly Hatch, Down-N-Trout, amongst others. 

     While I am sure Tom Rosenbauer is safe from the chopping block I do know one Orvis employee who has been let go. Phil Monahan, who ran Orvis News, which is the company blog, since its inception is looking for a new place to call home. Orvis News has always been ranked high in the fly-fishing blog game across the world. As of today it's ranked #2. 

     I did a quick check to see where The Average Angler might be at since, to be honest, my fishing outings and posts have been less than normal since the spring season. But here we are 

coming in at # 21 worldwide just behind Gink and Gasoline and ahead of The Urban Fly Fisher. Hopefully sooner than later this pages will be filled fishing outing stories as the fall run heats up.

     And finishing up with storms when I think about storms I think about, good fishing before and after, but also the effect it has on the beaches. We know how Mother Nature gives and takes from the beaches before and after storms and also with normal tides and winds. And you also know how I feel about beach replenishment, or beach nourishment. Right now "The False Hook" is closed as they once again dredge the Sandy Hook Channel which gets all shoaled and filled in from the sand movement north with the littoral currents. 

     This week the ACOE announced it will be starting a 92 million dollar beach nourishment project down south. earlier this year it was North Wildwood and Hereford Inlet that had emergency work done just before the summer season. Now Absecon Island, including parts of Atlantic City will be pumped. Long Beach Island will also be under attack as Harvey Cedars, Beach haven and Long Beach Township will get 1,750,000 cubic yards of sand dredged up from the bowels of the Atlantic Oceana and pumped onto the beach. Eventually that sand will migrate north and jam up the Barnegat Inlet and shoal up the North Jetty, which will then have to be dredged. We just never learn. 

     So enjoy the beautiful weather today. Enjoy your baseball and football games. And enjoy whatever fallsy thing you're doing with the fam this upcoming weekend. But keep those in your thoughts and prayers that are still reeling from life, the last storm, and the impending storm down to the south. And of course include my Mom in there as well. 

10.04.24 Out there thinking of Bobby...

     It's October. Starting to feel like fall. Day off from work. And the ocean isn't as angry as it has been. Might as well take the drive down and give it a go. Conditions were near perfect on the mid to the end of the incoming tide. Little swell, zero wind, beautiful morning. 

     When I got there it was calm and the waves built with the flood tide. No signs of bait, or birds, or life, for that matter. Making cast after cast with little expectation I couldn't help but think of my buddy Bob, fighting for his life in a hospital five miles away. It made me sad. He's had such an impact on my fishing life, and as a mentor on what it means to be a good man. Hard working, kind, humble. There's a myriad of other adjectives other people, who see him on a daily basis, could use to describe him. 

     It wouldn't be far to think that I don't think of him each time I tie flies or fish. When someone has totally influenced every part of something you love those gifts come whether you are aware of them or not. In fly tying it's the technique. While fly fishing it starts with the fly selection and then how to fish it reading the cues of bait movement and reading the water. He has influenced all of that. This morning as I left I bumped into an old friend from the beach, Bob Dooley, who I haven't seen in years. He made me 

think of Bob when he gave me a, "Remember when..." story. It was a throwback to Blitz-O-Ween 2013 and he took a photo of me that made it into Bob's book, something I am honored to have been a part of. 

     Things on the beach are looking better than the last time I was down. The near three weeks of NE winds and storms have cut up the beaches and pulled the shoaled up sand out and up along the beach. So much so that the ACOE are dredging the False Hook once again, which has become an annual event. "The Tip" will be shut down again until December. The groin was the place to be this morning even on the flood tide.

   There is now enough water on each side making getting up on and staying possible. While it was great to have that vantage point it didn't change the catch results which were zero. I heard yesterday it was a Fluke-A-Thon on the lower tide, too bad the season closed September 25th.    

     I was joined on the rocks by Leif who gave it a good go as I did without results. But, like he said, it was good to get out. It was a good opener to the fall even if there wasn't anything going on. Fly fishing for striped bass, outside of looking for the blitzes, is one of time spent. You have to almost fish it or at least drop down to the beach everyday to stay connected. October is usually that slow month between the early migration of mullet and the arrival of striped bass and bluefish, which are a mix of resident and migratory fish. But as we wait for the November action to heat up, while it cools down, there are those surprise days where the fishing is good, with good and big fish caught, rewarding the angler putting in the time. 

     I started with a blackish fly before going over to a chartreuse and white one. The water was just about green and was clean with very good visibility. If they were there we would have caught at least one. We stayed until the water started to act like it was washing machine, which can be good, but we had given it 

a good go and had lost some faith since neither of us had a bite. We made our way off the rocks and caught up on life and a little about our predictions for this fall's fishing. It's funny how those fishing relationships wax and wane over the year depending on the season. I'm tight with some guys out here who fish the Delaware and then some who spend most of their time in the salt. The first outing of the seasons is like a reunion, and one that I very much look forward to. 

     When I was done I stopped by Bagel Talk in Neptune for something to eat and then hit WaWa for something to drink. As I walked to my truck I looked to my left and saw The Hope Tower which is part of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore Medical Center. I thought of Bob once again. As a Nurse Practitioner I can visualize what's going on with Bob even without the updates. His road is still rocky and long towards recovery.

     I decided to swing by and just pause for a moment and say a prayer. Any visitors for him are immediate family but I wanted to just be on the same property as him. I went to my fly rod and took off the fly I used this morning, a variation, which means a poorly tied one, of Popovic's Hollow Fleye. I was going to stick it near the entrance but I figured someone might grab it and put it in the trash. 

     I made my way over to the flag pole where the American Flag stood still with the near zero wind. Bob, a true Patriot and Marine, might like this as the flys final resting place. It's been 12 days since Bob's accident and life does goes on, for all of us.  

     His family's restaurant is still open everyday for business, I go to work, people watched the debate, people are watching or going to baseball and football games, and social media is still getting fed. But remember to keep Bob and his family, and anyone who may be going through tough times, like the victims in Florida and North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, in your thoughts and prayers while you may be having a good day, month, or year.