08.03.26 Not a bad fish to have to learn...

 

Capt Brian Vaughn, Off The Hook Fishing Charters, with a recent tarpon catch

     It looks like I'll be missing out at shots for tarpon for 2026, but there's always next year. Just like learning striped bass starting almost 20 years ago it'll take me a bit to get caught up on these fish which invade the Lowcountry during the summer months. 

     What I've come to learn is this, thanks to several on-line resources. There's two species, the Atlantic Tarpon and the Indo-Pacific Tarpon. And the Atlantic Tarpon migration can be broken down into the West (Gulf of America) and East Coast (Atlantic Ocean). It kinda sounds like the East and West Coast rivalry that happened in the rap world in the 1990's between Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

     And while I'll never be able to learn there about tarpon around the world I guess I can take a shot at tarpon and their migration up around the Lowcountry. One of the hotspots is the waters in and around the Port Royal Sound which sits between Hilton Head Island and Beaufort. 

     The Boat House sits roughly 20 minutes from the Broad River Bridge boat ramp which you can see in the upper left of the map above. If I'm thinking of fishing out front there's closer ramps to put in at.

     I'm learning tarpon and 75 degree water temperatures go hand in hand. The fish, at least the ones they see in South Carolina, winter over in Florida and then make their way up into the Lowcountry around the beginning of July and then split when the first cold spell hits. 

     In addition to the temps the available baits also come into play. Mullet begin their southerly migration and just like we see, or once saw, with striped bass and that second week of September mullet bite, tarpon, redfish, and sharks feast on those perfect meal sized baits. One thing I know is that Popovic's Siliclone, which I could never get right, or Hollow Fleye's will work perfectly when I'm not trying to trick the predator fish with crab and small minnow patterned flies. 

08.02.26 Some well deserved IV fluids..

     It was on May 6th when Theresa and I met the couple who had listed the Suburban on Facebook Marketplace. It had been sitting for awhile but the oil change that was last done in 2025 was only 1,500 miles into its life. I had become used to changing my own oil so my plan was to do it myself but then the move got in the way. 

     This truck of mine is a keeper, but I say that about all of my real estate purchases. We paid $4,500 for her, got the Maaco special paint job for $1,500, $750 for the A/C service and alignment, and $200 for the front wheel bearing. So for seven grand I'm in a one-owner, 120,000 miles, pretty and comfortable ride. And in our short time together she has treated us very well. 

     She's been back and forth to work at the hospital, up and down to Cape May, took the ride and caught the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard, and then the big test towing the boat down to Bluffton with 30,000 pounds of stuff in her rear end and inside the boat. 

     And then she made the voyage back up to Cape May with a hitch, no pun intended. I knew that she now needed an oil change so I looked up the closest place in Cape May which was Mavis Tire. Again, I've been used to getting my oil from Costco where 2-5 gallon jugs run about $30 and a filter from Auto Zone about $8. It's been a long while since I had to pay for an oil change and I knew the sick was coming. I also knew, at some point, the sales pitch about what they found would be coming. The upscale always accompanies service at these joints. 

     I made an 11 o'clock appointment and when I got there the guy said they were running behind. Before I handed over my keys I asked how much it was and he said $89.95. And then 20 minutes later she was up on the lift and in another twenty I was asked to come outside where he could, "Show me some things of concern". "Three of your four shocks are leaking and the rear rotor needs replacement". Just for shits and giggles I asked how much the shocks would be..." $850"..."Okay, no thanks". 

     When I made the appointment I screen shotted the below coupon which would save me a couple dollars and make me feel like I was getting over. 

     It was 80 minutes before I was called up to the confessional to check out and get my keys back. The same guy I was dealing with hit me with the total...."$129.95". I asked, "I thought it was $89.98?". Well that's for up to 5 quarts of oil and you need six and that's an additional $16.95 a quart and then there's the environmental fee and .......". I had no fight in me and showed him the coupon which brought it down to $109.95 and I was out the door. 

     It's amazing to me how reliant we are for everything in our lives. From oil changes, to cooking our own food, to doing our own projects around the house, to drop off service for our laundry, which we've seen is a thing while we're in between houses, to washing our own car, and even making our own coffees, we just pay and pay, with a card of course, and go on our merry way.

     When I got back home I told Theresa that's one of the reasons I wanted to buy The Boat House, to change my own oil, and hers as well. It's just another example of the money we will save by having the other property. When we get back down south, and after we settle in by 2029, I'll be pulling her into the "garage" where I'll do my own oil change and replace those shocks that ".....some things of concern". 

08.01.26 How about some fly fishing content?...

      It's been a while since I paused from the chaos of all the moves to throw up something about fly fishing. One thing I now see it that it took six months for us to work our plan for all of our moves and now it's going to take six months to unpack and settle in. I'm not complaining by any means but we have stuff all over the place that needs to be found, unpacked, edited down yet again, and then put where it belongs. We closed on our new Cape May place last Saturday and spent the week with the fam at Congress Hall. It was a great time but now it's time to start our new normal lives. 

     While we're up here our contractors are starting to trickle in to our home in South Carolina to get work done before we move in down there. Right now all of our belongings are baking in the garage and after the floors, countertops, paint and electrical work is done we can unload and set up shop. Working remotely with the craftsman isn't easy from a distance and most of it is done by text and email. 

     We'll be back here in New Jersey for about month and part of that time will include heading back up to our neighbors houses to grab those last minute items we stored on their porches and in their basements and garages. And during the second week of August it'll be a trip up to the ADK's to visit my sister and her family. And then then by the August 22nd we should be back in South Carolina. 

     So what about the fly fishing Colin? Okay, here it is. Before I left South Carolina I went online at Drew Chicone's Salty Fly Tying website and ordered his two books on tying redfish flies. While there are a plethora on on-line resources for tying buggy and crabby flies for the Lowcountry 

Chicone offers a great two-book starter kit for anglers new to the redfish scene. While I'm 750 miles from my vice and materials having the books up here will give me a chance to mentally prepare and get psyched for this new fishery I'm about to be a part of. 

     And as I caught up on the hundreds of emails in my Inbox I saw one from Chuck Furminsky. Just when I hoped it was a message letting the fly fishing world that the International Fly Tying Symposium (IFTS) was no more it was the announcement that it will be moved to Lancaster, Pa, for a two-day run November 21-22, 2026. 

      You know I write all things good, bad and ugly here and I've been hard and The Fly Fishing and IFTS Shows over the years. Truth is these shows aren't what they used to be. Venue changes, the internet, the aging out of the Legends of the Game, and the risk vs cost game for the vendors and fly tyers are all reasons these shows have, well, gone down hill. What used to be a no-miss and even fly-in three day event have become a few hour visit only if you're within a few hour drive of the venue. don't get me wrong, there's still money, are electronic transactions, being made, but it's all not the same. Both shows, in my opinion, haven't changed enough with the people and times and they are suffering for it. 

     My interest in both shows is all about the saltwater game. Early on, in the early 1990's I was all about trout and then the Catskills, and then that changed over to striped bass and the East Coast fishery. Having an International Fly Tying Symposium in the middle of Amish Country may morph, and maybe save, this show from ending its 35 year long run, but I doubt it. 

     While I hear, because I've never been, Lancaster is a great venue, and Chuck's favorite, what kind of numbers will that area pull? If you aren't getting it done when the show is in Edison and 35 miles from Manhattan how will it go being 165 miles away. Yes Philly is closer, and you have that whole Pa limestone trout crowd, and some Susky smallmouth folks, but without that salty NewYork/ New England presence I think the show will be small in content and in attendance. Again, for vendors and the bigger manufacturers, it's a game of financial risk vs gain. 

     Add to that the tyers from overseas who take long flights, well they used to, to get here. There's a big difference between catching an affordable flight from Sweden to Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia then Lancaster or Harrisburg International Airports. It was always an International show, but last year it was more Inter-state. 

     And then there's The Fly Fishing Show. No doubt I'll be taking a pass from the show in Edison and hitting up my "local" show, which is in Athens, Georgia held during my 59th birthday weekend January 9-10, 2027. It'll be a quick 223 mile drive, that's five hours away, I just hope it's worth it. What's interesting, yet again, is this years change of not starting the run in Marlborough, Ma. Now some vendors and tyers will have to head south, then north, and then south again. It's a circuit and hopefully the powers that be looked into who has held the show down for years, like where they're coming from, how many shows they do, and made the new adjustments accordingly. Otherwise it'll be Tim Commissa, I still don't know who he is, and more gutter guards, chiropractors, and local pickle people filling the aisles with kids and amateurs sitting at the fly tying tables around the perimeter. 

07.26.25 Home sweet home…

   

          Well here she is. After a super busy week down in the Lowcountry we arrived in Cape May on Friday around 1130 pm. On Saturday we closed and went straight to work getting rid of stuff the previous owners left behind before the Stanley Steamer guys showed up.

     They did a great job on the rugs and the furniture but then it was time to start the deep cleaning. And that lasted well into the night. 

     We visited our two storage units and started the task of bribing stuff to the house with the Hope of dropping down to just one in the next few days. Our family is arriving Monday for our annual invasion of Cape May which will give us a reason to pause. Back home we’re lining up the contractors to get work done while we are up here in Cape May. We’ll be up here for about a month before returning home. One things for sure it’s cooler here in New Jersey and the 65 degree nights make it feel like fall compared to the South. 

     All the real estate transactions are now done and after the next few months we should be all settled in to the three places. One thing im looking forward to is some nice home cooking and even some coffee we make on our own at home. I feel like we’ve been eating out for a month and I’m sick of WaWa and bar food. 

But im not complaining, we are truly thankful and blessed. 

07.24.26 What a day and heading back to New Jersey...

     We pulled into Bluffton on July 17th and are pulling out on July 24th. Seven days, like the length of stay for most vacationers. But we're here now permanently, and I have a temporary 

driver's license, license plate, which are just for the back end down here, and the application for permanent residency to prove it. It's been a whirlwind week where we got a ton done but have to head back to Cape May for the fifth and final real estate transaction. 

     Early in the morning I took the ride from Bluffton to Ridgeland to spend a quick minute at The Boat House. The ride reminds me of what Millstone, where I grew up, used to look like before the lot clearing and McMansion building took place. It's long country roads with only traffic happening during the before and after hour work hours of the day. 

     When I got there I knew I had one thing to tackle. The lower roof of the garage had become loaded with leaves, weeds, and a tree or two. My concern, besides that they shouldn't be there, is 

the added weight and stress it puts on the wooden beams underneath. They don't get much rain down here in the summer so luckily things were pretty dry.  Luckily I had loaded up one of my ladders from New Jersey and could easily get up on the roof. The concern was would I find a weak spot, fall through, get stuck, rip open my abdomen on the galvanized roofing, and either die after bleeding out or from tetanus. 

     I did find some weak spots that I was lucky to not fall through so some of these sheets, if not all, will have to be replaced. After this one hour visit it was off to Sun City's Community Association office where we got our new ID's and welcome packet. 

     Before I left I snapped a quick picture of The Boat House. It's really sick and I have a ton of ideas to do some things here to make it just perfect for what I, and my friends, may need. The house, yes it's a tiny house, is 12 x 24, with a sink and a toilet. I'll discuss that and share pictures in a future post.

     In the new house we're getting some work done before we move in. Of course, for Theresa, it's all about the kitchen so we'll, well she'll, be getting new countertops, newly painted cabinets, and new flooring throughout the house. 

     We took the short drive to Beaufort, which is a town I may like more than Charleston, where we spent some time and pulled the trigger on quartz countertops. We had our floor choice and paint cards with us to make sure, hopefully, it all goes together nicely. 

     We stopped downtown and had lunch on Bay Street which is their main drag in the city. Luckily I had some quarters and we dropped them in the meter before lunch because after we were done and came out cars up and down the block had tickets tucked under their windshield wipers. But before I opened the door to my truck I looked up and saw Bay Street Outfitters. We dropped another quarter in the box and headed inside. 

     This is probably the closest 100% fly shop near me. It's an Orvis-partner store and recently the Orvis stores in Savannah and Charleston were closed with the latest gut-job that Orvis did to its customers. We spent some time looking around, I spoke with soon to be Captain and guide Dustin who worked there,  and bought a T-shirt to support the local shop. 

     The fly selection is more crabby and buggy than swimmy and large. I didn't buy any this time around but I might on the next visit. I saw more Enrico Puglisi products in this store than rom one's back home. There's not much for ducktail or Squimpish down here. 

    I left the shop with a few items in my hand. One the t-shirt in a bag, and an Orvis rod box.....with a new seven and eight weight Helios inside? Nope. Not yet. Dustin was able to hook me up with an empty box so I can send my broken ten and twelve wieghts back to Orvis for repair. And then, just as we were spent and had no energy we took a ride over the border into Georgia. 

     It was a ride to Clyo, Georgia to pick up the new skiff. By 6 o'clock Theresa was just about done so the picture taking lacked just a little bit, but you get the idea. Corey was unloading the skiff before he returned to college next week. All went well as far as I was concerned until I did some inspecting underneath.

     Let's just say he never looked underneath when he bought it in May from the previous owner. Again, I'll leave that for another post, but let's just say it needs a spa day, like everything else I buy. What it really needs is some fiberglass work done. He was killing me. What could have been a deal killer came down to him dropping the price by $2,000 to cover the repair. Now I just have to find a glass guy down here but I have some people down here who could give me some recommendations. 

      We backed the skiff into the fenced in yard at The Boat House, which now is ringing true to it's name. Theresa and I both wish we were staying put down here but we have to travel north to close and for the annual family Cape May vacation which starts Monday. 

     Things at The Boat House are falling right into place. I have to come up with a plan and figure out what I'm going to tackle and in what order. Do I do the house first? Tackle the outside first? Time will tell but for now we're off to a good start with both our home and this slice of heaven which will serve me, and us, well. 

07.23.26 I can't even remember what we did yesterday...

     Theresa got her hair and nails done. I hit the Home Depot like a first time home buyer does. The painter came over to see the work we'd like to get done before we move our stuff in. We hit South Carolina motor vehicles and got our licenses and registration switched over. (Of course I forgot my title so I have to return there today). And I did a little trimming of the bushes around the house before ending the day at the pool for a swim. Not a bad day. 

      During a break I threw up a post on the Sun City Facebook page about our home model and screened porches/lanais/sunrooms/Carolina rooms and got several responses. Those things are a thing in the south. They give you some extra space, shields you from the sun, keeps the pollen and bugs out, and is a great place for entertaining. Of course they range from reenable to through the roof, and with that, beautiful to downright doesn't fit and ugly. 

     An unknown neighbor died a quick AI mock up which you can see on the top and just above is how the back of the house looks as it sits now, well kind of. One thing I've noticed when you ask for contractor recommendations is the wide and varied responses you get from each person. We've literally heard "Don't use anyone else" to "I'd never let them in my house again" about the same contractors. I guess that's the same no matter where you go.

Today's our last day in the Lowcountry as we head back to Jersey tomorrow with temporary South Carolina licenses in hand. This late afternoon it'll be a ride to pick up the skiff, I hope it's everything I hoped it to be. 

07.22.26 How about that..

     I felt like a kid who heard the ice cream truck for the first time. But it wasn't the bells from the Good Humor man I heard but the roar of a zero-turn mower that vibrated against my tympanic membrane. I ran out with my cell phone to capture one of the most glorious sights I have seen since closing on the house....landscapers. They come in force, they come quickly, and within minutes they are gone. A few guys on the ride along mowers, a few with trimmers in hand, and few with backpack blowers to clean off the patios and drive ways. It's all part of the $297 we pay in HOA fees each month. 

     That fee covers the landscaping, the three golf courses, the six pools, four amenity centers, walking trails, gyms, tennis and pickle ball courts, woodshop building, model railroader building, walking trails, and meeting spaces for the over 200 clubs found within the bubble. That sounds like a bargain to me. Add to that movies, shows, and an almost daily offering of music and get togethers and I can see why people easily fall in love with this place and call it home. 

     We started the day where we left off, sweating, and bringing all our belongings into the garage from the driveway. Since we abandoned labeling each bin as we packed for the move each time we grabbed one we took a peek inside and often said, "Oh what the hell did we bring this for?". 

     Luckily all the stuff that made it into the garage isn't all of ours. We loaded up some of my Mom's and Patrick and Lauren's stuff that will make it's way down to them in Florida. It's not all that much but every bin and box that isn't ours means less work and space we need to store it. 

     Early in the morning we received word that the wire transfer had finally hit the lawyers account. That meant it was official and we could finally get the keys and get inside the house. When we first opened the door as new owners the first thing we noticed was the rush of cool air from the central air conditioning. Once inside we went through each room and came up with ideas of things we're going to change before we fully move in. The first item on the agenda is ripping up the carpets and wood floors and getting new ones laid throughout.

     One of the stops of the day was over to the floor installers showroom to look at different brands of LVP, or luxury vinyl plank. They come in different shades, patterns, and thickness so like anything else you have to pull the trigger on it's anxiety producing. Word on the street is grays are out and shades of tan, beige, and blonde are in. 

     Theresa's taking the lead on stuff around the house. Whatever she wants to do I'm down with. We had on hand a sample of what the new countertops may look like and had several samples on hand to try and coordinate. Today we'll have the painter over for an estimate on paining the kitchen cabinets, professionally, and for painting the rooms around the house. We'll have to figure out the order of operation since we have paint, floors, countertops, and then electric work to be done which will include removing some ceiling fans and lights and installing recessed lighting in the living room. That'll all be done when we're back in New Jersey and hopefully we come back to a job well done by all. 

     By days end, which included a run up to The Boat House in Ridgeland, we were done and ready to relax. That bought us to the new amenities center and the dam near waterpark they 

recently opened. A large pool with a lazy river with all kinds of shaded areas was a perfect way to end the day. I started with a rest inside the lobby of the new center which is a place I could easily sit and take a nap in escaping the Lowcountry heat. What's amazing to me is that even with that ceiling height you could hang meat inside. Someone had their HVAC design and install game on when it came to that build. 

     It was about six o'clock when we entered the pool. It was us and about a dozen other people. Music, causing some Grateful Dead, was piped in from the extensive sound system. And the music isn't the latest Top 40 annoying rap, pop, and country hits, but more a nice mellow mix from days back when. And the water, about 85 degrees, which to me is perfect. We stayed in the water for about 45 minutes and met some great couples who welcomed us. This place is really like Disney world for adults. 

     While we're staying at the Air B&B during this initial stay we're looking forward to getting in the house and knowing where your stuff, like the daily stuff, is. Somehow we were able to find our bathing suits for last evening's swim and next will be to find a razor to tighten up the facial growth I've just forgot about. We've basically been living out of suitcases since we got here which has been just fine. How could we complain after this run of good luck and blessing's we've had so far? What's next? winning the lottery? 

07.21.26 Four down and one to go....

     Pretty crazy to think we decided to do this all in January. We didn't really get started going until April. And yesterday, July 20th, we closed on our new home in Sun City and on The Boat House in Ridgeland. There's only one real estate transaction left and that's signing the papers for the new place in Cape May. Two sales and three purchase. Somehow we got it all done. 

     And while I always knew a bump in the road would come, I didn't think it would be in the 9th inning with two outs and a 3-2 count. So to explain, simply, here it is. We had our closing scheduled for 1 pm. At 11 am we were in Wells Fargo meeting with the branch manger to make the wires on the three purchases. And at 2 pm the movers were arriving with all of our stuff, which had been loaded and unloaded three times since that torturous day last week back in Titusville.

     Everything went as planned including the movers who were waiting for us to clear the closing. The only problem was the wire on our home didn't clear, and the buyers, for some reason, wouldn't allow us to move our stuff into the garage, where it will all stay until after some work is done inside. So it all went in the driveway.

     And there was a lot of stuff. We realize now that we could have edited our stuff down even more, and will have our hands full in doing so when we get back to South Carolina after a stay in Cape May. If you're planning a downsize, then do your downsizing, and then cut that in half. You don't need it down here, don't want it down here, and nobody cares about your stuff anyway. 

     After the movers left and getting nowhere with the bank the sellers finally relented and allowed us to move stuff into the garage, but by them we were shot, so it sat overnight in the drive way. 

    It is what it was. Now the neighbors know the couple from Jersey is in the house. One thing we noted was, and here's a recommendation, is when your stuff is loaded and unloaded it takes a beating. Boxes torn, bins dented, and wrap and tape hangs on by a thread. My 24 foot extension ladder is no where to be found, How do you lose that?, and one of our large planters is missing. 

    And to bring this daily diary back to fishing things are good around here even in the dead of summer. I found this screen grab from a video on Facebook. In it is a large pod of jack crevalle in a daisy chain out front of Hilton Head. And these aren't tiny fish.

     I also saw a picture that Captain Brian Vaughn of Off the Hook Charters posted with his sports in on that action. I can't wait to target these on the fly, but I'll have to sit this year out. Next the tarpon arrive, and there's always redfish to be had. 

     Today it'll be running around to get everything into the garage, meeting up with a flooring contractor, hitting the Jasper County Tax Assessors office to pay the taxes on the cars, and then maybe DMV to get licenses and tags from South Carolina. Hopefully there will be some time to hit the pool and relax. And more so hopefully it'll be a dry day after many days of partaking.