03.19.26 Gettin' it done, but what a PITA...

     If you haven't ventured into the world of selling things online, my advice, stay away. I say that because things are getting worse, like everything else in this world. Yes, people have been slaughtered during meetups since Craigslist first came around and the butchering continues from time to time with Facebook Marketplace. But that's not the reason I say stay away. Although, I have to say, the other day I had a sale that made me, the seller, uncomfortable. I sold a Pier 1 table and chair set. It used to be my fly tying desk. Too big and too heavy to move to South Carolina I figured I'll just get something new down there. And who knows if it would even fit. I've had this the late 1990's so for $75 I was fine with it.

     So a woman reaches out to me that she'd like to buy it and pick it up. Perfect. I listed it as "Pending" and waited for the pick up at the house. Now, picture this. Me. Old. Kinda overweight. Double chin. Unshaven. Just ugly. Working in the yard picking up sticks. Probably on day 3 unshowered with the same clothes on. Most likley with a pizza grease stain running down the center of my chest. And who shows up? Well, a young 20-something year old girl in tight yoga paints, who was a yoga instructor from Brooklyn, alone in her Honda Civic. 

     It was funny because she rolled out of the car like she had done this 1,000 times. No fear. Just picking up a table. I was uncomfortable from the jump and even had a hard time forming words. Adorable. Yes. Yoga paints. Check. But this is not a creeper thing. I have daughters that age. It's just, I don't know, after a  million episodes of kidnapping and murder and law and order shows it almost felt like it was a set up. 

     We started to figure out how to put down her seats and move stuff in her car and I'm telling her about my kids and my wife.....and then,"Hold on for a minute". And I went into the house and got Theresa. Phew..... I felt better the moment I introduced them to each other. But I just couldn't imagine a young woman driving into the country, rolling up into a long-drivewayed house, seeing the mess that I am, and being comfortable with even stopping. It was almost like you could stereotype a crime victim. When she pulled away I was relieved, and $75 richer, well not really, she Zelled Theresa the money, which, I'll never see. 

     I also sold the tractor that I bought from a guy in Amish country shortly after we bought this house in 2018. It's been a run with this one as I blew the motor and had to replace it and struggled every time I switched the attachments, and I could never get the 48" mower deck level. The guy who came, who rented a Home Depot trailer before he saw it, shouldn't have bought it. I told him, "This is not you man". 

     I sold the tractor and seven attachments. He must have asked 500 questions which I didn't know the answers to. "But how do you set up the hydraulics?" As he inquired about everything the price just kept dropping in my head and all I could see was all of this shit gone. When it came to the price, "How about $800?". SOLD. And we loaded it up.

     I try and tell buyers the truth, always, about things I'm selling. Even the Jeep that sold. I told the guy, "You don't want this". But no matter how I tried to explain to him what a harmonic balancer is and what it could mean, as far as repairs, he bought it. I took off $100 to show I cared and to help him with the tow or the repairs. That's on you bro.

     Then I had the snowblower. Probably had it for 20 years. It really helped out during this years snowmagedans. But towards the end it started to act wonky and wanted to cut off each time I engaged the blades. I put it up for $200 thinking a small engine guy or girl would grab it and do their thing. Nope. I get a retired printer from South Jersey who came with his adult-basement-living son in their Prius. WTF? I tried to talk him out of it. Nope. Okay. SOLD. Good luck.

     The last big item, before I go and list the jet boat, is my Lionel train collection. I put that up for $7,000 and just dropped it to $6,500. I had a dream, or a nightmare, the other night that they didn't sell and I packed them up and brought them south only to finally be able to enjoy them in my old age. The problem is the places we're looking at are 1,200 square feet with no basement and no attic. So, forget it. 

     But buyers can be brutal, or nuts, or both. Here's a reply I got to the train listing. It was out of the blue and just a thoughtful message from someone who probably wants to buy it but can't or won't. There's a couple of reasons why people don't buy, they don't have the cash, or their significant others won't let them. So here's the love I felt....

     WTF? Okay. Don't know where that came from. But then there's the people who I try and have patience with. This lady wants the sofa, she thinks. We've been back and forth 100 times...

     What do you do with that? In addition she asks if I'll deliver it. A sectional that measures 100 feet long by 50 feet wide with 50 cushions. I grabbed this when my parents downsized. It's been in our family for twenty years. The problem is if I put it in a dumpster and it rains not only will it take up too much room but it'll weigh 1,000 pounds if it gets wet. Somebody please come get this? Aren't there college kids who need this for their Animal House?

     And then there's people who are experts in things, while I am not. I've been holding on to Ryan's guitar since his death. I'll never play it and figured someone who's in the know will. It ones of those things, like kids things are tough to part with, but dead kids things are really hard. So it would have been easier to just list it and have some one come pick it up.....but. 

      So here comes Eric Clapton, a nice guy I might add, with 1,000 questions and picture requests. "What about the neck?". I didn't know if it was about the guitar or a line from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, "Save the neck for me Clark."....

     "Move the camera to the right and show the first 12 frets.". Frets? What's a fret?. I fret listing anything else on FBM. Anyway, needless to say, it's still sitting on the couch that the lady says she wants, desperately. And then there's always the dreaded.....

     If you list on Facebook Marketplace you'll get 1,000 of these with each listing, no matter if you write you won't respond to, "Is this still available?". Or you'll get just a lowball offer no matter what the item is listed for. Those are my favorite, because if and when you say "Yes", they never respond back. 

     The fly anglers are pretty easy to deal with. I listed the Fly Tester on one day and it was gone the next. In fact, it'll be picked up today. $75. Easy peasy. done deal. 

     So I warn you when and if you use FBM when you downsize or just purge all of the shit you have collected over your years on earth, and the stuff your kids and parents have left you, after they collected over their years on earth. Yes, there's deals to be had and there's people looking. And as far as pricing? Most people who list are just trying to get rid of stuff, while the buyers are either looking for something, are a dealer or flipper, or have a hoarding mental disorder. You'll know if you got good stuff because your Messenger will blow up as will the click count rises quickly. 

     After I listed my Pyrex collection it hit 2,500 clicks before the lady drove 3-1/2 hours from Maryland on a Friday night to make the 11 pm deal. That kind of traffic means you either got something real good or you priced it way too low. 

     So if you're about 60, or 70, or 80..it's time. What are you waiting for? All the shit your kids have left for you to deal with is ready to be Facebooked or dumpstered. I'm not even talking just about the old report cards and arts and crafts from when they were in kindergarten. Get rid of it all, or tell them to come and get it. At your age your basically just running a self-storage unit that is costing you a small fortune if you have a mortgage, or not. And the tools, and the wood, and the projects....you're too old these days. Those were the days but they are over. 

     One of my last sales was just that, another great loser idea of a project I had in my head. I picked this wood up about six years ago, for free, like Sanford & Son, from an estate sale. It was going to be the wood shed I needed to cover our firewood. Yeah, had that go? 

     I listed it for $20 bucks and threw in a set of saw horses I've had in my yard for the last 8 years. Within seconds I had hits and a few hours later a nice young guy came and picked it all up. I saw myself in him from way back when. A wife in the front seat, two kids in the back, and a small trailer used to pick up way too much "stuff". When I saw the smile on his face and he said, "This is like gold", I knew I was looking at someone who could be mental like me. But when he said, "I'll send you a picture after it's done", meaning a chicken coop, I knew it wasn't me, because the me would get this stuff and just leave it housing rodents and rotting away waiting for the day when I did something with it. And with me that day usually never comes. 

03.18.26 Catch Brad on MOF tonight...

 

Catch Brad tonight on Master's Of the Fly...

03.17.26 No justice for Bobby...

     Well this was an extra sharp knife to swallow. I'm sure it's the same for almost all of us that knew and loved Bob, especially his family. Yesterday Genell McInaw, below, pleaded guilty to

vehicular homicide and will be sentenced to five, that's 5, years in State Prison for murdering another human being. It's a choice to go bar hopping around town and run someone over and leave the scene. That night, over the course of six hours, she consumed none alcoholic drinks, including two beers and two cherry bombs between 840 and 916 pm. Didn't the bartender see she was intoxicated? Her BAC came back at three times the legal limit. 

     While I won't degrade Bob by having his picture in this post I will talk about the players that have something to do with this agreement. I first must start by saying how flawed the criminal justice system is in New Jersey, and the United States. If I killed someone during a robbery, while intoxicated, would I get 5 years? The woman who killed Bob, not only did she know him for years, she worked for him and was part of their family.

     And there's the Ocean County Prosecutor, Michael T Nolan, Jr., above, who signed off on the plea agreement, along with Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke, who handled the case. They obviously don't have a problem with the justice system or the law because they CHOOSE to be a part of it. Do they think this was fair and just to the family and the untold amount of friends, yet alone to the man she ran over and left for dead in the street? I guess they are, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen this line of legal work to call a career. And Judge Kenneth T. Palmer must be okay with it, otherwise he wouldn't have left his job as the Mayor of Manchester to become a Superior Court Judge and oversee cases like this. 

     The picture above is during the court proceedings yesterday as Burke presented the plea agreement. McInaw would be required to serve four years and three months from her release after her June 26, 2026 sentencing. However, the Judge made it clear that he is not bound by the recommended sentence and could impose up to 10 years in prison at her sentencing. And that's where victim impact statements come into play. The family has requested family and friends to submit testimonials to Ldolby@co.ocean.nj.us. So in the end, and I'm no lawyer, the prosecution and defense came up with deal, presented it to the court, and Judge Palmer has the power to either accept the deal or impose the 10 year maximum sentence. We'll see where he stands on this in June. 

   

     And then there's her criminal defense attorney, Terrance Turnbach, seen above in court yesterday with his client. He must be okay with the plea because he was paid to represent her and get her a fair trail and or the best deal he could. Smiling all the law to the bank. Maybe he'll be claiming, "We didn't want to injure the family further....", if it went to trial. Yeah, good excuse.

     Imagine these four guys, living their best lives, getting paid a boat load of money, going home to their families, and being part of daily scams, shams, and deals, when it comes to justice. Don't tell me their hands are tied and they are just operating within the confines of the law. They knew what business they were getting into. If they couldn't ethically or morally handle it, by agreeing to it, or accepting plea deals, they would choose another line of work. They've sold their souls to the devil, and to those that commit devilish crimes. 

     In the end it'll goes down as a win for the prosecution, a plea deal isn't a loss, and it's not a tie. If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem, and this is another travesty of justice. And not because I knew Bob, but because you can knowingly make irresponsible decisions, KILL people, leave them to die, and basically get away with it. In less then five years, she'll be out and be able to make her rounds around the Seaside bar scene yet again. And I hope those who have been her enablers for all these years face some type of justice or a lawsuit, or at least they have nightmares knowing they paid some part in Bob's death. I know that sounds brutal, but I'm pissed.

If the Judge accepts the plea deal she'll be set free September 26, 2030. And the players I mentioned above will have been voted or promoted to higher positions in the prosecutors office, the courts, or at the practice. It's a chess game they all played, and in the end the only piece knocked down and dead was Bobby. We need to have a run of those Pop Fleye's shirts made up stating, Justice for Bob, and send each one of those guys a shirt and see if they have the balls to wear it. NEVER FORGET!!!

03.16.26 Offering it up here before Facebook Marketplace...

     You have 48 hours before this message self destructs. Actually I'll soak this here for two days before it goes on the open market on Facebook Marketplace.

     It's a Fish Skull Fly Tester. Fill it up with water, attach your fly, turn it on, and see if what you tied swims the way you want it. Fun for the tier, or good for the tier/vendor, who wants to display and swim flies at the shows. I've probably used it five times.

New models go for $199 new, it's your's for $75. Text me if you want it, 732 261 7291, but need you to get it soon after you buy it. 

03.14.26 Big weekend before the fishing begins...

 

     The tables been set weather wise for fishing to begin in the next few weeks. After a pretty brutal winter, or normal if you're old, everyone who has been battling Cabin Fever is ready to get to fishing. Fly, spin, bait, you name it, all of the fish that swim in waters are about to get deluged by anglers looking to catch and eat them or catch and release (or torture) them. 

     Soon the rivers of the Upper Delaware will be full of waders and drift boats looking to put the first scars into the lips and mouths of wild trout who call the East or West Branch or the Main Stem home. In other trout waters spring means a season opener in the put and take fishing for stocked trout, and in New Jersey that begins April 11th. And then there's the rivers and bays that will literally heat up defrosting holdover and early migratory striped bass up and out of their winter doldrums. In a few weeks the horizon, and the channels, will be chock full of head and six pack boats driving around marking fish to target.

     But before that we say goodbye to the fishing conventions and shows. This weekend The Fly Fishing Show ends it's 2026 season in Lancaster, PA. I've never been but some say it's the best show, small and intimate, and just a two-dayer. This last stop caps off the East to West back to East Coast road trip for the show. 

     If you don't want to take the drive to Amish Country you can take a ride up to Edison for the three-day New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Expo which opened up yesterday. I don't know if there's show fatigue but as of late there's been Surf Day at Brookdale, the Asbury Park Fishing Flea Market, and shows out in Long Island. But this show seems to be a big draw for all kinds of saltwater anglers. 

     Regardless of what type of fishing you do or what type of species you target anglers are chomping at the hook to get out there. And for many it's hoping that those secret, well there aren't many left these days, spots remain trafficless and don't get blown up. Over the last 15 years we've seen the plethora of posts, articles, and pictures on all types of media telling us when, where, and how, to catch these fish. In the past there were limited sources to get information from, and the best was always finding your own spot and your own fish. Internet detectives started "spying" on peoples locations looking for landmarks in the background of those shitty fish pictures guys and gals would post up. Some would even look up the info on pictures shared if the location setting wasn't removed from iPhone pics. 

     In a world of instant gratification weekly fishing reports just don't cut it anymore. Where are the fish....now. That rings especially true for migratory species and those that blitz eat when the predator fish meet the bait fish. And that, coupled with a decrease in advertising, is why fishing related magazines have gone by the wayside. Some still remain but for most they've stopped their subscriptions and only pick up an issue if they know someone, are in it themselves, or it's an article about their local fishing hole. 

     This month On The Water magazine put out an article by Neil Krauter. It talked about the Navesink and Shrewsbury River fishery for striped bass and bluefish. That used to be a sleeper fishery with only the locals and the sharpies knowing when and where to target said fish. While the numbers of anglers who called those waters their early go-to spot was many, I would say it wasn't blown-up until about 10 years ago. Hard core anglers in these waters would fish stealithy in the shadows of darkness from boat, kayak, and on foot, camouflaging themselves from the lights from the houses and bridges that lined both rivers. Then it morphed into a daytime thing, especially in the pre and after work hours. If the tides were right and the bait was in, and the word got out, tons of anglers would park anywhere and anyway they could, legal or not, to get close to the water. And if and when the gator bluefish showed up, forget it. 

     I read the well-written article and it was, well, good. That's why people buy magazines and subscribe to channels. It's a mix of entertainment and an investment into fishing knowledge, and it cuts down on the discovery and learning curve that it takes to find, the most important thing, and catch fish. But what it's not good for are the fish, especially early season fish, that tend to bunch up in certain spots as part of their yearly pre-spawning and vacationing ritual. It's also not good for those anglers who have put their time in year after year and wait for it to all go down. And then there's the homeowners and businesses that will see an increase of traffic and parking, and people urinating and tossing butts, in and around those waters. Truth be told there's very few spots you can just park and walk to, and those fill up quickly when the bite is on. And then there's an increase in boat traffic, which is annoying to be in the mix of, and can actually change a fishes behavior. With an article like this, or any spot kind of article, I wonder if it does more bad then good.

     I doubt that I am part of the problem but I may be, by drawing attention to the article and the fishery, but I did it. As a magazine or content creating entity, how vague can you be? Eventually the readers will need more or they'll stop buying if there's nothing to be gained from dropping money on a recent edition or subscription. As far as striped bass, and I've said it before, New Jersey has the best striped bass fishing, year round, out of all the states that striped bass call home or visit. There may be times when one state is on fire, but New Jersey gives anglers just about a 10 month season. That's why I was in favor of some type of No Target or seasonal closure, especially for those pre-spawn fish. But hey, the ASMFC and Adam Nowalsky know better. 

     So if you're not attending one of these shows and your spouse doesn't have you chasing the spring honey-do list then at least go through your fly rods and flies and get ready for the spring. Find those waders and your stripping basket and make sure you have your licenses up to date. Soon the fish, fresh and salt, will be on the move as will be the other anglers competing for your spot. 

03.12.26 Back to the classroom myself...

      Never too old to learn, again. This week I'm spending two days taking the ACLS, or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, class at Capital Health. Of course I'm the oldest person in the class and have the oldest beat up vehicle in the parking lot. As I said the other day nursing is a young person's game, and spanning the classroom I see it's really true.

     ACLS is the next step up from BLS, or Basic Life Support. In that class participants learn adult CPR and how to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), which basically, shocks the heart back into a better rhythm. That class is offered for the layperson or a more enhanced version for healthcare providers. It's the basic standard which allows for early recognition and participation in cardiovascular events such as cardiac arrest. But there's more to responding to a Code Blue than doing CPR and hitting the shock button on an AED.

     One of the things I have held onto in my hoarding disorder to prove to myself where I've been are my old yearly planners. I have them going back to the 1980's. Why? Just shut up. One thing about keeping records of where you've been and what you've accomplished is that you have a record of what is true, not what you remember to be true. So yesterday as we went around the room introducing ourselves and our ACLS experience I had to strain to remember. I answered, "I think I used to be an ACLS instructor?". That puzzled the instructor at the front of the class, and the young kids seated around me. They looked at me like, "How can't you remember if you taught this stuff?". I felt old. I felt like I couldn't remember. I felt like I might be lying, to them, and myself. 

     You see as time goes by so does the truth with some things. Even recently I was asked to prove when I was at the World Trade Center in and around 9/11. I know when I was there, who I was with, but I had to brain-strain to remember, and then they even had me doubting the days I was there. 

     So when I got home I had to take a quick peek at the planners from the 1990's. I knew I had taken ACLS and remember taking the instructor class and even teaching it, but it was a blur. I found the planner from 1996 and when I got to October I found it. Looking at the weeks events it brought me back to good times. In 1996 I was 28 years old, what I would consider my prime. On that Monday we took Ryan to his second doctor's visit, which followed his August 18th birth. Then on Tuesday I did two 14-hour nights in the firehouse at Rescue 1 on Mulberry Street in downtown Newark. I got paid on Thursday, which back then meant a paper check, and then ran to join a long list of citywide Newark employees at the bank to cash it. And then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday it was the ACLS instructors class. I was supposed to be in the firehouse for a 10 hour day shift on that Sunday and must have taken a personal day or did a mutual swap to attend. There you go. I'm no liar.

     These planners are like a diary. Most all filled up, but some, not so much. I don't know if it was during those years of turmoil that I was too disconnected to go by what was on paper. It was probably all survival mode. I like a planner, it's structure, and even in a life of chaos, having it down on paper helps me focus and stay motivated, and puts me in the place or places I need to be. 

     I love a good code. Sounds sick I know. I also like a good trauma. And I liked going to fires, a lot of them. You never wish ill will on somebody but if something were going to happen you just hoped it went down on your shift. Codes are always chaotic and can be run well, or be a shit show depending on who shows up. That's either pre or in-hospital. Many people haven't seen a working cardiac arrest in person although these days all of the medical shows do provide a glimpse, and sometimes they're spot on. 

     Most of the actions you see during codes are based off of algorithms (above), which ensure providers are doing the right thing depending on what the patient is presenting with. CPR, defibrillation, cardio-version, pacing, airway management, and medication administration are all part of it. Sometimes it works, many times it does not, or half works, which to me is the worst. Getting a pulse back doesn't mean your patient is walking out of the door. 

      So throughout the day I paid attention and took notes. I raised my hand from time to time to answer the instructor's questions. Several times I was corrected, "They don't call that that anymore", or "The algorithm has changed since then", which made me feel old. But it did remind me that I had been here before way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. 

     While these days I let my students jump on the chest during codes I still enjoy the strategy and tactics of what goes into being part of a code team. Watching the team, especially the nurses, is a thing of beauty when all goes right and the patient responds. One thing I can tell you about all of this, one day we'll all need a nurse, and we'll all go into cardiac arrest. So hopefully, unless you're a DNR, the code team will be on point when your heart stops beating correctly. 

03.11.26 Thought for the day...

      Wow, boy am I on target with that one. And, I'm following my own advice. I finally get it. I get why I either keep or acquire everything and anything under the sun. I now know why I got into collecting Lionel trains, and Pyrex, and all of those memories from marriages and lifetimes past, when the kids were up and coming. And then there's things from EMS, the fire department, teaching, and of course fishing. Why. Why. Why. It's all over Johnny. I have been trying to hold onto the past, and others peoples pasts, before they were even in the past. I am who am and have done what I have done and in the end no one gives a rats ass, or needs for me to prove to them who I was, wanted to be, or have become. Yes, I used to be a contender, if you will, but those days are over, and I'm getting rid of everything I needed to remember that. Who would I have to prove anything to anyway? No one cares, and more importantly, needs to be burdened dealing with another persons memories, dreams, and possessions. It ain't easy trust me, but boy is it like getting rid of a weighted blanket that holds you down. FREEDOM is coming, I hope. 

Rant to myself over...Have a nice day. Go fishing soon.

03.09.26 That'll keep me motivated....

     Downsizing with the thought of a making a big move is a daunting task. Most people who do it wait to late, that's what they'll tell you. If you don't do it by a certain age, you probably won't. While I might say you'll then be trapped, it is what it is, and maybe staying put just works better for you. 

     Our first steps are to rid ourselves of the "stuff" we've been putting in the attic, basement, closets, and every inch of this 4,300 square foot house. The insanity had to end. And there's Tobacco Road out in the yard. We've lost a bit of mojo with the weather and the lack of sales on Facebook Marketplace. While getting some money for stuff is nice, it's really all about getting rid of it. It becomes a grind in and around work, and what was just trying to stay warm. 

     I go online just about everyday looking at real estate listing s in Sun City Hilton Head, where we hope to call home. I also just tease myself looking around at recent pictures and posts of fly fishing in and around the Lowcountry. I found the above and below pics which were part of an article in Charleston Magazine written by Jason Stemple. For a minute I can picture my Jones Brother's Cape Fishermen sitting in the same spot as his skiff, with me up on the poling platform. 

     Each day we are allegedly closer to putting the house up on the market, but, truth be told, it will take a Herculean effort to do so. I've been in touch with the dumpster people and that should really change the landscape around the house and make things better mentally. I hope to be on the bow, or even just standing on a flat in boots, searching for redfish that have come up on a flood tide in search of crabs and small fish. 

Motivation. Focus. Action. And some hope. Prayers, And luck. 

03.08.26 And here comes the melt....

     Rain and snow are good for the earth. It falls and then it fills the lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. More water is generally better good than bad. It's also good for those acquifers that are underground storage places for water, like wells and springs. The goal is to have them full which would then lead to a leeching into larger water systems. 

     What's not good are those torrential downpours that blow out water soaked grounds that lead to flooding. Either there's just too much water to begin with or the ground can't keep up with the pace of the water's deluge. These days it seems weather is and all or none kind of event, and that's not good, and leads to either flood or drought, depending on which side of the spectrum you're on.

       The Delaware River is 330 miles long. It is un-dammed, the longest body of water this side of the Mississippi. Generally the further north you go up into the valleys and mountains you'll see snowpack and large sections of the river(s) that are iced up. As the air and water temperatures rise and the snow and ice melts it starts to increase the water volume and flow, which we are seeing now. 

     On the northern sections of the Delaware large sheets of ice are moving with the current. At times they can cause ice jams which can almost be called ice dams. They impede the water flow and can be dangerous causing flooding and damage to bridges, docks, and any structures along the river. At times they have to be mechanically freed to allow the waters to continue their flow down river. 

     I find it to be a good thing, kind of. The higher flows mixed with the mechanical friction type action clears the river and banks of debris, like silt build up and branches, logs, and even full sized trees. The problem with that can be if they get stuck in rocky or shallow parts of the river or in and around bridge piers and abutments. 

     In just a few days we've seen the Delaware River at Trenton go from around 6,000 cfs to 31,500 cfs. It's not alarming, and is good for the river. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a continued rise in the cfs this week as air temps are reportedly going to hit 70 degrees. And with the rise in air temps we'll see a rise in water temps. And that's good for the fish, and fishing.

     While some species, like walleye and muskelunge like the cooler water, striped bass start to get active when the water hits around 50 degrees, and somewhere around 60 is where they start to think about spawning. 

     Before this sudden rise in flows the Delaware River near me hit just under 40 degrees, but the cooling effect of the big melt will keep the waters cool even if we'll be in shorts sometime this week. The more water means the suns warming takes a little time to have an effect on surface temperatures, especially if large sections of ice are in the increased flow mix. 

     And as the river crests it's full of things that have been scraped off the banks of the river, which includes silt, sand, and dirt. That will increased turbidity, which leads to lower visibility. I have found there's a sweet spot when fly fishing the rivers, a turbidity that's too low gives the fish more time to size up an offering I'm swinging in front of them, too high will mean they can't see it, but just a tad off color, with an increased flow, has the fish staged just out of the current, and leaving them to have to make a quick decision to grab a meal or not. 

May 9, 2023- Northern NJ river striped bass

     During the early spring I find there's two types of striped bass. Holdovers and migratory. When I worked up in Newark I would fish the rivers near there targeting winter holdover striped bass. It's similar to what anglers are now finding in places like the Toms River, or back of the Barnegat Bay. I would usually catch my first within the first two weeks of March, and then it would be sometime during the last two weeks where I'd find striped bass closer to home. The ones near me are the early migratory fish, although there's places along the Delaware that hold young striped bass that choose to stay in their natal rivers for the first few years before making their way out into the ocean, joining the migratory mass. 

     Besides the urge to spawn coupled with the environmental conditions, bait comes into play as well. American shad and river herring, both alewives and bluebacks, will make their spawning runs as well. I find the herring to be a perfect bait to match when tying flies as the shad are just too big. That's why anglers chunk the shad when bait fishing. Some say the striped bass come into the natal rivers following the bait, and some might, especially if they are choosing not to spawn that year. Striped bass can be of spawning age, and make the runs, but just don't get it done every single year. So they may come to just fake the spawn and eat their way up and down the river. 

     Each day now as spring gets closer more and more anglers will be catching, and posting, their catches on social media. They'll most likely be catching those holdover striped bass although some post, "The bass are HERE!", well they are, but they never left. Below is the first fish posted up on the One Stop Bait & Tackle down in Atlantic City in 2026.

     

      But right now the striped bass are active down in the Chesapeake Bay as they stage before their spawning run. One environmental disaster in one of their natal rivers occurred in January. Nearly 300 million gallons of raw sewage entered the Potomac River after a 72-inch shit pipe broke. While e-coli is just bad all round, and might be for the striped bass and other fishes that spawn in the Potomac, it's the shellfish that continuously filter the nastiness, and viruses can linger in these to-be-caught human foods for awhile. It's part of the larger problem with our infrastructure that leads to environmental disasters. But back to the bass. In a week or so they'll do the same outside of the Delaware and Raritan Bays. It'll be then where we'll see the first catches of large female striped bass making their way up their natal rivers. 

     While they have sex on their minds I find the closer to the start of their trek they eat, mostly picking up bait along the way, and then the further they travel it's all about the spawn, although they'll swipe at big plugs or flies interrupting their pause in a lie as they rest. While the females are far outnumbered by the males you might find a horny male who has both chasing bait and sex on his mind. But it's usually after the spawn where the exhausted fish, females and males, look to recharge by eating before heading downriver and out into the ocean. And that's where the fly fishing gets fun. 

2026 is off and running right on schedule. This morning we're enjoying putting those clocks ahead by an hour. Maybe that will help break the Cabin Fever, the seasonal depression, and get us more motivated and productive. It's been a long winter and we're already for a seasonal change. 

03.07.26 A day in the life...

 

     All of us have been to an emergency department at some time in our life. We're there for ourselves, our kids, our parents, or a family member. While the emergency department is designated for "emergencies" most ED visits, these days, are for things that could be handled in your local primary or urgent care settings. The sheer number of patients seeking care taxes the staff and resources especially at busy inner city hospitals. And these hospitals are truly the gatekeeper between life and death. Every. Single. Day.

    I currently work at the Capital Health School of Nursing in Trenton, New Jersey. It's there where we teach prospective nursing students in both the classroom and hospital settings. I've had the privilege of being on the clinical side of their studies. My role takes me from working with freshman at a long term care facility to working with the seniors on medical/surgical units in the hospital. This semester I'm heading up a clinical rotation in Capital Health's Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department. Each week I take a small group of students there from before the sun rises to after it sets. It's a long day, but it's teaching and learning from start to finish. 

     Luckily, for us, we're a hospital based nursing school, which allows me, and us, access to just about everything that happens in a hospital. From the ED, to the med/surg floors, to the OR, and the specialized units, we can and do see it all. In the ED the "kids", as I call them, rotate through triage, fast track, mental health crisis, and the main ED, seeing everything from tooth aches, to cardiac, respiratory, and neurological emergencies, to the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, to trauma patients. Being a Level 2 trauma center in an inner city means patients come in on foot, by ambulance, or by helicopter. It's a great thing to watch as a student sits outside the tarmac waiting for the air ambulance to arrive. 

     And while I do my best scanning the sea of patients to introduce learning opportunities for my students, it's the staff that makes my job possible. On any given day upwards of 15 registered nurses man, or woman, the various posts in the emergency department. And they are always on point. As I have gone on to know and work with them I am amazed that most are mere tots themselves, having just a few years out of nursing school under their scrubs. The more experienced nurses hold the titles of charge or manager, and bring their knowledge and expertise to the unit. 

     It doesn't take long for young nurses to develop the skill of critical thinking, and more importantly critical action, when patients arrive in the ED. It's a sixth sense that only a nurse can have, as we see patients in a different light then the other healthcare providers who are beside with them in the trenches. It's a well oiled machine and a pleasure to sit back and watch. In the ED patient's can present or change in an instant and seeing those early cues in a patient's changing presentation is something I push for my students to see. 

      As an instructor it's fun to see wide-eyed students begin their rotations and grow with experience. Seeing them jump in during a cardiac arrest, hanging IV's, giving meds, dropping a Foley catheter, inserting a NGT, or just assisting patients at the bedside is very gratifying. But it's at the end of the day, during post conference, is where the gifts of teaching deliver its best. Hearing about their day, about their patients, what they did or should have done, and most importantly about the connections they made between the classroom and clinical, makes the 30,000 steps and having my head-on-a-swivel, that leaves me tired by days end, all worth it. 

     Some students are just there and putting in their time. This may not be their jam. They may be looking into nursing roles in obstetrics, mental health, or the OR. But then there are those who are hungry and can be seen moving, and thinking, non-stop, for the 12-hour shift. Many times I can sit back and see that light bulb moment go off in their heads, while they are busy putting what they learned into practice. Some will go on to graduate in a few months and begin their careers in settings like this. And while I'm old school, and believe that every new nurse should begin on a med/surg floor, I have seen the amazing things nurses, with ink on their licenses that isn't fully dry, do while saving lives.

     It's been 30 years since I graduated from Essex County College and started my nursing career. Most of my students, and the nurses I encounter, aren't even that old. When I sit amongst them, during a break in the action, I realize how old I am, and how much nursing, like firefighting is a young person's game. What stumps a lot of us old farts in the mix of old school nursing and the computer based charting systems that are a huge part of healthcare today. I came from a time before computers when charts were thick and everything was hand written. Navigating though these computers, while trying to maintain a bedside presence, is challenging to say the least. I say we've moved from patient focused to computer focused care.

     After my shift last night I stopped by the liquor store to pick up some beer. When I got home I said hello to the dog and sat down and had a few pints of Guinness. I was just an old man tired from the day sitting there having a beer. It's a Friday night and I could only think of the young nurses clocking and then heading out for the night. It's what you do when you're young. As I write this some of them are preparing for another day at work unsure of what is coming though the door at any given moment. I wish I was there, and had some students in tow. But I'll to wait till next week for more fun. 

     So I raised a glass last night to the nurses of Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton. Any of whom I would feel safe, confident, and comfortable with if I were laying on a gurney in front of them. While some of these nurses may look like your kid or grandkid know their experience may be far older then the years they've been on this earth.