It's the dog days of summer. Some parents, well of us, at some time during this haltime week are counting down the days when school is back in session. It's not that we don't enjoy having the kids around 24 hours a day 7 days a week, no not at all. I think it costs me $200 a day to have them home, rides to and from work, extra food, activities, adventures, ect. Just an example, the other day I alamost ran over a quarter sized red eared slider turtle. I made the mistake of bringing it home to my two daughters. Of course they wanted to keep it, and I tried my best catch-and-release, home with his family, it's best for the world speach, and then I realized that these types of finds are what got me hooked on the outdoors and fishing and ect. So luckily I had the 15 gallon tank and the wire mesh top to start with. We took a nice daddy and daughters roadtrip over to the local pet store and got what else we needed, a basking lamp, food, calcium tablets, and aquarium filter. That cost me a quick $60. Below please meet Squirt, named after the turtle in Nemo.
It's also a slower time of year work wise which kind of works with my family. I'm busiest in the spring and fall into winter when everyone is in school and slower when they are around. Most older guys tell me to treasure these summers, as the kids are grown up and gone before you know it. I am continuing with fly fishing instruction and casting lessons and will be up on the Upper Delaware teaching a camp with Joe D and Coz the first week of August.
Outside of fluke off the beach it's been quiet where I most like to fish. I was happy to get the below pic from my friend Al yesterday who said he caught a few cocktail blues while throwing a popper in the surf. Even though today I had to take my son to work by 7 in Marlboro and my daughter to work by 815 in Ocean I decided to make plans to fish with Al.
I pulled in at 515 am and Al was already busy working the rips with the same productive popper as yesterday. I soom joined him throwing a Bob's Banger on my Orvis Access 9ft 9wt. We fished for about 20 minutes and were surprised when an angler about 200 feet away from us hooked a nice striper on a small plug. I went over and made the below image and we went back fishing. Shortly thereafter I saw Al go tight and he had on his own fiesty schoolie. This fish were fat and healthy and free of any lice or red skin lesions which can be, but not always, a sign of mycobacteriosis.
Now I always poke fun at myself but I can't pass up this opportunity to have some fun with a friend...below is a nice picture of Al and his July surprise striper......
.....but the full body shot just makes me laugh! I don't know if it's the shorts or the legs but....at 88....does he really give a shit!
Way to catch em' up Al
