One of my clinical rotations is down in Toms River on Main Street near Route 37. Today I was early and took a drive to Seaside Park and check on things. Wish I had enough time to go and play a prank on my buddy Popovics. When I pulled up I was glad to see the parking-meter-ticket season is over and today is November 1st....ha!
I had about a half and hour and decided to throw into a bowl that was getting filled in with the flood tide. No birds or bait but good, real good, structure. The water down there was beautiful and the non-replenished structure with bars (natural ones) and bowls is just textbook. I gave it a go with a peanut bunker pattern but didn't get a tap. That was fine, getting a tap or a fish would have only made, or forced, me to stay.
For those that know, or didn't know, my friend Jim Matson of Pulse Disc fame passed away this June after a short battle with cancer. I loved Jim and his wife Laura. I met them at the Fly Fishing Show and hit it off immediately. He was, as I refer to him, "the mad fly-fishing scientist". He thought, tinkered, developed, patented more things than I could imagine. An ironworker and welder by trade his mind was always on and thinking of better, or more and easier ways, to tackle just about anything. The Pulse Discs were just one of his great creations.
I had the pleasure of driving out to the middle of Pennsylvania to visit Jim and Laura and go down into his laboratory. He was just amazing, and generous, with information, processes, materials, flies, whatever he had, was mine. Laura is a saint and loved that guy and her steadfast commitment to him, and his creations, was evident every time he set that booth up at shows across the country.
I had the pleasure of driving out to the middle of Pennsylvania to visit Jim and Laura and go down into his laboratory. He was just amazing, and generous, with information, processes, materials, flies, whatever he had, was mine. Laura is a saint and loved that guy and her steadfast commitment to him, and his creations, was evident every time he set that booth up at shows across the country.
Jim would send me boxes from time to time. Flies, scents, herring semen, little canisters to attach to the flies and fill with goop......he thought of it all. Tonight I am going for another night shift. I have my plan in my head, my gear ready, but today I found a secret weapon. Jim had sent me some nice sand eel flies with rubber off the back. Attached with a Pulse Disc.....a sure killer. I will this fly tonight in memory of Jim. If it catches, great, that mens the fish were there, if not that's fine also, because Jim will be out there with me. RIP Jim.
