11.16.21 "Ty-f'in-rone".....

     The above is an inside joke between me and Leif. Too raunchy to tell you about it here. So in the evening Leif tells me about a quick session he had landing a trio of nice bass as the bait showed up along the beach. That got me thinking. High at 5 pm, a few days before the moon, west wind and air temps in the low 40's. A quick check with the wife and I was gone. Even though it was still early the

drive was in the dark due to putting the clocks back last week. Was it sand eels the bass were on? Could it be? So I brought my sand eel box with me and tied on a black Snake Fly with a Jim Matson sand eel 

trailer. I stopped at my local haunts, dead at spot one, some bait but no bass at spot two, and then a drive to the OG to find hardly any water on the beach. Now what? Two hours left till dead low and I can hear

hunger pangs coming from my stomach. I knew there was a McDonalds in Neptune and after getting the heaviest choice I could muster, a double cheeseburger, small fries and a Diet Coke I figured let me 

venture south into northern Ocean County. Its been awhile since I fished the Point Pleasant Canal/Manasquan River so lets go. I passed some of the backpack crowd and made my way to some fishy water that was moving on the ebb tide. Before I left my truck I tucked in my new measuring tape, no more guessing and trying to estimate the lengths alongside my fly rod. This would be accurate. 

    I found the moving water, the bait, and the bass. They were up and hungry eating peanut bunker and what I think were spearing. My sand eel trailer may have passed for a silverside. Both flies were what they wanted and I landed over 15 fish to 37 inches, two others being 30 and 28 inches. They were all strong river fish that have spent some time in the back eating well, and fighting the current and the tides. I left them biting with me shivering from the cold as I was wading up to my waist. It was good. 

     Leif was checking in around midnight and as I gave him the particulars a hit and run accident occurred in the distance. Luckily the woman wasn't hurt but she was blocking one of the lanes under a poorly lit bridge. I remembered I had taken this package of flares out of service on my boat and put them in my truck for just this very reason. One flare in the right lane gave passers-by the heads up 

 which hopefully prevented another accident. It seems like every time I go fishing as of late there's a story that goes along with it. 

     Well there you have it. I was sick of reading other reports and using that fodder for the blog. Great night, a nice big fish, many others to hand, and leaving them biting made me feel good. I needed a night like that. it was due, and I think well deserved.