I haven't had that much fun fishing in a while. It didn't start off that way but it did in the end. It seems that's the way it's been for me. Slow first lights and just when I'm about to call it quits I find some fish. This morning Leif and I met up just before 6 am and were going to fish some part or all of the morning together. We had no plan but it was, and did, go as it usually does during these fall run days.
It was a brisk early start with air temps below freezing. The wind was forecast to be west but was more like NW/N/NE at times and honking. It was the end of the incoming and the dreaded ground swell
was back after a week or so taking some time off. It was calling for 2-4 footers and even on the low tide you could see they would eventually start rolling in. We two-vehicled it up north and decided to take "that walk" all the way to the tip of the Hook. It'll probably be my last walk there this year. I hate that walk,
even though it's really not that bad. I can't believe, and thankfully not, that more people don't suffer some cardiac event walking out there, while fishing, or walking back. If one did I can't imagine the mortality being anything but high. If you haven't done before it it is a workout.
By the time we made it out the tide was coming in and the wind was coming straight under the Verrazano Bridge. There were some boats around but I bet most were tucked in the back of the Raritan Bay or up in the Authur Kill. There was a bird show but they were off a bit. So we bailed.
We chose a different spot to fish, well make some casts. After about a dozen I was done. I didn't want to prospect. I didn't care about that one in the trough. It's the fall. Fish eat and show when they do it.
Leif was a little more optimistic in fishing that spot but my attitude kinda rubbed off on him. He could stay or go depending on what the fishing was like in the morning. Stay and roll into work a little late if things looked promising. After a few hours of that we pulled out of the lot and headed south. Him to home and then work and me bypassing Bagel Talk and heading home. At one point I saw him make a right and I continued straight. I was still all geared up so I made a stop to check conditions.
TFrom the viewing stand there was nothing to my north or in front of me but way off south and in the distance, meaning south and east, I could see the boats off of what I estimated to be the Shark River Inlet. So I drove to take a look. It was on my way and it's my normal exit path back to 195.
I stopped a town shy and there were some birds off the end of the rocks, like pretty far, with some big blow-ups under them. As I walked down an angler there was safely, well more on that, releasing a fish.
There were about four guys on this beat but a small army more south. I was glad to be there. The birds kinda came and went and there was nothing showing. Then, the bite started to get pretty good. I watched the above guy catch another and release it into the air. We gotta work on that a little bit bud.
If you're going to send them sailing at least let them have some cushion of water underneath them. Him and his bud were fishing the north side of a groin when bud #2 hooked up to a nice 34" bass. He fought it for a while and then gave it a nice pumice like skin treatment before doing some minor surgery to retrieve the swim shad from his gullet. Both were very nice guys and I took a picture of the one with
the bigger fish. This one was helped gently into the water and, yes, I hate it, swam away strong. I asked if they minded if I jumped up on the groin to fish in tight to the rocks. They weren't fishing that same water but I always like to ask and they easily obliged. The swell was in effect and the fish weren't on the
beach but some where between the crest of the waves and out. This groin was a little tricky because you had a good N/NW wind, the casts went into the wind, and there was a pretty good rock field alongside of the groin. After the waves would roll in the water would drop out. A few casts in and I was tight.
The fish were actually stacked north of the rock field and they didn't move for a bit. You had to play jump rope trying to time the waves that came in and washed out. I saw all of the swipes, takes, and hookups which was very cool. That happened because just as the white water passed and before it washed out the water was clean and green. It was like a pause and a clearing and a perfect place to drop the fly, and they ate it. It was a quick cast, quick retrieve, pull up before the wave took it, and then drop it back in. I just love fishing bigger water from the groins. It's the best.
Lucky for me, and the fish, I was throwing my 11wt. rod with a 350 gr. sinking line. I was able to get a good hook set and direct them in and around the swell and up on a perfectly angled rock that was below me. By the time it was over, maybe a good 45 minutes, I had landed three and flossed a few more. Barbless hooks, wet from the pools on the groin, or the spray in the air, kept them good, and they were back into the drink after a quick pic. And I'll never stop taking fish pics, so there.
I shared the groin with a spin guy who was casting out a mile and getting fish to bite. I was surprised even with that incoming tide and swell that we were able to stay as long as we did. There was more to be had but I was good. I am sure there was a Round 2 on those beaches some time later in
the day but I had a blast and was lucky to land some fish. I was two-fly-ing it as always but they only wanted that yellow Squimpish Fly. Yellow is such a good color and I don't know why I don't swim them more often.
The swell is going to continue and the weather is going to get a little sporty and cold the next few days. I'm not sure what that'll mean for all of those hopeful annual Thanksgiving morning anglers that
hope for a repeat of last year. I know I won't be around the water till later in the week. The ride home was quick and as I passed by the State Capitol I looked over to the river. Only a few more months before I'm walking around Lambertville and New Hope in the spring.
