Made my way south down into Philly today for an Erin visit at St. Joe's. This winter I have been doing a lot of research on the possibility of catching striped bass in and around Philadelphia. Anglers have been doing it for years, if not centuries, and me catching one wouldn't be earth shattering for anyone but me.
The part that fascinates me is the Fishtown to Betsy Ross Bridge. Lot's of industry, lots and lots of new construction, tons of vacant lots and factories, and what's got me are those abandoned piers. It may not be the safest place to fish but it's fishing so why not take the risk.
During the visit we hit the TCO Fly Shop in Bryn Mawr and I was able to get some slotted tungsten beads for a fly I'm working on, as I'm still trying to match that Doc Spook, and some goldfish Krystal Flash for the mummichog flies I need to tie because I keep donating my stash to the river.
Early tomorrow morning I'll be heading out to the Long Island Fly Fishing Expo where I'll be sharing a Squimpish Flies table with David "Uptown Dave" Buduen. Should be a good time.