01.04.25 Out with the two Joe's for some Trenton tomato pie...

      Mention pizza in New Jersey and you're going to get a lot of Jersey opinions. In recent years Dave Portnoy, of Barstool Sports fame, has been crisscrossing the United States doing "One bite everyone knows the rules" pizza reviews. He has hit many pizza shops here in the Garden State and there's no other city bigger for pizza then Trenton. 

     Trenton is one of the "was" cities we have here in New Jersey. The heydays of Paterson, Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, Camden, and Atlantic City are far gone but their contributions are widespread and still felt today. Trenton, where the "Trenton Makes the World Takes Bridge" says it all, is also the home of the tomato pie. Well, maybe not the original home, but the second home, where many claim that pizzas that are made where the cheese is laid down first before the sauce, has it's strong roots in Trenton. 

Lombardi's Manhattan 

     The story of Trenton pie is as follows, from the two-Joe's and from some loose research I did. The first tomato pie was made in a place called Lombardi's in Manhattan in 1905 (Above). Then a place called Joe's, in Trenton, started making them in 1910. One of the workers at Joe's left and started his own place in 1912, which is the original Papa's that was located on Chambers Street (below).

Papa's original location Chambers street, Trenton

     Papa's holds the title as the oldest and longest running pizzeria in the world. Lombardi's was the first, and the earliest, but they shut down for 10 years in the 1980's before reopening, while Papa's has remained open, albeit in different locations, straight through. To note, the famous tomato pie place, De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies, now Pizza, opened in Trenton in 1947. There have been, and are, plenty of places that made and still make fantastic traditional tomato pies. 

The Corner Inn, South Trenton

     As far as Bob Popovics, tomato pies, and The Shady Rest, it all started when his father opened a bar and restaurant in 1946 called The Corner Inn located at Centre and Lalor Streets in South Trenton (above). Bobby told me that's where he first learned how to make pizzas. In 1964 The Corner Inn was sold and the Popovics family moved to Bayville.

The "original" The Shady Rest

     In 1966 a pizza parlor was built in the front of the house, which is The Shady Rest (Yes, that's it above) as it sits now, after some renovations over the years. Now we know Bobby was a fisherman, what about his Dad, the original O.G.? 

Well that's him above with Bob's oldest sister Lorelie. Bob always talked about fishing trips with his Dad down to the Shore or locally in the Delaware River. Could this be the earliest photo I have a Delaware River striped bass? I don't know, those fish stuck on the fence make me think this is from a salty outing. 

     Bob would go on and continue making the Trenton tomato pie for nearly sixty years. I took the above picture in the kitchen at The Shady when Bob made a bunch of pies for The Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders "Tie for Trenton Pie" night in November 2023. 

     It was last February when I took the two Joe's, Joe Armenti and Delaware Joe, down to The Shady Rest to meet up with childhood friend Bob Popovic's for some reminiscing and Trenton tomato pie. It was a great afternoon for me to take a back seat and just take it all in as they laughed and remembered their good times growing up in the city. Bobby was from South Trenton, Delaware Joe from Chambersburg, and Armenti from Villa Park. Between the three of them they had the entire city covered. 

     Between takes Bobby would excuse himself to get up and make another pie. It was Lent, and a Friday, so we had to bypass any sauseeeege and went with a hair pie, or one with anchovies, and another just straight plain. It was a day I'll remember and I know the three of them cherished it as well.

     So to ring in the New Year, catch up, and have a slice in honor of Bobby, we headed to Papa's Pizza which is now located a few towns away from Trenton in Robbinsville. I was in the back seat just like last year when we drove down to Bayville.

We ordered a large sausage and it was done just right, and very similar to Bobby's pies, with good sauce, chunks of sausage, and a little crisp on the crust. 

     I find myself often in the company of older men. I don't know if it's they just have more time available to hang or younger men today are just to busy, or don't prioritize relationships like the men before us do. I enjoy hearing about the good old days and how things just seemed to be better in years past. Their stories are always centered around where they grew up, games and fights won and lost, and lives lived to their best. Every one of us has a good story to tell and keeping up with those who experienced life together is as important in the later years as it was when we were young. 

     I don't know if there is anything left to create, to originate and own, and pass on to the next generation. While enjoying a tomato pie at The Shady, or at Papa's in Robbinsville, is nice, it can't compare to those days when numerous pizza joints lined the old city streets, where the smells filled the neighborhood, and people and delivery boys crisscrossed each other bringing tomato pies back to the house. And from what I hear pizza was on the table several nights a week in the old Trenton neighborhoods. 

01.03.25 It's time for The Fly Fishing Show season....

     It's that time of year again. A time we all used to look forward to. But all things, and people, change. Nothing is the same as it once was, and, in a lot of ways, surely not better. And there was none better than the Jersey based The Fly Fishing Show (TFFS). Yes there was always the tour around the country but the Somerset, and to a lesser extent, the Edison show, was THE show to make. 

     I've started the 2025 with a new outlook, PACE, Positive Attitude Changes Everything. So I will remain positive and optimistic when it comes to this years TFFS. We're coming off a spotty The International Fly Tying Symposium (TIFTS) which was held in November. A show that I am not sure we'll see return in 2025. Again, things change, people change, and things fade away or morph into something else. Remember, I've spoken before how shows have went from a big venue to a smaller, more local, and intimate show. We see that with some of the one or two day shows for fly fishing and even for the spin fishing and plug building shows. 

     This years cover child is none other than the owner of TFFS Ben Furminsky, who took over the reins from his father Chuck, who is holding onto the TIFTS. I mean there's nothing wrong with pimping yourself out...I guess. No really, it's his party and he can do what he wants to. That pic ran nicely in a spread with a Jim Freda article in Fly Fisherman magazine last year. It was about big striped bass on big bunker on the fly. 

That was the article where "The Tank" got a little love in a sidebar piece written by Tony Friedrich from the Atlantic Saltwater Guides Association. Replacing the old tanks are on my to-do list this winter. They have got beaten up over the last few years so replacements are due. 

     But let's go back to TFFS. As I've always said. Huge endeavor. Incredible responsibility. I can't even imagine. And the complaints and the issues and the weather and the rugs and electric and who's selling what when they shouldn't. I have been there in the past from the Wednesday before setting up triple

booths, to having my own single booth, to the mass exodus that occurs on Sunday afternoon. Someone should do a time lapse video of it. It is really impressive thing to see. 

     There are seven TFFSs, it kicks off in Marlborough, then hits Edison, Atlanta, Bellevue (Near Seattle), Denver, Pleasanton (Kinda near Oakland), before heading back east to finish things up in March in Lancaster. That is a three month action packed, covering a lot of miles, traveling show. Some of the talent that gets hired, or pimped out, I say that jokingly, do the entire circuit. That is an impressive feat. 

     I went to the TTFS website to see what the show had in store for the Marlborough, Massachusetts show season kick off which is going down the weekend of January 17th. Surprisingly I found the above message  after clicking on the drop-down to see the Exhibitors and Map. I would think that would be a good thing to have available to drum up some interest from prospective attendees. But let's go to Edison. 

     Now the Edison drop down had the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center floor plan with a cool option to scroll around and see who and where the exhibitors will be camped out. Ah, those coveted spots on the floor. Every year the long term tenants would be in the same spot when you entered. I remember for year the first booth I'd see was guide Adrian LaSorte's booth just to the left after you got through the entrance check point. 

     So it's an easy way to navigate through. And remember, you have to think positively. Every vendor, presenter, and attendee gets something different and what they need from the show. The longer you've been around the narrower the needs are. And I think that's one reason why interest, overall in fly tying and fishing, may be kind of trending down. That's just my opinion. Fly fishing is mostly a freshwater game with a little sprinkle of salt thrown in, especially up here in the North East. Down south and out in the tropics, is the Bahamas the tropics?, it's more prevalent. 

     So I looked at the exhibitors to get a vibe of what to expect. In the first scroll through I see that TCO Fly Shop is coming big once again. They'll have a block of 15 booths pretty much as soon as you enter. You can see their spot in the above screen shot. They must do real good, like real good, at the Jersey show. Just think how much it costs to break down the shop, head east, stay over, pay the workers, pay the rent, and the electric, and food, and of course, beverages. So needless to say they must kill it. That's a big draw section, but if you're not looking for lot's of clothing, and some gear, or a reel or some fly lines, then you'll walk past. 

     The next chunk of floor space goes to the Moy's from Tight Lines Fly Fishing, which is a shop located not to far up 287 in Parsippany. They'll have a 10 booth spot, which may be bigger than last year, I'm not exactly sure. Lots of rods, reels, and waders. Bear's Den will be along the back wall with a four-boother. And Streams of Dreams will be close by with bins of stuff Harry has acquired over his decades in the business. 

   

     If you're an Orvis fan then you can find them in a four-booth row between casting ponds one and two. They're coming bigger this year than last year, they didn't have a booth, which was surprising because the show was just before the new Helios line was launched. Well if you haven't seen, or casted one, this is your shot. Remember, these high end rods, from all the companies, will now send you back north of $1,1000. 

     On the south side of the floor Squimpish Flies went to double booth this year. I'll be hanging there over the two days and have a tying spot for Saturday morning. That puts me near Cordiero's Flatwing Booth, Buzzi's Buzzfly and his ever popular selection of bucktail, and a stones throw away from Joe Calcevechia's Sportfishing Galapagos booth. 

     I was very happy to see Rich Murphy listed in the Celebrities and Authors section for both the Marlborough and Edison shows. He is one of my favorites. All of the drunks I got at TFFS the one I felt the most was after a night at the bar in Somerset trying to trade drinks with him. I think I just kept drinking because the conversation was so far over my head, but that's just the way his engineer mind is wired. 

Rich is the author of Fly Fishing for Striped Bass which is my favorite book on the subject. There were books before, and after, but I think his is the definitive book for both beginner and expert fly anglers who love and target striped bass. I look forward to seeing him again as last year he took a pass. 

     The vice companies will be there as usual as will the fly tyers around perimeter. The fly fishing clubs will be at the entrance trying to get you to buy a raffle, usually for a good cause, before you drop any of your bugeted amount of cash inside the show. 

     If you go onto the website, HERE, you can see the casting and tying classes you can sign up and pay for, as well as the list of seminars (included in the entrance fee) that you can attend. Below is a screenshot but it cuts off at Sunday morning.

But Sunday's are tough. Years ago people, especially those fly rod collectors, would circle back on the last day to get show deals, but it's not that kind of show anymore. It used to be just about everyone walked around with a handful of plastic bags full of brochures and stickers and most would would have a rod holder tucked under one arm. That's all in the past. And this year the NFL Conference Championships are on Sunday the 26th so...crickets, crickets, crickets on the hall's floors.

     I'll have Theresa in tow with me on Friday & Saturday and like a gentleman I took advantage of the reduced TTFS rate at the Sheraton. You save a couple of bucks using that link and that either gets you twin twins or a queen. Better get to it or you'll be spooning with the other guy you've taken the ride down and are sharing a booth with.

     And if you want to spend some extra money you can pre-purchase your tickets online and pay the "Service fee" for your convenience. You know that just gets my f'in goat. It doesn't matter if you're there a day, two, or three, or are a kid or a vet, everyone pays.  

It ranges from around an 8% hit to a whopping 27% hit for kids ages 6-12. C'mon man. TTFS should eat those fees because it means less staff to man the cash only entrance ticket windows and an easier opening. Hopefully there will be more people dying to get in then we saw at the TIFTS (below).

      So that's it. No matter what I think or say here I'll be there. What to expect? Not that much. I mean not much in there's just not that much new anymore. If you're a saltwater fly fisherman or woman in the north east, well, just go and smile. If you're a freshwater fly tyer or fishermen then you'll have more options to keep you around. If you're a trout lover- there's a lot of trout stuff, which the industry makes it's living off- basically all things trout. The seminars will be just about the same, same topics, same people, most are really good learning experiences for the new ones in the sport. 

     There's no new big rod launches. No new flies. No new nothing. Friday will be busy and the last two hours will have everyone trying to figure out where the hang is going to be. Even that has changed. Without a central spot people just break up and do their own thing and the "business", in the meeting, networking, and getting hammered, at the fly fishing shows is no more. 

    I'll walk the floor multiple times as I do each year. Bumping into old friends and maybe even meeting someone new. I'll drop the required money on some hooks and maybe some materials I probably don't even need. One thing I know is TFFS is a staple in beating cabin fever each year. I hope you go and make a day or even an over-nighter of it. The only way to bing back the past is to act like the past. Just hitting it for a quick drop-by won't bring back the nostalgia or the good times. See you there. 

      

01.02.25 Time for the "Brine-Fly Grab Bag"....

     Just in time for The Fly Fishing Show. For those that know me know how much I loved Jim Matson of Brine Fly Innovations fame. He was the inventor of the Pulse Disc. He, his wife Laura,

and friend Mike Ferraro, were staples at the International Fly Tying Symposium and The Fly fishing Shows for years. I first met Jim in 2012 and sadly he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2018. 

     Like most of us with the fly tying and fishing disorder he had stuff...and lots of it. He had a tricked out beach buggy, a super tricked out, and confusing Jones Brothers 19'10' Cape Fishermen, a tricked out Bucktail processing plant in his pole barn, and all types of fly tying stuff that has taken years to gift, donate, and sell off. And then there was all the equipment he used to manufacture the Pulse Discs.

    So after speaking with Laura and a survey amongst some of our friends, we came up with a fun way to move the last of what Jim has left. And here's where the fun comes in. Laura decided on the name as the "Brine Fly Grab Bag". 

     Here's how it will work. We're going to take a list of twenty interested people who will each enter the drawing for $50. We will get twenty large grocery bags and fill them with the various items that are left, and there's more then in the above image. Each bag will be numbered and then we will draw the names of the people that are in and then label each bag with the corresponding number. 

     Theresa and I will bring the bags to The Fly Fishing show and distribute them to the winners. So if you are interested, or if I call you and tell you you're in, then you'll be added to that list of twenty. What can you expect? There's tying tools, thread, lots of flies, hooks, things, materials, bags, heads, beads, eyes, I can go on but you get it. 

     It's in good fun, and hopefully will bring you some things you might need, or will get a chuckle at. The money raised will be a way of giving back to a fly tying and fishing spouse, who really has no idea how much money was really spent over the years. If you'd like to be in you can text me at (732) 261 7291 or email me colin@theaverageangler.com. I would like to just deliver them by hand at TFFS on Friday or Saturday January 24 th or 25th. If I have to ship it that would be on you. 

     

01.01.25 Happy New Year 2025...

     Well here we go. Another year. Thank God I'm still upright. Who knows what God has in store for me this year. I'll be 57 in a few weeks and while many would say I'm just a tot I feel like an old man, and a grumpy one at that. 

     Will anything change for me in 2025? Probably not. Would I like to see some changes, surely I would. I'd like to get in better shape physically and take care of myself better so that I make a good run at life going forward. Our bodies are machines and I don't treat mine all that well. They say health is wealth and I could use a little influx of financial security in that department. Mentally? Aren't we all mental in some way. I'd like to be more positive, clean up my act a bit, stop swearing like a sailor, and have a tad more tact when it comes to interacting with other people. I guess I'd just like to be more polished on both the inside and outside. 

     I'd love to hit that lottery I've been playing for years now. I just know the kid's birthday numbers will one day hit for the big prize, they just have to. I've hit 5 out of six twice on the NJ Pick 6 so I've been that close, but close doesn't win it all. I would love to hit it big and spend it doing more for others then myself. I see how Shaquille O'Neill does something good for strangers every single day. While I'll never have Shaq money a nice hit could have me giving on a smaller scale. 

     This could be a big year as far as getting things in line for the plan to move to South Carolina. We've been doing it, at least trying to do it, but day to day life just gets in the way. We have to keep our eyes on the prize. I know the grass is always greener, but we really do like what we saw down in the Tarheel state. 

     There's some big things in the works. A trip to Ireland in August and a wedding in September. In between will be Cape May and hopefully a trip back to the Vineyard. And then there will be fishing, lots of it, at all times of the day and night while the getting is good. It is the one constant I have had in my life since I really doubled-down on it when I started this blog in 2009. Before striped bass took overly brain it was all about trout and the Upper Delaware Rivers. I still do enjoy that and it seems I'm in an every-other-year pattern of getting up there for a few days, usually with Leif. But those bass. I think about them every single day, really I do, I respect and enjoy all that they are and what they bring to my life. 

     I hope you and yours have a safe, happy, and healthy 2025. For some it will be a tough and trying year, and I wish you the best in dealing with it all. We all get our time in the shit barrel and we need to be compassionate and empathetic to those whose tough days are in the present.