10.21.14 Not yet.......

     With weather on the horizon I gave the end of the flood tide a shot. Beautiful conditions but no signs of bait, birds or bass. Thinking following the moon on Thursday might get the bait moving. There's some fish off of New York so maybe that's the first push to start this later than normal fall run. I'm not worried, sick maybe, but not worried as there is plenty of time left in fall 2014.

10.19.14 Orvis 301 invades IBSP......

    So awhile ago Orvis Marlton fly fishing manager Andrew Hamilton asked me if I would be interested in doing an Orvis 301 class in the saltwater. He figured he'd get a few people from the store and we'd go fishing. If we got some interest, fine, if not, we'd go anyway and just fish.




Who knew what it would turn into.

In the end we had 20 students from the Orvis Marlton, NYC, Plymouth Meeting, and Downingtown stores come out for the day. It just grew and grew and grew. Now we had a party.

We met at the bathing pavilion at IBSP and after some introductions we got everyone set with flies, stripping baskets and gear and I gave talk on reading the water, about striped bass, and how to fly fish in the surf. Luckily I had lots of help from Orvis employees on hand, fly fishing manger Tom and Cody from Plymouth Meeting Andrew and Phil from the Marlton store.

The students were eager to get started so I had to try and not talk to much and overload them with info. We had great conditions even though there were big swells from an offshore huricane. But the west wind and outgoing tide played in our favor.

Most were crossover trout fisherman so quickly they learned about fishing in bigger surf, casting into waves, and LINE MANAGEMENT! It was fun to watch first timers go at it, and know that they would be doing it again on their own.

We had a great mix of people, from father and son, to a lone woman, to a very talented and passionate 13 year old. It was all straight 9 foot rods but Bill brought out his 14 footer to throw bigger flies out a mile.

In the end, we didn't catch a fish. Which is more about current conditions of the fishery and timing then for a lack of effort.  (continued)

     Everyone was great. but two students stuck out. Tom, below, is hooked. He picked the snottiest point to fish and got wet, stuck in the sand and knocked down....always getting up with a smile and loving it.

                           

     And then there's Cameron, a sweet 13 year old boy, who took up the sport on his own and is hooked. It is so refreshing to see young kids get into out sport. And can he cast and double haul.

     I talked, they listened, we fished then took a drink and snack break and they fished some more. In the end we went over 4 hours before we ended for the day. Again I have to thank my helpers who were great to me and the students. Afterwards the Orvis guys and a few students went and set up shop at a table at Klee's talking about the day and fly fishing in general. Couldn't have planned the whole day it any better.

10.17.14 Give it away Friday.....

     Yep. give it away Friday. Two person pontoon boat perfect for fly fishing with a platform and built in stripping basket. $2300 new w/o the trailer......today its $600 with the trailer.

First call takes it   732.261.7291

10.17.14 Getting bait ready for tomorrows Orvis 301 saltwater class....

     Just gearing up for the Orvis 301 saltwater outing tomorrow morning at Island Beach State Park. Lots of people coming out to give saltwater fishing a shot. Should be a great day, west winds look good, might be kinda swelly, and hopefully there's a fish or two looking to eat.

10.14.14 Great night at Central Jersey TU.....

     Great night talking saltwater flyfishing and stripers with the folks at Central Jersey TU. Great crowd and a great place to hold a TU meeting at an American Legion with a bar on the first floor. Very active chapter with a really cool fly shop that they set up for members to purchase flies at each meeting. Love sharing my passion with other passionate anglers.

10.14.14 The insanity continues.....

     "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" - Albert Eintein

     That was me out there again this morning, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Einstein may have been talking more about life than fishing, but it applies. It is funny how we think that by continuing in life without making hard choices and changes that things will be different. It just doesn't happen that way.

     I realize now, through a period of reflection and maturity, that change can be good. It might be painful, and upset an already upset apple cart, but sometimes you have to flip the cart over and start to reload it apple by apple. That change for me, starts with an acknowledgement that my thoughts and actions may be skewed, and may have been that way for a long while. I think I have held onto "my plan" for to long in my life and it hasn't served me well. Recently I have changed my thoughts, changed my plan, and made changes in my life, that in the long run, will serve my family and I better.

     So, to relate this to fly fishing, because I have been accused of being too open and honest and personal on this blog, today I changed up. I started before sunrise, throwing a popper into the skinny water, went to a Snake Fly for a bit, and them tried large bunker fly....all with the same results, nada. But even though the results in the end were the same, it felt good to step out of my comfort zone, and it left me feeling better that I tried something different, but in the end I left knowing that the fish just weren't there.

10.12.14 Skinny water fishing and pickin' pockets with great guys......

     Fall is in full effect in north western New Jersey. Today I mixed things up a bit and had Mike and Ed out for a full day on some New Jersey trout streams. We started out the day with a stop at Effinger's getting the boys hooked up with waders before hitting the South Branch of the Raritan. The town of Clinton was in a perfect-fall-day full effect so I of course snapped the above image of the historic mill. The only thing that was a little troubling was there was just no water....anywhere. 

    We moved up river and hit some spots before grabbing lunch and settling in at the Ken Lockwood Gorge. After a stroll we found some water and Ed managed his first trout on the fly rod when a rainbow grabbed his nymph out of a shallow run. 

     After making our way back down to the truck we took a ride to the Musconectcong in the search of some more water and it wasn't there either. We stayed for a few hours and Mike went tight twice but couldn't set the hook quick enough. In the end it was a great fall day on some empty, in both water, anglers and fish, water with some great guys. 

10.11.14 Things changed for the better but the fishing didn't improve......

     As predicted the winds went NE and were kicking making the high to ebb tide waters big and very bassy. Fished for a few hours, pretty hard, without a bump. Most of my work was done on the south sides of the rocks and in the pockets. Not much in the way of birds and bait but they could improve over the next day or so.

10.10.14 Nice morning out front....and a great night at Orvis Marlton

     Got out at 5am with the waning gibbous moon lighting up the beach and the water. West wind and an incoming tide had the water flat.....and relatively lifeless. Fished up and down the beach and on the rocks without a touch. Jumped in and fished with Leif who always seems to find the fish even on a slow day, but not today. As the sun came up a combination of rain bait and peanut bunker was nervous and tight to the beach but we couldn't connect. A wind switch and some waves and good white water should really get things going.



     Last night I traveled down to Orvis Marlton to kick off their Orvis Days. Great crowd and lots of interest from the trout-to-salt group. Several signed up for the Orvis 301 class we are running at IBSP on Saturday the 18th. It is shaping up to be a good group with folks from NYC, NJ, and PA signing up.

                        

10.09.14 The skunk continues on a brisk pretty morning.....

     Got out before first light and found Lief releasing a small bass he caught in the wash. I had a feeling the fish would be there and I might shake the skunk thats been on my back. I fished up and down the beach and jumped on the rocks tossing a Snake Fly to kind of flat and boring incoming tide water. A few sprays of rain fish or spearing was all that I saw without a swirl or tail slap behind them.
     Yes, there's a catch of bass here and there but it is really scary slow out there. I talked to my buddy who guides in Montauk and he said the albie bite is still hot but the bass haven't showed as of yet. It really is sad that we haven't seen a consistent arrival of bass in September and now October when a fish a two a day is usually the norm.

     This evening I will be at the Orvis Marlton store kicking off their fall Orvis Days. Come on by and say hello and grab a bite and pick up a few things for the fall run, which is looking to be a little later this year than last. Its always a good hang there and a great meet and greet. 

10.06.14 This photo really made me realize something about myself......

     This is about as cool as it gets. When I saw this photo this morning on Facebook I wished I was back in Montauk and wondered if I would ever make it into a picture like this. These are Montauk's best fly fishing guides......and for a week I found myself in their company both in the bar and on the water. They are Jim Levison, Brian Goulart, John Tondra, Jason Dapra, Vinny Catalano, Brendan McCarthy, Paul Dixon, and Andrew Derr. Looking back, and especially after seeing this picture, I realized I didn't just go to Montauk to fish for albies and striped bass........I went to try and belong and fit into a picture like this. I also realize that even if I were to have stood in for the above pic, I, myself, wouldn't have felt like I belonged. That may be in my head, and it may be a little over analytical, mixed in with a little low self esteem and self worth, but that's how I feel.

      Yes, I brought my boat up to "The End", fished pretty hard for a week, and caught and put some guys on some nice fish, but in the end could never enter the fraternity of Montauk guides, yet, because that comes with years of time on the water and back on the docks. Its also something that just evolves and happens, you can't force it or just arrive and try and be a part, and fishing is just a small part of it.

     I had known these guys before I went out and they have always been great to me, and they were great out there, especially Jason Dapra, who continues to be out there fishing hard everyday. Since I have returned, work and fishing has been slow, my Friday boat trip for last week re-scheduled due to the poor fishing.....not that we have to catch....but I have done enough no-fish days with this client so we took a raincheck. 

                      

     Since being back from Montauk I have done what I always do......walk and fish the beaches and rocks, usually alone, really not looking to catch a fish, but searching and "fishing" for something else. It's now I realize why I never really care about catching a fish, in fact, sometimes, the catching gets in the way. That above pic of the guys really moved me, made me realize one of the biggest reasons why I continue to want to guide and fish.....to be a part of something, to be accepted, to just be. But the funny thing is, I'm just using fly fishing as the vehicle in the search for the meaning of my life.

     My life recently has been a series of ups and downs, some of which I have shared here on this blog. I am getting divorced from my second wife of four years. I live in a house by myself and am setting up my own house and new life. And, I have reconnected with a love from my past that has shaken my core and really put everything in my life into perspective.

     As always I do a lot of deep thinking......and all of the things in my life, at this time, are coming together and finally making sense. That has been the culmination of years of good and bad decisions and choices, weekly therapy sessions, and self reflection and eye opening experiences like going to Montauk. My life is like the tide, I can't control it, it just ebbs and floods everyday. 

So, maybe one day I will make it into that above picture, and maybe I won't, either way I will be okay.  I am starting to feel okay in my own skin, wherever, and whoever I am with, and thats pretty cool. 

10.02.14 Great time at Orvis NYC "Happy Hour"....dig the staff as always....but not the new space......

     Let me start by saying I love Orvis. When I started fly fishing in the early 1990's I started with Orvis and have been "with" them since. I have met a ton of great people that both work for or associate with the brand as customers. But it always hasn't been perfect. Some products are just so-so with me, sometimes my dealings as an Orvis Endorsed guide leave me frustrated and well, angry, and sometimes I question the direction the company takes as far as marketing and business decisions go.
      That said......I love the history of the company, I love the one stop shopping the company allows me and its customers, and I do like how they are changing with an industry that is changing everyday, and all of the Orvis employees from corporate, to customer service, to those in the retail stores are great.

So......last night I attended a kick off at their new store on 5th Avenue. It was called "Fishermans Happy Hour". Store manager Doug Lopez and fly fishing manager Rob Ceccarini know how to put on a party. The event went from 530-730 and it was more a meet and greet then a presentation type



visit that I had become accustomed to. On hand were some great clients and customers who joined Upper Delaware guide Joe DeMalderis, FFF casting guy Craig Buckbee, author Peter Kaminsky, and sick fish and fishing artist Mike Sudal. As people took the climb upstairs to the fly fishing "loft" they

grabbed a cold beer and watched as Peter unveiled his striped bass "cooked" in a pile of salt. He broke the salt open with a hammer and served it up with olive oil. I thought about boycotting a sample, since this was a striped bass that was caught wild, but I let my tree-hugger side go and enjoyed it.



                        

     Craig had a vice (Regal of course) set up and entertained a crowd as he tied up a bunch of streamer patterns. Mike colored up a ink drawing of a Delaware brown trout he caught when he fished with Joe D on a spring float trip. Joe D mingled and touched base with some old and soon to be new clients. For me, well, I worked the crowd, but really enjoyed just drinking, and always had my eye on the coolers to see how much beer was left. I had the projector set up but it wasn't that kind of evening, people just walked and talked which was nice. In the end several people sign up for the Orvis Saltwater 301 class I'm holding October 18th at IBSP which I am really looking forward to.  (continued)

     So, now, lets talk about the new store, really, the new fly fishing department. Hate it. If you had been to the old store you entered the single level retail space and walked through the lifestyle section and entered the back of the store which was all fly fishing. It had a great lodge kind of feeling....more fly shop then just retail space, and it had a good feng shui kind of flow and feel.

Old Orvis fly fishing department

    The new store, located just up the street from the old store, has a great first floor lifestyle section and feel, and then you have to go upstairs to find the fly fishing section. It has nice displays taken from the other store, good product selection, but the space is just....well retail-ly and not warm and fuzzy at all. Low ceilings, interesting climate control, wierd flow......its just not the same. The Orvis NYC store, where ever it is located, is a huge draw for local customers and anglers, and is a destination for tourists from around the world. No matter where the store is located they will have a great experience because of the staff, no matter what space they are in. But, I feel visitors will be disappointed and leave feeling like they wanted more, as I did when I first made the climb last night upstairs. 

10.01.14 The bass are safe with me out there.....

     I just can't seem to get it done. I've had some beautiful mornings, and nights and evenings for that matter, but I just can't seem to be at the right place at the right time. My friends have a pick a bass here and there with most topping out around 25 inches. Since Montauk I've been back to "Daddy duty" pretty much everyday and have missed those first light sessions.
     On Thursday I'll be at the Orvis NYC "Fisherman's Happy Hour" from 530 till 730. Myself and Joe DeMalderis and Craig Buckbee will be on hand as they introduce the new fly fishing department at their new location at 489 5th Ave between 41and 42 Streets. Then on Friday its back out in the boat hunting for the albies and the bass.