09.20-21.16 Lots of scouting and fishing but nothing to show for it......

     Was hoping to give it the before work but I didn't, so I scouted out the water down in Long Branch. Starting to fish at five then working 7a-7p is just to much. What I decide to do, with my wife's blessing, was to get out at midnight an hour after the ebb tide. I got to the water at 1230 am and fished part of the graveyard shift until 330 am. The water was still up when I got there and over the next hours it got better, but not perfect. For a bit, I think the flood tides are better than the outgoing due to the structural changes done during all of the sand pumping. 

     I tried the popper, I tried the Snake Fly, I tried Farhar's MV Baitfish in Midnight Blitz color......not even a bump, or a splash, or any bait nothing. 

     Not wanting to be defeated I got the girls off to school and hit the beach, a different one, at 830am. No birds, a few mullet, with no signs of blues, bass or albies. I have to say I am frustrated by the yeomans effort to find some fish, or even like my previous outings, one good one.
   

09.19.16 Worked hard to find one....but couldn't find two

     I was excited last night to be able to go today, was just hoping that the predicted rain held out for a bit. When I woke up at 430 there was sound of rain outside so I had a good feeling. Started out a few hours into the flood tide and I started in the dark with a popper. Had to find good moving water, preferably exciting water, because the incoming water was just running up the beach from south to north. 

    When light came I switched over to a blue Snake Fly. I made a few casts in tight before airing one out behind a wave. One strip and the above fish blew up on it and quickly had me into my backing. I enjoyed fighting this fish and bringing him up with an incoming wave. It was a real good fish.

     I stayed with the same fly knowing, or thinking I was knowing there would be more there. I had a great spot but after another 100 casts I switched over to the below Deceiver, just because the water a bit off color and I thought it would work, but it didn't. It was a one and done morning. 

     I stayed through the first rounds of rain and when I thought I had done a good job of covering I headed south just to check if any albies were near the inlet. I had time until high slack so I fished the south side without a tap. I stayed until my ADHD couldn't take standing there any longer so I left for some coffee and to stay out of the rain for a bit. Working my way up I made a few stops as the high slack went to the ebb tide. Didn't see any birds or bait as I scouted a few spots from the comfort of my truck. I went north and decided to dress and check a long beach that has been good for albies in 

                                   

 the past but found no life. What I did find was the start of a pocket. The water behind me comes in over the high beach and empties along the scarp and exits out of the groin. A few more good tides and some snotty weather will transform this into a great place for bait to get trapped. I can't wait until things start looking like they used to and I can recall the days when the government ruined what was a great beat to fish.

09.18.16 Just time to look.....but they were there

      So no chance for me fishing today, but I did stop by the water before work. Conditions looked nice before with the incoming tide just a tad more tame than the days before. Didn't see any birds, or bait, but I was a distance away, but I did see several swirls and a blow-up or two in tight.
     I did't see the angler in the above pic do anything but I got the below pic from my friend Leif who caught nice healthy fish on his Snake Fly. While I love the pic, I'll have to share with him that pics with the entire fish look better. He's one that likes to get them back in the water ASAP so I am saying that in jest.
     Day off, well at least from work. tomorrow so I'll be at it, rain or shine.

09.17.16 Got to stay late.....but things just didn't line up

     So I got down a little after five, midway through the flood tide. It was nice at first, especially when the light came. Had the familiar pleasure of sharing the beach with Leif and Richie. It may look calm in the pictures, but it was like combat fishing especially when ending around the high tide. Waves crashing right in the trough with quick sets that made casting behind the waves difficult. The water was so big if the waves didn't get you then the water running down the beach scarp did. Early on Lief hooked and landed one and I had one come unbuttoned on a black SF Blend baitfish. I stayed with it

                   

until light then went over to a white Snake Fly. I had the 250 grain sinking line on just to cut the waves but then switched to the intermediate just to ensure the fly was swimming in the upper third of the water column. I got no love with that so switched over to a popper and three blow-ups without a hook-up. I wasn't getting the distance with lighter line and the popper, so I was inching my way down to get the fly just over the breaking waves. I saw it coming and it came, the wave that is, breaking

right on my ankles I went down like a horse with such force my fly rod slipped from my grasp and slid down into the trough. Just like that it was gone. As I stood there dripping I watched for any sign, and then I saw the blue fly line run up the beach scarp. I ran and grabbed it and retrieved my rod, hand over hand to make sure it didn't snap from a breaking wave. 

     I gave the rocks a try before the highest of waters but the assault from the jetty flies was too much, they did disperse when the water started breaking from both sides of the groin.

     In the next days things should be better. Didn't see a lot of bait but I did see fish caught and active in the wash. I little bit less water would be nice, just wish I was catching the outgoing mid tide just as light arrives. Still a great morning...and glad to have my rod back.

09.16.16 If I just had another hour........

                                   

     Well, fishing before work, well just sucks. I was out again at 5 hoping to get a bite in the dark, and I held onto each minute as light arrived. Moon tide, E wind, on the incoming. Tough with the fly rod. Water coming up way up the scarp onto the beach. Wish is was the middle of the outgoing rather than end of the flood. Saw one fish jump, and saw some mullet wakes before I had to go. I stayed until the last minute I could 618 am, then had to call it.

     I got back to my truck and made the change, but realized the waves that I took over the bow had my underwear soaked, so I was wet drawers for the first few hours of my shift after swiping in at 7 am. I can't wait until next week. The water was warmer this morning so I hope it cools down, and the post moon bite would be on and the surf just a little more tame. And, I should have a few mornings where I won't have to run to work. 

09.15.16 Word of the day........Sporty

     Got out before work today. On the beach in the dark at 445 a.m. Let me describe the kind of morning it was. With the wind kicking my face got pelted with grains of sand that were getting picked up by the steady 25-30 N-NE winds. Then I almost did a few splits in the water at the either the waves coming in, sideways along the beach, or the water running down the scarp would separate my legs and spin me around. It wasn't a perfect fly fishing weather type of day, but that is my favorite kind of conditions to fly fish in.
    I gave it an honest go but had to clear out just before light arrived. I made this image just before doing a uniform change in the parking lot. I know the bait doesn't like it but the bass surely do. There was plenty of white water around and the air and water temps are starting to drop. Fall is here, the mullet run as begun, and good bass fishing is about to start.

09.14.16 Had Mom out for a scout around.....

     So my Mom retired last Friday at age 70, sorry Mom, after working for probably 50 years. I think she is like many people approaching retirement, so happy it's here, but uneasy at the same time. The uneasiness comes from both knowns and unknowns. Am I financially ready to retire? Do I need to relocate because New Jersey is way too expensive for people on a fixed budget? And, then there's always the.....what happens if I get sick and how long am I gonna live?
    Here's a Mom plug for any eligible bachelors out there, or know some eligible bachelors......Mom is now retired, single and available to a fine gentleman and ready to enjoy life, just a little bit more than she has before.
     At her office shindig Mom tells me she wants to start off her retirement with a nice boat ride, most likely in her mind along the Navesink, and then pull in somewhere for lunch, maybe Eventides or Moby's. That all sounds nice, but I had a different idea.

                                         Let's go look for albies!!!!!!!!

     We were around the tip of hook by 730 and we had birds from the beach out about 1 mile in what started out was tub kind of conditions. We chased the birds a bit hooking up with cocktail blues before moving out and chasing what might have been some albies.



                       

     We took a ride to the New York side checking out Coney Island and an unnamed inlet that fishermen frequent in the fall. It was wind against tide over there and we found no birds or fish breaking. I wish it was on because I like fishing in the slop, and the albies like it to.
     The trip back was high and dry and when we got back the wind swung and died down and we had beautiful conditions. Not wanting to kill my mother with a long ride out just to see if I could find anything we stayed close and played with the snapper to cocktail sized blues. Quick drifts from the tip put us over blitzing fish each time. First I tried a bigger fly to keep the small ones away and maybe catch an albie, that could have been in the mix just watching the different rise forms that were made on the tiny baitfish.

     If you wanted numbers, like 1,000 small bluefish, then today was your day. A 5 weight with a tiny rain bait imitation was all you needed. Mom and I did pose with a small fish just as proof that we could catch something out there. After coming in I gave the boat a good washing and checking to make sure I am all ready for the fall. It was a good scouting trip and it felt good to be out there, although where I really wish I was right now was in front of the lighthouse at Montauk, and laying my head down each night at Snug Harbor.

     For lunch, or anytime after being on the water, On the Deck is always a good stop for a cold beer and some good pickens'. 

09.13.16 Welcome back......

                                     

     Last evening I wanted to see how the late afternoon water was looking. I decided to take the short drive to the water and was glad to see the beginning of the reversal of beach nourishment. Today I read that the State of New Jersey is looking to increase, well double, the funding for breach replenishment. That comes on the heels of beaches in Ocean County being closed after Hermine due to dangerous conditions caused by erosion. While it's not like it was, as least there is a change in direction and a place for big fish to ambush little fish. "The Pocket" used to be deep, and very productive. Below is a picture of Charlie Shapiro working along "the beach".

Maybe 2010 or 2011

     This morning I had Dad duty followed by a meeting at the hospital so by 930 I knew things would be over. I decided to take a ride to Shark River Inlet to see if anything albie-wise was going on. Saw the wakes of the mullet and the spray of the silversides but no signs of allies in or out front. Here is my prediction for this fall......ALBIES WON'T SHOW AT SRI. The dredging that is occurring in the Shark River has the water, at least on the ebb tide, silty and sandy......not a choice for the pelagics. If I were a betting man and a planner I would hit Manasquan Inlet. Now, I may be totally wrong, and, the SRI may be good on the slack before it gets shitted up, but thats my early prediction.

09.12.16 Dawn patrol with positive results......

                                                 

     Was on the beat before 5 a.m. I was scheduled to work today at 7, but just before 5 I received a text from work saying I had been cancelled as most likely the back-to-school census hasn't increased just yet. So many anglers do the before work fishing routine so I figured I would see how it worked. I had my scrubs in the car and planned on fishing Long Branch with just enough time to spare to do a quick outfit change before swiping in.
     It was a little sporty out there with the N wind and the lots of waves crashing on the beach with a right to left sweep. I picked two points and did a typewriter approach, casting down as I worked north to south. At my starting point I had a few bites, and figured they were snappers, but landed the below nice fish in the dark in the trough.

                              

     As light appeared I went with the popper and was confident it would produce even in the bigger water and quick sets. But it didn't move a fish. I walked up the beach again and switched over to a sinking line with a Deceiver and the fish at the top blew up on it before getting hooked.

     At 723 the allies showed up for a minute, and I decided to head south to the inlet to see if they were inside or just outside as the bait moved with the ebb tide. On my way down the strong scent of burning wood wafted through the air and I discovered this house fire on 4th Ave in Bradley Beach. Luckily everyone in the few houses that were involved got out safely. That fire came in around the time I would have been going down that street if I decided to fish Bradley. From what I hear a jogger discovered the fire and alerted the residents inside. That's a job well done.



     At the inlet things were quiet. Didn't see much for bait or anything on them. I threw some flies out and hit a few groins just because the conditions were so right. Water was clear and clean with lots of white water. We won't turn the clocks back until November 3rd which is a shame because that early first light is just the best time to be on the beach in the fall. Hopefully the water will cool off and we'll see the mullet soon. It's almost Snake Fly time of year.

09.12.16 Spent this 9/11 on the South Shore....

                                

     Spent the day with family out on Long Island. Beautiful end of summer start of the fall day. Walked Jones Beach for the first time and trained my eyes on the water looking for signs of life. No birds, no bait, no albies. However, I did see lots of action when I peered over the water on Jamaica Bay along the Belt Parkway. Lots of bait spraying out of the water.



                                      

    The flag was drawn down to half-staff and I did stop and read the 9/11 memorial set up at Area 4. On this day communities across the country each paid their own tributes to people affected by the events of the day 15 years ago. It is sad that it takes such a catastrophic act to unite a country and its people. May that never happen again on United States soil, or anywhere else.

                             

09.11.16 As we remember.....

  I am sure I am like others who can't believe it's been 15 year since 9.11.01 The effects of that day are still felt as broken families and broken bodies still try to heal and remain healthy. Sadly, the death toll from exposure to the conditions are the World Trade Center site are still rising. People and first responders may have survived the crash and the collapse but so many have taken ill or died since.

                                           

     For me, I will never forget where I was. Shortly after I made this image of my son starting his day of Pre-K someone came into the classroom and said a plane had hit the Trade Center. I thought for a minute it might be a small plane, one surely the FDNY could handle in short order. In the minutes following the news I was heading up to Newark ready to respond into New York, but there was plenty of work for us in Newark as hundreds of people came to UMDNJ to be decontaminated, evaluated and treated. It wouldn't be until early morning on the 12th when I would first step onto Ground Zero as firefighters from departments from the New York area responded. I spent the first days there as all of us hoped that people were in need of rescue, but as the days passed it became a more organized search and recovery operation.
    That day had an impact on countless people, the tri-state area, the United States, and the world. While evil has reared its head in the last 15 years across the globe, I hope there is never a repeat of the horror of watching Americans choosing to leap to their deaths because of the acts of cowards who took out their anger on innocent people.

09.10.16 First fish, and a good one, this fall.....

     Finally. Summer is dwindling down. Beaches are now open. The "summer folk" have retreated back to school and parts unknown. First light is always my favorite time to fish. Darkness into light. I started out with a black baitfish pattern that got me a good take but caught me off guard so I blew the hookset. As light arrived I could see the bait just outside the bar, and further out a large pod of dolphins just rolling in breakfast. With nothing to show for my efforts, and realizing the sun would shut things down I contemplated going where I have known guys have ben catching fish off and on all summer. I actually reeled in before I came to my senses. "I have good water here. I want to fish here. I'm staying."And I'm glad I did. 

     I put on a  popper and played double-dutch withe the arriving waves. Timing my car between sets and on the backside I worked that popper up the beach. I had one swirl and a blow up that got my juices flowing. Then the above fish breached and inhaled my popper. It was so far down it's gullet I didn't think I would be able to safely remove it. Luckily, the barb was pinched and filed down and it slide out the roof of its mouth when I was able to get a pair of hemos onto the fly. I wasn't expecting such a good fish with the warmer water temps and really no bait in tight. Soon the mullet will be waking in the troughs. You just have to get out and scout and know the water your fishing and the tide and amount of water the fish will have to swim in. 

                 It's a new season and the Army Corps of Engineers have changed the game.