04.11.20 Just a tug would be good....and Happy Easter!!

     Since it sounds like the end of the earth is coming on Monday with winds to 60+ mph. I broke away from the girls and stuck down on the outgoing tide. Lots of boats out, and at least one of them very irresponsible. So as I  am walking down a boat is coming in, heavily damaged. It seems one boat was motoring from Trenton down to the municipal ramp and ran into a boat anchored up in the channel. Just damage, no one overboard, no injuries. Boat kept going....no cool at all. 

     The tide was about three hours out from low so there was more water around then I am liking. I decided to walk upstream, get away from the in and out boaters, and fish the rapids. I caught fish this way last year, but it was later in the season and they were mostly small bass. 

     I know I am going to connect here, and it will be a good one, the problem is it will be during a half ass cast, I'll mess it up, and it will either break off or I drown trying to land it in water probably a little too deep that I shouldn't be in. 

     So, it is Sunday, Happy Easter to all!! I love Easter. For me Jesus rose from the dead. I dig the whole story and I dig being Catholic. I'm not the best or most religious but I am believer, and really a believer that there is something after this life. If I'm right then I just might get a chance of seeing Ryan again.....anyway.....Happy Easter, Passover, or whatever else people celebrate.

     So today on Easter we took a ride. The girl wanted toes where I fish. Erin found an elver, or glass eel, while looking around the exposed dropping tide rocks. I know these thing are born in the Sargasso Sea, come over here to hang out, and then go back to spawn and die. what amazing is at its peak, around 2013-2105,  a pound of these went for $2,600 over in the Asian markets. There is a commercial fishery for these in Maine. Cool find while out and about.

     And we have been talking about this since we moved out to "the country". So today we went and purchased our pullets, tiny Bovans Brown that will supply us eggs during the apocolapyse. The girls are way into it and so are Theresa and I. We went and looked at pigs also.....might wait on those. But those fainting goats look like something I'd be down to owning.

      And lastly kudos to Phil Prasch, who I don't know, who hooked, ended and related "Bubba" on opening day of the South Branch of the Raritan. Phil caught it on a fly he found in a tree! every year a Bubba is released by Shannon's Fly Shop and there's always a buzz on when Bubba will be caught.

04.10.20 Honkin' wind, little cool, but found some fish....

           Had the opportunity to get out and take a break from life for awhile. Got down to the water at 630am and had the incoming tide with a wicked WSW wind that got worse as the hours went on. It was nice to get back out on the rocks although it took me a while to find my jetty legs again. 

     It didn't take long for me to hook up using a herring fly and it felt good to go tight and hold a striped bass in my hands, especially since I've been hitting the Delaware so hard and it hasn't paid off yet as far as catching. I didn't move off the rocks and when I wasn't trying to strong arm my fly with the quartering wind on the south sided I was enjoying the wind at my back on the north side. Leif spent half the time on the rocks and on the sand. Of course often when I would look over he was either hooked up or in the process of releasing a fish. 

    In the end I managed to land five and two of them were fishing from "Ryan's Rock". With work times two now getting going getting down to the beach will be hard. I know its early, and I was lucky to find a few out front on April 10th, but that drive down 195 and back is hard, especially with the Delaware only across the street from my house, or 10 minutes down the road to Trenton.

    In keeping with tradition Leif caught the below fish using the "UAF". I think the next time the ASFMC comes up with new regulations to try and save the striped bass, I am going to suggest the "Ugly Ass Fly" be banned until the stocks are rebuilt....lol. I think they fall for the "UAF" here on the beach, get released, and then fall for a chartreuse Mojo trolled around in deeper waters.

04.08.20 Quick stop after work....

     Quick stop on the way home from work, a new position during these new times. More on that later. Got to the river around 430, tide was on the ebb. This big tide here drops fast so after waiting on the banks and working my fly along the edges I slowly made my way out. Before it was over I get soaked during a deluge of rain that I thought would chase me off the water. But, I thought, the rainbow was goo luck, and, if I waited I would be solo on the tip of the "jetty".

     Above is a shot looking out with the water just about an hour into the drop. And below is about two hours in. If you are safe you can make your way out, across the deeper water, and onto the made made jetty that covers the outflow pipe. Of course before I was done I donated another nice fly to the river. Didn't catch a fish, but, I thought I had a hit or two casting off the front. I'm using

herring type flies that look to swim nice and should be an early offering before the bluebacks get here in stupid numbers. I have fished first light, in the dark, and on all tides so far this spring without a fish. Reminds me of those stories from Al about striper fishing during the moratorium, and when he first started in the 1950's. I think he said it tool him a year to get his first bass. I'm ready to catch!

Tim Larsen photo

     So I've now been called into the COVID-19 action like so many other nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers have. I'm working as a Nurse Manager at the Edison Field Hospital set up at the Edison Convention Center. The last time Theresa and I were here was for The Fly Fishing Show in January, looks a bit different now. The floor is now set up with 500 patient rooms and we should be getting patients starting this Saturday. While the horrific numbers of those affected and killed by

Tim Larsen photo

the virus continues to soar, there seems to be thinking that the apex has almost arrived and the tide may turn soon. Again, that is hopeful speculation. All we can do is continue to practice physical distancing and maintaining good hygiene and safety precautions. We aren't out of the woods yet. 

     With new mandates regarding the weaving of masks I liked the below sticker I saw on Facebook, its not "Steal Your Face", but "Seal Your Face". The best way to prevent exposure is to eliminate the contact with those people that are asymptomatic carriers, people without fever and that dry cough. My hearts out to those healthcare providers, firth responders and hospital and nursing home staff that are dealing with patients in not the most sterile and safe conditions. Some have and will fall ill trying to care for people that are suffering from the virus. Stay safe and be well!

On a side note I was surprised to see gas prices at $1.89 a gallon on my way home yesterday. amazing how gas prices can fluctuate. I cant remember when they were below $2.00

04.07.20 My eyes have seen the glory....

     So I've been using an old beat up H2 9ft 10wt for the last year. About 6 months ago I paid to have it repaired but never sent it in. Its missing the ceramic ring in the stripping guide, not big deal, but it has now ate through my fly line. So I went looking through my ghetto basement and found a Recon in 10wt I never opened. Then I made my way to the river.

     One thing I punch myself in the head for is, if you have friends like Popovics and Fahar and they pull their vices out....pay attention. Each time I tie with Stevie's materials I have to trim off more thanks on the hook. I remember him saying, when I was paying attention...."Less is more....."

     So I have gotten to like the outgoing tide. Able to walk and not be pinned on the back and you can walk out...far...into the Delaware. I fished like hell in the morning without a tap. Near the end of the ebb tide I was out, way out, and it was me and a boater on the other side of the deeper water that ran between the bridge abutments. By then my arm was done but I still fished hard. He was gracious enough to fish the other side of his boat.....and that when I saw the glory......

     He went on to catch two fish, which he weighed, on what looked like an SP Minnow. One was over 30, and the other over 25.......POUNDS!!! I couldnt believe it, wouldn't have believed, still dent believe it. I just kept throwing my herring fly.....without a tap. 

     After seeing what this guy had to do to get that fish in, and he did a lengthy and very nice revive and release I decided to get out the guns. I looked all over for my 11wt H2...oh yeah I snapped that last year. So I went with an Orvis Clearwater 9ft 12 wt. Just in case.

    Same places, same fishing, same results......nothing. But I stayed way late, into the dark and inched my way out as the tide approached her dead. I was out again far, all alone, surely a dead man if I got caught and lost my footing. Next time I will were an inflatable life jacket. But I fished, HARD, I mean really hard, looking for that fish that I saw today, or maybe her friend. It was a great night.

No wind, water temps up, fishy water......nothing yet again. Its getting frustrating, but I still enjoy the skunk like when I'm catching, but catching has to come soon. You see, when the herring arrive its hard to get them to eat artificals, especially with so much bait in the water, and on a fly....guys

just look and me and laugh, yesterday was, 'This ain't Pulaski". And in moire bothersome news, look at ones haul two days ago from the Rarirtan Bay. With the one per day in effect that boat had 8 on it, not very good social distancing. And besides, the just more breeders out of the picture. 

04.05.20 Nice to help this little guy out....

     Best part of the days story was t the end so I'll start there. After fishing the end of the outgoing and about two hours into the incoming I figured I'd check what the guys were doing in Trenton. Wasn't very exciting to see, one guy of European decent has two shad on a stringer and asked me what the limit was. He says he soaks them in salt for two weeks, then vinegar for two weeks then I don't even know what he said he did next, I asked him "Boil them in gasoline?" He laughed. 

     There were two. nice guys doing so thing I wasn't sure what. They had sabiki rigs on weighted on the terminal end and hoisting in into the channel. Looked like something they used to use of herring. Anyway, he comes tight on a good fish and after about 10-12 minutes it surfacing below where he was. Luckily I had my waders still on and he was able to bring it upstream and around to me so I could undo the snagged sabiki rigs from the shark and leather like skin. 

     The short nosed sturgeon has been on the federal endangered list since 1973 and the Delaware River between Philly and Trenton are one of its favorite places. They hang between Roebling and Trenton December to March and then move below to the rapids between Trenton and Scudders Falls to spawn. Spawning occurs March to May and in 13 days the babies are born. They then move downstream to The City of Brotherly Love and move up and down with the tides. 

      These fish are endangered so much care to them is needed if you catch you by accident. Get them in the water as soon as possible. After getting the rigs out and the line clear it went back in and swam away powerfully.    

     Today I busted out the 13'6 spey rod. I am not Andrew Mom from Tightlines that's for sure. I would say maybe 20% of casts were good. That's okay, there were no bass around to catch or scare. I was talking to a guy who he fished with last night and he said two 30 pounders were caught.....creeping while you're sleeping must get in done out here as well. 

      Today I moved upriver neat the Calhoun Street Bridge and found nice water but no takers. I went down to the 9 for rod but still found the branches on the backcast. Fly looked good, water looked fishy, water temps over 50, hitting 52.....just not today for me. 

       Besides a load of crap that is along both shores of the Delaware River today I found my first COVID-19 remembrance while out......

04.03.20 Got the tip of the "Jetty".....

     I saw yesterday a spike in water temperature so with patients not coming in until mid-morning I figured I'd give it a go. A quick look at todays USGS website shows the water temperature dropped a few degrees overnight, which I think can turn off the fishing, not that its really on yet.

     One thing that I have learned and witnessed first hand, probably something I never have when fishing before, it how quick a bide tide flows and ebbs. The tidal line here in Trenton lies somewhere between the Trenton Makes and Calhoun Street bridge. Below the Amtrak bridge is where you can watch and wait and quickly see what a nine foot tide looks like. Its about a little over one foot per hour. If you've ever stood in the water waving a fly rod, you know how time just goes without noticing. well, when you take a shot and wade out on the near or dead low tide, you better watch your surroundings very closing. Its not just the incoming water you have to worry about, its also the force of the water around you that you'll have to wade your way out of.

     I met up with a guy on kayak, I could tell he was in the know. He started way out over in what was left of the bigger water and worked his way back, with both a fly and spinning rod. He didn't catch anything, but "knows a guy who knows a guy" who said decent striped bass are being caught now. So I'll keep trying, waiting for he males and females to arrive and the resident fish to wake up and start biting.

 

     For a laugh I thought I'd post the migration map courtesy of One The Water magazine. It shows that 20 punters, 30 inches and 30 pounders are making their way past Rancocos Creek and should be arriving any day into Trenton, thats if they get past the Maryland and Delaware commercial fleet that continue to decimate the breeding stock. 

04.02.20 Order up......

   

    The other days post displayed some of the Delaware commercial devastation of female pre- spawn bass, now here's Marylands finest at it........$5 a pound, come and get some.....Sunset Harbor, Ocean City Maryland.....mmm...mmm...good!                      

04.01.2020 Fishing is open in New Jersey....

     I watched New Jersey Governor Murphy's press conference yesterday, and finally fishing was addressed amongst the more important news. Trout season is open in the Garden State, catch and release only, this year the season is 10 days early. While most people are heeding the stay at home warning, those that choose to get out in the outdoors, like the walkers, runners and dog walkers, some will spend some time outdoors fishing. Those that do are asked to maintain the 6 foot social distancing rules.

Be responsible out there.....

     Today starts the new regulations up and down the coast, and in the bay and rivers. There's different regulations for recreational and commercial fisheries, and different in between neighboring states. For Jersey striped bass fisherman its one fish 28"-38" and then May 15th the Bonus Tag regs are in place, one fish 24"-28". Regardless what you think of the tag program, you still need to have that in possession. Its the one fish per day at 28-38" and then, with your tag, one 24-28". So anglers can keep two fish if they purchased and have the tag.  

   In New York the marine waters regs, starting April 15th, slot size 28-35", one fish per day. In the Hudson its 18-28" one fish, and in the Upper Delaware, if they get up that far after the Delaware state guys are killing them in big numbers, the size is 28-35". And of course commercial guys have different rules, starting May 15th, its 26-38". 

     For Pennsylvania and striped bass starting April 1st, in the tidal waters up to Calhoun Street Bridge in Trenton, two fish 21-24", and then same waters starting June 1st 28-35", one fish per day. In the non-tidal, above the Calhoun Street Bridge its one fish 28-35".