05.13.12 Happy Mom's Day

Happy Mothers Day to all !! We all have had a mother, are married to a mother, know a mother, or are just sometimes a mother.... Take time to wish some mother a Happy Mothers Day today! This goes out to the Mothers in my life, my mother, my step-mother, my wife, my ex-wife, my mother-in-law, my ex-mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law, and all my neighbors, friends, and friends who have wives-Happy Mothers Day!

05.12.12 Great day with stops in all three fisheries

Today I had Doug from Calgary down to fly fish the Jersey Shore. Great day from first light through the morning with stops in the two rivers, the bay and out front off the rocks. Water was extra high out front due to the 5,000+ boats in the water between Monmouth Beach and Asbury Park!

05.11.12 If you are fishing for bait...please let the juvies go

     For the past month bunker has invaded our back bays and rivers and anglers have been netting or snagging bunker to liveline or snag and drop or chunk, or freeze for later. Today I was watching as a few guys were snagging and I couldn't help but notice some 4-5 inch peanut bunker dried up after being left for dead after most likely being caught in a cast net. Doesn't make sense to me at all. The other thing I saw was plenty of bunker with the tails cut and the rest left out for the flies. That relly doesn't make sense to me at all.

Guys if you are going to harvest and use it, then fine....but the little ones please return to the water and at least use the bigger ones or kick them into the water for the crabs.

No bait = no bass. Please protect the resource.

4-5 inch peanuts ??

05.09-10.12 Great West Branch day...and then the Willow today

                    

 I had Greg in the boat for a solo float on the West Branch Wednesday. It was Greg's first time on the Upper Delaware and he is relatively new to fly fishing. Well, did he have a banner day. We started out with some casting basics and then we hit the water leading off with a streamer, but soon we had targets to shoot for. On our first stop we worked some fish for about an hour and a half and Greg landed a 22 inch brown! We had targets almost all the way down the river and he picked up fish 12-16 inches and topped the night off with a 20 inch brown on the way out. 

                     

                             

                                     

West Branch traffic jam

    This morning a cold front moved in with some gusty winds and low temps. I met my clients at the fly shop and they cancelled at the handshake. They are dry fly guys and today wasn't looking all that good. I hope to maybe to fish with them in the future. So it was "Guides Day Off". I first pimped myself out to the other shops in the area but there were no takers. I decided to fish Bard Parker by myself and after almost getting washed down the river left side channel I threw a streamer down the Second Heaven Riffle, which wasn't very riffly today. After a bit and only seeing one boat go by I made my way back across and went and cleaned the boat so it's ready for next weeks trips.

     I dropped the boat in Roscoe and headed home. I stopped and took a quick peek at the Willowemoc Creek and it looked fishy and the winds and temps weren't bad down in the cover of the trees. There were swallows over the riffs and soon March Browns were floating on the surface. I picked up one and took a lot of pictures of it before it flew off. I managed a nice brown trout that slipped away before I could get a shot off. 

                          

It was a good two days and I'm looking forward to a salt trip on Saturday and then back up to the Upper Delaware next Thursday. 

05.08.12 Went looking in the back for bass or blues in the blowing wind

     I was glad to hear that the bluefish have invaded the back bays and rivers. I am glad when they come....and then are glad when they leave, especially when you're targeting stripers. I went back at it today but the wind seemed to be blowing to 35 and that made casting fun. As a right handed angler, that cross body wind is a bitch when you are trying to throw flies a ways out. Today the wind was at a perfect 90 degrees from where I wanted the fly to land, and I needed another 50 foot out.
    On one cast I felt the hook pierce my skin near my groin but luckily it didn't set. I am glad I pinch down my barbs as that could have been a little painful.

The perigee full moon we just had had the moon 14 % bigger and 30% brighter. It was nice to have that much light rowing off the Mainstem but it's wreaked havoc on the high tides and currents. In a few days it will all settle down.

I heading back to the Upper Delaware for a few days work....should be a great.

05.07.12 Found racers up in the back

     Well I went from searching for a big brown trout sipping spinners to looking for racer bluefish crashing silversides in the back of the rivers. There's bait and bass and blues in Raritan Bay and now pretty heavily in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Silversides and large bunker are the meals in addition to worms and shrimp. With the arrival of the blues I tucked some 60 pound mono and some AFW line in the Orvis Gale Force swing back just in case.

More blues, and hopefully bass tomorrow, before back up for the bows and browns Wednesday and Thursday.

05.03-06.12 Great four days on the Upper Delaware

Waiting and watching...and later hooking up

     Great four days. Got lucky with the weather big time. On Thursday I had Tom in the boat for an upper Main Stem float and as soon as we put in we joined a flotilla of all kinds of vessels playing hop skip down the river. We had a slower day as far as bugs were go but we managed some early and few more near the takeout as the evening came and weather started to roll in. That night we were hammered with rain, thunder and lightning that lit up the sky and the cabin at the West Branch Angler's Resort. 

     Got up early to scout out post rain and found the West Branch looking like Yahoo so we floated the East Branch. We had a slow day but he worked hard and got two nice browns, two "normal" smallmouths, and a slammer smallmouth. We took out early and jumped to the Bard Parker and had fish taking junk up until the perigee moon lit up the area.

     On Saturday I joined fellow guides Joe D, John Endreson, and Ray Outllich and Tim Olyphant and we took out the Orvis NYC crew. 10 anglers including store manager and friend Rob Ceccarini were assigned a guide and we all split up. I had a blast with Sean and his future bro-in-law Alex. The boys hadn't fished the Main Stem and they did great on a day that was relatively slow. They worked streamers in the beginning and just about right out of the gate Alex had on a nice brown against the bank. Lot's of floating and laughs, and the Viking-like-savage lunch I provided them, half a chicken with Doritos and Oreos, without plates, forks, or napkins had us in stitches. The great riffs almost gave up a rainbow to Sean but way down we set up camp for a fun two hours. Lot's of targets, a few almost to the net, a few pricks, and a few tips your hats to them. Fished way into dark with the guys casting to slurps and splashes. About 200 feet from the take out in the dark I sat the driftboat almost perfectly on top of an exposed boulder. Again, more laughs. I topped off that day with some great company, drinks, and a cookout with some old and new friends. 

On Sunday we scouted some water and left for Dodge.

I'll be back up Wednesday for another trip, with Thursday open if you are interested. Give me a call

at 732.261.7291

    

Guide Jeff Church with a 10 year old stick

Cadosia hellgramite

Orvis boat hooks up

A Pirates lunch!

Joe D with the Orvis boys

Sulfurs....it was an early evening snack

Guide Darren Rist coming through Cadosia

And lastly, when I got home I took a ride to the beach....and found a ton of boats way out...obviously on the bass and blues.

05.03.12 Nice upper Main stem float today

Lots of high bright sun and a flotilla of various water crafts today on the upper Main stem but we had a great day and managed a bunch to the net including a nice 18" rainbow. Things never really took off...bugs here and there and sporadic targets to cast to. More in the morning.....

05.02.12 Needed a taste of the salt before heading back to the Upper Delaware

     I love the Upper Delaware, but I have been missing the salt water. I got out today for a bit stopping by the Raritan Bay, Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, and then outside at 8th Ave and Deal. It was more of a scouting mission then a fishing outing, but I did make casts at every stop.

Anglers have been connecting with some big fish off the beaches and groins and in the rivers but mostly of bunker chunks or clams. The ENE wind has the surf nice and roughed up and I found some guys soaking clams without a bump.

I'm heading up for three days of floating the Upper Delaware and the much needed recent rains should bode well for the rivers and the fish.

A few more weeks and the boat launches out front and the hunt (and release) for big stripers on the fly begins.

                                  

05.01.12 One reason why I like being a fly fishing guide....

     Here's me getting off a quick frame of Mike and his nice West Branch brown. Thanks to Rob for sending the pic over.

04.26-04.29.12 Back from the "One Bug"...with the "Squirrel Award" in hand

       Well, had another great FUDR's One Bug weekend. Started it out Thursday with a float with Bunky and Rich. We floated the mid-Main and they started out throwing streamers and Deceivers and they picked up a couple of fish. After lunch we got into some better fish and the boys had a blast as the Olives covered the water and the trout took fishy looking dries on a good drift. We landed a bunch and missed a bunch also. The video and Rich's reaction tell the story of a few that got away. We saw some March Browns and tiny Hendricksons along with the Olives. Great day!

                         

      On Friday I had Martin and Glenn in the boat. Glenn started off with his new 6 weight bamboo rod in howling winds and 36 degree ( 18 with the wind chill) weather. Soon he was throwing my 7 weight Orvis Hydros and a streamer. We floated the lower East and one of the highlights was the smoked rainbow trout I picked up at Ray Turner's "Delaware Delicacies". Martin got a sweet rainbow in a side channel on an olive streamer and by the time we got off we were cold and ready for the One Bug first night festivities.

 We started the weekend at the old Capital Theatre and we all ate and drank well where we met up with our clients for Saturday's floats and watched the auctions and raffles go off. On day one I had Dennis and Pete in the boat and my beat for the two days was the upper Main. The boys fished hard and we worked over raising fish, but the "One Bug" was a killer. The fish were on caddis and hendricksons which neither guy had on. Dennis had on a Parachute Iso and caught three and measured one, a fat 17 inch brown. He dropped a monster in a large pool that literally almost ripped his rod out of his hand. We got off the water just in time for more drinks and dinner at the Bluestone. We were all hoping that Sunday would be just like Saturday, especially the guys on the East and lower Main who did real well on day one.....forget it.

Guide Ryan Furtak with Lee Hartman in the bow

     On Sunday, day 2, I had John and Glenn in the boat. It started off nice, and went a little sideways from there. We floated down to some riffs and John worked a Hendrickson emerger as we waited for something to pop. As the time went on, the winds picked up. On one of John's backcasts I saw his line and leader brush the brush tops. I gave a quick yell but it was too late, his "One Bug" was gone. After the first day he and his brother were sitting in second place, and the 100 points for turning in your fly became very important. I was sick when I saw his tippet empty. I quickly got down on all fours and went through every piece of brush and grass there was. John helped too and we talked about what happened. I told off him right off the bat, "If you lose your fly, blame it on the tie.", and I had tied on his fly. We looked for an hour and came up blank. By them the winds were 20 plus, with gusts to 35 starting. We stopped for lunch and gave a few rising fish slashing at the caddis a shot without a bump. I decided to sail downriver near the takeout and look for a big fish on the banks. When we got down the boats whose beats crossed the lower end of my beat where camped out looking for the same kind of fish. We floated below them and found two nice browns set up on the munch taking March Brown duns. Glenn got into position, had a few good shots....and then Mother Nature turned on the turbines. Within and hour we were taking the boat out of the water heading back for the final dinner and awards.

After dropping off the guys, going over my boat, walking to the theatre, getting a bite and a beer, here's what I remember of the awards,

Top Guide - Jeff Church ( West Branch Anglers)

Top Angler - Ryan Bunn  ( Ramsey Outdoor- Paramus)

Squirrel Award- Yep, I got it again for my relentless and unproductive all-fours search for John's fly.



Luckily, John and his brother held onto second place and took that trophy home. Team Patagonia ( Bunn and partner) had crushed them on Saturday and where so far ahead in the points no one would catch them.

Please join the Friends of the Upper Delaware River, they are doing a lot of work to protect out great resource and fishery. Check out their website, HERE

04.26.12 Off for four days on the Upper Delaware

     It should be a great weekend for the One Bug. Last year the water was stupid high and this year was looking stupid low but it just might wind up okay. I will have to give up the "Squirrel Award" to this years recipient. Last year One Bug guide John Endreson found the squirrel statue on one of his floats and they made it into an award for the guide who goes above and beyond to save a clients "One Bug". Well, that's me in the tree in Cadosia helping out my client.

The trophy will have a new look this year, and I can't unveil it yet. Hope to see you up there!

The "Squirrel Award" squirrel enjoying this year down the Jersey Shore, where will it spend the next year?

04.25.12 Into New York so I happened by the Orvis store

     I happened to be in New York today and of course had to make sure I gave Rob a visit over at Orvis NYC. I hopped on the 6 train and headed downtown where I picked up a few things before this weekends FUDR "One Bug". Of course I couldn't passing up checking out (and buying) some flies from the great selection they have there. The fly section was busy with anglers filling up small plastic boxes before getting out to fish. I know I've said this before, but if you ever want a quick outing, or are in Manhattan, you should stop by and check it out and say hello to Rob and his staff.

Tomorrow, Thursday April 26th, there's a special night - "Join us for music, hors d'oevers and a FREE Scotch tasting with Speyburn Scotch."

04.24.12 Just a few days till the FUDR "One Bug"

    This is what Shehawken looked like for last years Friends of the Upper Delaware River  "One Bug"....this year should be a great time, with a little less water. Come out Friday night for the kick off dinner and raffle at the old Capital Theatre in Hancock! Hope to see you there.

04.23.12 I'm not a surfer or clam soaker...but it's a good day for either

     I took a quick ride down to see how the ocean looked since I've been up in the Upper
Delaware the last few days. Didn't look too "fly-fishy" even though I love snotty weather. Found the surfers out in force and a few guys soaking clams. We got a mixed bag of weather coming through the end of the week so we'll see how that plays out.

It was good to get some rain falling from the sky....we really needed it.