09.18.14 "Charlie I forgot the plug".......but then things got much better

     Some people tell me that I should just keep things to myself. Better left unsaid. I can't do that. I have to tell the good and the bad, always the bad when it pertains to me.

     So I wanted to get out in front of the Montauk Lighthouse by first light. Jersey albies seem to go off in the morning so I figured lets see how these fish work here. Besides, I always love first light and I thought I could make some nice images even if the fish weren't up yet.

 We had the boat wet before 530 and were on in front of the Point shortly thereafter. Since nothing was up on top we started to fish using heavy sinking lines, and yes, a drail, swimming big flies hopefully down to the bass on the bottom, which didn't last very long. 

At one point I looked over and saw I hadn't put the bildge pump on so I did. Then I heard the water, then I saw the water in the boat, then I said to Charlie... "I forgot the plug......", then my heart sank. 

I have to say, recently I read a story in the bible. It's from Matthew 14:22. In the story the apostles are in a boat and they are all jammed up and are terrified they are going to drown. It's the story of Jesus walking on water......now I didn't think I was a goner, but thinking how that passage came after recently reading it made me laugh, even in a time of slight panic.  

Here's the story....

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Luckily the boat started and we motored back to the ramp and put the boat on the trailer and let it drain, and drain, and drain. There must have been 2,000 gallons of water in the hull. In my hast before we launched I forgot to check that the plug was in, hopefully that won't happen again. And boy did I thank God when that boat was back on the trailer. That wasn't the first disaster I avoided. After checking in at Snug I checked to make sure the boat would fit under the overhang at the check-in office.

It fit no problem. Then I put 3 fly rods in the boat standing up.....and for some reason I looked my boat over before traveling underneath, I thats when I saw the rods. If I return another rod to Orvis they are going to kick me out of the ELOG program for good for sure. If I had proceeded forward two Orvis H2's and a Sage One.......valued somewhere around $2,500 would have snapped.....ouch.

      We were back out by 8 and found albies scattered all over the place with one and done risers. It didn't pay to motor around so we just set up and drifted and waited for the fish to show in our neighborhood. We landed a few before noon and had lunch waiting to the tide to flip. And when it did..

 

..... it really got good. It picked up where we had been all morning and then, well, like they say, 'It went off", really good. It was albie action all afternoon into the evening. I don't care about numbers, but we lost count, and are pretty beat up from the day. 

     

Below is a video of a part of todays fishing.....

Tomorrow is looking a little sketchy weatherwise as Hurrican Edourado is making his way up the East Coast....we shall see in the morning how that goes and if I get out.

Some images from the South Side....

09.17.14 Mother Montauk very kind to this Jersey boy on day one......

                          

     Had Charlie with me out today on a gorgeous day. Slow morning, a little windy, but the afternoon was great and the albies were up and hungry. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Montauk than today. 

     Started out leaving the the Jersey Shore around 4 and that put me in in the area by 8 am. Stopped by to see my sister at her job in East Hampton which was a pleasant surprise. My room at Snug Harbor Motel was still occupied so we readied our gear and put the boat in the water and off we went. 

     We started out, well, I started out driving around looking for life. Some birds, some albies blowing up here and there. Up and down....super quick. We got bit off by a bluefish as the tide went slack and then on the flip it got better. We had one shot when the albies were going good and that resulted in a double header. After that it was lots of quick shots with a total of five albies landed for the day. It was nice to have the albies each each one of the fly patterns I tied up the other night. (cont)

     I will be calling Snug Harbor Motel my home for the next 11 days.  It seems to be perfect for what I need. Beds for some friends and clients, a little kitchen, a balcony overlooking the lake....and a quick hop-skip to the West Lake where I am sure I'll end up each night.
     I will be solo Friday and Saturday, so if you have wanted to or have and want to return, give me a call (732.261.7291) to discuss. I have good lodging and if today is any indication the fishing is great.

09.16.14 I dreamed of this fish last night......

      ......no really I did. I went to bed wondering where I would fish this morning. Knowing bait is around, thicker on some days than the other, and bigger fish are here and gone, I wondered where my best bet might be. Rather than stay in my comfort zone......I made the trek to a different beach that I always enjoy fishing in the fall.
     I got out around 430, with the outgoing tide pull really starting to kick in. There was some light from the moon but first light was still a ways off. Looking at the water I knew my "dream" fish was there.

And on my third cast I was tight.

     Initially I thought this fish was big, as it took the Snake Fly off the crest of a wave breaking at the bar. I saw it all, and it was cool. As light arrived rainbait was spraying out of the water being chased by small blues. They pretty much stripped the ostrich plume from my fly and when the sun came up the water appeared flat and lifeless. It was a nice sendoff outing, the last before I head to Montauk around 3am tomorrow.



     Last night I found the bins that held all of my fly tying stuff and I sat down in front of the vice with a
glass of Malbec and the final Grateful Dead show from July 9, 1995 in Soldier Field in Chicago. I tied up a few variations of some albie bait so we'll see what they like when I get out there.

                                         

Enjoy the show!!!!!!

09.15.14 FALL IS HERE !!!!

     Yep, its that time. Opening the door at 415 and getting met with high 40's air temps has it feeling like fall. Couple that with the arrival of the mid-September bait migration and signs of predator fish moving in makes for great early mornings. And you can't forget the sunrises .
     This morning on the outgoing bait passed by unbothered. Rainbait and mullet where easy to spot, either the tiniest of baits getting sprayed by small blues, and the larger bait leaving their telltale "V" wakes as they swam. I looked for a tail slap or swirl but only had one fish, I assume it was a cocktail bluefish, take a bite on my popper.

So, things are setting up nicely here in New Jersey, and I am off to Montauk tomorrow night. I am sure I won't regret it once I arrive at "The End".

09.14.14 The ocean is alive once again......

     Went down to scout things out post blow and found that life had returned to the beach. It looked like it should on any given day. Birds up, bait everywhere, and predator fish on the eat. When I found a few anglers including the above fly rodder  hooking up with cocktail blues cast after cast I decided to do more shooting than casting. I had brought my spey rod down looking to set up on the end of a groin

and wait for some albies to show up. What I found was bay anchovies, spearing and mullet everywhere you looked, or walked. The blues were running through them almost up onto the beach and depending on what you had on would depend on how many fish you wanted to catch. The smaller the fly the more fish you would catch...you just had to match the hatch.

                       

     I stayed big wanting to try for some bass that I know were out there. The spey rod, I find, is much easier from the groins than the surf, and it took me a while to get my rhythm down. I did eventually jump up on the rocks and went with a smaller fly and had bluefish after bluefish eat. They weren't big, but it was fun to be casting to fish blowing up, bait being sprayed, and birds hovering and diving.

09.13.14 "The bass (and albies) are back in town....."

     Different wind, different tide, different beach = different results than this morning.

Well the wind died and the water stayed super clean with lots of nice white water. Fished the end of the ebb tide and landed two nice bass and had a third follow the Snake Fly into the rocks. Seems like this ENE really got some things started as there was a "epic" albie and good pick of bass along the Jersey Shore. Bait has started to move with mullet and bay anchovies providing the fodder for the bass and albies. Could a great next few days here......and I'm leaving NJ to go to Montauk on Tuesday.

09.13.14 Great day in sporty weather for a nice couple.......

     Jacob and Christina started fly fishing in June and have fished in Colorado on the Upper Delaware already. They call Manhattan home and wanted to try some saltwater fly fishing. Sounds like a great plan. They booked a walk and wade trip but were open to something on the boat as well. During the week and post-blow I thought we might be good starting at first light just coming out of slack low before the winds today started to blow.

Plans don't always go as planned.

     When we got to the beach the winds were a steady east 20 with gusts above that. The surf was fine but built as the tide flooded and the wind increased. Toss in an east swell and well that's a great day to break into saltwater fly fishing!



     We jumped in an fished the beach first watching the fly sweep hard left to right even with a sinking line. Christina is small in stature but big in guts so standing in the surf taking water was fine by her, but she definitely preferred fishing from the rocks. There wasn't much showing until we saw some birds





focused in about 80 feet from us and soon the albies, or maybe bonita were up and out of the water, before quickly moving on. I got reports that the same was found to our south.......no one was 100% sure if the were albies or bonita as no one brought one to hand.
     As Christina was stripping in, she did go tight, a gull had dove down and grabbed her Snake Fly from the top of a wave but luckily it flipped of as it took flight near the beach. We were glad of that.

     I hope todays trip didn't scare them of from fly fishing the salt, I may have pushed a bit on how great conditions were because this is just my favorite type of water to fish. I believe they will be back, and I promise I will get them out on the boat in October or November in much less sloppy weather.  

09.12.14 Fall 2014 brings a new start to my life....

     Nothing to celebrate here, but I'm starting a new chapter in my life. Went up to Roscoe to get some necessities from the house that I have been lugging around for what seems forever. Pots, pans, silverware, a few pictures, all kinds of home stuff. Most of this has been with me since the late 1990's when we purchased a home in Big Bass Lake in the Poconos. Then it all took the trek to the houses in the Adirondacks, then down to Roscoe, and now to Deal where I'll call home till the summer rental season starts June 1, 2015.
     On my way home I stopped by the Willowemoc and found a few new fly fishers out enjoying the fall morning. As I watched one struggle with his cast I couldn't help but ask if I could offer some tips which were greatly appreciated. Why watch someone struggle? So I offered and had fun with it.

    Kind of felt crappy taking "vacation" house stuff for use on a daily basis....but it just makes no sense to purchase it all over again. Setting up shop again is never fun....just thought I'd share, to keep it real.

09.10.14 Ocean is just big and angry the last few days.....

     Went down yesterday and the winds were kicking and the ocean big and angry. It's going to take a day and tide or so post Harvest Moon to settle things down a bit. Went out this morning on the ebb tide and looked to hit a pocket or two. Even with a sinking line it was difficult to fish, but still enjoyable as this change in the weather, winds, and seas is all part of why fall fly rod fishing for striped bass is so much fun.