Well here we are, nearing the end of 2015. Time is flying by and it has been hard to keep up with things. I have been bow hunting for about twenty years now. I got into bow hunting much later in my life than regular hunting. Somewhere, I got the want to shoot a buck with a bow. My first year out, New Jersey changed the law that you need to shoot a doe before you shoot a buck. Well, of course, what's the first thing I see? A beautiful ten point buck. It was hell not to be able to shoot him. It was the start of a learning experience. Large bucks don't come easy. They get smart. Sure, you see lots of pictures of guys with them. Some guys have more luck then others. Some guys just have more time.
I work pretty much full time and getting into the woods anymore is an endeavor. Just getting a day off can be hell with my boss (that's another story). I have killed my fair share of deer. Mostly small bucks, due to time constraints in the woods. I like to eat venison so when an opportunity knocks I will take it or if I want to fill my tag out and I know I wont be out again I will shoot a doe or a buck. New Jersey affords a longer hunting season. Not that you can get into that many places. I have had countless encounters with large bucks here in this state.One that even had possibly up to 20 points.
I had hunted a spot for about five years. Working an area I knew had at least two large bucks. I owned my own company at the time so I could get in the woods once in awhile. I sat many an hour in this nice wooded draw with a rock wall with a natural funnel in it. Finally one afternoon I was sitting and I heard a stick break. I looked slowly over my shoulder. There he was a monster 8 point buck just walking along. He had no clue I was there and he was coming in for the perfect shot. My heart was pounding I waited to move, he was in perfect position. I started to draw back and a squirrel must have seen me move and started a very loud alarm call. The deer immediately turn and ran. I was heart broken. I started hunting other areas here and there and had other situations arise.
Bow hunting isn't easy There are many factors you have to think about before you even go, scent control, wind direction, finding a large buck to hunt in an area with few hunters. Good luck with that in New Jersey. Making sure your able to shoot well.Then comes setting up tree stands and lugging in portable stands.
I returned to Jersey from Oregon four and a half years ago now. I had taken time to chase Steelhead out there so my bow hunting took a back seat for awhile. When I returned my buddy AKA the "Cracker", asked me to help him on a small property he had acquired. Well the Cracker is gun hoe deer hunting. He eats breathes and lives for this. I got him into the bow some time ago and I created a monster. Lets just say he likes to move tree stands a lot. The property we hunt is a very spooky place. The father of the woman who lives there planted pine trees over 50 years ago to make it look more like his country of origin, Denmark. There are rock walls and snakes and strange things in these woods.There are screech owls there and if you haven't heard one in the morning, you are not living. The Blair Witch project doesn't even compare when you enter these woods. There are also ever present bears here as well. So it has been lots of fun walking in there in the dark. I get the chills when I hunt this spot.
My first year hunting there I had a 12 pointer skirting my permanent stand. I tried everything. Even using my portable tree stand to change positions.The deer seemed to know I was going to be coming to that tree and wait for me under it. This happened more then once and it was very frustrating. He even crossed in front of me in the dark one night after I had grunted at him for two hours on and off but he was tending a doe not far from my tree stand just out of range of a bow shot. I hunted him hard for weeks. Then the cracker happened!
If you hunt, you have heard of buck fever. At times, after you shoot at one, or have shot one, the adrenalin rush can be serious. I had worked my way across the property leaving the Cracker to get in his stand. I had done a silent walk and it took me over an hour to get to my stand which, at normal walking speed, is about a two minute walk. I was setting up to get in my stand, I had just finished setting up my piss wicks and was about to climb in my tree. Suddenly I could feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. I took a quick look and it was the Cracker calling me. Now we never call each other when we are hunting. So I knew something was up. Well the old Cracker had shot at a buck and was having a case of "Holy Crap, I shot at a big one blah blah blah". At this point, I'm trying to calm him down, I say take it easy sit back and breathe. I told him to wait and I would come over in about a half hour. I start to climb my tree just to get into it and wait for a half hour. I get about half way up the tree and I hear crunch. I look down and twenty yards from me is a magnificent ten pointer looking at me! Needless to say I wanted to kill The Cracker.
So for some time this weight of wanting to get a decent buck with my bow has been hanging over my head. Super storm Irene and Sandy even played into my hunting time, destroying tree stands and blow downs. We even had a snow storm in October which caused broken limbs everywhere and had the power company out cutting trees up 50 yards from my stand.
Needless to say, I've had some ups and downs with bow hunting. Now some time back I started reading a book by Peter Fiduccia called White tale strategies vol II. It talks about calling deer using calls. I'm not super man at this yet but I have been using his methods and they have given me some success. I think I might have more if I was better at remembering all the calls and what they are for. It's like learning a different language but you have to use calls. This doesn't just mean knowing how to use a grunt call. There are different vocalizations used by a doe and these can be used at different times to bring large bucks to you.
Well that's just what I did to finally seal the deal. I had gone out in the afternoon and gotten set up in a stand location. I'd seen a few bucks here, but hadn't got a shot at one. Now getting to this spot is an up hill climb and I have to take my portable tree stand with me. It weights about 25 pounds when fully loaded with my pack and gear. It has been a warmer than usual winter here on the east coast. So getting in to this spot was no easy ordeal plus climbing in. By the time I was up in the tree I was exhausted, hot, and sweaty. I like to bow hunt in colder weather because I don't sweat so much. I got settled in and waited about an hour, and started out doing some rattling. Big bucks don't usually come charging in to the horns in the woods, though I've been caught off guard once or twice. If you rattle in a tree you have to be ready to move fast because they come looking. So, I'm always at the ready. You can't be in the open either because you need to set up for shots. Deer see small movement. You can't even move your feet because they catch those movements. You have to wait till they are behind a tree to move at all and you have to move slow. Even when I am sitting in the tree I don't move much. My movements have to be thought out.
Well I grunted a few times here and there. I was getting tired from my hike in and climb up the tree so I decided to take a quick nap. Which by the way is really why I hunt! Nothing better then a cat nap in a tree. So I woke up and wasn't really asleep because, trust you me, I'm listening. I looked at my phone and my buddy who was hunting with me had texted me and asked If I'd seen anything. I responded "no it's quiet up here". With that, I situated myself and rattled some more and watched. Nothing was moving. So I let out a doe bleat followed by a grunt call with a long grunt at the end (the sound of a buck makes when he is mating with a doe). Before I could let the grunt call fall from my fingers, I saw a Russian olive tree suddenly get smashed from side to side! All I could see at that point was horns and brush thrashing together. I knew it was a big buck and I grabbed my bow and got set.
This all happened in seconds and my heart was pounding! To me, it all seemed like slow motion. He came charging in hard, looking for whoever was on his turf. He came right down through the woods toward me.He stopped turned and looked right up at me. Then came to a stop. My heart sank because I thought he had seen me. If he had, it didn't matter. At this point, he was pissed and he turned and stopped and went into the sneak mode. I don't know what stopped him except possibly the smell of the doe pee I had dragged behind me walking in to my spot. When he turned he stepped back behind a set of small trees I drew on him but he sat there for what seemed to me like 5 minutes but was probably less then 30 seconds. He turned and started walking away from me.I had to let the bow come back to the ready position. Then he turned back toward me but still walking away from me.
At the time he was about 40 yards away, I knew it was now or never. The brush is thick in this area so things get distorted. What I thought was a going away broad side shot was actually an angling to me broad side shot. I drew mentally estimate 40 yards and shot through a window in the brush. I heard the arrow hit home but couldn't see where I hit. The deer jumped took off and ran about 60 yards, then stopped.
At this point I wasn't sure if Id made a good shot on the deer, as I hadn't seen the arrow go in. Mind you, I practice a lot and I do mean a LOT. My adrenalin was pumping like no tomorrow! I watched the deer stop suddenly sit back on its hind legs and fall over dead. I sat there not believing what had just happened. I kept my eye on the deer waiting to see if it got back up. Nope it was laying there and it was for real! I finally texted my buddy I had a hammer down, and he texted me back "WTF?" This had all happened moments after I had texted him,"it was quiet up here." So he was all confused. I was just personally laughing to myself and jumping up and down like a little kid!
So to the hunting gods and the Lord above thank you for lifting that weight and rewarding me with an awesome buck! This goes to show you, if you want something bad enough and work for it, it will happen. This is a day I will never forget and that is what hunting is all about!
Just wanted to say one more thing If it wasn't for the Cracker this would never have been able to have come true.He is truely die hard when it comes to deer hunting and he puts up with my bitching and complaining but he makes me getter done!
A Fly Fishing Blog featuring Señor Miguel Nutto as the BOUNTY CASTER...
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
The long and short of how I got into spey rods
It has been some time since I was introduced to the Spey Rod. I moved to Oregon in 2005. I was looking for a new life. I had been going to Oregon to visit my friends since 1996. I fell in love with it out there immediately. Back then the only steelhead I had seen were on TV, with Jim Teeny on ESPN. I had started fly fishing years before this, Large trout were just a dream then. I barley knew how to mend a line back then. I can still remember being on the south branch of the Raritan river trying to figure out how to nymph. Nothing came easy to me back then, I didn't have anyone teaching me.
I was learning to tie flies back then, I was introduced to fly tying when I was 5. So it was in my blood I really didn't get into it till after college. Large Rainbows were in my dreams and in my head like some strange addiction that one just can't escape. I grew up bait fishing and spinner fishing for trout. We had a ready supply of brook trout that my father and I chased in streams in north western New Jersey .
It is funny how I ended up all the way out in Oregon from New Jersey but I would say the trout called me there like whispers on the wind. My father instilled this addiction at an early age and I would beg him to take me fishing on Sundays just to get out of going to church. In general I just liked to fish it really didn't matter how! I'm glad I grew up that way. I have had to many run ins with Asstatic fly fisherman who are kings of the fly world. Fly fishing was just a natural progression for me as I wanted more challenges. Through many trials and errors I got better at fly fishing. I read books about it like crazy and fished whenever and where ever possible. All the while I had these steelhead in the back of my head. I was getting so insane I had started building rods to even chase these fish and had never fished for them. I use to go to a shop in Pennington New Jersey just to build rods. I built a single hand 8wt just to fish for Steelhead.
I was living in Jersey with my own Landscape and Carpentry business going. I skimped and saved every penny to move to Oregon. I finally made it out there. I got stuck in a job building cabinets 60 hours a week it was hell. I built and installed cabinets. I could only dream of getting on the river. In my spare time I explored the rivers of Oregon. I finally made it to the Deschutes one day. I had my 8wt rod and make shift hair wings in hand and no clue what I was doing!
I walked up from the mouth of the river. It was like walking into the gates of heaven to me. Yet as you enter the gates there is a nice sign saying beware of rattle snakes! I worked my way up river tip toeing through the grass, watching out for snakes.
Well half way through the day I had been chucking line like mad! I was tired and all the while across the river there were three or four guys casting rods and lines I had never seen. I was just worn out from casting and these guys just kept going. My introduction to the Deschutes wasn't simple either! The wind was crazy there and casting wasn't easy. One cast even got blown back at me and a 2/0 hook hair wing fly nailed me in the palm. It was a painful moment to say the least.
I went back another time or two but one time sticks out like a sore thumb. I had worked my way up river it was mid morning. When a guy showed up across river from me with one of those rods. I kept fishing but could see the guy out of the corner of my eye. I happened to look up river and saw a steelhead rise to his fly as he swung it through the run. The man jumped and missed the fish. It was like watching a film from across stream. About two minutes later out of the corner of my eye I watched him hook that fish and it was on! He had been waist deep and at this point was trying to make his way back to the bank. This fish was moving down river fast. I had never seen a battle like this before so I followed him down river. It was like watching a fishing film out of the 80s but live. This guy ran down the shore line. The fish hit the fast water and wasn't stopping , the guy opened the reel up and let the fish run! When it hit calm water he put breaks on! The fish took off and went on a crazy run down river to more fast water and the guy just opened up the reel again. It was awesome , as the guy ran down river with the reel open ducks exploded out of a little cove they were in, as he ran by.That was when I wanted a camera! Well the fish hit slack water and this guy laid the breaks on again! I was in amazement and watching the whole thing.The fish did another run into fast water and stopped, he put the breaks,this time he got a handle on the fish and slowly worked it in!
It had to be 18lbs it was huge. He had nailed a B run Steelhead.
Well that was it I wanted a Spey rod! The insanity started from that point on. I went to a local fly shop and started looking into rods and reels they were crazy expensive! It was like some blood lust, I had to have one of these rods! I worked saved and slowly got a rod and reel. It was all a learning experience. I was lucky though and I was in the heart of the revolution and met a few people and went to the Sandy Spey clave , it took time to get the casting down! Again I didn't have anyone to teach me I just went and did it.
Lots has happened since that time and I just seem to be on that journey with the fish up river. It has lead me to a boat rods. reels, waders,and night mares.One of these days It will be just me the river and the fish.
I was learning to tie flies back then, I was introduced to fly tying when I was 5. So it was in my blood I really didn't get into it till after college. Large Rainbows were in my dreams and in my head like some strange addiction that one just can't escape. I grew up bait fishing and spinner fishing for trout. We had a ready supply of brook trout that my father and I chased in streams in north western New Jersey .
It is funny how I ended up all the way out in Oregon from New Jersey but I would say the trout called me there like whispers on the wind. My father instilled this addiction at an early age and I would beg him to take me fishing on Sundays just to get out of going to church. In general I just liked to fish it really didn't matter how! I'm glad I grew up that way. I have had to many run ins with Asstatic fly fisherman who are kings of the fly world. Fly fishing was just a natural progression for me as I wanted more challenges. Through many trials and errors I got better at fly fishing. I read books about it like crazy and fished whenever and where ever possible. All the while I had these steelhead in the back of my head. I was getting so insane I had started building rods to even chase these fish and had never fished for them. I use to go to a shop in Pennington New Jersey just to build rods. I built a single hand 8wt just to fish for Steelhead.
I was living in Jersey with my own Landscape and Carpentry business going. I skimped and saved every penny to move to Oregon. I finally made it out there. I got stuck in a job building cabinets 60 hours a week it was hell. I built and installed cabinets. I could only dream of getting on the river. In my spare time I explored the rivers of Oregon. I finally made it to the Deschutes one day. I had my 8wt rod and make shift hair wings in hand and no clue what I was doing!
I walked up from the mouth of the river. It was like walking into the gates of heaven to me. Yet as you enter the gates there is a nice sign saying beware of rattle snakes! I worked my way up river tip toeing through the grass, watching out for snakes.
Well half way through the day I had been chucking line like mad! I was tired and all the while across the river there were three or four guys casting rods and lines I had never seen. I was just worn out from casting and these guys just kept going. My introduction to the Deschutes wasn't simple either! The wind was crazy there and casting wasn't easy. One cast even got blown back at me and a 2/0 hook hair wing fly nailed me in the palm. It was a painful moment to say the least.
I went back another time or two but one time sticks out like a sore thumb. I had worked my way up river it was mid morning. When a guy showed up across river from me with one of those rods. I kept fishing but could see the guy out of the corner of my eye. I happened to look up river and saw a steelhead rise to his fly as he swung it through the run. The man jumped and missed the fish. It was like watching a film from across stream. About two minutes later out of the corner of my eye I watched him hook that fish and it was on! He had been waist deep and at this point was trying to make his way back to the bank. This fish was moving down river fast. I had never seen a battle like this before so I followed him down river. It was like watching a fishing film out of the 80s but live. This guy ran down the shore line. The fish hit the fast water and wasn't stopping , the guy opened the reel up and let the fish run! When it hit calm water he put breaks on! The fish took off and went on a crazy run down river to more fast water and the guy just opened up the reel again. It was awesome , as the guy ran down river with the reel open ducks exploded out of a little cove they were in, as he ran by.That was when I wanted a camera! Well the fish hit slack water and this guy laid the breaks on again! I was in amazement and watching the whole thing.The fish did another run into fast water and stopped, he put the breaks,this time he got a handle on the fish and slowly worked it in!
It had to be 18lbs it was huge. He had nailed a B run Steelhead.
Well that was it I wanted a Spey rod! The insanity started from that point on. I went to a local fly shop and started looking into rods and reels they were crazy expensive! It was like some blood lust, I had to have one of these rods! I worked saved and slowly got a rod and reel. It was all a learning experience. I was lucky though and I was in the heart of the revolution and met a few people and went to the Sandy Spey clave , it took time to get the casting down! Again I didn't have anyone to teach me I just went and did it.
Lots has happened since that time and I just seem to be on that journey with the fish up river. It has lead me to a boat rods. reels, waders,and night mares.One of these days It will be just me the river and the fish.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
2014 the year of trying to get things done !
Stress is not even a word for how my year has gone. I haven't posted in some time due to the fact that I have been working on a ton of things. My life has taken turn after turn. Super storms, not just one but two have taken me to the jersey shore and then back north. The drifter in me has landed in the land of get it done before you get too old. For the last few months I have been working very hard to get things in order for becoming a fishing guide. I have worked endlessly to get my boat finished. This was no easy task. I had to build a trailer. Here, on the east coast, finding a trailer for my boat wasn't an easy deal. I have a 16' cataraft and finding a light weight trailer for it was a project. We found a ski doo trailer and cut it in half and extended it 4'. It came with doughnut wheels so I had to replace them. Wow, trailer tires and rims are a chunk of change.
Then it was on to building the deck. That took me two weekends. One of figuring out how I wanted to build it. Then building it. I won't bore you with the details just holy hell though. This has all brought me to the building of the boat. I started building it when I was in Oregon some 5 years ago at least now. This boat isn't cheap I have had to work my ass off to afford all the parts. All of which has seemed like it just will never end. I've had to put a lot on the back burner trying to get this all done before winter hit.
I love to bow hunt and before the fish really get amped up here I'm usually in the woods. I may have gone three times this year. There are many more things that I have been trying to get done. So while all this has been happening I have been making trades for work for websites and just going non stop! I fished for trout early in the spring and then we had a drought here in the north east. So I've had the major Jone's to fish.
It's Thanksgiving today and the holidays seem to stress me more and more as the years go on. I often feel like it is always something every time I turn around. Birthdays, holidays, whatever the case may be. I dream of standing in the river with just the sound of the birds and the wind in my ears.
Those are moments that come and go in the blink of an eye. I cherish every one, as if I was doing them at this very moment. I think back to the fish I've caught on a cold winters day, memorable fish.
For me it really isn't about catching tons of fish. It becomes the moments away from work and the grind of every day. Lately it seems I have the world up my ass and I have to jump fast.
Could I have just dropped what I was doing and gone fishing or hunting? Sure but, at the same time, I can't enjoy them when I know I have things to be done.
I have been blessed with a women who may be a saint in a working ladies clothes. Thank the Lord above for her because she has had my back the whole way. None of which has been easy for her, mind you. Most women don't understand a mans strange obsession with being in the outdoors (some do). I also have a few friends who have stuck with me through this and if your reading this you most likely know who you are. To my hunting buddies I'm sorry I haven't been able to put more time in the woods.
I look forward to bow season, it is different then fishing, I can't catch and release deer. My bow adventures this season have only made me want to get back out there even more. That, my friends, is another story! So I'm hoping your having a happy Thanksgiving as I Jone's to get on the river. More adventures are soon to come. Stay tuned.
Then it was on to building the deck. That took me two weekends. One of figuring out how I wanted to build it. Then building it. I won't bore you with the details just holy hell though. This has all brought me to the building of the boat. I started building it when I was in Oregon some 5 years ago at least now. This boat isn't cheap I have had to work my ass off to afford all the parts. All of which has seemed like it just will never end. I've had to put a lot on the back burner trying to get this all done before winter hit.
I love to bow hunt and before the fish really get amped up here I'm usually in the woods. I may have gone three times this year. There are many more things that I have been trying to get done. So while all this has been happening I have been making trades for work for websites and just going non stop! I fished for trout early in the spring and then we had a drought here in the north east. So I've had the major Jone's to fish.
It's Thanksgiving today and the holidays seem to stress me more and more as the years go on. I often feel like it is always something every time I turn around. Birthdays, holidays, whatever the case may be. I dream of standing in the river with just the sound of the birds and the wind in my ears.
Those are moments that come and go in the blink of an eye. I cherish every one, as if I was doing them at this very moment. I think back to the fish I've caught on a cold winters day, memorable fish.
For me it really isn't about catching tons of fish. It becomes the moments away from work and the grind of every day. Lately it seems I have the world up my ass and I have to jump fast.
Could I have just dropped what I was doing and gone fishing or hunting? Sure but, at the same time, I can't enjoy them when I know I have things to be done.
I have been blessed with a women who may be a saint in a working ladies clothes. Thank the Lord above for her because she has had my back the whole way. None of which has been easy for her, mind you. Most women don't understand a mans strange obsession with being in the outdoors (some do). I also have a few friends who have stuck with me through this and if your reading this you most likely know who you are. To my hunting buddies I'm sorry I haven't been able to put more time in the woods.
I look forward to bow season, it is different then fishing, I can't catch and release deer. My bow adventures this season have only made me want to get back out there even more. That, my friends, is another story! So I'm hoping your having a happy Thanksgiving as I Jone's to get on the river. More adventures are soon to come. Stay tuned.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The quest to find a rising trout
So spring has sprung after a long winter. When I lived out west a guide once said go back east and go fish for your east coast trout. I have to tell you that finding these creatures has been no easy task this spring.
If you fish like I do in the winter time, you have no choice but to nymph. When you first start nymphing it isn't so bad. I have never been one to be a purest to dry fly verses nymphing. There comes a point though were you want to see trout rising to dry flies. When I lived out west you would wait for the Salmon stone flies to start to hatch. Here on the east coast it is generally the Hendrickson mayfly. This year the weather has been insane. We get days where it hits 60 then the next day it is 30 degrees out. The water has barley had time to warm. The bugs have been hatching but the trout just haven't risen to the surface much. It comes in spurts when it happens for about 15 minutes and the rises will be sporadic. Needless to say, after a long winter we are waiting for regular weather. We were just pounded with rain last night. Upstate New York got over 300 inches of snow this year which is not a bad thing. Except at this point the rivers have been blown out for weeks. Yes you could fish some of them but how much time does one have to run from river to river and take care of other things. I'm not the only one in this boat as most of my other fly fishing friends have been chomping at the bit for some nice dry fly action.
Well hang in there I think it may be on its way as they have predicted Warmer weather in the next few days which may well bring off the bugs.
Preparing for these events is no easy task on a fly fisherman. One must tie bugs of all shapes and sizes and study a river system to find out what is hatching. http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/11/Mayfly-Ephemerella-invaria-Sulphur http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/458/Mayfly-Ephemerella-dorothea-Sulphur these should be the next mayfly hatch to watch for after the Hendrickson and quill Gordan, which may very well be done hatching in the next week or they may explode with the warmer weather this week. So be careful with the high water and be ready to chase fish because it is coming my friends I assure you!
If you fish like I do in the winter time, you have no choice but to nymph. When you first start nymphing it isn't so bad. I have never been one to be a purest to dry fly verses nymphing. There comes a point though were you want to see trout rising to dry flies. When I lived out west you would wait for the Salmon stone flies to start to hatch. Here on the east coast it is generally the Hendrickson mayfly. This year the weather has been insane. We get days where it hits 60 then the next day it is 30 degrees out. The water has barley had time to warm. The bugs have been hatching but the trout just haven't risen to the surface much. It comes in spurts when it happens for about 15 minutes and the rises will be sporadic. Needless to say, after a long winter we are waiting for regular weather. We were just pounded with rain last night. Upstate New York got over 300 inches of snow this year which is not a bad thing. Except at this point the rivers have been blown out for weeks. Yes you could fish some of them but how much time does one have to run from river to river and take care of other things. I'm not the only one in this boat as most of my other fly fishing friends have been chomping at the bit for some nice dry fly action.
Well hang in there I think it may be on its way as they have predicted Warmer weather in the next few days which may well bring off the bugs.
Preparing for these events is no easy task on a fly fisherman. One must tie bugs of all shapes and sizes and study a river system to find out what is hatching. http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/11/Mayfly-Ephemerella-invaria-Sulphur http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/458/Mayfly-Ephemerella-dorothea-Sulphur these should be the next mayfly hatch to watch for after the Hendrickson and quill Gordan, which may very well be done hatching in the next week or they may explode with the warmer weather this week. So be careful with the high water and be ready to chase fish because it is coming my friends I assure you!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The soul of fishing and hunting
Well it has been some time since I posted. I'm looking to address some issues that have been going on. Having had to move back to the east coast has been trying in the least. finding a good job has been very hard these days. Working has taken up a lot of my time. So fishing has taken a back seat.
I have however gotten out there. My view of the fly fishing world has certainly changed over the past few years.
I have lived out west and seen some very interesting things. For me fly fishing isn't about catching numbers of fish it is about finding a piece of mind. I love to catch fish don't get me wrong. Working as much as I have been the last three years and not getting ahead has been very trying to say the least. So when I do get to fish I'm hunting for large fish and not numbers. The fact that I am out fishing in the outdoors and seeing the beauty of the landscape and getting away for a few hours has become priceless.
Even when I don't catch a fish I at least have some time to myself to enjoy not working. The past few weeks I have been doing what I can to set up to be able to bow hunt. This has been a trying ordeal to say the least. Setting up trees stands ,cameras and trying to maintain a 30 acre piece of property. there is little joy in busting your ass to try to get this stuff done just to be able to hunt for a few days in the bow season.
Why do it you ask? Well again it is for that time sitting in a tree stand being alone with nothing to worry about but a nice large buck to walk by. This is no easy thing to do to get a large white tale with a bow. It is the same with Spey casting for Steelhead. The fish of a thousand casts. Finding and hunting a 150 class+ white tail is no easy task. It takes countless hours of planning, sitting, and work.
I ask you what is it that makes you hunt or fish? Is it the number of fish you catch? Is that what makes you a big man, Or the number of deer you kill? It shouldn't be about that ,and it isn't for me. Sure sometimes I hunt for meat or for fish for it. I like to eat to. My point here is that you really have to look at why you actually do this. I have spent countless hours learning to tie flies ,countless hours shooting my bow to become the best shot I can. I do it all just to get away and be out there weather I catch fish or kill a deer. There are a few other matters I need to address as to my attitude toward some of what I have been seeing go on in the fly fishing and hunting world but we will save that for my next post . Till next time I will be keeping a buzzards eye view on you all.
I have however gotten out there. My view of the fly fishing world has certainly changed over the past few years.
I have lived out west and seen some very interesting things. For me fly fishing isn't about catching numbers of fish it is about finding a piece of mind. I love to catch fish don't get me wrong. Working as much as I have been the last three years and not getting ahead has been very trying to say the least. So when I do get to fish I'm hunting for large fish and not numbers. The fact that I am out fishing in the outdoors and seeing the beauty of the landscape and getting away for a few hours has become priceless.
Even when I don't catch a fish I at least have some time to myself to enjoy not working. The past few weeks I have been doing what I can to set up to be able to bow hunt. This has been a trying ordeal to say the least. Setting up trees stands ,cameras and trying to maintain a 30 acre piece of property. there is little joy in busting your ass to try to get this stuff done just to be able to hunt for a few days in the bow season.
Why do it you ask? Well again it is for that time sitting in a tree stand being alone with nothing to worry about but a nice large buck to walk by. This is no easy thing to do to get a large white tale with a bow. It is the same with Spey casting for Steelhead. The fish of a thousand casts. Finding and hunting a 150 class+ white tail is no easy task. It takes countless hours of planning, sitting, and work.
I ask you what is it that makes you hunt or fish? Is it the number of fish you catch? Is that what makes you a big man, Or the number of deer you kill? It shouldn't be about that ,and it isn't for me. Sure sometimes I hunt for meat or for fish for it. I like to eat to. My point here is that you really have to look at why you actually do this. I have spent countless hours learning to tie flies ,countless hours shooting my bow to become the best shot I can. I do it all just to get away and be out there weather I catch fish or kill a deer. There are a few other matters I need to address as to my attitude toward some of what I have been seeing go on in the fly fishing and hunting world but we will save that for my next post . Till next time I will be keeping a buzzards eye view on you all.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Kype in he yukon !
Since I'm a fan of Kype magazine and I dig most of Marc Crapos videos. Here is a little ditty from them. Check it out people http://vimeo.com/51230653
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Some of you may have seen Pat Cohens flies ,they are works of art. Stacked deerhair bass bug style. Yet he turns them into birds and fish with a flair.He has a new video out and here is a link to his page. http://www.rusuperfly.com/ If your interested in seeing how he woeks his magic go to his page.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
New Fly Tying How To
Check out the newest issue of Kype Magazine. It features fellow REGAL VISE Pro Staffers Steve Silverio and Mike McAuliffe, as well as my how to for the "Afternoon Delight!"
Monday, April 23, 2012
Communism in Fly Fishing Oh hell NO!
Ok before you read this let me just say that this is my personal opinion! In no way does this reflect the views of any sponsors or other blogs I'm involved with on here! I'm usually not political in Nature here I hope this to be the last time.I have said my piece on this on facebook I have my reasons.If I lose sponsors or "friends" because I voiced my Opinion, then I wanted nothing to do with you in the first place and I'm glad your gone!
We all know Communism doesn’t work and Socialism is a far cry from being the right idea! Let me say that Capitalism isn't the greatest idea but it works better than the other two! This has been proven over time to a degree.
I have been watching the government try to pass laws to take away rights! Your right to be a small farmer and sell produce is being threatened; your right to bear arms and protect yourself is being threatened. Women's rights are being threatened all the time. I for one am sick of it! When was the last time they came up with something that gave us more rights? Do I have you thinking now ?
Communism and the use of it's symbols is no laughing matter. It is a form of Government that doesn't allow you to have rights like the freedom of religion, or the freedom of free speech! The right to bear arms and protect your family! You are told what you will and wont do! Some of these things are basic rights in this country being threatened by people in our own Government. It is only natural for the Government to try to do this.If you havent read Animal farm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm please do! It explains alot of what is happening today and it applies to our past history. Have you ever heard history repeats itself?
That brings me to a certain blog that has cornered a bit of the fiberglass fly rod market. I'm sorry I'm going to have to be blunt here about this. I will probably be shunned by the fiberglass geeks for attacking their hero. I love to fish fiberglass by the way, and I'm way into Old school fly fishing. I'm speaking of the Fiberglass Manifesto. The word manifesto is someone’s creed or religious belief. So the name is super catchy. So this little blog has brought about fiberglass rejuvenation so to speak. I am way cool with that as I grew up fishing glass.
The owner of this blog may be showing his true colors with this new Comrade shirt. This has upset me more then I can say. Mostly because I liked his old shirts. I no longer want to wear any of them because I don't want to support a communist. He contacted me saying I don't know him .As far as I'm concerned I don't need to know him when he has a red fist and a shirt and stickers saying comrade on them! His new “comrade” shirt is highly offensive to me and many others I have spoken too. Communism is no laughing matter and the fact that someone would even have the audacity to come up with a shirt like this makes me sick!'
We have come to a point in this country where the working man is being pushed out for machines; our hands are no longer worth anything. When we do make things here by hand now we charge an arm and a leg anymore. That is the problem here in America, it is called greed! Not Capitalism! What is happening in our Government today is an outrage.
Has America lost its soul, I think so! Our soul was sold out the door to foreign countries. I buy as much as I can in fly fishing that is made here,'or that has Americans running the company and supporting some workers here. Face it this country is reliant on outsourcing I know that won't change. There are some real American companies out there who are doing it for the love of doing it! One fly reel company here makes the reels using his brain. They don't mass produce and they are selling a product worth its price, almost cheaper then what they are truly worth .What they are making is a life time investment for you to fish with and it is made by an American! I’m not going to mention the company name here because am blasting someone on here and I don't want them to be associated with my blasting the Fiber glass manifesto! I can't say that I don't support companies that outsource to make a living here because I do! It is almost unavoidable. Being a working class Joe my budget only allows me one or two goodies a year. Fly fishing isn't cheap!
I still want to say how dare you make a communist shirt though! I mean to walk around with a shirt designed after the fist, I mean why not just put the hammer and sickle on your shirt and be done with. ???? I got into it with this blog owner over a company from the states charging way too much for a mass produced "custom” rod.He said to me well you being " American as you are I thought you would undersatnd " Again the amount we charge for some things here is insane anymore. It is like let me steal your money from you but you can have this product for a mere 600 bucks. These rods don’t cost the company more then 50 to 75 dollars to produce! I understand over head and the cost of living ,but ripping people off is a whole other matter of greed.
So where do you stand in a matter like this? I do know this as an American I will no longer support that blog or its owner!
This is how much I believe in my flag and my country. I have a demon tattooed on my forearm grasping our flag. It is my idea of our government stealing my country! If you haven't heard of the dumb- ing down of America yet well by wearing this “comrade " shirt you are part of the dumber side as far as I'm concerned .
So if you want to wear that shirt know I'm not your friend and nor will I associate with you! You may think hey I'm going to stand up for Cameron and wear his shirt because his blog is cool. You have that right but know to me you are a communist supporter. That might sound corny because it is just fly fishing but if you’re a real American you won’t walk around with a shirt like that! Don’t lose your country and soul ,and fight for your rights because soon if things stay on the track they are I won’t have the right to speak my mind without being jailed or the right to practice a religion Of my choice whether you agree with it or not! In this country you have the right to worship peaches if you want to! So think about your freedom and your rights and don't support anything remotely communist! As for the people who delete me ,or are pissed at me because I'm standing up for what I believe good riddance to you! Hopefully I have exposed the wolf so he doesn't pull the wool over any other sheep's eyes!
Lately I have seen something that bothers me. I'm not here to bitch about it; I want to say something about it. The growing trend toward Communism in this country and the use of its symbolism. Now I get having an edge or cornering something to make a few bucks. Yet people seem to have forgotten history like it flew out the window.
We all know Communism doesn’t work and Socialism is a far cry from being the right idea! Let me say that Capitalism isn't the greatest idea but it works better than the other two! This has been proven over time to a degree.
I have been watching the government try to pass laws to take away rights! Your right to be a small farmer and sell produce is being threatened; your right to bear arms and protect yourself is being threatened. Women's rights are being threatened all the time. I for one am sick of it! When was the last time they came up with something that gave us more rights? Do I have you thinking now ?
Communism and the use of it's symbols is no laughing matter. It is a form of Government that doesn't allow you to have rights like the freedom of religion, or the freedom of free speech! The right to bear arms and protect your family! You are told what you will and wont do! Some of these things are basic rights in this country being threatened by people in our own Government. It is only natural for the Government to try to do this.If you havent read Animal farm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm please do! It explains alot of what is happening today and it applies to our past history. Have you ever heard history repeats itself?
That brings me to a certain blog that has cornered a bit of the fiberglass fly rod market. I'm sorry I'm going to have to be blunt here about this. I will probably be shunned by the fiberglass geeks for attacking their hero. I love to fish fiberglass by the way, and I'm way into Old school fly fishing. I'm speaking of the Fiberglass Manifesto. The word manifesto is someone’s creed or religious belief. So the name is super catchy. So this little blog has brought about fiberglass rejuvenation so to speak. I am way cool with that as I grew up fishing glass.
The owner of this blog may be showing his true colors with this new Comrade shirt. This has upset me more then I can say. Mostly because I liked his old shirts. I no longer want to wear any of them because I don't want to support a communist. He contacted me saying I don't know him .As far as I'm concerned I don't need to know him when he has a red fist and a shirt and stickers saying comrade on them! His new “comrade” shirt is highly offensive to me and many others I have spoken too. Communism is no laughing matter and the fact that someone would even have the audacity to come up with a shirt like this makes me sick!'
We have come to a point in this country where the working man is being pushed out for machines; our hands are no longer worth anything. When we do make things here by hand now we charge an arm and a leg anymore. That is the problem here in America, it is called greed! Not Capitalism! What is happening in our Government today is an outrage.
Jobs all the way down to fly tying have been outsourced to China and Malaysia. Some like to think this is how Capitalism is supposed to work. The only one getting rich is the head of the company. Some may pay the tiers a small fee for their creations but in the end it is the owner of the company getting rich using slave labor in communist run countries. That my friend is communism!
Has America lost its soul, I think so! Our soul was sold out the door to foreign countries. I buy as much as I can in fly fishing that is made here,'or that has Americans running the company and supporting some workers here. Face it this country is reliant on outsourcing I know that won't change. There are some real American companies out there who are doing it for the love of doing it! One fly reel company here makes the reels using his brain. They don't mass produce and they are selling a product worth its price, almost cheaper then what they are truly worth .What they are making is a life time investment for you to fish with and it is made by an American! I’m not going to mention the company name here because am blasting someone on here and I don't want them to be associated with my blasting the Fiber glass manifesto! I can't say that I don't support companies that outsource to make a living here because I do! It is almost unavoidable. Being a working class Joe my budget only allows me one or two goodies a year. Fly fishing isn't cheap!
I still want to say how dare you make a communist shirt though! I mean to walk around with a shirt designed after the fist, I mean why not just put the hammer and sickle on your shirt and be done with. ???? I got into it with this blog owner over a company from the states charging way too much for a mass produced "custom” rod.He said to me well you being " American as you are I thought you would undersatnd " Again the amount we charge for some things here is insane anymore. It is like let me steal your money from you but you can have this product for a mere 600 bucks. These rods don’t cost the company more then 50 to 75 dollars to produce! I understand over head and the cost of living ,but ripping people off is a whole other matter of greed.
So where do you stand in a matter like this? I do know this as an American I will no longer support that blog or its owner!
I say the shirt is a copy of this symbol above click the link and tell me if it looks familiar! http://thefiberglassmanifesto.
Maybe I seem like I'm ranting about something small to you. This is how they get support by giving you under handed little things like a shirt with a fist on it.When I grew up we were taught to believe the red the white and the blue were not evil. There was a concept behind it the Red for the bloodshed and the valor, the White for purity ,and the Blue for honor and justice ,the Stars for the states.
This is how much I believe in my flag and my country. I have a demon tattooed on my forearm grasping our flag. It is my idea of our government stealing my country! If you haven't heard of the dumb- ing down of America yet well by wearing this “comrade " shirt you are part of the dumber side as far as I'm concerned .
So if you want to wear that shirt know I'm not your friend and nor will I associate with you! You may think hey I'm going to stand up for Cameron and wear his shirt because his blog is cool. You have that right but know to me you are a communist supporter. That might sound corny because it is just fly fishing but if you’re a real American you won’t walk around with a shirt like that! Don’t lose your country and soul ,and fight for your rights because soon if things stay on the track they are I won’t have the right to speak my mind without being jailed or the right to practice a religion Of my choice whether you agree with it or not! In this country you have the right to worship peaches if you want to! So think about your freedom and your rights and don't support anything remotely communist! As for the people who delete me ,or are pissed at me because I'm standing up for what I believe good riddance to you! Hopefully I have exposed the wolf so he doesn't pull the wool over any other sheep's eyes!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
fly tying and crusty old buzzards
The past few months ,I have been going to fly tying shows. It has been interesting to say the least. There are a number of things that go on at fly shows. Tiers sit back and sling their wears. You see and meet all types at these shows.It brings out the cabin fever weary angler. They are kind of like ground hogs on ground hogs day.They come out into the light of day but really would rather not be there. Nervous little creatures they are. They want to see new materials and different flies. Some people have been sipping spirits which livens up the party.( Some even touch your girlfriends ass with a death wish! ) Now the tiers on the floor range in every type of human known to man. You have to be a bit of a strange bird to tie flies. I should know I do it. Some guys are famous and others want to be famous. Others are just tiers that are amazing. It is those tiers that I most gravitate to. I have a very discerning eye when it comes to flies. I know good flies when I see them ,I also know hack flies when I see them . Dont be surprised if some of the people on that mighty floor have no idea what they are doing or maybe teaching you something wrong. Flies have a creative side to them where you can get away with certain things. True masters of the fly however follow a strict code when it comes to making great flies. This doesnt happen over night mind you. Master fly tiers are perfectionist and have an eye for detail like no other. Weather this comes with great practice or just as a skill ,these great fly tiers are few and far between. Last year we lost one of the Greats in my opinion his name was Dick Talluer. In one manner he was my mentor as a fly tier and teacher his books have taken me very far as a tier.
Since I returned to the mighty NJ as luck would have it I have been introduced to a few tiers here that are just incredible! I will be talking a bit about a few of them in my blog this year. New Jersey is an odd hub for fly tiers ,we seem to produce them like jersey city rats !We are an odd lot we jersey folk ! I mean we are like the jersey shore crew but tie flies. Well not really, North Jersey fly fishermen and tiers are more like dirty scoundrels from a rough landscape of concrete and woods. This area has tons of history in fly fishing and tying.
One of these scoundrels I know well his name is John Kavanaugh I happened upon this fellow when he invited me to come fishing on the upper Delaware. John has been fishing there since his teens. I was very fortunate to run into this scallywag of a fly tier. He knows these waters well and he knows the bug life on this river system as only a few do ! John is a very modest man as he doesn't sit there and talk out loud about his flies or how great they are. He would rather talk out loud with the guys having a round of drinks then boast about his flies. I have to say his flies are amazing and very well thought out.I have sat with John at a few of these shows and picked his brain about the flies he ties. His flies are time tested and have little tricks to them you would never be able to see with out asking him about his flies. John isn't seeking fame or fortune tying flies he does it because he likes to catch trout !
I got the pleasure of fishing with him last year at the infamous bug week and had a blast! He is one joke after the next and they seem to roll off his tongue like the devil telling lies ! His flies catch fish and I thought it was high time some of you got a chance to see a few.Im not showing all of his flies as some are somewhat secret but here are some of his wears . If you get lucky you might find John teaching classes as that is what he would love to be doing to help others learn .
As of this moment Im still working on a blog fighting communism in the fly fishing industry and my country ,be on the look out for that up coming post as the buzzard picks the eyes out of the country and the fly fishing world
Since I returned to the mighty NJ as luck would have it I have been introduced to a few tiers here that are just incredible! I will be talking a bit about a few of them in my blog this year. New Jersey is an odd hub for fly tiers ,we seem to produce them like jersey city rats !We are an odd lot we jersey folk ! I mean we are like the jersey shore crew but tie flies. Well not really, North Jersey fly fishermen and tiers are more like dirty scoundrels from a rough landscape of concrete and woods. This area has tons of history in fly fishing and tying.
As of this moment Im still working on a blog fighting communism in the fly fishing industry and my country ,be on the look out for that up coming post as the buzzard picks the eyes out of the country and the fly fishing world
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New year and a greasy slick
Ok so 2011 is out of here and I have to say last year was interesting and alot happened. I moved back to Jersey and met up with a bunch of pretty cool fly fishing people. I came back to open arms and have been accepted by a large crowd. It is nice to meet so many interesting people.
Fishing has been a bit tough due to a year of rain and floods and high water. I did manage some trips though. I caught a few fish and I think that is all you can ask for as a fisherman. I say this because I've seen so many things on the river this year.
It seems as of late at least to me people have lost the idea of what fishing is about. Fishing is supposed to be fun plain and simple. Sure there is a lot involved with it. We all seem to get caught up in what the other guy is doing and why they are doing it. Sure when something illegal is going on it is good to be concerned. What I'm referring to is the lack of trying to enjoy the outdoors. People seem to get hooked on hooking fish. For me if I hook a fish it is a bonus. I fish in one of the hardest ways possible and I catch less fish then other people because I do. I fish this way because I enjoy being out there casting and swinging a fly and hoping a steelhead hits my fly. I try to be polite to others as that is how I would like to be treated. The problem is no matter where you go you are going to run into pains in the ass. I have been sworn at before for standing in a run, cut off and low holed. I have now come to expect it that at some point while fishing I will have some odd thing happen in the day. Well this year I will be turning over a new leaf and trying to brush it off. Why you ask? Because I want to enjoy being outside and going fishing and stop worrying about why the other guy needs to be first or the better guy. I just want to fish and enjoy myself. I just returned from a trip.
I met a few real nice people on the river. This was a welcome change because the last few trips I'd run into some really rude people.
Vern of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Custom-Flies-By-VERN-O/78806691921 Vern-O custom flies was fishing a run and messing with a new skagit head and I asked if he would mind if I fished behind him and he said go right ahead and let me fish through. That is the kind of people I like to meet on the river. People willing to share and be polite. It makes being out there so much more of a pleasure when you run into someone nice. The next day two guys came up and even asked me if they could cross the river below me. I thought they were coming to ask if they could fish the run with me. I would have gladly let them in. Instead they asked if they could cross below me and I was fine with it because where they wanted to cross was fine. It was so nice to meet some polite people on the river. I later found out they were from out of state. Wondering if maybe some of the guides on the Salmon river could take a lesson from the out of state people being polite!
As I enter the morning air its crisp bite hits my lungs. The chill wakens my senses, the smell of pine trees brings hints of memories from days on the river past. It is winter and the grey of the woods blend into the background of the sky. The river comes into view, the water looks as dark as a grease slick. It churns and bubbles soothing my soul. In its depths live a silver ghost, secret in nature, and hunting to live. I hunt the silver ghost not knowing if he is present or not. I enter the slick of darkness and it grabs my legs and eases me into the run. As my boots grip the stones and boulders I move through the water casting into the slick which grabs my line and swings my fly into the depths of its own wilderness. I can only imagine what is happening at the end of my line, moving my rod as I try to control the drift of the fly. Cast after cast waiting for the tug or the grab of the silver ghost.
So head for the river with open eyes and an open heart. Fish will come and go as the days come and go but Nature captures your heart and soul. The river is a wayward Drift peace in 2012. Let your reels scream !
Fishing has been a bit tough due to a year of rain and floods and high water. I did manage some trips though. I caught a few fish and I think that is all you can ask for as a fisherman. I say this because I've seen so many things on the river this year.
It seems as of late at least to me people have lost the idea of what fishing is about. Fishing is supposed to be fun plain and simple. Sure there is a lot involved with it. We all seem to get caught up in what the other guy is doing and why they are doing it. Sure when something illegal is going on it is good to be concerned. What I'm referring to is the lack of trying to enjoy the outdoors. People seem to get hooked on hooking fish. For me if I hook a fish it is a bonus. I fish in one of the hardest ways possible and I catch less fish then other people because I do. I fish this way because I enjoy being out there casting and swinging a fly and hoping a steelhead hits my fly. I try to be polite to others as that is how I would like to be treated. The problem is no matter where you go you are going to run into pains in the ass. I have been sworn at before for standing in a run, cut off and low holed. I have now come to expect it that at some point while fishing I will have some odd thing happen in the day. Well this year I will be turning over a new leaf and trying to brush it off. Why you ask? Because I want to enjoy being outside and going fishing and stop worrying about why the other guy needs to be first or the better guy. I just want to fish and enjoy myself. I just returned from a trip.
I met a few real nice people on the river. This was a welcome change because the last few trips I'd run into some really rude people.
Vern of http://www.facebook.com/pages/Custom-Flies-By-VERN-O/78806691921 Vern-O custom flies was fishing a run and messing with a new skagit head and I asked if he would mind if I fished behind him and he said go right ahead and let me fish through. That is the kind of people I like to meet on the river. People willing to share and be polite. It makes being out there so much more of a pleasure when you run into someone nice. The next day two guys came up and even asked me if they could cross the river below me. I thought they were coming to ask if they could fish the run with me. I would have gladly let them in. Instead they asked if they could cross below me and I was fine with it because where they wanted to cross was fine. It was so nice to meet some polite people on the river. I later found out they were from out of state. Wondering if maybe some of the guides on the Salmon river could take a lesson from the out of state people being polite!
So head for the river with open eyes and an open heart. Fish will come and go as the days come and go but Nature captures your heart and soul. The river is a wayward Drift peace in 2012. Let your reels scream !
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Its a free gear give away .Check it out !
http://www.flyfishingfrenzy.com/2011/12/19/frenzy-holiday-give-away-2/
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The connection of fly fishing and bow hunting
So I haven't posted in some time. Summer was busy with landscape construction. I haven't gotten out that much. I have however made a few trips here and there. I have been working on a yard in order to be able to bow hunt. This has been a bit over bearing seeing as this house has gotten away from the land owner so there was a lot to do there. The real fun part of this is I can't shoot does there and I can't shoot the mid size 8 point because we are hoping he makes it to next year. There is a lot of work to help the deer out as well. So now the game is sit and wait and hope a big boy decides to come in and take over the area. Here in NJ you get a buck stub and you really want to use it on a nice buck but it's really hard to have a decent buck come in and not shoot it. This makes you appreciate the deer for what they are. Hunting isn't always about killing, sometimes it is about just being out there watching wildlife go by and not being detected .
This gets to my point in a connection between two sports. Fly fishing with a two handed rod really is my passion, swinging a fly through the water is my favorite thing to do. Here in the east it isn't the easiest thing to do due to the size of the rivers in most places here.
Bow hunting and fly fishing have always been a way for me to get away from work and dealing with people. I recently went away on a trip to the salmon river in upstate NY.
I got involved in what I will call combat fishing. This has to be the biggest joke I have ever witnessed and I honestly don't think I want to do it again. They have what you call "fly zones" on this river. They are less then a mile long and hard areas to walk in let alone fish. Everyone and their brothers show up here and do some unethical fishing practices. Now you can swing here and fish in an ethical way but on all sides of you are guys fishing with egg flys with lead sinkers on. They look for Salmon on redds or in groups and send the sinker in and snag a fish. I watched a "man" across from me snag about thirty to forty fish in a few hours. This is not fly fishing it is a snag fest against helpless fish. I understand the want to catch a fish. I like to catch fish. The fact that sinkers are not made illegal in these fly zones is beyond me. Fly fishing with a sinking line is fly fishing so long as it isn't too long or a poly leader. For that matter a indicator with a weighted fly can be fly fishing. I mean if you want to fish with split shot and lead why not just use a spinning rod or gear rod. It really is something to catch a fish on a fly. It is a challenge. If you are a cowboy super hero redneck fisherman who is into snagging then why don't you go to a snag hole somewhere. You're not a fisherman you are a scumbag plain and simple! To accept the challenge of fly fishing is to learn to open your mind and to think. It takes skill to figure it out. I will fish again but I seriously will be walking or floating to get away from the scumbag fisherman here on the east coast. I have seen this out west as well and I really have to check myself as to why I even would let myself stand among such " fisherman."
I guess maybe it is just the drifter in me that doesn't fit in with these type of people. A few of my fellow fisherman might take offense to what I've said and I have a few good friends who don't mind fishing in the combat zone and you guys know who you are. But please understand I fish to get away from the bullshit not get into the heart of it.
I have had some time to sit in a tree stand and think about why I do this outdoor thing. .It isn't to be a super hero or better then the next guy. I do it to find some peace and quiet. I have been accused of trying to show off when I posted a pic or two of myself with a fish. I post this blog to let people see and know there is another world out there under the trees.
I'm not alive to be a super hero or a show off. I fish and hunt because I Am. I think most people have forgotten what getting outdoors means. We have T.V. shows that glorify hunters and fisherman to sell products. We have to wade through tons of garbage to find products that work and pay tons of money to get out there. For the life of me I don't understand why you would pay your hard earned money to be a scumbag and cheat to get a fish or a deer. There is nothing better then to actually achieve a goal even if it takes time. It took me three years to finally hook a steelhead on a fly on the swing. I hiked many a mile to find that fish. I put many a sleepless morning in. I learned to cast with a two hand rod. On my own mind you! All to catch that fish. When it finally happened on that cold morning next to the river I was by myself and the fish slammed my fly and went down river doing flips out of the river. There was nothing like it and it felt like I finally won something so special. You just don't get that feeling of gratification snagging fish or cheating to get a deer. If you cheated deep down you know you are just that a cheater. Accept the challenge and fish and hunt like a real man or woman do it to live and not cheat!
Fly fishing and bow hunting are a challenge to do in many forms. Some long bow hunt, some single or two hand fish, some use compounds bows. This can be rewarding to the hunter or fisherman who really gets into it. You can really get into it learning to tie your own flies and learn more about what is happening in the underwater world of the river or try to silent hunt and sneak up on a deer or draw one into your tree stand. Like anything it takes time and work and if it really comes that easy you are probably cheating!
This gets to my point in a connection between two sports. Fly fishing with a two handed rod really is my passion, swinging a fly through the water is my favorite thing to do. Here in the east it isn't the easiest thing to do due to the size of the rivers in most places here.
Bow hunting and fly fishing have always been a way for me to get away from work and dealing with people. I recently went away on a trip to the salmon river in upstate NY.
I got involved in what I will call combat fishing. This has to be the biggest joke I have ever witnessed and I honestly don't think I want to do it again. They have what you call "fly zones" on this river. They are less then a mile long and hard areas to walk in let alone fish. Everyone and their brothers show up here and do some unethical fishing practices. Now you can swing here and fish in an ethical way but on all sides of you are guys fishing with egg flys with lead sinkers on. They look for Salmon on redds or in groups and send the sinker in and snag a fish. I watched a "man" across from me snag about thirty to forty fish in a few hours. This is not fly fishing it is a snag fest against helpless fish. I understand the want to catch a fish. I like to catch fish. The fact that sinkers are not made illegal in these fly zones is beyond me. Fly fishing with a sinking line is fly fishing so long as it isn't too long or a poly leader. For that matter a indicator with a weighted fly can be fly fishing. I mean if you want to fish with split shot and lead why not just use a spinning rod or gear rod. It really is something to catch a fish on a fly. It is a challenge. If you are a cowboy super hero redneck fisherman who is into snagging then why don't you go to a snag hole somewhere. You're not a fisherman you are a scumbag plain and simple! To accept the challenge of fly fishing is to learn to open your mind and to think. It takes skill to figure it out. I will fish again but I seriously will be walking or floating to get away from the scumbag fisherman here on the east coast. I have seen this out west as well and I really have to check myself as to why I even would let myself stand among such " fisherman."
I guess maybe it is just the drifter in me that doesn't fit in with these type of people. A few of my fellow fisherman might take offense to what I've said and I have a few good friends who don't mind fishing in the combat zone and you guys know who you are. But please understand I fish to get away from the bullshit not get into the heart of it.
I have had some time to sit in a tree stand and think about why I do this outdoor thing. .It isn't to be a super hero or better then the next guy. I do it to find some peace and quiet. I have been accused of trying to show off when I posted a pic or two of myself with a fish. I post this blog to let people see and know there is another world out there under the trees.
I'm not alive to be a super hero or a show off. I fish and hunt because I Am. I think most people have forgotten what getting outdoors means. We have T.V. shows that glorify hunters and fisherman to sell products. We have to wade through tons of garbage to find products that work and pay tons of money to get out there. For the life of me I don't understand why you would pay your hard earned money to be a scumbag and cheat to get a fish or a deer. There is nothing better then to actually achieve a goal even if it takes time. It took me three years to finally hook a steelhead on a fly on the swing. I hiked many a mile to find that fish. I put many a sleepless morning in. I learned to cast with a two hand rod. On my own mind you! All to catch that fish. When it finally happened on that cold morning next to the river I was by myself and the fish slammed my fly and went down river doing flips out of the river. There was nothing like it and it felt like I finally won something so special. You just don't get that feeling of gratification snagging fish or cheating to get a deer. If you cheated deep down you know you are just that a cheater. Accept the challenge and fish and hunt like a real man or woman do it to live and not cheat!
Fly fishing and bow hunting are a challenge to do in many forms. Some long bow hunt, some single or two hand fish, some use compounds bows. This can be rewarding to the hunter or fisherman who really gets into it. You can really get into it learning to tie your own flies and learn more about what is happening in the underwater world of the river or try to silent hunt and sneak up on a deer or draw one into your tree stand. Like anything it takes time and work and if it really comes that easy you are probably cheating!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
new travels to hillbilly country
So Memorial Day weekend has come and gone and I got a chance to fish with some new friends. This is always an interesting adventure. People come in different sizes and shapes and different attitudes. You get to the river and some turn into monsters, others are great fisherman. Some are good fisherman with big heads and large egos. All personalities aside what is fishing for? To me it is a good time, sometimes quiet and relaxing other times it has been down right crazy and something you never forget! Some of my most wild adventures have been in a fish camp with drunken idiots and insane fist fights and chainsaws. That is no joke!
You really have to learn to roll with the punches out there as some guys will egg you on and bust your balls till you break. Others just know how to fish and to fish hard. I finally got to fish out of a drift boat this past weekend and got the normal tar and feathering from my buddy about my casting (he is the god of casterbating). It is like going to kindergarten for the first day and the bully you don't know is there comes to kick your ass. This is a mental ass kicking which is enough to make you laugh and possibly cry if you're sensitive.
I had to sharpen my skills quick or kill Captain Ahab on the back of the boat. Which was an option at one point but I didn't want to go to jail. Don't you dare ping a fish or miss the hookset or old Ahab was going to rip you a new one. Which by the way Ahab can miss all he wants he has been here before ( he gets kind of like he saw the white whale when he misses). All razing aside when does it become too much? You tell me folks!
This is what they call BUG WEEK in the hilly billy towns of upstate NY in Roscoe. Bugs just start coming off the water about two hours before dark which makes for tough fishing conditions. The march brown spinners were in full affect when I was there and they would just make it to the water at dark and the fish would feed on them till they couldnt see them any more. Problem is you cant see the fly either. So hooksets become harder. You have to cast and mend quickly and get your fly in the right spot because once your fly drags you will put the fish down and you have to move to the next fish. Do not ping the fish or Ahab beats you over the head with his wooden leg just to make the burn even worse. Talk about pressure! You only really have a half hour of casting time and you need to be sharp. I wasn't so sharp my first night and Ahab beat me up pretty bad (you bastard). Problem is Ahab is a big boy with a melon the size of a car on his neck and you know if you talk back he might head butt you and kill you. By the time I got off the boat I felt like a newbie going to jail that got raped.
The next day Captain Ahab wanted to wade fish so I was game for a morning of watching him dirty nymph the famous dry fly water. Low and behold Ahab locked into the white whale that took out line and gave Ahab an ass whopping and let him know the white whale rules the river! I didn't feel so bad after that and thank god for the white whale taking him down to ground level.
Day two was filled with relaxing at John Kavanaugh'S trailer, who was a great host and I want to thank him for feeding me and Ahab. He went far beyond his duty as a host. So thank you to you and your wife John and thanks for rowing the boat and showing me your favorite river bed.
I ended up only landing one fish which was fine with me as it was just nice to get away for the weekend. I have been working six days a week trying to save money to finish my boat and buy a trailer for it. I'm excited to finish it and finally row my 16' cataraft. As a wayward drifter one must have dreams and I dream of a boat and steelhead and spey casting all day long. This summer I have taken on a job as a landscaper which has been taking up a lot of my time. This Bug week was an interesting break as I got to fish in the fabled waters of the upper Delaware River. The fishing was nice and the bugs were everywhere and thanks to my friend John Collins who tied me up the nicest assortment of flys for the trip up there. Luckly I had just gotten a nice Irideus fly box from Timothy Horner over at Irideus. So I was able to fill it up with a nice selection of flies, for Upstate New York and New Jersey. I normally tie my own flies but due to some flood damage at my humble abode my fly tying table had to be moved and is a complete mess and a large job has ensued.
In addition to working ten hour days and cutting a huge lawn for a commercial business once a week, I'm also digging a trench in the back of the house to add pipes to it. This is to divert the water away from the house. My summer has started off with a bang to say the least.
In the midst of all this some how I've managed to get on the water a few times. The other night I got into a sulfur hatch and the browns were hammering the with reckless abandon. I haven't seen this kind of dry fly action in some time and I managed to get four fish in about an hour just before dark. Not bad after a long day at work.
There is that word again, work. I have been working way too much but Im not complaining. I'll take it after being laid off for a year and a half. It is feast or famine it seems in these times. I dream of being out west day after day fishing for Steelhead or fishing for Stripers on the Delaware here at home in New Jersey. Hopefully soon things will slow down. Till then I guess I will keep Drifting along .NOW watch some video and Captain Ahab I'll be back ! CHECK OUT THIS LINK PEOPLEhttp://www.riseformstudio.tv/
You really have to learn to roll with the punches out there as some guys will egg you on and bust your balls till you break. Others just know how to fish and to fish hard. I finally got to fish out of a drift boat this past weekend and got the normal tar and feathering from my buddy about my casting (he is the god of casterbating). It is like going to kindergarten for the first day and the bully you don't know is there comes to kick your ass. This is a mental ass kicking which is enough to make you laugh and possibly cry if you're sensitive.
I had to sharpen my skills quick or kill Captain Ahab on the back of the boat. Which was an option at one point but I didn't want to go to jail. Don't you dare ping a fish or miss the hookset or old Ahab was going to rip you a new one. Which by the way Ahab can miss all he wants he has been here before ( he gets kind of like he saw the white whale when he misses). All razing aside when does it become too much? You tell me folks!
This is what they call BUG WEEK in the hilly billy towns of upstate NY in Roscoe. Bugs just start coming off the water about two hours before dark which makes for tough fishing conditions. The march brown spinners were in full affect when I was there and they would just make it to the water at dark and the fish would feed on them till they couldnt see them any more. Problem is you cant see the fly either. So hooksets become harder. You have to cast and mend quickly and get your fly in the right spot because once your fly drags you will put the fish down and you have to move to the next fish. Do not ping the fish or Ahab beats you over the head with his wooden leg just to make the burn even worse. Talk about pressure! You only really have a half hour of casting time and you need to be sharp. I wasn't so sharp my first night and Ahab beat me up pretty bad (you bastard). Problem is Ahab is a big boy with a melon the size of a car on his neck and you know if you talk back he might head butt you and kill you. By the time I got off the boat I felt like a newbie going to jail that got raped.
The next day Captain Ahab wanted to wade fish so I was game for a morning of watching him dirty nymph the famous dry fly water. Low and behold Ahab locked into the white whale that took out line and gave Ahab an ass whopping and let him know the white whale rules the river! I didn't feel so bad after that and thank god for the white whale taking him down to ground level.
Day two was filled with relaxing at John Kavanaugh'S trailer, who was a great host and I want to thank him for feeding me and Ahab. He went far beyond his duty as a host. So thank you to you and your wife John and thanks for rowing the boat and showing me your favorite river bed.
I ended up only landing one fish which was fine with me as it was just nice to get away for the weekend. I have been working six days a week trying to save money to finish my boat and buy a trailer for it. I'm excited to finish it and finally row my 16' cataraft. As a wayward drifter one must have dreams and I dream of a boat and steelhead and spey casting all day long. This summer I have taken on a job as a landscaper which has been taking up a lot of my time. This Bug week was an interesting break as I got to fish in the fabled waters of the upper Delaware River. The fishing was nice and the bugs were everywhere and thanks to my friend John Collins who tied me up the nicest assortment of flys for the trip up there. Luckly I had just gotten a nice Irideus fly box from Timothy Horner over at Irideus. So I was able to fill it up with a nice selection of flies, for Upstate New York and New Jersey. I normally tie my own flies but due to some flood damage at my humble abode my fly tying table had to be moved and is a complete mess and a large job has ensued.
In addition to working ten hour days and cutting a huge lawn for a commercial business once a week, I'm also digging a trench in the back of the house to add pipes to it. This is to divert the water away from the house. My summer has started off with a bang to say the least.
In the midst of all this some how I've managed to get on the water a few times. The other night I got into a sulfur hatch and the browns were hammering the with reckless abandon. I haven't seen this kind of dry fly action in some time and I managed to get four fish in about an hour just before dark. Not bad after a long day at work.
There is that word again, work. I have been working way too much but Im not complaining. I'll take it after being laid off for a year and a half. It is feast or famine it seems in these times. I dream of being out west day after day fishing for Steelhead or fishing for Stripers on the Delaware here at home in New Jersey. Hopefully soon things will slow down. Till then I guess I will keep Drifting along .NOW watch some video and Captain Ahab I'll be back ! CHECK OUT THIS LINK PEOPLEhttp://www.riseformstudio.tv/
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Check out the newest issue of KYPE! Photos by my friend Rich Schaaff and article by Mike McAuliffe from Rise Form Studio
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Random thoughts as I Drift
Hmmm, here we go folks. This is my new blog where I get to yak at you all. This has been in production for about the last month thanks to my friend and new fishing buddy Michael McAuliff of http://www.riseformstudio.tv/. He produces videos and makes websites upon request for a fee (my blood) and he is also a fly fishing guide here in New Jersey. Thanks for all the help Michael.
I have become a Drifter of sorts as of late. I have traveled to the west coast and back to the east coast. Returning to the east coast has been interesting to say the least. I got back here just in time for the fly tying symposium here in New Jersey http://www.flyfishingshow.com/Somerset__NJ.html which was so nice to go to after being away for five years. I met and talked with some of my fly fishing heroes and some other crazy fly tiers I have talked to along the way.
As I drift along here I will tell you some of my fishing adventures, I will be reporting on places I go. I have already hit the salmon river in upstate NY and hooked one nice steelhead on the swing. I didn't land her but got her on the swing.
I did see some funny stuff going on up there like five guys nymphing in one tail out (or was that really snagging?). I mean it doesn't take jerking the rod over your head to set the hook! The other funny thing is all the people who stand by the Altmar bridge where the fish come to rest and then they yank them out of the river and call that fishing. People come up with a fish that looks like an old leather boot and think they have been out fishing. I guess each to your own and I will just keep Drifting down river to find a fish that takes a fly on the swing.
Speaking of swinging a fly there is some weird practice of using a sink tip and adding spilt shot to your leader. Yeah out west they call that lining the fish and it is really just another form of snagging fish. If you are going to say you caught one on the swing you best be swinging the fly not dragging it through their mouths and yanking back.You haven't really gotten the fish to take your fly that way and that is the challenge of swinging a fly! It really isn't about how many you catch. If you want to catch more fish just nymph it is more effective then swinging flys and there is nothing wrong with nymphing! It is up to you how you fish but if you really want to call yourself a fisherman do it fair chase and hook one don't snag them there is a difference you KNOW!
Any way enough of my beating up on the poor lowly snaggers for now. I returned home to the middle of the winter and it was wet and cold and nasty here and the fishing was not easy. One day would be nice the next would rain. I swear my friend from http://doublehaulflyfishing.blogspot.com/ has a curse on him from mother nature or something because without fail it would rain every time he had a day off or the river was blown from it raining. I kept telling him you have to make her think you are happy it is raining and she might stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9utt-SNqyw . No such luck. I think I will make him do the happy happy joy joy song the next time it rains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwESraWEpSU.
I have also gotten some spey casting time in on the mighty Delaware river but it has been very high due to the rain we have been having and the shad are in. Hopefully I will be able to hit the run before it is too late and they start dying. If not the mighty striped bass and walley and small mouth will be on my attack list at some point this summer! I'm thinking they should be fun to catch on the swing till I can drift back out west to chase Steelhead again!Until then enjoy the tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXQltR7vUQ&feature=related
I have become a Drifter of sorts as of late. I have traveled to the west coast and back to the east coast. Returning to the east coast has been interesting to say the least. I got back here just in time for the fly tying symposium here in New Jersey http://www.flyfishingshow.com/Somerset__NJ.html which was so nice to go to after being away for five years. I met and talked with some of my fly fishing heroes and some other crazy fly tiers I have talked to along the way.
As I drift along here I will tell you some of my fishing adventures, I will be reporting on places I go. I have already hit the salmon river in upstate NY and hooked one nice steelhead on the swing. I didn't land her but got her on the swing.
I did see some funny stuff going on up there like five guys nymphing in one tail out (or was that really snagging?). I mean it doesn't take jerking the rod over your head to set the hook! The other funny thing is all the people who stand by the Altmar bridge where the fish come to rest and then they yank them out of the river and call that fishing. People come up with a fish that looks like an old leather boot and think they have been out fishing. I guess each to your own and I will just keep Drifting down river to find a fish that takes a fly on the swing.
Speaking of swinging a fly there is some weird practice of using a sink tip and adding spilt shot to your leader. Yeah out west they call that lining the fish and it is really just another form of snagging fish. If you are going to say you caught one on the swing you best be swinging the fly not dragging it through their mouths and yanking back.You haven't really gotten the fish to take your fly that way and that is the challenge of swinging a fly! It really isn't about how many you catch. If you want to catch more fish just nymph it is more effective then swinging flys and there is nothing wrong with nymphing! It is up to you how you fish but if you really want to call yourself a fisherman do it fair chase and hook one don't snag them there is a difference you KNOW!
Any way enough of my beating up on the poor lowly snaggers for now. I returned home to the middle of the winter and it was wet and cold and nasty here and the fishing was not easy. One day would be nice the next would rain. I swear my friend from http://doublehaulflyfishing.blogspot.com/ has a curse on him from mother nature or something because without fail it would rain every time he had a day off or the river was blown from it raining. I kept telling him you have to make her think you are happy it is raining and she might stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9utt-SNqyw . No such luck. I think I will make him do the happy happy joy joy song the next time it rains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwESraWEpSU.
I have also gotten some spey casting time in on the mighty Delaware river but it has been very high due to the rain we have been having and the shad are in. Hopefully I will be able to hit the run before it is too late and they start dying. If not the mighty striped bass and walley and small mouth will be on my attack list at some point this summer! I'm thinking they should be fun to catch on the swing till I can drift back out west to chase Steelhead again!Until then enjoy the tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXQltR7vUQ&feature=related
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
If you are seeing this, get the hell out! Hella serious about this broham. It's in the works and you need to keep it under wraps. McAuliffe will rip off your head and take out your soul. Nutto will date your sister. When we want you here, we will tell you to come here. You will like it too. Broken bottom hand, I swear..
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