Tight Lines Fly Fishing

Welcome to our blog. Visit here frequently for fish stories, ramblings, and occasionally some useful information.

We've just launched our instructional video page. As of right now the contect includes instruction on spey casting and in the future will include single hand casting, fly tying, fishing techniques, etc. Please check it out! We also have a YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/tightlinesinnj.

We're also working diligently on our online shopping pages. We will soon have our entire shop online and will be sure to let everyone know when we do.

In the last month we put on various demonstrations for different clubs and events such as Salty Flyrodders June North Fork LI fishing trip, Coastal Flyrodders on the Passaic River and also at their meeting hall in Wycoff NJ and at Spey Nation in Pulaski NY this past weekend. In these demonstrations, the focus was both spey and overhead casting with two-handed rods. To view our last demonstration at Spey Nation visit our instructional video page.

The fishing the past month has been very good in many areas. Penfield Reef in CT has had some very good fishing with sand eel and spearing patterns, the NJ shore has also been producing stripers and bluefish, the West Branch of the Delaware has been in excellent shape as of late @ approximately 500 cfs with sulphurs, bw olives and isonychias dominating the hatches and NJ streams are also fishing very well. They are a little low and rain is always good this time of year, but overall it's a great time to get out and fish. The smallmouth fishing has also been hot. We will be running a couple of smallmouth trips in the next couple of months. We will keep everyone posted.

We're going to be working on a putting together an instructional video page. It will include instruction on spey casting, single hand casting, fishing techniques, fly tying and more. We hope this series will be informative for all. We'll keep you posted when it is live.

The striped bass fishing this past month has been epic. Really a great spring for the NJ shore. The trout fishing was excellent early in the Catskills this month, but water conditions got low at the end of this month. Right now the fishing in NJ is really doing well and the fishing is HOT! Get out there.

We have a lot of plans for the summer including a couple of smallmouth bass trips to the Delaware River, a spey casting clinic with Simon Gawesworth, Trout Academy and more....

Greetings from Tight Lines! Here's hoping the holidays were fulfilling for all. Well, here we are at that time of year most flyfisherman dread. Winter has us locked down and unless you're anticipating a trip to the tropics or another warm weather destination cabin fever is sinking in. Well, the staff at Tight Lines has a few suggestions to help get you out of your funk. We know from experience now is the time to get pro-active. Reviewing the previous season is as easy as taking out your fly boxes and sorting through them. You will find yourself reminded of times when you had the right fly at the right time and the wrong fly at the wrong time, and many other variables. Perhaps you'll be running low of a particular hot pattern, or perhaps your fly tying has gotten better since the season started and you can improve on the quality of your favorite patterns. One thing is for sure, sorting through fly boxes at this time of year always brings back great memories of the past season, and gets the juices flowing for the coming one. Tight Lines has a lot planned for this year and we hope you'll join us for some of these events. We'll be doing the fly fishing show again this year, and we hope you'll stop by our booth and say hello. Fly Fest will be bigger and better then ever, so stop by the shop, have a seat, and watch some of the best fly tiers around share their talent with you. Our resident chefs will be preparing some tasty vittles. Openings are still available for the spring bonefishing trip. For those of you have fished out west, or have always dreamed of the western trout fishing trip, our Missouri River Montana package is dry fly fishing as it's fast and furious best! We're talkin' numbers! And of course those of you who are familiar with our salmon and steelhead trips know exactly what they're in for! Good times! Trout Academy will again take place this summer and is a great opportunity to bone up on your skills. So to sum it all up, we look forward to seeing you in the new year, and participating in the events we have planned that appeal to you. Tight Lines is committed to providing the finest service, advise, and camaraderie in this sport we all enjoy so much. Hope to see you all soon.

Tis the season of the Midge..... Although the weather outside has been a bit frightful, that does not stop many of us from getting out and fishing the winter holdovers and challenging ourselves to nymph fish with small midge pupa. Black Beauty's, Dorsey's Top Secrets, Disco Midge and JuJubee are all solid patterns to toss at the subsurface feeders. Size 18, 20 and even 22's with tungsten beads to get you down to the wildly salmonoids. Fish them on a tandem rig or even three at a time.

All the local streams are now back with in normal ranges of flow following the big rain 7 days ago. Nick fished the Ken Lockwood Gorge with success, fishing nymphs deep. So hopefully you have some time off over the next couple of days and can get out there and challenge the winter holdovers with a Midge pattern or two!

For us trout fly fishermen and women, winter is a great time to get the fly boxes back in order and tie up those go-to patterns that we have confidence in. I fish with some friends in Roscoe every year during the week of my birthday. It happens to be around the Green Drake hatch and when the Sulphers are coming off the water. Because it is my birthday week, my present from my better half is to give me a couple of days with the boyz up on the Beaverkill.

These two maybe three days are filled with fly fishing, fly tying and stories. Monte Kennedy, Regal Vise Pro, is a good friend and loves to spend time at the tying bench with me showing me patterns and helping me improve. Thom showed Monte and I a pattern he was given by a guide on the Delaware a week or two earlier so we of course set out to tie it. It has becomes a favorite of mine to fish.

Step 1 – Lay a good thread base from the front of the hook back to the bend. Then tie in the pheasant tail material.

Step 2 – Wrap the pheasant tail material up the hook shank and tie off at the 2/3 point of the shank. This is the abdomen portion of the fly.

Step 3 – Prepare some snowshoe fur, tie this wing in forward toward the hook eye.

Step 5 – Hold back the Snoeshoe Hair and whip finish. Trim the snowshoe fur wing to the desired length.

You can also do a variation of this fly by tying in the wing to the back of the hook and then dubbing in front of the wing. Once you complete the dubbing, fold the wing over “humpy” style and secure it to the hook. This gives you a two tone look at the thorax and mimics the mayfly freeing itself from the nymph stage shuck.

These both are quick ties and produces great action in the late May early June timeframe in the Catskills they also fish well down at the Ken Lockwood Gorge in June when the Sulpher hatch is on.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, it has been great over the last two weeks meeting some of you and helping you get your lists in order so get you what you want this holiday season.

It's fly tying season, and this is what sealed the deal for me - been fly fishing for 6 years and tying for 3 years. There is just something about catching fish on something you tied. I have been very successful at the KLG with two flies. A white and red marabou streamer and what I call the "Paul Fly".

The "Paul Fly" is a caddis larva / rock worm imitation that my good friend and "Kids on the Fly" Mentor came up with using translucant dubbing over a thread body. The dubbing really makes the fly.

The White and Red Marabou streamer is has a red tail and throat, silver body with a rib and a white marabou wing. Fished accross and down then stripped upstream it produces some good action.

Stop in and I will give you a rundown on both flies if you would like. Both are quick ties and produce fish!

While learning to tie flies at Tightlines, I got the nickname Stimulator Steve - this was because all my Elk Hair Caddis wings were way to long. My friends still call me this from class so come on down to the shop and say hello.

Fish On!

Stimi Steve

The word is that the schoolie stripers are still being fished off the beach. Yes it is cold but fo those of you that hit the tide right and have the itch, there is still some good action down the shore. The Ken Lockwood Gorge is fishing good - nymphs and streamers are recipe of choice. With the fall stocking just a few weeks ago, there are plenty of fish, so get your Fish On.

The NJ rivers are in great shape. The rivers are beautiful, the leaves are changing, it's a great time to be out there fishing. In addition, the state of NJ has put a ton of giant fish in the rivers. We have had several reports of trout over 20 inches being caught. Here's a recent picture of Eric Stone, a young enthusiastic customer of ours. If you look close you'll notice eggs all over Eric's waders so don't forget your egg patterns!! Eric was recently guided by John Endreson.

The saltwater fishing is starting to get hot. Post new moon tide in October is a great time to be out fishing. Look for schools of peanut bunker, bay anchovies, spearing and other fall time baitfish. Great time of year as well to throw surface poppers. The albies have still been fairly strong charging in along beaches and jetties from time to time.

The steelhead and salmon fishing has been extremely good this year. The runs in Pulaski have been stellar and the fishing as much. The salmon run is now slowing down, but the steelhead runs are getting better and better. Expect great runs of steel over the new couple of months. Right now water conditions are perfect. As well, the rivers out in western Lake Ontario and Erie are experiencing good runs of fish. Some of the smaller spate rivers are in need of some water.

The albies are in big time! Reports are streaming in about the hot albie action taking place from the Jersey Shore, up through Long Island, Rhode Island, etc. It's time to get out there and chase some fish. We're going to be heading down to Sandy Hook on Sunday to look for some fish. Hope to see you there! If you're interested in tagging along, we're meeting at the store at 6am. Call for more details.

The new Sage XI3 saltwater rods are in and they are...simple put, awesome! Thin profile blanks, lightweight, lot's of feel, beautiful deep blue blanks, oversized chrome Fugi guides and anodized black double locking reel seat. They are definitely the finest saltwater rod that I've ever seen and cast. We have 8 and 9 weights in stock now.

Steelhead and Salmon season is upon us. We're stocked and bringing in even more fly tying materials & flies for the fall. Also, take a look at our events calendar page as we have fly tying classes scheduled starting in early/mid October.

Wow, what a summer, we have had one of the wettest and coolest summers ever! Get out and fish. There are good water flows and temperatures and for August, you can' beat it! NJ streams are in great shape for this time of year. Best fly patterns have been terrestrials, midges, small nymphs, streamers (when the water is high), and attractive dry flies. Dry dropper fishing has been very effective, along with chech style nymphing as well.

We (Myself and a friend and John and a client) were up on the Delaware River yesterday. Water temperatures were 55-58 degrees and 3000 cfs on the main stem. That is unheard of for August. They have been releasing a lot of water from the West Branch since the reservoirs are so high, so there is trout fishing in August all the way down to Callicoon!! The only thing is there was a huge rainstorm last night (we got soaked) and the river is blown out at the moment, but when it comes back down it should be very good fishing again.

My favorite time of year is coming. I'm sure for many of you it is also your favorite time of year. The Fall brings lower temperatures, enjoyable weather, beautiful scenery and foliage and most importantly, great fishing! The Salmon River is looking good. Already the Salmon are in fairly shallow in the lake which means they are ever closer to making their run. The steelhead runs the last 2 years have been incredible! We're heavily stocked with fly tying materials and equipment and more coming in to satisfy your needs for the coming salmon/steelhead season.

Saltwater water temps are fairly warm from what I'm hearing. Hopefully we'll get a good run of False Albacore this year. It would be great to see. They are unbelievable on a fly rod! The stripers population has also been very good and we're expecting a great fall season.

Local rivers have been fishing well!!! The Musky is high and stained now and should be fishing well with streamers. A regular in the shop said that Sunday on the Flatbrook was very good after the rain. He did very well with streamer patterns in the high water. Water levels are back down somewhat now, but fishing should remain fairly good. He was using a Sci Angler wet tip line and fishing big black and olive streamers. The fish were found in the seams between the soft and hard water.

Tonight we have our switch rod demo going on. Anyone interested in attending should call or be at the shop prior to 6 pm. Bring waders if you want to get in the river for a closer look at what's going on or to try your hand at casting with a switch rod.

Our Montana trip to the Missouri River was great. Keep an eye out for next years Montana trip. We'll have some photos fairly soon. Most fish were caught on dry flies, however, nymphs, wet flies, and soft hackles were also very effective.

The NJ streams have been fishing fairly well. Water levels are good and water temps for this time of year are also good. Small nymphs, midges (zebras, brassies, etc), and terrestrials have been fishing well. sulphurs, BW Olives, Isonychias and Cahills are the predominant hatches and attractive patterns are also doing the trick. Fish a nymph below an attractive dry, it's been working well.

We have some summer shirts and shorts on sale 25-50% off at the shop. Stop in to take advantage while supplies last.

Here's a quick picture of Stew who was out with John the other day on the Delaware with a nice brown. The fish was caught on an isonychia parachute.

The recent rain has put all of the streams high and muddy. This is a good thing. It's always great to have lots of water this time of year. Get out and fish! Throw some big woolly buggers and big buggy nymphs with the current conditions. This is a great time to fish as the fish will be actively looking for food and are much easier to fool then when the water is low and clear.

We have an opening that just popped up for our Montana trip which is coming up July 1-8. I know it's close but if you're adventurous and interested in hoping on the trip, please give the shop a call for more info.

Check our calendar of events page for more info on classes, trips and events we have going on. Some of the upcoming things we have going on include a trip to Penfield Reef in CT for striper bass (Sunday June 28th), Smallmouth Bass Trip to the Delaware River (Sunday July 19th), a few spey casting classes (check home page for dates) and a couple of one night fly tying classes including Tying Warmwater Flies and a Carp Fly Tying class.

Saturday July 11th the "Kid's on the Fly" club will be having their meeting at the store. We will be doing some casting with the kids out back and teaching them some fly fishing techniques. If you have a child interested in learning to fly fish and get involved in a FF club for Kid's this is a good opportunity to check it out. Start time will be 9am until 1pm.

Here are some pictures from John's guiding up on the Delaware River. The first 3 pics are of Vic. Vic caught a beautiful 20" brown, which took a parachute March Brown that Vic tied himself. The rainbow measured 16" and ate a Sz. 10 rusty spinner. Pictures 5 and 6 are of Brian and Jim. Brian caught a great 22" brown and Jim caught a nice rainbow, both of these fish hit small nymphs dropped off back of March Brown dry flies. The other pics are some shots of fish in the net! The last pic is of a fish that was caught after dark on a gray fox sparkle dun. For more info on the fishing and what's happening, give the shop a call.

Shop Guide John Endreson was out on the Muscenetcong with a father Steve and son Eric a couple of weeks ago and did very well. Eric landed some nice fish and the smile says it all. The fish were caught on hot bead pheasant tails.

Opening day is here! The fishing has been very good from the folks we're talking with. John E. was down fishing the gorge on Friday and did very well. Said fish came to a bunch of different patterns including stone fly dry, hot bead pheasant tail, Hendrickson nymphs, hares ears, woolly buggers, etc. He's also been doing some lake fishing for trout up in Fayson Lakes. If you're lake fishing for trout give John a buzz for info on fishing lakes for trout. Fayson Lakes happens to be a private lake, but there are other lakes where you can fish for trout.

A group of our customers have started a Kid's fly fishing club. This is a great way for kid's to get started in fly fishing. Here's the info on the club and some pictures from the first meeting.

Our club will introduce and education kids – 10 to 100 years of age about fly tying and fly fishing. The clubs goal is to help teach and mentor kids so that the sport of fly fishing will grow and be sustained for the future. This is a hands on program.

What to Bring: if you have your own vise and equipment – if not - it will be supplied

Drew.

Just wanted to update you as to the conditions out here, the fishing has been good, the trout conservation areas are fishing very well. The fish seem to be hitting in the Gorge on midges (small black, olive, 20-22). On the musky they are also hitting midges, and for some reason, when nothing else is working, the green weenie size 12 -14 -16, has been taking fish. The musky has a large caddis larva population. The hold-over fish seem to be keying on it as well. I had a customer out with me, it was his first time fly fishing for trout nymphing and he had a great time, 1st day it was cold and we got a couple of fish but he learned a lot, the next day, he had 17 fish and lost as many in 5 hours of fishing!

John Heaney

Keep an eye on the home page of or website for upcoming changes to our classes and events section (middle column).

The fishing has been very good on the Muscenetcong. The SB Raritan and Flatbrook (although low) are also fishing well. Midges, pheasant tails, princes, zug bugs, scuds, little black stones, etc are fishing good underneath. Small streamers and woolly buggers are also working at times, especially when light conditions are a little lower. With the low water, I wouldn't expect larger streamers to work as well as they would if water flows were higher. Look for fish rising in some of the softer water areas to little black stones, midges and possibly blue wing olives.

Our Calendar of Events is still full for the coming weeks. Classes & Events next month include...

Hendrickson Life Cycle Class
Hosted by shop owner Andrew Moy Wednesday March 4th @ 6:30 pm.
Learn how to tie some of the best patterns to match the 4 stages of a Hendrickson,
one of the first prolific hatches of the season. Learn also learn fishing techniques for these patterns.
$20 per student.

Beginner Trout
4 week fly tying course, Tuesdays March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.
Starts 6:30pm each night. $80.00 per student.

Tube & Spey Flies for Salmon & Steelhead
4 week fly tying course, Thursdays March 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
Starts 6:30pm each night. $80.00 per student.

Saltwater Flies for NY/NJ
Hosted by saltwater guide/capt Joe "Maz" Mustari. Saturday March 7th 12:00 pm.
Free seminar for everyone.

Tying Giant Streamers for Big Trout
Hosted by shop owner Andrew Moy Wednesday March 11th @ 6:30 pm.
Learn some great methods to make your streamers bigger and longer without using long shanked hooks.
Also learn deadly techniques for fishing big streamers. $20 per student.

FlyFest 09'
This will be our 2nd annual FlyFest. FlyFest '09 is from March 14th - 21st and will include a sale on flies, a raffle for a chance to win one of three fly boxes and fly tying seminars combined with food and festivities. The fly tying seminars are not listed in this list please click for more info on FlyFest and the events associated with it...

The next couple of months we have a lot of different events, guest speakers and classes taking place. For more info on what we have going on visit the middle column of our home page or our Events Calendar page.

Better weather is finally here. What has seemed to be one of the longest winters is finally coming to an end. I'm sure there will still be some cold days and maybe some more snow, but with the sun angle getting stronger there should be great opportunities in the next few weeks for some good fishing. The best rivers will be the SB Raritan at Ken Lockwood Gorge, Flatbrook, Muscenetcong, and Pequest. Small nymphs and midges are working best. Look for little black stones to start hatching in the next few weeks, in addition to Blue wing olives. With the waters a bit low and warmer temperatures coming, look for rising fish in some of the flat water areas.

Our tying material selection is full, whether it's fresh or saltwater. Now's the time to get tying before spring is here!

Despite the weather, the fishing in NJ has been pretty good. Ken Lockwood Gorge has been producing some nice fish in the last few weeks. Nymphs and midges are working well. Fish them deep through the pockets and you should find some fish! Also, consider stripping some big fish, especially after a good raise of water.

Christmas is coming fast, keep in mind we can get gift certificates out in the mail ASAP if you haven't finished your shopping yet.

Below is a list of upcoming classes for February and March. Classes are first come first serve, reserve a spot now while we have room.

Advanced Trout Fly Tying Class - February 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Beginner Trout Fly Tying Class - February 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Beginner Trout Fly Tying Class - March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Steelhead & Salmon Spey & Tube Fly Tying Class - March 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$90.00 per student.

The fishing in NJ has been pretty good. With the rain we're receiving now, water flows should be ideal in the coming week or two. Focus on nymphs and streamers with the air and water temperatures getting colder.

December will be a busy month at the store. We will be focused on having several free and pay for seminars and clinics. These events will be guest speakers, specialty day fly tying classes, slide shows, etc. Keep an eye in the next week or so for a list of events on our Events Calendar page.

Our spring bonefish trip is coming fast. If you've always wanted to chase bonefish, here's a great opportunity to go with a group of guys to a fantastic destination. South Andros Island offers some of the finest bonefishing in the world. We're taking deposits now, please call or email for more details.

The Salmon River has been fishing excellent. Many of our customers who swing flies with spey rods and single handed rods have been doing very well this season. It seems as if swinging flies is a technique many are skeptical about, however, more and more anglers are switching to this fun and rewarding technique. Keep an eye out for seminars and clinics in this department. We will also be having a fly tying class on "Salmon & Steelhead Spey and Tube Flies" in March. Here's a list of our tying classes for February and March...

Advanced Trout Fly Tying Class - February 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Beginner Trout Fly Tying Class - February 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Beginner Trout Fly Tying Class - March 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$80.00 per student.

Steelhead & Salmon Spey & Tube Fly Tying Class - March 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
4 week seminar. Starts 6:30pm each night.
$90.00 per student.

The fishing in NJ has picked up with the recent stocking. All of the river for the most part are on the low side, except for the Muscenetcong, because they are lowering the reservoir levels. The fishing has been good. Anglers have been catching fish on attractive dry flies and generic nymphs. With many people heading up to Pulaski or the Great Lakes area for steelhead fishing and many people out hunting this is the time to get out there and do some NJ fishing.

The Great Lakes tributaries are doing very well for steelhead right now. The Salmon River has had a good run of fish and it's a great time to get up there and do some fishing. Also, some of the Lake Erie tributaries have also been fishing very well. Now's an excellent time to go up to swing flies as water temps are still warm and the fish are aggressive.

We have room on our Cattaraugus spey fishing trip for 2 guys. The dates are November 1st & 2nd. For more info please call 973 244 5990.

Here's a couple of photos from recent trips to Canada, one for Atlantic Salmon and one for Steelhead. The fishing in both locations was very good. The photos below are from British Columbia. Click this link to view our Atlantic Salmon photos. www.eastcoastspey.com/miramichislide.html

The Delaware River is in dire jeopardy! We all need to act now to save this incredible fishery. Please read the email below that I received from Coz, owner of Border water Outfitters in Hancock, NY. Make sure to go all the way down for emails and phone numbers of those to contact to vote against this policy.

Today is a sad day here on the Delaware River. As of 7AM this morning the cold water releases that are the life blood of this fine river system have been reduced to a mere trickle. We all know what affect this has on river habitat and its inhabitants. THE WILD RAINBOWS AND BROWNS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER IF THIS RELEASE PLAN (FFMP) IS PERMANENTLY ADOPTED AS IT STANDS!!!

On September 24th in Trenton, NJ the Delaware River Basin Commission or (DRBC) will vote to adopt the WATER CODE that will put into place the current experimental water release plan (FFMP) that is currently in operation and responsible for this travesty. This FLEXIBLE FLOW MANAGEMENT PLAN or (FFMP) has proven to be anything put flexible and threatens the life of the Upper Delaware River System. The current Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) introduced in interim
October 1st, 2007 has been a complete failure this year in protecting the trout fishery. Temperatures rose to lethal proportions at Lordville, NY USGS gage as early as June 11, 2008. The readings at Lordville often exceeded (75 degree instantanious - 72 degree continues) the previous trigger located at Hankins 8 miles downriver despite an abnormally cool summer temperature. The situation in September is even worse. Releases on September 5th went from 900 cfs to 115 cfs in a matter of hours. The FFMP schedule calls for a 115 cfs release out of Cannonsville and will further drop releases to 80 cfs in the West Branch of the Delaware. This plan has the full support of NYC and will be made permanent pending approval of changes to the Water Code at the Delaware
River Basin Commission (DRBC) meeting September 24th, 2008. The approval to change the Water Code that legalizes FFMP will need a unanimous vote by
all decree parties from NY, NJ, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Summer is fading and fall is quickly arriving. The fishing has been pretty good. There are a few things to talk about. The first is Ken Lockwood Gorge has been fishing well. Many of the guys, myself included, have done well with dry flies, especially attractive patterns. Royal Wulffs in size 8-12 worked well for me and many guys have been doing well with similar attractive patterns including humpies, sofa pillows, parachute adams, etc.

The next thing to talk about is the smallmouth fishing has been outstanding on the Delaware River in addition to some of the local rivers including the Passiac and Raritan. I'm heading up to the Delaware on Sunday to do a float in the area of the Mongaup River. If you'd like a report give the shop a buzz next week.

I got my first report that albies were spotted and caught in a vicinity of Sandy Hook. I'm not sure how solid they are yet, but it's a good sign that they should be coming in strong soon. I've also heard that the striper fishing has also been fairly decent as of late. I think much of it has been from boats, but the bass are still around, which for late August is great to see.

The salmon River has been a bit slow as of late, but there are Summer Steelhead (Sakmanias) being caught. A buddy of mine caught 6 steelhead over 10 pounds a couple of weekends ago! He caught them on the spey rod swinging flies. Nothing like catching steel during the summer! I did hear that the salmon have moved shallower and are now being caught in 45-60 feet of water in the lake so a good push should be in soon.

I've got a few openings for the spey casting class with Simon Gawesworth coming up September 6th or 7th. I have an opening or two on both days. If you're interested, please contact me for more info.

We're going to be running a spey fishing school for steelhead on Cattaraugus Creek up near Buffalo, NY. The "Catt" is an awesome steelhead fishery where the fish are very aggressive to flies fished on a swing. This is an excellent opportunity to not only learn how to fish with a spey rod but to fish semi-private water on one of the finest steelhead fisheries in all of the Great Lakes. The class will be taking place in the Zoar Valley which is a pristine absolutely beautiful gorge that the river has carved for millions of years. Spots are limited, contact us now for more info.

On August 17th we will be holding our 2nd Trout Academy. Please contact us for more info on this full day of learning to fly fish for trout.

The South Branch at Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Pequest rivers have still been doing well. With the rain we're receiving tonight and the cooler temperatures forecast this should be an excellent week to get out and fish for trout. Small nymphs, midges, Blue winged olives, suplurs, isonychias, caddis, and various attractive dries have been working. Terrestrials are also working well. With the potential for high water after the rain tonight I would look to fish some larger nymphs and streamers if water levels get high.

The smallmouth fishing on the lower Delaware, Raritan and Passaic Rivers has been very good. Another option would be to head up to the West Branch, East Branch, or Neversink in NY state for trout. These three rivers are tailwater fisheries and remain cold during the summer months, especially closer to the reservoirs. For more info on the current fishing please give us a shout or stop by for more info.

Albie season should be starting soon. We're stocked up on flies for the fall saltwater season. We will be having more come in as well. Please let us know what patterns you like to see us carry if there is anything in particular that works well for you.

Steelhead/salmon season is also starting soon and we're also fully stocked in that department. We're also offering spey casting classes for those interested in learning to use a two handed rod.

Our Andros Island trip is coming fast. The dates are November 29th - December 6th. If you're interested in coming now is the time to give us a buzz or stop by for more info. We will be booking airfare relatively soon.

On June 29th we will be holding our first Trout Academy. Three instructors will be teaching the art of fly fishing for trout including casting, nymph fishing, dry fly fishing, streamer fishing, knots, setting up leaders, reading water, presentation techniques and much more.

Learning to spey cast is a great way to strengthen your fishing skills and to put more fish on the bank with less aggravation, even with a single handed rod. We have a few different classes and demonstrations coming up in the next couple of months. Make sure to visit our homepage again before signing out and check out the right column. It has a bunch of information about upcoming classes and free demonstrations.

Summer is here, long days and hot steamy afternoons. Trout fishing has slowed a bit, but the fish are still there and the fishing has been good overall despite the heat. Longer leaders, lighter tippets and smaller flies will help. Sulphurs, BW Olives, Isonychias and cahills will be the predominant hatches for the next few weeks. Some rivers will see better hatches than others. Keep in mind that the coolest part of the day now is early morning. If possible fish the morning as water temperatures will be coolest. The bugs will also like mornings as spinners and adults from the night will often still be on the water. Also remember it's terrestrial time. Ants and beetles will become a large part of the trout diet over the next couple of months.

Bass fishing is hot. Largemouth are on the feed and clousers and bottom bouncing flies will work best during the day while surface bass bugs will rise them up during the evenings. The smallmouth fishing is very good now along the Delaware River and other NJ rivers. The South Branch below Clinton is another good spot, while the Passaic and Ramapo rivers are doing well with bronzebacks. Woolly buggers, large stonefly nymphs, muddlers, deceivers, jig flies and poppers are some of the patterns that will work well.

Saltwater fishing is pretty hot. Lots of bluefish and large stripers are down the shore. Live lining bunker has been putting a lot of giant stripers on the end of the line. Try fishing big bunker patterns, especially at night from the beach. You never know what you might come up with! Another good way to go about it is to use live bunker to attract stripers and then thrown them the bunker fly. Some may say it's cheating, but it does work!

The fishing remains good throughout NJ and NY. Various caddis (apple green, tan, grey, olive), Hendricksons, Red Quills, and March Browns are the most predominant hatches right now. Generic nymphs such as Hare's ears, Princes, Zug Bugs, Pheasant tails, and Copper Johns have been working well in NJ along with scuds, midges and various streamers. On the Delaware, the East and West branches are still seeing excellent Hendrickson, Red Quill, and caddis hatches. The upper Mainstem of the Delaware has been seeing a mix of Hendricksons, Red Quills, March Browns, and caddis. The further down you go on the main river, the more March Browns you'll see and less Hendricksons and Red Quills. Sulphurs should be hatching by the 15th or so of May, at least on the lower part of the upper Mainstem. By the 20th, Sulphurs should be infiltrating the upper Mainstem and West and East branches. For more detialed reports, give the shop a call as John has guide trips all week up there and will be reporting in.

It's also striper time! I've had a few good reports from down the Sandy Hook way. One report was that a guy did extremely well with surface plugs for both big bass and blues. If they're hitting surface plugs, they should be hitting poppers and large bunker patterns. Get down there early in the AM and fish sparse clousers, epoxy flies, and flatwings around the inside of the hook. It should be happening. Starting around May 12th, the morning tides should be good for outgoing water in the early AM. This may be a good time to probe around of mouths of some of the backwaters as bait from the evening comes out with the tide.

We'll be starting to hit Penfield Reef in CT around end of May early June. Please stay up to date with the blog, or give the shop a call for reports on the striper fishing in CT.

The fishing has been very good in both NJ and NY. In NJ, the rivers are experiencing good caddis hatches along with a few remaining Hendricksons. Caddis and Hendricksons have been hatching well throughout the Catskills. March Browns were hatching on the Delaware last Monday in good numbers as I took the day off to head up near Lordsville on the mainstem. With the water temps reaching the mid 60's the week prior, the March Browns were bound to come early. Despite not having any March Brown patterns with me, I landed one nice rainbow and broke another off on a hard run. Two small browns also came to hand.

Our fall bonefish trip is beginning to fill, and now is the time to consider booking if you're interested in joining us. The spring trip was a blast as the we had a great group of guys and very good fishing despite a bit of inclement weather. We'll be posting pictures from the spring trip in the near future. The dates of the trip are November 29th - December 6th, a great time of year to get away as the weather starts to go down hill in the Northeast.

Spring striper fishing should be heating up soon. Get your tying materials now and get ready. Bunker and sand eel patterns are the way to go for the spring. Sparsely tied clousers, jiggies, flatwings, etc will do the trick along NJ, CT and NY. Along the NY harbor and NJ coast some big bunker patterns should also be in your box.

We just returned from our spring 2008 bonefish trip. This was my six trip to Andros South Lodge and as always it was filled with great fishing and great fun. The weather reports were not looking great upon our arrival. A brisk easterly wind was going to be blowing all week with scattered showers. I have to admit that it had me a bit concerned.

Our group was varied in bonefish experience from some members fishing for them for over a decade and others taking their virgin trip into this type of fishing. Some people I have known for a while others I was meeting for the first time. One common thread that was found very quickly was that we had a bunch of funny people on our hands. The group consisted of 12 anglers including myself, Edward, Tim, Bob, Jody, Jorge, Will, Dave, Frank, Eric, Drew and John. For those who joined me I want to say again how much of a pleasure it was having you all there. Really looking forward for the opportunity to spend time and hopefully fish together again.

Upon arrival, luggage is taken into the rooms, some appetizers are served and some Kaliks are drank. We spend the first evening getting our tackle ready for the next day. Our main target for this trip was bonefish on the fly. There were some barracuda landed as well. If you have never caught a Cuda on the fly, it should be something to put on your list.

Regardless of the weather the fishing turned out to be quite good. You very quickly adapt to working with the wind. The guides at Andros South are as good as they come and are able to position you in a way where the wind doesn’t affect you as much. Bob, who has come to Andros with me a few times, has a great saying about fishing down there, “something always happens”. It can be having a slow morning then hooking a double digit bone before the day is over, landing a Barracuda with no wire, having a shot at a mutton snapper, to having a bonefish eaten by a shark 5 feet from you!

After a long day of fishing the flats, every angler works up a great appetite. We quenched it with some great cooked meals consisting of conch, grouper, ribs, chicken and rice dishes. There was one special night that one of our group members Tim, made his “surf and Turf”. This year consisted of the most tender venison loin I have ever had, coupled with giant stone crab claws.

We're working on putting together a picture page for those who like to see some of the action. You might ask, "how good was Andros really?" Well, we're heading back in November. The dates are set; November 29th - December 6th of 2008. If this is something you'd like to do or have interest in, please contact Andrew for more information.

Trout season is upon us and we've been getting lots of good reports from our customers over the past week. It seems as if the usual flies have been working well, including generic nymphs (princes, zug bugs, hare's ears, pheasant tails, scuds, midges, caddis larva, etc. Dry dropper combos having been working very well. Woolly buggers, dace, mickey finns, and matukas are also doing the trick.

FlyFest is Tight Lines new fly and fly tying event which will take place each spring. This year's dates are from March 15th to the 22nd. FlyFest will feature items on sale including flies, free fly tying seminars with food and a raffle for one of three fly boxes. For more info please click to visit our FlyFest page.

Fish Now...Pay Later is Tight Lines program where purchases over $299.00 qualify for 6 months no interest and no payments. Please call or stop by for details.

Fishing right now is a bit slow with the high water, but in a couple of days it should be right on. An excellent time for catching fish that have been pressured hard. The high water makes them more vulnerable, providing you can figure out where they are in the high water. Use the high water to your advantage instead of being afraid of it. Fish along the edges. Nymphs and large streamers/buggers will be best.

The rivers are high from the rain, but spring is coming! It's almost March so bugs should be hatching within 4 to 5 weeks, at least on NJ streams. Before our major mayfly hatches, little black stones and midges should start to get fish rising on some of the warmer days. Blue Wings have already been hatching on the Pequest by the affluent. Get out there!

The salmon River is in pretty good shape flowing at 750cfs + runoff (approx. 1000 cfs). The steelhead fishing this year has been some of the best on record. Serious numbers of fish showed up this year and have provided anglers with tremendous fishing. The fish are there, it's just a matter of hitting the conditions right.

2/11/08
It's snowing again. Not great for fishing, but great for tying flies. We're stocked heavily, ready for the tying season. Our classes are going on for February. If you're interested in a tying class, we have both an advanced trout class and a beginner trout class coming up in March. Give us a call or email us if you'd like to sign up.

If you haven't signed up for our online newsletter yet, now's the time. We're running a raffle for those on our online newsletter list. We're giving away 3 fly boxes, 1st prize a C&F fly box, 2nd a Cliff fly box, and 3rd a Morell fly box. To sign up for our newsletter, click on the link at the top of this page above the picture or click here.

John was sticking some fish on dries on the Pequest before the weather hit. There were some pretty good hatches of BWO's and midges. He said the fish were up rising very well for this time of year. Most of the fish he caught were on an olive emerger. Give the shop a call or stop by for info.

1/21/08
We've been busy with getting ready for the Somerset Show. Please come and see us at the show if you go. We're going to have a superb selection of product.

Winter is back. Not too many guys have been out fishing with the sub freezing weather. Most guys have been stopping by to pick up tying materials to bide time till the weather let's go a bit. However, some guys have been braving the weather and picking up some fish. Mostly on midges. Expect the little black stones to start moving in the local rivers as we move into February and March.

We're going to have our fly tying classes starting back up in February. Please call us and/or visit our calendar of events page for more info. We're going to have a Beginner Trout class which will take someone who's never tied before to a level in which they will be able to tie basic nymphs to dry flies and streamers. Our Advanced Trout class will take the average trout tier and step him up another level to where he'll be comfortable tying more challenging flies. In this class we focus on flies ideal for fishing the Catskills of NY which will also advance your flies for local fishing.

1/8/08
Winter has taken a vacation, at least for a few days. Midges hatch on days like these, and by the looks of the Pequest TCA, the anglers were ready. I, John, took a little time off this afternoon to test some new tippet from Rio. It's called Extreme Tippet, a fly fisher's version of Power Pro, Fireline and the like. I used the 5x 10lb size, and although didn't stick any fish with it, I'm impressed. No stretch, abrasion resistant, and incredible breaking strength, all good stuff.

Now on to the fishing today. The fish by the hatchery effluent are getting tough! A variety of flies are working, but good drifts are crucial. Try a dry fly/midge dropper, it is a fun way to cover those midge eaters. Get creative with your midge patterns, see what works and what doesn't.

My friends and I fished the Gorge on Sunday as well. Took fish on nymphs, and the ubiquitous midge. The South Branch is flowing well and clear as gin. Flourocarbon is a real help in the clear water. Classic midge patterns off the back of Hare's Ear or Stonefly is a good start. Get out and Fish, If you have any question give me a call here at the shop.

12/27/07
On Saturday January 12th, 2008 from 11AM-3PM, Matt Grobert will be coming to the shop for a book signing. He just wrote and published "Fly Fishing New Jersey Trout Streams" which is the finest book ever written on trout fishing in NJ. He will be here signing books and answering questions. If you'd like to meet him and get some great information, please stop by. Free of charge, everyone welcome.

On Saturday February 9th, 2008 from 10AM-3PM, CAPTAIN Joe "Maz” Mustari will be coming to the shop tying saltwater flies and talking NE saltwater fishing. Joe is a saltwater Captain out of NY Harbor. Joe's website is www.mazmancharters.com for information on one of NY's best saltwater fly guides. Bring your vise and fly tying materials and sit along with Joe. Free of charge, everyone welcome.

John has been fishing the Pequest with a lot of success. He's been able to catch a few even on dries, which aint too bad considering it's almost January. The best flies have been midges and micro mayfly nymphs trailed off of a dry fly or indicator. Using a dry for an indicator is probably the best idea, especially since they've been willing to come up to them. He's also had a lot of success with woolly buggers especially since the big raise in water flows. For more info on the fishing give the shop a call or stop by to see John.

12/6/07
Just a couple of quick notes. We just sent out our December 2007 newsletter in the mail. Some of you may get it, some may not. If you'd like to be on our mailing list, please fill out your info on our E-news page

We have CAPTAIN Joe "Maz” Mustari coming to the shop on Thursday December 13th. Joe will be tying saltwater flies and talking NE saltwater fishing. Bring your vise and fly tying materials and sit along with Joe. Free of charge, everyone welcome.

Our annual holiday party will be Wednesday December 19th at 6:30 PM. Everyone welcome. Great food and camaraderie.

We have both beginner and advanced trout fly tying classes scheduled for starting in February. Sign up now as the classes fill up quickly.

11/25/07
We fished up on Cattaraugus Creek a couple of weeks ago and had very good success swinging flies. John is now up on the Salmon River with some fellow customers and they all hooked fish. Overall it's been a great year for steelhead in the Great Lakes. The fish are up there, if you can break away, it may be worth the trip. Obviously with the temps being cooler now the fishing may get a bit more difficult. For info on the recent fishing John experienced on the Salmon River, stop by or give him a buzz. He'll be in the shop again on Tuesday after 1:00PM.

We're trying to keep the website fresh. We promise we will be more on top of it as we get into December and next spring. Right now is a busy time of year for us with preseason ordering going on. The good thing about the ordering we're doing, is that we'll have a load of new products and inventory coming in. We've already received a good amount of stuff from various manufactures. We're also working on filling out and adding to our fly tying selection. If there are any materials you're interested in seeing us carry, please fill us in.

We have one particular product coming in that I found to be great. When we were up on Cattaraugus Creek, the guys I was with had a JetBoil product called the Personal Cooking System. I decided to bring them in for 2008. It is super well made, lightweight and compact (fits in the back of a Fishpond vest or any backpack). It boils water in under 2 minutes. We brought instant soup and it was absolutely fantastic to have a warm lunch on the river. They were coffee fanatics and would make coffee every hour or two. Ask us about it when you come in, we'd love to show you. Our order will be in before the end of this week.

We scheduled our fly tying classes in Beginner Trout and Advanced Trout for February and March. Please go to our events calendar page to view dates. To sign up for a class, please email or call us at 973 244 5990.

10/26/07
We were up on the Salmon River Sunday and Monday the 20th and 21st. The steelhead fishing was incredible. We hooked many fish all swinging flies with spey rods. I didn't use any split shot, only versi tip lines. It really didn't seem to matter what flies we used. Atlantic salmon hairwing patterns such as Black Bear Green Butts, Undertakers, Blue Charms, Bondatti Killer's, etc all did the trick. 2-3 inch long smelt patterns in addition to various spey flies and egg sucking leeches also worked. We fished Douglaston so the fish were fresh out of the lake. With the water temps also in the 60's, the steelhead were very willing to come off the bottom for the fly. I included a few pics below. The river is now loaded with fish. For info and details on the fishing please give us a call or stop by the shop.

We just scheduled our fly tying classes in Beginner Trout and Advanced Trout for February and March. Please go to our events calendar page to view dates. To sign up for a class, please email or call us at 973 244 5990.

The fishing in NJ is very good right now. We've finally received the rain we desperately needed. All of the rivers now have good flows and should get even better after the rain tonight and tomorrow. John had some good fishing on the Pequest about a week ago.

10/3/07
John had some pretty good action on the Delaware last weekend with some friends. The action wasn't hot and heavy as they had to work hard for them, but they managed some very nice fish. Most of the fish were caught on streamers as the release rates from Cannonsville dam are on the high side since we've had so much dry weather. The release rate is now over 1000cfs.

I attached a few shots of the fishing. The pictures show John holding one of Steve's browns pushing 22 inches, Joe (to the right of John) holding a nice brown he latched into with a streamer, Steve (blue hoodie) holding another streamer brown, and Matt (holding small fish - sorry Matt had to do it) with one he caught on a dry.

Our Cattaraugus Creek Spey trip is coming up fast. If you're interested in attending, please contact us as soon as possible.

Our fly tying classes have started for the fall. Check November on our events calendar page for our next set of classes.

9/19/07
Sorry for the delay on the blog. Just got back from British Columbia. The trip was great. It's an amazing place with beautiful scenery and rivers. The fishing was not at it's potential, however we had a great time and managed to catch some steelhead in addition to coho and pick salmon. Our main target were steelhead, but we were a bit in between runs (between the summer run and fall run). All of the rivers on the Skeena River system are experiencing late fall runs of steelhead this year.

Below are a couple of pics from the trip. The steelhead my buddy Bill caught (2nd row left) we estimated at 17-19 pounds. The pics show each of us with a steelhead and coho in addition to some scenery shots.

We strictly used spey rods as the water would have been a lot of work to cover with single handed rods. The rivers are big and in many areas your back casting room is limited. Bill had only cast with a two handed rod twice before the trip and had great success quickly learning to use the rod.

Quick story, the bear and cub pictured below saved my spey rod and reel. I had mistakenly left the rod and reel on the roof of the car and after driving 15 KM down the dirt road towards the main highway we saw the bear and cub. We stopped and took pictures and realized the rod was missing. We were fortunate to come across a truck coming down the road that had it. I gave them a $20 bill and thanked them for returning the rod. If it wasn't for the bears we would have never got the rod back.

If you have any questions regarding the trip please give me a call at 973 244 5990 and ask for Andrew.

Our upcoming October fly tying classes are coming quickly. Please contact us to sign up. Our first set of classes will be "Beginner Trout" and "Spey Flies". We also have a one day class - "Saltwater Tube Flies".

The Salmon River is running way below average water levels. However, there are a lot of fish in the river at this time. You can either wait for the rain or head up and take advantage of the fish there now. Use a floating line with no weight. The water is so low that you're better off fishing with no weight and being as stealthy as possible.

Albie's are here! Montauk, RI and Breezy Point are all seeing albies. I'm sure they're around in plenty of other areas as well. Get out there and fish. The nice dry weather should lead to some excellent saltwater fishing in the next few weeks!

John's going to be doing some guiding up on the Delaware River this week. Give the shop a buzz on Saturday or stop by for a report on the action.

8/28/07
John was on the West Branch on Monday and had one good fish to hand before breaking him off and watching the large brown swim away with his isonychia. He said the river was in pretty good shape. Not a lot of fish to cast to yesterday, but enough to keep the fishing interesting. Give the shop a buzz if you want a report from John. He'll be working tomorrow (Wednesday), Thursday and Saturday.

The rivers in NJ are a bit on the low side. Not lower then normal according to USGS, but a bit low, which is normal for this time of year. The smallmouth fishing has been good on the lower Delaware River from NY to southern NJ. Grab some muddlers, small deceivers, clousers and any other smallmouth flies and get out there!

Another reminder that our fly tying classes will be starting in October. Check our events calendar page for more info on available classes, dates and times (go to October).

Sage has just come out with the new ZXL series of rods. We spent the weekend casting the new rods and are thoroughly impressed. We have 3 models in stock now; 8' 4 weight, 8'6" 4 weight and 9' 5 weight. More models are on the way in addition to the new Bass fly rods Sage has developed. The "Smallmouth" and "Largemouth" models will be in shortly.

8/17/07
The trout fishing in NJ has been pretty good considering it's the middle of August. With the heavy rain tonight, I would expect it to be even better over the weekend and early next week. They're also calling for cooler weather so it should be a nice time to be on the water. Don't forget about bass, with temps beginning to cool with fall approaching they will be trying to fatten up for winter!

Salmon and steelhead time is quickly approaching! We're loading up now on equipment, tying materials and flies to help make your first or next trip to the Great Lakes tributaries a successful one. Please feel free to give us a call or stop in if you have any questions with regards to fishing up there. We also carry a wide selection of traditional materials for those who may be chasing steelhead on the west coast of the US or Canada or who prefer to fish with traditional methods.

We have just updated our calendar of events page with our October fly tying classes. We will be running a beginner trout class on Tuesday nights and a spey fly tying class on Thursday nights.

We have scheduled our next spey casting class for September 23rd. Please contact us for details or to sign up. Speaking of spey, we will be launching our online spey shop shortly, with our entire shop to follow behind.

8/1/07
The smallmouth fishing has been good on the Delaware. We've been catching them on all kinds of flies including: clousers, muddlers, buggers, deceivers (even striper size ones), poppers, hornbergs, and many other patterns. The fish haven't been big, but the action is strong and it's a nice place to go and get your kicks out. They hit really hard!

We're working on online shopping and will be putting it up at some point. We're going to start with an online spey shop while we work on the rest of the store.

Sunday August 12th we will be having a spey class on the Delaware River in upstate NY. Let us know if you're interested in learning to spey cast.

Keep in mind we will be starting our fly tying classes in October. Please contact us if you're interested in signing up.

Our 2008 Bonefish trip is coming up fairly fast. We are now collecting deposits for the trip. If you're interested in chasing bones next spring, please contact us for details on this great trip.

7/14/07
Went to the West Branch Delaware on Wednesday. Flows were good and fish were up and eating. Lots of sulphurs and a few isonychias up towards deposit. Lower down on the west we had mostly Olives. The fishing is definately challenging at this point. The fish are very educated, but the action was very good. Great opportunity to hone your skills. The trout up there right now are very unforgiving. We did fairly well with about 6 fish landed. A few small 10-14", one at 16" and one large at 22.5".

It's also time to start thinking about the fall season coming up. We're well stocked for false albacore and steelhead/salmon. Get your tying materials now and get ready! We also have spey casting classes coming up July 29th and August 5th and 12th for those interested in learning spey.

7/3/07
A quick video below from last Sunday. The fishing at the reef was a bit slower then it's been. This doesn't mean it's over for the summer. We'll keep you up to date.

Many of the rivers in NJ are low. Hopefully the wet forecast will help flows. Happy 4th everyone!

6/30/07
The cool weather should bode well for trout fishing this week. Get out there! Heard a rumor that there were giant bass off of Island Beach yesterday? Anyone hear anything?

6/29/07
We're stocked up well on bass flies. Now's a great time to fish your local pond or lake for bass. The Delaware River is another great spot for smallmouth bass. The water on the Delaware is running a bit muddy from the flood on the Beaverkill, which could be a good opportunity to get out there. Very often when rivers are muddy after rain, fish get aggressive and less shy towards streamers and larger patterns.

6/28/07
Returned from Newfoundland, Canada last Saturday. The trip was a yearly one for Atlantic salmon. Had a great time with everyone that went. It was a pleasure to fish with 4 great guys, Jeff, Rich, Pete, and Bill. Unfortunately the salmon fishing this year was not up to par. The runs of salmon all over Newfoundland and other parts of eastern Canada were very late and the fish were extremely sparse.

Penfield reef is still fishing good. Reports of bigger fish to 30" have come in. Give us a call at 973-244-5990 for info on fishing Penfield reef.

The Bonefish Grill is now open right next to us. Come visit a great restaurant and stop in while you're by!

6/7/07
Good morning everyone. Quick report from a friend this morning was that the fishing on the Rockaway River is still holding up. He caught 3 chubs and 2 trout on caddis last night. He said there was an abundance of caddis, more flies then he expected.

Heading up to Cape Cod for the weekend so will have reports for those who may be going in the next week or so. I'll be back in the shop on Tuesday. John will be holding down the fort on Saturday and Monday for those who'd like to come by. John will have reports from up north on the Delaware for anyone heading up.

6/6/07

The last shot of rain has helped water flows in NJ a bit. Our guide John Heaney reports that the gorge is fishing well and he thinks it will remain good for at least 1-2 weeks without rain. Of course weather will dictate what happens and how long the rivers will actually hold up. Otherwise, reports have still been very promising in NJ.

The Catskills rivers are all on the low side. The best areas to focus on right now would be the upper east and west branches, especially during the day when the sun and temperatures are highest. Evenings you could drop lower on the branches or fish the upper mainstem down to Buckingham. Also try fishing the mornings, as this is a good time to find fish rising to spinners with temps also being at the lowest for the day. I attached a pic of a nice brown a customer of ours Russell Doucette caught on the west branch a few weeks back.

6/5/07
The last couple of weeks we made a few rides to Penfield Reef in CT for some striper fishing. The fishing has been excellent and we've caught fish every time there. The best tides have been revolving around low tide (last half of outgoing and first half of incoming), although you may find it better at other times. The fish have been mostly schoolies and bluefish to 6 pounds, but the action has been very good and the bait is plentiful. Most of the bait we noticed were sand lances in the 2 inch range, so tan and/or olive over white in jiggies or epoxies have been working best. We have also caught some fish on the usual chartreuse and white clouser. During low light periods, you can get away with them being a bit larger, but overall I would keep the flies small for now. For directions and more information on fishing the reef give us a buzz @ 973 244 5990 or send us an email.