Fish Speed

Don't have the slightest idea how this topic came up in conversation, but it did. One of those things that overcome young boys and fishermen. We were wondering what the fastest fish were, so here they are:

1. Sailfish 68 mph+

2. Marlin 50 mph

3. Wahoo 48 mph

4. Tunny 46 mph

5. Bluefin tuna 44 mph

6. Blue shark 43 mph

7. Bonefish 40 mph

8. Swordfish 40 mph

9. Flying fish (four winged) 35 mph

10. Tarpon 35 mph

Get the Fishing Blues!

One of the most common inshore fish on the East Coast is the bluefish. Happiest and most active when the water temperature is in the sixties, they also remain quite active in water temperatures from fifty to the upper seventies.

They feed from miles offshore to right up on the beaches and jetties making the bluefish easily accessible to surf and boating anglers alike. These toothy predators have been credited with saving an otherwise slow day or being a pest, but when their tenacious fighting is considered it's difficult to understand how anyone can consider them a pest. Any fish that bends your rod and puts up a sporty battle is anything but a pest.

Bluefish are often caught incidental to targeting other predatory game fish and this is how they earned the "pest" reputation. Their toothy mouths account for many lost lures and flies, but when rigged correctly lures and flies can be saved and a lot of fun can be had. Line shyness is not one of the bluefish's attributes, so adding a wire bite guard or leader ahead of your fly or lure is the first line of defense in saving tackle.

Wire in the 30 lb. test range works well. The breaking strength isn't as important as the diameter in keeping the blues from biting through. I like to use knottable wire for it's simplicity. A four to six inch piece can be connected to your leader with a simple Albright knot or tied to a swivel with a standard clinch knot. The lure or fly can then be tied to the wire with a clinch knot. Another type bite guard can be tied with monofiliment or fluorocarbon leader material.

Using mono or fluorocarbon is a good idea when targeting other species where leader visibility, or rather lack of, is important, but there are a lot bluefish around too. I'll also use mono or fluorocarbon when I'm targeting blues and feel there's a good chance there are other species around. When using these lines for a bite guard I use nothing lighter than 50 lb. test material and often go to 80 lb test.

Bluefish eat most everything so high priced lures and fancy flies aren't needed. With lures it's best to stay away from treble hooks. Buy lures with single hooks or replace the trebles on the ones you already have with singles. Metals are the most durable and bluefish generally eat them with abandon. Use a size that closely matches the length and profile of the predominant bait fish. Surface plugs add a whole new level of excitement as you get to see the bluefish recklessly attack your lure. Blues are tough on plugs, so you will want to take that into account before you throw a high priced surface lure in the frenzy.

Flies for blues need similar considerations as lures. Keep them simple and retrieve them fast. You can't out strip a bluefish. Poppers are an absolute blast and if you go that route keep in mind that you will destroy a few; a small price to pay for the excitement surface feeding blues can provide. Not known for their selectivity like stripers or albacore, bluefish flies can be bright and flashy to help them get noticed. Epoxy flies like the Popovics types are both durable and effective as are epoxy headed Clousers.

Bluefish are a bit crazy and removing a hook from a strong, thrashing fish that's also trying to bite you is not for the faint of heart. For safety, use some type of lip holding device. I prefer a Boga Grip, but there are other less expensive grips on the market that will save your fingers. After you have the fish securely held use a pliers or a hook remover tool to remove the hook.

Once you hook into a 15 lb or bigger blue, the fish won't be the only one hooked!

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Some Favorite Fishing Quotes and others...

These are some of my favorite quotes about fishing. You can read more of these on the "quotes page" at www.crosscurrentguideservice.com

"If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong." John Gierach

"I've gone fishing thousands of times in my life, and I have never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water."

William Tapply

"There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot." Steven Wright

"I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution." John Gierach

"If fishing is interfering with your business, give up your business." Sparse Grey Hackle

"You can observe a lot just by watching." Yogi Berra

"I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't." John Gierach

"Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it..." Harry Middleton

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." - Doug Larson

Expanding Your Saltwater Fishing Potential

Often we are faced with fish that for a variety of reasons are extra spooky or that just won't hit a lure. Some of the causes include bright sunlight, clear water and small baits. When this happens the tendency is to downsize the lure and make longer casts to the fish. Many times this works. But there are the times when the fish still don't hit our lure, even after we've thrown everything we got at them. Remember, going smaller, hence lighter with a lure makes those longer casts harder. Sometimes to have greater success we need to use a lure made of materials that are extremely light and provide a more realistic look to the fish. A lure that isn't heavy enough to be cast in the conventional way.

An alternative way to present or cast the lure to these fish is to change the technique and instead of using the weight of the lure to carry the line, we use the weight of the line to carry a relatively weightless lure. To do this we need to change our tackle and the lure. Yes, I'm talking about fly fishing.

For years fly fishing was considered the domain of the freshwater angler, and it was. Early in the 1900's there was a very small group of fishermen who started pursuing saltwater fish with fly rods, but it wasn't until later on, during the middle of the 20th century that fly fishing pioneers like Joe Brooks began popularizing the technique. Since the 1970's and 80's the growth of saltwater fly fishing has been huge, led by fishing personalities like Left Kreh, Bob Popovics, Lou Tabory and others. The quality of the tackle has improved to the point that for many adventurous saltwater fly rodders, no fish is off limits. But, I'm not going to get into blue water fly fishing, but rather a quick and easy way how the inshore saltwater angler can add to his bag of tricks.

Remember, earlier I said we can use the weight of the line to carry the lure. That's all fly fishing basically is. What's needed is some basic equipment like a rod, reel, line and flies. The flies are nothing but lures, called flies more as a tradition stemming from the origins of fly fishing when the lure did indeed imitate an insect. In the salt the flies are used imitate bait fish, crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp, and sometimes worms like sand and cinder worms. The materials used in making, or rather tying, flies provide a translucency and realism unattainable with metal, plastic or wood. The motion and texture created can far surpass other artificials.

The most important part of fly fishing is learning to cast. Too often this is shrouded in a mysterious, jargon riddled explanation leaving the first timer to think it's some type of art form. It isn't. Fly casting is a skill for sure and just as spin casting and bait casting require different learned skill sets, so does fly casting. The best way, and perhaps the only way to learn how to cast is when you're not fishing. When you try to learn while you're fishing the focus always becomes trying to catch a fish and the learning curve becomes greatly lengthened. This is really no different in learning to use a bait caster, for example.

You can approach the learning phase in several ways. One is to use the services of a pro. Not a bad choice if you can afford it since this would jump start the whole process. Another way is to have someone you know, who you know what he's doing, teach you. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Many competent amateurs lack the teaching skills needed to convey the concepts. There are also the many fly fishing clubs that frequently offer clinics for free or at a minimal cost. On the higher priced end are the fly fishing schools like those run by The Orvis Company and LL Bean. But the most common way I see, are people who are self taught. Teaching yourself isn't a bad route to go as long as you have the space to do it. It has become much easier over the years with the number of excellent DVD's and books on the market by fishing celebrities like Lefty Kreh or the late Mel Krieger. These DVD's are easy to understand and illustrates how easy fly casting really is.

Rods and reels. These two items can cause a lot of debate among veteran fly fishermen, each who seems to have their own brand loyalty. In reality, all of the major fly tackle manufacturers make quality rods and reels. In the beginning I suggest keeping things inexpensive, simple and of very good quality. Rods in the $200 range can easily get you started and if need be, you can do okay around the $100 mark. Orvis, Sage, St. Croix and TFO all make rods in this category.

For the beginner the brand is not near as confusing rod sizes and actions. Simply, rods are sized by number, with the higher numbers given to the heavier rods. In other words, a 10 weight is a heavier rod than a an 8 weight. Actions can also be simplified to slow, medium and fast. Without getting into a lengthy discussion, a rod in the fast to medium-fast range is most useful and easy to learn with. Rod weights in 8, 9,or 10 will cover most fish, with the 8 weight being for the smaller fish, the 9 next and the 10 weight for the larger fish like big stripped bass and the small tunas. Companies like Orvis have some very good information on their website to help in choosing a rod for the species of fish you are most likely to encounter.

Reels don't need to break the bank either. Ross Reels, Orvis and a few others make quality reels at a reasonable price that will give you a lifetime of use. What you want to look for first in a reel is that it's saltwater proof. This means machined aluminum and high quality drags at the least. Try to stay away from cast aluminum reels as they tend to have less strength. Reels of this quality can be had from the low $110's to mid $200's. The only other thing you'll need is a fly line. Start with a floating or intermediate line matched to the rod. In other words, a 10 weight line for a 10 weight rod. Any of the major brands will do the trick. Here again, brand loyalty can run strong among veteran fly casters. Just keep in mind if it's sold by Scientific Angler, Rio, Orvis or Cortland it's not junk and will do the job.

Aside from the flies, which you're best buying locally if possible, the other tackle you'll need are leaders. The same line you use for conventional fishing will suffice as leader material, but if you want to seal the deal and maybe make things just a little easier on yourself spend the few extra bucks and pick up a couple of pre made leaders. The very end of the leader where you attach the fly is called the tippet. By having a few varying sizes of mono or fluorocarbon spools, you can keep the leader to its original length when it gets shorter from changing flies or a fish breaking off. The breaking strength of the tippet can also be changed without changing the whole leader to compensate for changing situations of conditions.

Learning this additional fishing method could give you opportunities you didn't have before. At worse, you'll experience greater enjoyment. It could become, like it has for many, your preferred fishing method. But whichever direction fly fishing takes you it's still nothing more than fishing, just with different tackle for different situations.

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

GAME COMMISSION URGES PARTICIPATION IN CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials are urging wildlife enthusiasts to join the tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the United States in the Audubon Society’s 109th Annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which will take place Dec. 14 through Jan. 5.

“Bird enthusiasts, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists, will head out on an annual mission - often before dawn - to make a difference and to experience the beauty of creation,” said Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Section supervisor. “Each year, volunteers brave snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count, and they have made an enormous contribution to conservation to help guide conservation actions.

“The data collected through this effort – which is the longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations – allows researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, it provides a picture of how the continent's bird populations have changed in time and space over the past hundred years.”

Local counts will occur on one day between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. Volunteers can pick the most convenient circle, or participate in more than one count. There is a specific methodology to the CBC, but everyone can participate. The count takes place within “Count Circles,” which focus on specific geographical areas. Each circle is led by a “Count Compiler,” who is an experienced birdwatcher, enabling beginning birders to learn while they assist. Also, those who live within the boundaries of a Count Circle can even stay at home and report the birds that visit their backyard feeders, or join a group of birdwatchers in a local field.

“In either case, if you have never been on a CBC before your first step is to locate and contact your local Count Compiler to find out how you can volunteer,” Brauning said.

To view instructions on how to search for a circle and sign-up for an open count, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on “Wildlife” in the left-hand column, and then choose the “Christmas Bird Count” icon in the center of the page. Information also can be obtained from Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count website (http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/), or on the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology’s December newsletter (http://www.pabirds.org/Newsletter/PSO_Newsletter_2008_04.pdf).

DRBC EXPECTED TO WITHDRAW PROPOSED WATER CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO THE FLEXIBLE FLOW MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

November 25, 2008

(WEST TRENTON, N.J.) -- Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Executive Director Carol R. Collier today announced that the five-member agency comprised of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York State, and the Federal Government is expected to withdraw its proposed regulations to codify the Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) at its public meeting on December 10, 2008.

The regulations were proposed in December 2007 to codify an agreement that was unanimously approved on September 26, 2007 by the Parties to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree (Decree Parties) for operation of the three New York City (NYC) Delaware Basin reservoirs through May 31, 2011.

While no action to approve the Water Code amendments is scheduled for the December 10 public meeting, a discussion of future steps concerning the Water Code and a status report on the FFMP are on the agenda for the informal morning conference that precedes the Commission's afternoon business meeting. The conference session will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the DRBC's office building, located at 25 State Police Drive, in West Trenton, N.J. Both the morning session and the 1:30 p.m. business meeting are open to the public. In accordance with the Delaware River Basin Compact, the statute that created the Commission, the DRBC cannot take action except at a public meeting.

"After considering the 1,900 comments received during the public comment period and in consultation with the Decree Parties, the Commission is expected to withdraw the proposed regulations published on December 3, 2007 and to direct staff to develop new proposed amendments to the Water Code aimed at facilitating adaptive water resources management within a regulatory framework," Collier said.

The proposed new amendments to the Water Code, which will not be released before the summer of 2009, will provide for flexibility in addressing additional data and information as it becomes available from a variety of sources, including:

• the flood analysis model currently being developed for the Commission by the combined efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and National Weather Service;
• the OASIS model (a water resources planning tool) updated with data through September 2006;
• the results of ongoing studies scheduled to be concluded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the spring of 2009 on the habitat needs of the dwarf wedgemussel, a federally protected endangered species found in the Upper Delaware Basin;
• experience gained over the past year of FFMP operation; and,
• comments received on the proposed Water Code amendments during the public comment period which ended on March 3, 2008.

The Commission will conduct another full notice and comment rulemaking process, including a public hearing, on the proposed new Water Code amendments. The new amendments will contain standards for operation of the NYC Delaware Basin reservoirs but will be less prescriptive than previous proposals, which included detailed operational requirements. The amendments will allow for flexible, timely adjustments to reflect real-time conditions and new information, including the annual review of FFMP implementation, modeling simulations, and other sources. Such adjustments may include modifications to the release schedules to reflect climactic, river flow and temperature conditions, as well as short-term operating changes to accommodate maintenance and repair needs on a timely basis. The anticipated rule proposal will provide for public notice and comment with respect to any major modifications of the reservoir operating program.

The FFMP agreement reached by the Parties to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York State, and New York City) continues to be implemented on a temporary basis by the Decree Parties through May 2011 and can be viewed on the Delaware River Master’s web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/odrm/. The Decree Party's FFMP agreement was developed to provide a more adaptive means than the previous operating regime for managing the Cannonsville, Pepacton, and Neversink reservoirs for competing uses, including: water supply; drought management; flood mitigation; protection of the tailwaters fishery; a diverse array of habitat needs in the main stem river, estuary, and bay; recreation; and salinity repulsion. The 1954 Supreme Court Decree, which resolved an interstate water dispute centering on the three NYC reservoirs, made no provision for spill mitigation, conservation or ecological releases.

The conceptual framework of the FFMP agreement largely eliminates the reservoir storage "banks" previously used for habitat protection purposes and instead bases releases on storage levels, resulting in larger releases when water is abundant and smaller releases when storage is at or below normal. Its spill mitigation component is intended to reduce the likelihood that the three reservoirs could be full and spilling coincident with a major storm or thaw.

The law creating the DRBC gives the Commission the power to allocate the waters of the basin, but prohibits it from adversely affecting any condition set forth in the 1954 Decree, including the New York City reservoir releases or diversions that the Decree established, without the unanimous consent of the five Decree Parties.

The DRBC was formed by compact in 1961 through legislation signed into law by President John F. Kennedy and the governors of the four basin states with land draining to the Delaware River. The passage of this compact marked the first time in our nation’s history that the Federal Government and a group of states joined together as equal partners in a river basin planning, development, and regulatory agency.

Additional information can be found on the Commission's web site at www.drbc.net.

Nothing Like Watching the Fish Munch Away...

Fall Striper Fishing

On the days that the wind cooperates we've been having some nice days fly fishing the New Jersey waters for striped bass. There have been lots of fish in the 24 to 27 inch range with some larger ones thrown in the mix. Most days we've been lucky enough to find surface action with the stripers. Big bluefish are also in the mix, with a couple up to 15lbs. landed on the fly rod.

Above is Dr. Bob Defilippis with a respectable 32 inch fall striper.

Pictured below is just one of a pair of doubles that Dr. Bob and Bruce Miller landed on November 4, 2008.

Angling For Charity

This is one of those organizations you run into that is purely grassroots and just doing a lot of good. Check them out: www.anglingforcharity.org

AFC originated from a 2007 Noreast.com sponsored charter fishing trip. It was the idea of the original chartermaster, Mike 'Obtuseangler' Dubroff, and Captain Phil Eastman to hold a fishing charter where all the fish caught on the charter be given to the NH Foodbank and so the Foodbank charter trip was born. This generous action led to the creation of Angling For Charity that now holds raffles, auctions and coordinates food drives to help not just the hungry but also aids The Make A Wish Foundation.

Nice End to the Delaware River Season

The last day of my scheduled guiding season on the Upper Delaware River was October 18, 2008...

Andrew Cirigliano put a fine touch to the day with this 18" wild rainbow taken on a rusty spinner.