Looking for the right person to guide and increase your knowledge of fly fishing, reading the water and knowing when to cast?
You are probably wondering why you should hire me to give you all the information you need for a successful fly fishing experience on rivers, streams, brooks, as well as the flats in salt water. After you read this, I believe you will have your answers.
I have been fishing since the age of 5. The first fishing rod I had was a 9 ft. Bamboo pole. It had a line wrapped and tied around the tip. To that I attached 1 float and a very small hook. My mother made a dough ball that had vanilla and anise added to it. Add that to a hook and a trip to Alley Pond in Long Island and you have my first catch—1 Gold Fish that was about 14” long. That is how it all started!
After mastering the art of catching gold fish, I was given my first real fishing rod. It was a 4’ spinning rod with a Zebco closed face reel complete with line. The venue changed to the Steeple Chase Pier in Coney Island. I learned how to attach 5 hooks on a line. Blood worms were the menu item of choice.
The first salt water fish I ever caught were Porgies. I soon graduated to spoons and lures when an old timer showed me how to catch fish using them with a much larger rod. He showed me how to handle the long spinning rod he had. I was hooked after I watched him land a Striped Bass that weighed 68 lbs. I remember how he was yelling for everyone to move as he ran down the Pier pulling at the fish. He ran off the pier and quickly reeled down hard. It was 25 minutes later and the fish was on the beach. I was 8 years old and swore that I would catch big fish after that.
By age 14 it was time to fly fish. It was a rather new sport back then. The only reels available really did not have much of a drag. I bought a Pfleuger Fly Reel and a Fenwick Fiberglass Fly Rod. I was self-taught and mastered my technique by process of elimination. If I could not cast where I wanted to be, then it was try and try again until I got it right.
THAT WAS THE START! The fishing started with Bluegills and Crappie then Bass, large and small mouth, then Perch and Pickerel. Then the madness started-have to catch a Musky. At the age of 16, I caught my first Musky on a fly rod. It was at Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County, PA. It measured 52” long! I never weighed it, but there just happened to be someone from Fish and Game who witnessed the catch. He measured the fish length and girth which was 15”: at the largest point. He then got a tag and pushed it in near the dorsal fin. He was as surprised as I was to see such a large Musky.
Over the years the catches have been many. One that I never thought I would get was a 15 lb. Bone Fish on 4 lb. Tippet that missed a world record by 3 ounces. The rest is history. Along with teaching casting for the Orvis Company, from their Philadelphia location, I also conducted guided fishing trips.
You be the judge. My specialty is light tippet catches for very big fish. Here are some articles to wet your whistle:
