Garden State Trout

Hi, Big Flatbrook has a great black stonefly hatch. A couple of years ago in March they were all over the place. I had most of my hits under water and my version of the fly is a all black caddis fly in a size 16 or 18. I use the cheek hairs from a white tail buck for the wing because it lays flat on...

Hello. I can barely remember fishing Franklin Lks. when I was 18. At the time it was still a dairy farm. I would park the car about 1/2 mile away and sneak through the woods lay on my stomach and cast into the lake. I would fish across from the barn. I could fish for about an hour or so before the g...

Hello Bigger, What you wrote is what I do also. Bill

Hello, If the trout is down stream from where I am standing and if it to my left then I strike at about 45 degree angle to my right. If trout is to my right then 45 degree angle to my left. Trout left strike right, trout right strike left. This is no matter if fish is up stream or down stream. This ...

Hi, I can tie a caddis fly in about 1 minute. After I lay out all the material on my desk it only takes about one minute. Here goes body,wing and then hackle. The wing I use is from the cheeks of a white tailed buck. They are about one inch long and easy to use. I always put a hackle between wing an...

Hi, Maybe if I was in my early 20’s I would apply for the job. But being in my early 80’s it’s a no no job for me. I would not mine working outside as I was a mailman for 37 years and had a walking route. Just have to dress for the weather. But, hey can you imagine fishing the raceways with a fly. W...

Hi, Depending on where you live. I would go to Shannon’s in Califon,NJ. They have a web site so you can get directions to there place. Heck they would even tell where to fish and what to use. They are very helpful and close to the gorge. Fish from Hoffman’s Crossing up stream. Bill the mailman

Hi, Ramsey Outdoor Store in Ramsey,NJ. Maybe Shannon’s in Highbridge. The flies to use would be midges, midges and midges. BWO in sizes 18 thru 22 and pheasant tail in the same sizes. Probably some scuds in a size16. That’s all I can think of right now, Bill the mailman

Hello, I will never forget about three years ago while fishing the B’kill. The water was very muddy a real brown and flowing high. I said to myself that I drove all these miles to fish so I am going to fish. I started just above the cement bench that is on the B’kill old 17. I had one of my best day...

Hello, My son lives in Fredrick,Md. He bought a book for me called Md. trout streams. It gives a county by county on where the streams are and small directions on how to get to them. At the back of the book are fly patterns and how to tie them. A lot of the streams are off of Route 15 heading north....

46er, Boy I hope your right about the rain. I would like to see a nice steady rain for two or three days so it soaks into the ground. But any thing would help. Bill the mailman

Hello, I took a ride up to the Catskills to look at the leaves with my wife. We left Manahawkin,NJ on Monday morning about 10:30. We stayed at the Hampton Inn just outside of Milford,Pa. Went up to the Catskills on Tuesday AM. Took route 97 up to Hancock then quick way towards Roscoe. The leaves wer...

Hello, boy you wrote the truth about kids now a days. I have six grandkids from 21 down to 8. If they did not have there phones they would be lost. They have to have the fastest thumbs in the world. They are always texting or playing games on there phones. I took my one grandson to the shore to go f...

Hi, Fish Greenwood Lake. Rent or take your boat or whatever and bottom fish with a piece of hotdog on your hook. We did it this way back in the fifties. Either fish Jersey side or New York side doesn’t matter they are through out the lake and quite large. Vance

I fished it years ago when my daughter lived in Md. I took Rt. 83 north for a few miles then cut towards the river. I for get the names of the road I took to the river. I actually fished it twice and both times never saw another person all day. It was in May that I fished it and caught a few on a ca...

Hi, Lightenup, I do the same. Go to Ramsey Outdoor and buy my leaders in 71/2 or 9 foot leaders then tie either 5x or 6x tippet to the leader and I still catch trout or sunfish or chubbs. I use a 30 inch or more tippet. Bill the mailman

Hello, Just a quick question. Fished the Ramapo last evening. Got there around 4:00 PM and the place was packed with cars at the Glen Grey bridge. So I waited around and finally started fishing around 6:30 or so and there was a hatch starting and the fish were feeding on top and by 7:30 or so they t...

On another site sparse grey matter a guy caught a extra large trout on a dry fly. Scroll down to the mighty trout. And see the picture He probably caught it in the Musky around Hackettestown Yeah, Right. But take a look you will be impressed. Vance

Hi, You do not have to have a front plate on your car now a days in Jersey. New cars do not need them. I hope that’s a standard shift with four on the floor with a 429 engine in it. I can see in the picture that his trunk lid is open so he had to be close by. Bill the mailman

Hi, March Browns are on the B’kill and the Willo also Gray Foxes. They are also on the East Branch below the quick way bridge. Park at the rest area and fish behind and down stream from the rest area. Vance