Garden State Trout

After work yesterday I decided to hit a stretch of the SBR that I havent fished in a long time. With the cold drizzle I figured I could get some water to myself and I was right. I dont think I have broken out my 10' nymph rod in a long time but man it was nice to get back it! This used to be a "home" stretch for myself and famed NJ trout fisherman, landscaper, TU chapter founder and entrepreneur MR. MCR. We used to roll heavy back in the day, man. People would see that white MCR landscaping Ford F-250 pull up and the fisherman would part ways knowing the Cranford Crew was in town. The fish didnt stand a chance, most just jumped in our nets. Only the infamous Rudolph had the trout balls to stand up to us.

Anyways, back to yesterdays fishing..... I nymphed up a bunch of stockies with plenty of small wild browns thrown in the mix as well. It was a great 2 hours on the water. Stockies were holding deeper and the wilds came mostly in runs that were more shallow and close to the bank with cover. Fished a BH hares ear with a small blood dot egg as a trailer. I know its not egg fishing season but that pattern seems to work year round. Here are two of the best fish of the day.





Im still never sure which fish are club fish vs state stocked but that second one gave a great fight. At one point in the fight my (likely expired) tippet got caught on a stick so the fish was just stuck in the current. I had to pull a "river runs through it" type move and almost dive out into the current with my net to land it before likely breaking off.

Tom

how is that button clip for the net? I use a telephone-cord-style spiral lanyard. I might put together a delrin clip since i find those are really tight and still easy to take off.

coaltrout wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 9:20 am

how is that button clip for the net? I use a telephone-cord-style spiral lanyard. I might put together a delrin clip since i find those are really tight and still easy to take off.

That lanyard had leather loops to go around the net, and the other side of of the quick disconnect (which doesnt disconnect very easy). I dont use it for that. I have a magnet on the back of my vest and at the top of my net. That lanyard is attached to the front of my vest and the side of my net, its only purpose is prevent me from losing the net. That net was custom made and doesnt have hole or small eyebolt to attach a lanyard, so I get to get the leather loop style as seen. I used to only use the magnet with no safety cord until one day I went to reach for my net and it wasnt there. Found it a few 100 yards downstream.

nice..........

No dead trees suddenly falling into the river a dozen or two feet from you?

garden hackle wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 11:03 am

No dead trees suddenly falling into the river a dozen or two feet from you?

Not this time! I was a bit upstream from that stretch yesterday.

Thank You for the kind words........I guess I should say something nice about Tom, " You have a nice beard "...........also you forgot that I am also a philanthropist, statesman, Nobel winning physicist, and 2024 Presidential candidate.............Tom is one of the best fisherman I have ever had the prvieledge to fish with........I would put him up against anyone ( except Brian ) .........and yes I am back, Patagonia was great living there for a few years.......

MR.MCR wrote: ↑

Tue May 12, 2020 10:16 am

Thank You for the kind words........I guess I should say something nice about Tom, " You have a nice beard "...........also you forgot that I am also a philanthropist, statesman, Nobel winning physicist, and 2024 Presidential candidate.............Tom is one of the best fisherman I have ever had the prvieledge to fish with........I would put him up against anyone ( except Brian ) .........and yes I am back, Patagonia was great living there for a few years.......

MCR for President!!!!!

Twism, as you know, the club just above that area stocks big fish often and feeds them so they grow larger. I helped them with some hand work in the river that they had initially screwed up, so I have fished it. Big doesn't cover fish size. But my "best" fish caught in their stretch was a 9' native brookie that ate my sulphur dun dry fly. The bald eagles eat well there......