Responsibility

For everything there is a time.  A time to grow....a time to blossom....a time for the seasons....a time to die.  For everything there is a beginning and an end.  And so I think the time has come for this little part of my life known as my blog The North River to come to a conclusion.  I am a firm believer that anything that has a beginning should have a middle and an end with a logical flow from point A to B.

 Though the paths we may take may have many bumps, twists and unexpected turns, the hope is that when we reach the end and look back to the beginning we can be satisfied with the journey. I know that my entries have significantly tailed off since the end of last year and I feel that this story of mine needs a final few words so that I may look back with satisfaction.  I have seen a number of blogs that simply dropped off the radar or slowly faded to nothing without a conclusion.  This always have left me to wonder if those bloggers journey's were at an end.  Were they satisfied...or were the readers for that matter?  I did not want to end my journey that way.

When I began this blog 6 years ago I had essentially one purpose in mind....to create an on line record of my observations and experiences of Nature and the outdoors (with a heavy emphasis on fishing) for myself. It quickly developed into something more that.  My interaction with other bloggers led to friendships (even if I didn't physically meet the person) and contact with people across the country and from overseas. I learned that this "blogging thing" could be a powerful method of spreading ideas. With that kind of power should come responsibility.

Over the years I came to realize that it was my responsibility to share with anyone willing to read my blog about the beauty and fragility of the outdoors and how my family and I fit into it.  The world needs to be cared for and respected.  By sharing the excitement I feel when outdoors  it will help others to appreciate and understand it the way I do.  It is my sincere hope that this online record will be around for awhile so that it may do just that.  Though I suspect this will be the very last post....who knows....the paths we travel tend to have many twists and turns.

I would like to thank all of those who have read through these pages over the years or may have simply stumbled onto a single post. For those who have commented with kind words or observations of their own....Thank you.  I would especially like to thank all of those individuals who became my "blogging friends".  Many of you already "get it" and I am glad to have shared your stories, experiences, Your time posting about fishing trips, hiking, wildlife, whatever it may be has farther reaching consequences than you may imagine...keep up the good work!  As for me I will continue to share my experiences in other ways (such as instagram under #thenorthriver).  I do this because I feel the responsibility never ends. Ultimately, I do it for my little girls.....

Whatever I can do to influence others, in any small way possible, to help ensure that they and those who come after them will be able to experience Nature the way I do I will do because it is my responsibility. For everyone else....get out there and experience what the outdoors has to offer.  Don't let it slip through your fingers and realize at the end of your journey down the path you missed something special.....and make sure you share it with others so that all may enjoy.

When Is Fishing Without Catching A Fish Not A Bust?

Being skunked on a fishing trip is usually a bit of a let down, especially when you have waited more than five months through a long winter to go fishing for the first time.

However, I have come to the conclusion that an outing fishing (without catching a fish) with my kids and wife can be a success without bringing a single fish to hand.

As much as I would have enjoyed seeing them squealing with delight with a trout dangling from the line I would not trade the time spent with them for all the fish in the pond!

A Hot Spot for a Cold Winter's Day

Aki Hot Spot

It's been a while but I'm still here.  I have been meaning to write a post for quite some time but holidays, new job, you know.......life seems to have gotten in the way.  I'm still tying flies in my spare time, trying to pass the winter away. Tying flies is about all you can do when the temps are rarely getting out of the teens and things are frozen solid.  This winter has given me a little time to tie a few flies out of my comfort zone and do something I have always liked to do with flies....experiment.  The fly pictured above is just such an experiment.  I call it a "Aki Hot Spot."  It's short for Akiyamago Yamada Kebari Hot Spot, which is a type of tenkara dry fly.  This type of fly and it's simple construction is consistent with tenkara's philosophy of simplicity. It primarily consists of a dry fly hackle wrapped from the bend to the eye of the hook. Once the hackle is tied on, the back 1/2 to 2/3 of the fly gets a "hair cut" to form the body of the fly. For my Hot Spot I tied the fly using a size 12 black dry fly hackle on a size 12 #1280 Daiichi dry fly hook.  The tail consists of woodchuck guard hairs.  My favorite part, at least it will be for my eyes when it hits the stream, is the hot spot I added. The hot spot is a dry fly hackle which has been dyed chartreuse. The Aki Hot Spot is a simple fly to tie and I'm looking forward to casting it a few times when New York eventually thaws out.

A Fly 20,000 Years in the Making

Royal Sakasa Kebari using mammoth ivory hook

Before carbon fiber and bamboo rods there were simple sticks and branches.  Before braided nylon coated with PVC and monofilaments there was horse hair. Even before chemically sharpened hooks and bent needles there was bone and ivory hooks. Materials such as bone, antler and ivory were used
thousands of years before our modern metal hooks came into existence.  I enjoy tying my own flies and making my own equipment such as horsehair lines and line holders from moose antler.  One can derive extra satisfaction from knowing that a trout was brought to hand with things made by one's own hand and not in some far off distant factory. So for fun I decided to use some left over Woolly Mammoth Ivory I had from several years back when I used to practice scrimshaw (entirely another post would be need to explain this).  Mammoth ivory is a beautiful material that is fairly easy to carve and is pretty strong.  Since mammoths departed this world at the end of the last ice 10,000 to 20,000 years ago their ivory, found in tusks, have been found throughout Siberia and Alaska.  Man has used this material for artistic creations as well as functional items such as fish hooks. The hook I fashioned is roughly equivalent to size 6 Mustad scud hook with an extra long shank.  I still need to drill a small hole in the end where the eye should be.  I'm confident that I could land fish with this hook but I don't think I would try it till I have made several more (I'm afraid to loose one to a "rock fish" or tree).
I think the next few I try will be with moose antler because it's not as expensive to obtain.  Ultimately, I think I will have to try a fly fishing trip using only a primitive hook, horsehair line and a stick and see how I compare to our distant ancestors.

Top view of bare hook

Bare Woolly Mammoth Ivory Hook

The Fall Run

The Montauk Lighthouse

Though fly fishing tenkara-style is my favorite way to fish there is one type of fishing trip I have always wanted to do......fishing the fall run of striped bass from a private charter off Montauk Point. When that opportunity presented itself I jumped at the chance. Last Sunday I joined some coworkers and their family on the Breakaway out of Montauk.

The day's haul of striped bass

Though the day started a little slow with only a few bluefish here and there the bite really picked up late in the afternoon with the outgoing tide. The largest striped of the day was landed by my friends uncle at 35 lb and it was a heck of a fight. Though I didn't land the largest or most bass on this trip it was a blast. My recommendation to anyone contemplating such a trip.......just do it, you won't be sorry.

Summer Wrap Up

Well another summer has come and gone. It started as usual with kids throwing the book bags down for the last time for the school year and heading out to Pennsylvania for a family vacation. The last few weeks seemed to have been a blur and even though I didn't post very much I did get to spend time with the family and there were hiking and fishing trips. Trips to the beach and the pool. The summer was very mild here in the northeast which made it that much more enjoyable. Now with school just a couple of days away I though I would post a few highlights of a summer that's all but in the books.

One of the many striped bass I managed to land

Trout fishing on a small mountain stream.....what could be better?

Bella doing some snapper fishing....old school style

A nice "thin blue line" beauty

Hiking at Split Rock, Mohonk Preserve

August blooming cardinal flower

Hike around Lake Minnewaska, Minnewaska State Park

One of the first of many Long Island snappers

Golden rod......one of the first signs that the big wheel of seasons is about to turn again

Snap, Crackle and Pop

Not having much to do following a long day of work and knowing that my girls would be out for the evening I decided to treat myself to trip down to the beach to catch some snappers. Besides a multitude of snappers caught with my tenkara rod and some flies I was treated to the quickest thunderstorm ever followed by an equally quick rainbow. Other than not being with my girls I couldn't ask for a more perfect evening.