I was invited and fished the North shore off Orient Point, yeaterday, Oct. 26, 2008. We first fished for Blackfish, a first for me, and we all did well. The captain did, however, have to cut off one of his two anchors after hooking the telecommunications cable off Plum Island. (The sign on the shore pointing the cable out to captains was as large as the HOLLYWOOD sign.) After that we fished in a way that was new to me and I had no choice in the matter despite the fact that I asked the captain at least 3 times. The mates set out 6 rods along one rail, loaded with unbreakable spider line, they added a a large lead wt. and trailing 3 feet behind a bucktail with a fluttering pork rind. There were 11 “fishermen” on the boat so we took turns. The captain would tell us to drop to the botton, reel up a few times and he trolled. The first pass produced 2 keeper stripers and 2 monster blues and I was thinking this was not a bad thing. That was it for the large stripers as only 2 more were caught, both shorts. Many more blues were caught and many were released to grow even larger. There was action everywhere and this is an amazing place. A long ride (2 hrs. from the GWB) and I did not see anyone fishing from the shore. The boats at the marina were all private or small boats for charter. I’ll stick to the Jersey shore for now but the trip was totally free so it was worth the time and gas money.

If anyone is going to Sandy Hook or anywhere else, give me a call. The stripers are just starting here. Glenn

    You don’t have to die - though your casting arm will feel like it did - to go to “Lout Heaven” on the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY. Unlike recent other Lout trips afield which have produced prodigious e-banter but nary a Trout Lout site post, allow me to provide appropriate fish-porn and commentary in hopes of promoting a second yearly Lout venture in future Octobers.

    Glen Kamp had already staked out the Salmon River for five days when I arrived. The fact that the gin bottle was untouched, yet the Alleve bottle nearly empty and spools of medical tape littered the hotel room floor was the first give-away: This was gonna be fun (Editorial note: The gin, and in my case vodka, oversight was quickly remedied with nightly generous celebratory Lout cocktails before ravenous consumption of various meat products after long days on the river).

     Glen has generously dubbed me ‘Steelhead King” in honor of ten steelies in one day in the Douglaston Salmon Reserve, along with another dozen or so during the rest of our five days on the no kill fly stretch of the Salmon River in Altmar. Despite five or six monster Kings (which were first-ever’s for me) I humbly report that Glen has apparently dedicated his retirement years to becoming one-with-the-salmonoids. That man can hook (and land!) salmon: Kings & Cohos alike. In between we managed to do our fair share of damage to monster browns as well. (and, ahem, one creek chub keeping the Lout tradition of honoring the bottom-feeder alive). The attached photos are just a few of the fish we brought to justice. Fair to say the average day saw us each with 25-30 hookups and maybe a dozen landed. The fall weather was truly remarkable and watching the behemoth salmon jump, smash and rise again all day was a sight and sound which will haunt my dreams (hopefully replacing the existing recurring screaming, sweating nightmare of watching DeBie deposit my new $600 rod combo overboard some years back… but I digress).

    Here’s the new Lout Heaven formula: Sleep in till 830, grab breakfast, stuff pockets with apples, bananas, candy bars and the like and drive to the river. Hike in, set up, unsheathe your 7-10 wt., tie on one of those pansy mini-swivels at the end of your leader, add 47 7/8″ of 10# fluorocarbon tippet and the trout/salmon candy of your choice and start the party! (For those keeping score, flies of choice were SMALL: dark stone-fly, golden stone-fly, single salmon eggs, anything glittery and pink, beaded hair’s ears with a touch of green, and then anything small and black that was still in your box at the end of the day. Figure on losing 30 flies a day, easy. I’ll also admit to using a rather large pink-salmon-egg-sucking white leech (in honor of Joe Schmidt’s “Goat Dick” lure story) in the midst of a ferocious autumn-leaf blitz that left the water saturated with multicolored yellow/red leaves … I’ll admit to it ‘cuz you’ll see it hanging off my rod next to the photo of the monster male king which whacked the shit out of it, thereby making me look brilliant.

    Deep riffs and fast water were generally the key, though slow pools and some sight fishing also prevailed at times. While Doc honed into one of six or seven favorite spots and figured out every possible sang in each, Glen “I should run for office” Kamp wandered the entire river, met and personally interviewed every angler, and fished every square inch of water … usually to return to “the glen” just before the hatchery where he personally discovered and decimated a holding pod of browns nearly every day. (Note to Brian “Float King” Cowden: The man didn’t teach English back in the day as an accident, he can TALK).

    What say you Louts? Anyone up for a return next fall?

Another year has come and gone. This year’s Lout Fest was our highest attended to date with an unprecedented 16 Louts including some newbies. Returning from a one-year hiatus were Simpson, Staid and Doherty. Lots of laughs were had by all and we actually finished the trip with some un-opened bottles (a topic of discussion for another day perhaps?).

Fishing, as it always is, was tough. Damned near impossible on float day. I was shown the skunk’s backside that day for my first ever zero on a float. Saturday, however, was my redemption. Wearing my finest new bowtie, I was able to stick and land some very nice fish. Perhaps the highlight for yours truly was a cold martini - shaken, not stirred - a few seconds after releasing a nice fish (caught on what else other than a rusty spinner) while standing waist deep in the big pool behind the cabins. Many thanks, Doc! You’re out of control with that 2 piece stemware!!!

Here’s the 2008 Louts (Simpson and Doherty represented with smiley plates)

Martini anyone?

Saturday’s payback

“nothing gets a fly out there like a Barbie high modulus graphite rod! These are not only fine performing rods capable of lifting heavy fish, but you look really cool on the water”.

Nicely worded, you forgot to add…catches fish greater than 1/2 her size.

After a humbling first year as a Trout Lout, Rich Thomas decides to upgrade his rod and reel and get some casting lessons.  Faced with the daunting task of presenting a size 14 Hendrickson dry fly to those finicky West Branch browns this May, Rich was overheard at Ramsey Outdoors while ordering his new gear as saying “nothing gets a fly out there like a Barbie high modulus graphite rod!  These are not only fine performing rods capable of lifting heavy fish, but you look really cool on the water”.

It’s President’s Day and the family is all stuck inside with all the rain and generally crappy weather holding us hostage.  The air here is palpable - you could almost cut it with a knife.  Everyone is walking on egg shells and attempting in vain to stay out of each other’s space.  I need to fish!!!  I also need the rivers to recede down to something approaching  flood stage and seeing the sunshine again would be nice…

I hope some of you are getting outside in your various pursuits instead of watching reruns of The Shining.  Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Okay, you all have had enough time to post bail and clear your head of single malt and lungs of cigar smoke. Not one Lout has made a report on the good time they had at the annual poetry slam. Anybody?
Dick Roytos

It’s time to dust off your 5 weights and tie up some Hendricksons because the Louts are going a fishin’.  May 7 - 10 at the West Branch Angler where we’ll whip the water into a fine froth while cursing loudly and dreaming of the easy fish in Cairn’s Pool.  Pony up men, and confirm to Float King to reserve your space now.  Deposit requests will be forthcoming once I have a head count.  What to tie, you ask?  Hendricksons and more Hendricksons.  Sizes 14 and 16 mainly and in both light and dark (female and male) in CDC and parachute styles.  For nymphs (listen up Reverend), I like Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears with a dark turkey wingcase.  Same sizes as above.  There are also good caddis hatches, but you can buy them at the shop if you’d like.  We should be smack in the middle of the hatch and can expect some decent action in the afternoons.  Please also have Rusty Spinners in 12, 14 and 16 for evening and possibly morning action.

Here’s a big hint I’ve learned from my many trips to the D during this hatch.  Once you see duns on the water, tie one on and add a dropper like an unweighted pheasant tail nymph dangling off the back of the dun’s hook about a foot or so.  Deadly when fished just under or in the surface film!!!

Where are the Louts? The last post was in September. We can’t be all tying flies or hiding bottles of single malt. I’ll raise a glass to all the Louts this season-here’s to peace, goodwill and happiness.
Slainte. Oh, and lot’s of fish in 2008.

Fellow Lout Brian Cowden has recieved the TU National Youth award  at the national meeting last week in Boise ID. I know he is the first one to give credit to all the volunteers at the chapter levels helping him with TIC but he has done a great job and deserves the recognition. I personally thank him for encouraging me to be more involved and I have enjoyed learning and being involved in the TIC program. (Trout In the Classroom)

Way to go Brian keep up the great work!!! Great things will follow!