tr
 

in candid fear and recognition that i am now a geezer unsure about my
future days above the dirt, i took the entire month of october off to
chase puppy drum and false albacore. spent the month at harkers island
near cape lookout in the pleasant company of friends made here. roff
won't die for me til i'm planted. i'm grateful for what i discovered
here...lessons learned, adventures in new places, and for the enduring
friendships made. ...anyway...

weather sucked and the fishing was off - even the local guides
complained. the albies never really showed in any consistent pattern or
numbers...they were around, just not like they usually are, and up/down
so fast they were hard to find and get a cast to. one guide traveled
over 95 miles of water searching with no success. the albies and
migrating bait were probably out closer to the gulf stream this year.
we caught a few...posted some photos on the facebook roff site...but not
enough to satisfy the greed in a a month's effort at it. wind, weather,
and water conspired against us. of course, for me, it was way better
than the alternative of work at the office in groanville.

still, chasing the great mystery with a flyrod on the sal****er is a new
challenge for me. learning to cast more efficiently with a 9 or 10 wt
and heavy sal****er flies, figuring out water and fish. i think it also
will improve my mountain trout efforts. it sure makes the long intervals
between mountain trips more tolerable.

vacation done at the first of this month, gia and i went down to the
coast yesterday to pick up the boat after its annual service. it was a
beautiful day, so we went for a boat ride. took a rod with me just as a
habit. really intended only to putt about, drink a few chillybeers, and
enjoy the day. ...and, hell, whadayaknow, i snuck up on a false albie.
watched the take near the surface by the boat. one of those special
memories that won't fade...well, geezerhood and all, i hope not anyhow.
they are an incredible game fish. for those of you who have never
chased after them, give it a go.

jeff

ps to wayno...your tire tracks across the front yard at the rental house
never really faded, but did cause a good number of chuckles. the need
for a "fix" of Seaside's breakfast biscuits are an absolute defense. g

tr
 

On Nov 20, 10:20*am, jeff wrote:

weather sucked and the fishing was off - even the local guides
complained. *the albies never really showed in any consistent pattern or
numbers...they were around, just not like they usually are, and up/down
so fast they were hard to find and get a cast to. one guide traveled
over 95 miles of water searching with no success. *the albies and
migrating bait were probably out closer to the gulf stream this year.
we caught a few...posted some photos on the facebook roff site...but not
enough to satisfy the greed in a a month's effort at it. *wind, weather,
and water conspired against us. of course, for me, it was way better
than the alternative of work at the office in groanville.

Any way to know (or even offer a reasonable guess) whether this is
just one of those things that happens sometimes, or if it hints at
something more sinister?

Either way, it sounds like you had a grand time. Maybe it's time to
start thinking about retirement?

giles

tr
 

On 11/20/2011 8:45 PM, Giles wrote:
On Nov 20, 10:20 am, wrote:

weather sucked and the fishing was off - even the local guides
complained. the albies never really showed in any consistent pattern or
numbers...they were around, just not like they usually are, and up/down
so fast they were hard to find and get a cast to. one guide traveled
over 95 miles of water searching with no success. the albies and
migrating bait were probably out closer to the gulf stream this year.
we caught a few...posted some photos on the facebook roff site...but not
enough to satisfy the greed in a a month's effort at it. wind, weather,
and water conspired against us. of course, for me, it was way better
than the alternative of work at the office in groanville.

Any way to know (or even offer a reasonable guess) whether this is
just one of those things that happens sometimes, or if it hints at
something more sinister?

Either way, it sounds like you had a grand time. Maybe it's time to
start thinking about retirement?

giles

lots of anecdotal guessing by others. i've no idea if it's a
sustainability/ecosystem issue, or just a bad weather/water temp year. i
read a note on one of the guide's web pages written by a fellow from
virginia that has been coming to harkers for years. his group has kept
records about their numbers of false albies caught from shore and from
boats each year. not exactly scientific, but assuming they had normal
skill every year, it appears cyclical according to their data. some good
years, some bad. this was the worst i've seen in the few years i've been
after the fish. water temps and winds drive the bait fish, which
attract the albacore. the baitfish stayed down most of the month...and
we never saw the big schools up top. my first year i got spoiled by
acres of baitfish schooled on top, with the albies slicing through them.
i caught one that took my fly in the air.

retirement?? when you read (or learn of) my obituary you'll know i've
retired.

jeff

tr
 

On Nov 20, 10:20*am, jeff wrote:
in candid fear and recognition that i am now a geezer unsure about my
future days above the dirt, i took the entire month of october off to
chase puppy drum and false albacore. spent the month at harkers island
near cape lookout in the pleasant company of friends made here. roff
won't die for me til i'm planted. *i'm grateful for what i discovered
here...lessons learned, adventures in new places, and for the enduring
friendships made. ...anyway...

weather sucked and the fishing was off - even the local guides
complained. *the albies never really showed in any consistent pattern or
numbers...they were around, just not like they usually are, and up/down
so fast they were hard to find and get a cast to. one guide traveled
over 95 miles of water searching with no success. *the albies and
migrating bait were probably out closer to the gulf stream this year.
we caught a few...posted some photos on the facebook roff site...but not
enough to satisfy the greed in a a month's effort at it. *wind, weather,
and water conspired against us. of course, for me, it was way better
than the alternative of work at the office in groanville.

still, chasing the great mystery with a flyrod on the sal****er is a new
challenge for me. learning to cast more efficiently with a 9 or 10 wt
and heavy sal****er flies, figuring out water and fish. i think it also
will improve my mountain trout efforts. it sure makes the long intervals
between mountain trips more tolerable.

vacation done at the first of this month, gia and i went down to the
coast yesterday to pick up the boat after its annual service. it was a
beautiful day, so we went for a boat ride. took a rod with me just as a
habit. *really intended only to putt about, drink a few chillybeers, and
enjoy the day. *...and, hell, whadayaknow, i snuck up on a false albie.
* watched the take near the surface by the boat. *one of those special
memories that won't fade...well, geezerhood and all, i hope not anyhow.
they are an incredible game fish. * for those of you who have never
chased after them, give it a go.

jeff

ps to wayno...your tire tracks across the front yard at the rental house
never really faded, but did cause a good number of chuckles. *the need
for a "fix" of Seaside's breakfast biscuits are an absolute defense. g

Sounds like you've got your priorities straight. But then we
already knew that. :-)


Chuck Vance (well except for that retirement thing)

tr
 

On Nov 21, 5:12*am, jeff wrote:
On 11/20/2011 8:45 PM, Giles wrote:





On Nov 20, 10:20 am, *wrote:

weather sucked and the fishing was off - even the local guides
complained. *the albies never really showed in any consistent pattern or
numbers...they were around, just not like they usually are, and up/down
so fast they were hard to find and get a cast to. one guide traveled
over 95 miles of water searching with no success. *the albies and
migrating bait were probably out closer to the gulf stream this year.
we caught a few...posted some photos on the facebook roff site...but not
enough to satisfy the greed in a a month's effort at it. *wind, weather,
and water conspired against us. of course, for me, it was way better
than the alternative of work at the office in groanville.

Any way to know (or even offer a reasonable guess) whether this is
just one of those things that happens sometimes, or if it hints at
something more sinister?

Either way, it sounds like you had a grand time. *Maybe it's time to
start thinking about retirement?

giles

lots of anecdotal guessing by others. *i've no idea if it's a
sustainability/ecosystem issue, or just a bad weather/water temp year. i
read a note on one of the guide's web pages written by a fellow from
virginia that has been coming to harkers for years. *his group has kept
records about their numbers of false albies caught from shore and from
boats each year. *not exactly scientific, but assuming they had normal
skill every year, it appears cyclical according to their data. some good
years, some bad. this was the worst i've seen in the few years i've been
after the fish. *water temps and winds drive the bait fish, which
attract the albacore. *the baitfish stayed down most of the month...and
we never saw the big schools up top. *my first year i got spoiled by
acres of baitfish schooled on top, with the albies slicing through them.
i caught one that took my fly in the air.

Well then, we hope you just had a bad year; not that we wish any such
on you.....but it's better than anticipating an eternity of bad years.

retirement?? *when you read (or learn of) my obituary you'll know i've
retired.

Hm.....

Another conundrum.

Minds, and yes, even circumstances, can change. We hope that if we
hear or read of your retirement you will, as did Mr. Clemens, arise
and report on the prematurity of the eulogy. :)

giles
not that there are too many dead people in this world.....there ain't
by half.....but there's always that niggling matter of selectivity.

tr
 

Joe the Elder offers
well retirement is not too bad---yesterday was my 81st birthday and I
have been retired for 26 years----lots of sailboat racing---trout
fishing including Alaska and New Zealand----golfing at most of the
strong courses in US---still playing a fair game of doubles tennis--
and watching at US OPEN and Wimbleton - now enjoying fishing from
kayak on salty backwaters of N.C.-----caught 4 speckled trout and two
nice flounder today-------

AND have enjoyed many great days with friends from ROFF---think I made
it thru seven claves !!!!

by the way Miller the reason there were no fish at Harker's island
this year the high water from Emily went up the creeks and when it
flooded back out all the oxygon was taken out o sea with the fish
following !!!! my expert tells me ??
I have written my obituary and wife is going to throw my ashes into
Snowbird creek and go over to Snowbird Lodge and order a FINE
boddle of wine !

Well hell--all this typying has mad me tired and it is 9:30 so I
better get to bed--

tr
 

On Nov 21, 8:02*pm, Injun Joe wrote:
Joe the Elder offers

well retirement is not too bad---

I wish I'd said that.

yesterday was my 81st birthday and I
have been retired for 26 years----

and that

lots of sailboat racing---

and that

trout fishing *including Alaska and New Zealand----

and that

golfing at most of the strong courses in US---

and that

still playing a fair game of doubles tennis--

and that

and watching at US OPEN and Wimbleton *-

and that

now enjoying fishing from
kayak on salty backwaters of N.C.-----

and that

caught 4 speckled trout and two
nice flounder today-------

and that

AND have enjoyed many great days with friends from ROFF---

ah.......been there.....done that.

think I made it thru seven claves !!

hell, I've avoided more than that!!

by the way Miller the reason there were no fish at Harker's island
this year *the high water from *Emily went up the creeks and when it
flooded back out all *the oxygon * *was taken out o sea with the fish
following !!!! my expert tells me ??

Um.....Emily's water broke?

EEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!! :(

I have written my obituary and wife is going to throw my ashes into
Snowbird *creek * and go over to Snowbird Lodge and order a FINE
boddle of wine !

Some might call writing one's own obituary presumptuous. Personally,
I think it only prudent.....so long as it is done in a timely and
suitably self-effacing fashion.

Well hell--all this typying has mad me tired and it is 9:30 so I
better get to bed--

Well, hell, it ain't even 8:30 here. You should move.....you'll live
longer! :)

giles
from the pragmatics desk.....um.....have wine glass, will travel.