Kudos to Ms Page Rogers for one of the best presentations ever. I must give you a little background of the nights events. Page’s day started around 3am Monday morning. She drove from the Rhody/Connecticut area to Bridgeport to take the ferry to Port Jefferson. There she was met by my good friend Jeff Becker of F. W. Engels Scissors Company and headed off to Orient Point to do some Albie fishing aboard Jeff’s 24 foot center console. Few fish were caught because of terrible seas, right out of Moby Dick. Jeff drove her back to the hotel around 4pm. Bruce Marin then picked her up around 5:30pm and drove her to the meeting, where Page first gave a great tying demo (we raffled off the flies she tied and donated so graciously). After about an hour of tying she began her Vinyard slide presentation. A great presentation for a very tired person. Those of you who missed Page this time around will get a second chance during the Y2K conclave where she will share the stage with Mr. Ed Mitchell.

Page at the table for the members at the Oct Meeting.

On another note, let me remind you that Nov.30^th is the new deadline for the photo contest, the winner of the half day spring charter will be announced at this years Christmas Party December 6, so get your entries in. Don't forget the Christmas raffle where the T&T Rod, Bauer Reel, and a Vise will be featured.

On a serious note, after some 16 years, club dues will be raised as of January 1^st 2000. In order to continue in our effort to provide the best service to our members, the dues like everything else in life are going up. Advertising rates in the newsletter will also see an increase. The new rates are posted in this issue.

The increases enable the board to continue to bring to the membership top rated presentations at our monthly meetings as well as a number of other events the Salties will be initiating, including a more active presence in saltwater flyfishing programs for kids and the community. These new rates ensure that the Salties remain solvent, productive, and grow with the sport in the years ahead.

Thanx

Frank

By Ron and Dotti Sullivan

Each year, Dotti and I eagerly await our fall trip to Martha’s Vineyard. This year we decided to avoid the "Derby Crush" and go a week earlier, September 9-16. Hopefully we could take advantage of the night fishing for stripers under the new moon, meet up with friends Don Avondolio and Ken Feryo and catch me my first albie!

Our first stop is always Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown. However, this year when we got off the ferry in Oak Bluff, we just couldn’t resist the bonito/albie blitz going on right under the ferry dock and grabbed our rods for our first lick at the albies before we even got to Larry’s!

The tackle shop’s new owner, Capt. Moe Flaherty, is also an island guide who graciously gave us the latest scoop on fishing locations and flies. We decided to fish from daybreak to about 5pm if the albie fishing was good. This would be a reprieve from the day/albie-night/bonito fishing of our past visits.

Stripers could be had in Menemsha Harbor via Menemsha pond and its flats each morning on sparse chartreuse clousers. You could expect action from daybreak through about 9 am. Bonitos averaged about 25" or so. We also had some very large stripers on the flats follow our flies all the way in only to turn away as we slowly lifted our rods for the next cast.

From there we fished Lobsterville Jetty and Beach Bowl for albies and bonitos for the rest of the day.

We found, however, that the Edgar Town Light House Beach in Edgartown Harbor was this year’s "hot spot" for bonito, albies, and Spanish mackerel. It was also where Dotti picked up her 34" striper at mid-day on a Mikkelson epoxy bait fish fly. The "fly of the week" by far was the Bonito Bunny in white but even better in chartreuse/white! The Bonito Bandit, a small white deceiver type, was also effective. At one point, 11 albies were caught, all on the white bunny fly! We found when releasing the albies that they were spitting up 6" white squid and apparently, the white Bonito Bunny looks to them like pieces of left over squid when the come around for another pass-thru!

Ron's first albie ever on Martha' s Vinyard this fall. The timing was right this year for a hurricane and a blitz.

The productive spot was the Gut at Cape Pogue if you were willing to be patient and wait for the albies to pass by. For us, the fishing there this year was very slow.

Early morning fishing was also good at the Big Bridge leading into Edgartown. During the day, albies, blues, stripers all run through between the jetties, but we found it difficult to hook up.

The retrieve for all our albie and bonito fishing was slow, erratic on an Intermediate clear line. Even a pause here and there was effective. The fast, furious hand over hand retrieve recommended to us years ago on Martha’s Vineyard is not nearly as productive as this slow erratic motion. Almost all albies were caught on a blind cast as they were not showing much on the surface this year.

Individual Membership $40.00

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Dues are payable at the beginning of the calendar year latest Feb 29, 2000.If not paid by the due date a $10 reinstatement fee will be assessed.

New members who join in the fourth calendar quarter are automatically paid in full for the following year.

Husband and wife/SO will only receive one copy of the newsletter and/or any mailings issued by the Club.

Business card insertions 12 months: $120.00

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Quarter Page 12 Months 150.00

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Full Page by special arrangement.

By Frank Abbate and Betty Anne Timmermann

17. The most obvious question would be when did you first get interested in fly-fishing?

1. In 1970, when I came back from Viet Nam. I had taken a friend of mine fishing and he brought along a friend of his, whose name was Butch Colvin. He was Cap Colvin’s son. We were out doing some fishing for weakfish with conventional tackle when a school of bluefish came along the surface. Butch went into the cabin of my dad’s 21ft. Grady White and brought out some fly rods. I said, "what in the world is this?" He explained that they were fly rods and he was going to use the fly rod on the blues. I told him I had always wanted to try that and he said he would show me. The next day Butch picked me up at my house at the restaurant and took me over to his father’s place in Seaside Park, Cap Colvin’s Tackle Store. That was when I bought my first fly rod and had my first lesson with Cap Colvin right in front of the store. I was hooked from that time on, and that’s where it all began.

17. The first fly tying sessions at your home in New Jersey have become legendary. In fact I believe the Atlantic Salt Water Fly Rodders came into existence because of the large number of people coming out to your house. What started the sessions in the first place?

1. Don Wall, a friend of mine, who was also a member of a club called The Salt Water Fly Rodders of America Chapter One Seaside Park had decided he was going to Black Lake or Long Lake up in New York State. He said he needed some bucktails tied onto his jigs, and asked me to tie them. I really didn’t want to do that, so instead I asked him over to the house and said we could tie together, since I had to get my stuff ready for the up and coming fall season anyway. He came over that Tuesday night and my wife made coffee, cake and some brownies. We had a good time and decided we would do it again the following week. So the following week there were a few more guys and the next week a few more. Word got around, and people started to invite other people, fly fishermen started coming out of the woodwork. They were eager for all the information they could get, from tying flies to stripping baskets.

17. So, it wasn’t a monthly get-together, it was weekly?

1. Yes, it was weekly.

17. When did it become a monthly meeting?

1. We tied at my house for about five years. By the end of that time we had as many as fifty-five people showing up at the house. They were cramped in everywhere; they’d be standing in the stairway leading up to the fly tying room; they were standing in the bathroom; they were in all the rooms. It just got to be too much and we realized that a lot of the people that came over never even got close to the fly tying bench. There were so many not getting anything from it. I decided it was time to start a club. I put together a list of guys, maybe ten or twelve guys that I thought would be helpful in creating a good, well rounded club, and with well rounded ideas. It worked out pretty good; we formed The Atlantic Saltwater Fly Rodders of Seaside Park. That was in 1992, and within a couple of months we had over 100 members.

17. At what stage in your career did you find the need to design the series that became known as "POP-FLEYES"?

1. When I first got started tying flies, I wanted to design a fly that I could call my own, something I could put my name on. I tried and tried to design a new fly or a new way of doing things, but nothing seemed to work for me. It wasn’t until I started to say, "well, I want to make a fly that I can’t find." I wanted a big fly, a large fly the size of a mature bunker. There were no synthetics at that time; fish hair wasn’t even out yet. I didn’t have anything longer than bucktail or some stubby feathers that I found packaged, they weren’t any good. I had no material of any length, so I couldn’t make a long fly on a standard hook. I decided to use monofiliment to extend the length of the shank of the hook. I put two vices about 18" apart and strung mono from one to the other. I found that I could tie a series of bucktail or feathers and just keep going the length of the mono until I had the length I wanted. I would do the fly in a series of steps. I would take a strand of mono and attach a series of white bucktail for the bottom, take another strand of mono and tie a series of multicolored bucktail for the top. For the center of the fly I would tie two pieces of hackle tips to mono and fork the end, and stick the mono through some mylar. I had a top, a bottom, and a center; I tied the ends of all three pieces together and brought it all up onto a hook shank. There I had my length; I finished the hook shank off with a tapered head of chenille and bucktail, finishing it off with glass eyes.

17. If you wouldn’t consider yourself the king of modern epoxy fly design, you could certainly be known as the crown prince. Run me through the process from: I need a more durable fly, to coming up with epoxy and silicone for your wool flies.

1. Epoxy was on my fly tying bench for the purpose of gluing things together, or making the heads of the flies more durable. I used it to glue the hooks inside of cork bodies for poppers. I used it to coat the threads on the heads of my fly instead of head cement or lacquer. Let’s say I’m using a Joe Brooks blonde. Sometimes it only took one blue fish to disassemble the fly. The mylar would frizz out or the bucktail would get bitten, the fly would become misshapen, even roll around on the hook. The head of the fly though, the part that was coated with epoxy, would stand up. It seemed durable. So, the epoxy was strong, and I thought why not do the whole shank, that would make it all durable. Maybe even hold it in the shape of a fish…. Although that was more an after thought. The primary reason was to make the entire fly more durable, and that’s what progressed over the years to what you all know as the epoxy fly or surf candy. The use of synthetics was very good, by learning that there were some translucent properties over certain materials, such as polar hair in the beginning and then ultra hair later on, and now super hair. I can get the fly to become more realistic. That allowed me to go a little further, to take it another step. At this point I keep taking it further and further just for the fun of it. Now they look totally different from the first ones.

17. What one person would you credit for helping you to bring the Pop-Fleyes series to the public?

1. Well, that would definitely be Ed Jaworowski. Back in 1990 or 1991 Ed wrote an article about my flies in The American Angler Fly Tier magazine.

In order to add to our archives and make our web page and newsletter more interesting, the first of two photo competitions starts now and will run until November 30, 1999. All members are invited to send their pictures to the club in any reasonable format up to 8" x 10"

In color. The winner will be selected by the officers of the club who will not be allowed to enter. Fish, water, equipment, boats, and flies are all fair game for this contest. The prize:

Submit entries with a note/caption to:

Joel B. Filner

345 East 57^th ST 2C

New York, NY 10022

Prints become the property of the Salty Flyrodders.

Montauk is slow for this time of year for the fly rodders. I have been picking about three fish a day, mostly albacore and blues. The bass I have seen are mostly smaller fish around the 25 inch range. There has been a big crab hatch up at Little Gull Island and along the North Fork, and the bass have been picking at them. I have been running the boat in the morning hours up at Gardiners, Little Gull etc, and then after lunch I head east to the Point. The activity on the albacore has picked up so there are a lot of opportunities to hook-up with our speedy visitors. I am using epoxies and very bright chartreuse clousers (no. 2 size hooks). The big bass are in off the point deep and the guys drifting eels are doing quite well, so think deep. The water temp is averaging in the 60's so that says it all.

By Alan J Evelyn, Conservation Chair

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which oversees commercial and recreational fishing in state waters of the Atlantic, its bays, and tributaries, voted on October 7th to reduce the total harvest of striped bass to help rebuild the fishery's stock, particularly of older fish, a move strongly supported by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

The commission voted 9 to 4, with one abstention and one "null" vote, to require states from Maine to North Carolina to implement measures to reduce by 14 percent the harvest of striped bass age 8 and older for the year 2001. If the FMP is not rewritten by Jan. 1 2001, states would have to impose further restrictions on the fishery - in all likelihood a 14 to 20 percent reduction.

The action was taken because, according to scientific data, striped bass have been over fished for the past three years. The target mortality rate for the fish - those landed and those that are caught, released and die- was exceeded in 1997 and 1998 and was expected to be surpassed in 1999. In 1998 - and expected in 1999 - the "over fished" target rate was reached.

Because of the over fishing, the population of larger striped bass - generally fish age 8 and older - has declined significantly. That decline is alarming because stripers don't start spawning until about age 8. The vote to reduce the harvest came after the commission voted 10-5 against maintaining the status quo in the fishery, a position sought by some other groups, New York Sportfishing Federation, Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and Jersey Coast Angler Association (JCAA).

In defending their support for maintaining the status quo in the fishery, a JCAA email stated that "This motion (14% reduction) is essentially smoke and mirrors. It allows New York and Massachusetts, which already harvests 43.7% of the coastal catch of 8 year old and larger fish, to get a reduction of only 14% because they have a one fish bag limit. I understand both of these states could have gone to two fish but they took a more conservative action by staying at one fish. But even with the one fish bag limit, they still harvest 43.7%."

"CCA took the lead in insisting that the ASMFC take action to protect the striped bass fishery for the year 2000 season," said Charles Witek III, chairman of CCA's Atlantic States Committee and CCA NY. "For CCA, the resource comes first: we're pleased that the commission took action to address the overfishing issue."

CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS SPONSORED EVENTS

REMINDER:: LIBBA's "Operation Holiday Spirit" Toy and Food Drive thruDecember 17th. For more information call the LIBBA Hotline: (516) 579-1344.

CONSERVATION FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Saturday November 6th: 1st Annual Last Chance Catch and Release Surf Tournament sponsored by CCA Brooklyn/Queens and Western Nassau County Chapters. Categories for Fly and Conventional targeting Bass, Blues, and others. The event will be held on the beaches of Fort Tilden in Rockaway New York. The tournament will run from 6:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The entry fee is $10 for CCA members and $25 for non members. Fee includes dinner and refreshments. Non members will receive a complimentary 1 year membership to CCA New York. For more information, please contact John McMurray at 516 422-4162 or E-mail: director@ccany.org.

Friday, November 19th ( NOTE DATE CHANGE) The Manhattan Chapter of CCA NY is hosting its annual Banquet and Auction. The event will take place from 6:30pm to 11:00pm at the Water Club on 34th and the East River in Manhattan. Jerry Kenny, Outdoor writer for the Daily news and Gus Savaros founder and president of the Water Watch Program and Foundation for Safe Boating will both be honored. Mr. Kenney has been writing an outdoors column for the Daily News for approximately 40 years. During his career as a writer Mr. Kenny has played an important role in educating the public on the merits of recreational fishing and has gotten more than a few youngsters as well as adults on their way to becoming sharpies. Mr. Kenny's column often stresses conservation and concerns about the health of our fisheries. Mr. Kenny's services to the outdoor community and the industry it supports are unparalleled.

Gus Savaros founder and president of the Water Watch Program and Foundation for safe Boating will also be presented with the Conservation Award. Mr. Savaros' Water Watch Program has helped curtail some of the poaching problems in NY and his Foundation for Safe Boating Program has gotten many disabled youngsters involved in the wonderful hobby of boating.

Ticket price (includes sit down dinner and open bar) will be $100 per person donation, off course all donations will be deductible to the extent allowed by law.  For tickets or more information, please contact John McMurray at 516 422-4162 or E-mail: director@ccany.org.

Saturday December 4th: CCA New York and New York Sportfishing Federation Fundraising Dinner to benefit the "Sportfishing Educational Center" in Babylon, New York. The event will take place at the Snapper Inn in Oakdale New York.  Ticket price (includes dinner and open bar) will be $100 per person donation, off course all donations will be deductible to the extent allowed by law.  For tickets or more information, please contact Alan Evelyn, home: (516) 256-0726, work: (718) 951 6522, work fax: (718) 951-4744 or by email: aevelyn@brooklyn.cuny.edu. or John McMurray at 516 422-4162 or E-mail: director@ccany.org.

Remember, if you want other conservation issues brought to the Salty's attention, please talk to me at the monthly meeting or contact me at: home (516) 256-0726, work: (718) 951 6522, work fax: (718) 951-4744 or by email: aevelyn@brooklyn.cuny.edu.

On November 20 & 21, 1999 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Somerset, New Jersey there will be a fly tying show advertised as the "largest fly tying event in the world." Notables scheduled to attend include Clouser, Gartside, Fullam, Swisher, the Borgers, Talleur, etc. There will be seminars, demonstrations and slide shows. Fifty exhibitors are booked.

For a complete brochure send a self addressed stamped envelope to:

International Fly Tying Symposium

Seven Springs Mountain Resort

Champion, Pa 15622

The DoubleTree Hotel is located just off I-287 at exit 10. Hotel phone is (732) 469-2600. The ad for this show was found in the autumn issue of Fly Tyer magazine and did not list the hours but about 10 am to at least 5-6 PM should be good. An information # was listed (814) 926-2676 (evenings) Admission is 12 bucks which includes parking. The entrance fee covers slide shows, demonstrations and seminars.

Bob Wasutta of Wego Fishing in Southold was a Vietnam Marine who was seriously wounded in combat, a mate and captain with a master's rating, a man whose hard work and fishing know-how turned a small bait and tackle shop into a must-make stop for Nor'east Saltwater anglers, and a man who was dedicated to promoting sportfishing on Long Island's North Fork. On October 12, Bob suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was taken to the Stony Brook University Trauma Center where he passed away early on Wednesday morning. He was 52 years old. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have called Bob Wasutta friend, are better off for having known him, and the world is skipping a beat now that he is gone.

Captain Ron Miller of the Sea Ducer died on October 13 from cancer. Ron was a pioneer of saltwater flyfishing in the Shinnecock Bay, and one of the first to successfully fish the flats for stripers and blues using the Florida bonefish stalking techniques. He was a long time member of the Salties, a supporting guide, and contributor. We will miss the man and his insight.

KENNY ABRAMES IS THE FEATURED SPEAKER AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING. BRING YOUR COPIES OF HIS NEW AND OLD BOOK FOR AUTOGRAPHS.

FLY TYING WILL BE CLOUSERS AND COLORS WITH JAIEM FLEISCHMANN. SEE YOU THERE.

From here on out fishing is the only thing on my mind, winter is close at hand and the thought of sitting home on a cold snowy day isn’t a pleasant one. By now every one of us should have had a shot at some of the little tunas, the occasional good size bass or bluefish. If you haven’t had your chance there is still time to catch the fish of the season but it will take planning and most of all persistence. The planning part will be as easier, the persistence is another matter. Let’s get started, there are some basics you’ve got to cover.

First of all you must find were the fish are showing and then what time of day are they feeding best; day, night, early morning or late in the afternoon. Even then the tide has to be considered; incoming, outgoing, halfway up or down? Bait is another consideration, what is out there to eat and do I have the right fly? Wow, so many questions and only the right answers will spell success! But don’t worry, there are answers and they can be found easily. For late season surf fishing I find that nighttime is not always the best, early morning to late afternoon has been very productive over the last few years. Afternoon striper blitzes along the Jersey shore were common place from mid-morning through the late afternoon time periods. There was plenty of bluefish action early in November and near the end of the month too, though they tended to be off shore and only boaters had the final shot at these fish. Big flies that imitate bunker and herring should be carried along with big sandeel patterns; the fish are looking for a meal and will eat just about anything that passes in front of them.

Fishing reports in the paper and on the Internet can get you started in your pursuit. Past experience will play an important part but if you are new to the game start here first. Next, call a couple of tackle shops mentioned in the articles. If you deal with a particular shop give them a call. Generally at this time of year things are slow because the tourist season is over and the hardcore anglers are fishing and only need the bare essentials. I find most tackle shops are run by honest people that want you to succeed. Just think of them when you need to buy some tackle, information gets better when they know you as a good customer. Late in the season Long Island seems to die off as the Jersey shore gets ready for the last big blast of fish. There are several tackle shops that will be glad to help but Betty and Nicks, in Seaside Park, really is top notch. Last year my fishing partner Jim Nutile and I were moving down the coast looking for fish. We started early in the morning and were coming up empty or just missing the fish. We called Betty and Nick’s on the cell phone (you just gotta love technology) and the lady on the other end gave us the info that a blitz was going on right now at the first bathing beach inside Island Beach State Park. Her husband had just called in from the beach with the report. Bang! Off we went and hit the tail end of the bass and bluefish blitz.

Salty Fly Rodders’ are a great source of information, these people are friendly and willing to help out if you need a hand. The "Old Guard" like Don Avondolio, Lou Rossi, and others have moved on but there are plenty of fishing fanatics in our club. Rino Bratelli, Jaiem Fleischman, our beloved President and Vice President and everyone else on the club list should be able to help you out or steer you in the right direction. The club trips that are scheduled are another great way to get in on the fishing, just make the effort.

Hook up with a guide. I’ve said this time and again but it really does pays off, they know their business! Now I know at this time of year most guides have pulled their boats or are booked up but you never know. Charlie Robinson and Glenn Mikkelson are shore guides that fish often and if things are happening they will know when and where. A call to the guides that have taken out ads in the newsletter could land you the fish of you dreams.

Like I said at the beginning, persistence will be a big factor. You just got to want that next fish on the end of your line. It may be cold or windy or just plain rotten out but you have to give it a shot. Don’t give up, you will have all winter to sit by the window and think about the next trip…….maybe down the Keys with Capt. Alan Finkelman past Salty President turned guide. Now that’s a plan!

Alan Evelyn, Conservation Chair, holds one of the cherished albies of this season on Dino Torino's boat.

By Frank Abbate

This is the time of the year when Herring and adult bunker patterns will be most widely used to entice fall gamefish. The Big Eyed Baitfish is generic in nature, but uses the deceiver as its foundation. Tied on a 4/0 to 6/0 hook and thrown with at least a 10 wt. Rod, that has enough backbone to bring a large fish to bay, this pattern will certainly do the trick.

Hook- 4/0 –6/0

Thread- white flat waxed nylon

Tail- wide saddle hackle in white and white long bucktail

Wing and underwing- brown and white bucktail

Underbody- pearl Bills Bodi Braid

Top wing- peacock herl

Flash- olive/yellow and silverflashabo pearl krystal flash

Eyes-41/2 yellow stickon

Tying instructions:

• Take a bunch of white bucktail and tie in at the bend of the hook to surround it. Take 6 wide saddle hackle and tie in on top of tie in point for bucktail. This will make a fuller silhouette and also add support to the hackle.
• Take a few strands of yellow flashabou and tie in on both sides of tail.
• Take a length of bodi braid and wrap halfway to eye
• Take another bunch of white bucktail and tie in on top and bottom of hook shank and continue to wrap towards eye of hook.
• Take a bunch of olive bucktail and tie in right behind hook eye followed by another bunch of white tied in as throat and collar.
• Apply a few strands mixed, with silver flashabou and pearl krystal flash.
• Add 6 to 10 strands of peacock hurl and apply stick on eyes.
• Epoxy head and eyes.

Just remember to slow down your casting tempo when fishing this fly and you will be surprised at the results.