Personality Profile

NICK CURCIONE

By Frank Abbate, Jr. and Elizabeth Anne Timmermann

This month Nick Curcione agreed to share his wit and wisdom with the club. Nick is a great supporter of the Saltys and we welcome him home to his "birth waters".

  1. I know you now reside in California. I believe you were born and spent your early childhood in New York, is that correct?

  1. Yes.

  1. On what coast did you catch the fishing bug?

  1. Right here on the East Coast. I did my first fishing in salt water, I would go with my uncles out of Port Chester and we would fish the local sound, especially Captains Island. We would use a hand line and be catching Fluke, Flounder and Porgies. It was the best! I used to fish Rye pier and occasionally sneak into the local reservoirs.

  1. At what age did you first pick up a fly rod, and was it in fresh water?

  1. It was in salt water and I actually started with a fly rod when I moved back to New York. I took a job at The City University of New York and in 1970 I met some of the guys from the CT Salt Water Fly Rodders. Lou Tabory, Johnny Posh and others. I would say I started in 1970, I was living in NY. but fishing in CT.

  1. Did you ever fish in fresh water?

  1. Yes, but I don’t do much of it. About 90% of my fishing is done in salt water. I used to do a lot of large mouth bass fishing when I was living back here with a fly rod. I’d go for Pike up in Saskatchewan, I have been to Alaska a few times mainly for Salmon. That’s about it for my fresh water fishing.

  1. On what coast do you see more of an involvement with salt-water fly-fishing, and why?

  1. No doubt the East Coast hands down. Maybe because the fishing is so much better here. I mean hey! Piasano, why else would I be leaving my job and coming back here, it’s not for the pepperoni….. I have been in most places in the country and the East Coast has a fantastic inshore fishery by comparison. It’s almost nil in Southern California. I also think that you have more involvement here because you have an off season. This is just speculation on my part but maybe because people don’t have the opportunity to go out and fish in the dead of winter they like the camaraderie element of the sport. Maybe just getting together with other people who share similar interests, preparing for the up and coming season. I think reviewing what you did last year, the expectations for what’s coming down the pike; all these things facilitate people getting together. You have much more tradition here on the East Coast. It is a much more settled area as compared to the quote, "Wild West."

  1. I know that Surf Perch and Corbina are much sought after game fish on the West Coast, what other species do you target?

  1. Again the inshore fishery unfortunately is not what it was. I had one of the best Bonito fisheries in the world right in Kings Harbor, Redondo Beach, my backyard. That is a shadow of what it was, although there are times you can still get some good bites on Bonito. These are all inshore fish but for most of them you would need a boat for access. The other popular species we have are Pacific barracuda, kelp bass (commonly known as calico bass) and yellowtail which is very similar to amberjack. You do have protected waters like Newport Bay, Huntington Harbor, and San Diego Bay, but most of the fishing is along open coast so you really need a boat. From the beach Barred Perch and Corbina would be two of the most prominent species. They did catch some nice Striped Bass up to 15 lbs. in Ventura County, which is a little North of Los Angles County.

  1. How does West Coast salt water fly fishing tactics differ from East Coast as far as tackle and flies?

  1. I don’t think there are any radical differences. On the West Coast we use shooting heads and fast sinking lines to a greater extent than you do here, but again that’s due to the nature of our fishery. Even off shore for Yellowtail or Yellowfin Tuna, where we have to cast fairly wide expenses of water a shooting head makes that easier. You get more distance generally than you do with a full line. Most of our action is sub-surface; this is one of the attractions for me to be here on the East Coast. The Striped Bass and the Bluefish will take a lot of surface offerings; we really don’t have that much opportunity for that on the West Coast. In Baja when I fish the Dorado I can take a lot of those fish on poppers. Aside from the line, the size of the outfits is basically the same. I tell people that a good all around rod for Southern California salt water fly- fishing inshore is an 8 or 9 weight, so it’s all pretty much the same. You don’t see people using stripping baskets to the extent that you do on the East Coast, but again that is because most people aren’t doing that much shore fishing, they are fishing off a boat. Only when you see guys fishing the surf will you see stripping baskets coming into play.

  1. You have been a prolific writer for magazines and you have a book out that you did for Orvis. Do you have any plans to do a video or maybe another book?

  1. I’ve got four books out thus far. Two were on long- range fishing, Hot Rail and Doing It Standup Style. My first on fly fishing was the "Orvis Guide To Saltwater Fly Fishing. " I am currently working on a documentary of my fly fishing experiences, entitled, Tug-O-War. I think I’d like to do some videos in conjunction with my friend Bob Popovics. He has turned out to be a real Cecil B. DeMille with a camera; he does a lot of great videos. I will definitely be moving back to the East Coast and Bob and I have talked about the possibility of doing some videos together.

  1. How important is the equipment for a novice in learning the fundamentals and correct techniques of fly-casting?

  1. I would probably put less emphasis on the equipment than I would on proper instruction and practice. Buying more expensive tackle is not going to make you better. That is a common fault we all have. I think if I get a more sophisticated computer it’s going to make me a better writer…no, it doesn’t. Today all the major manufactures are putting out really decent equipment. For example, with fly rods from a major manufacture, I don’t think you have to worry about buying a dog. The most important thing is to make sure the tackle is balanced, and something I cannot stress enough…instruction from someone who is really qualified. There are always folks standing around more than willing to give advice but they may not know what they’re doing. Bear in mind that just because someone can cast, doesn’t mean that they can teach. Good instruction is very important, but you also have to have the willingness to go out and practice.

  1. What is your take on the vast commercialism of fly- fishing and what effects do you suppose it will have on the sport?

  1. I guess I’m ambivalent about it, on one hand you hate to see your favorite stretch of water becoming inundated by legions of fly-fishers. I guess that is inevitable. But as a writer I’m as guilty as anybody else for promoting it. On the other hand I really love to see people get into it, especially kids. The enjoyment level is good for the sport. One thing that I really loath is the people that have never done any other kind of fishing. Fly-fishing is their first experience with fishing as a sport. And I must say some of them adopt a holier than thou attitude, by looking down on those who use spinning and conventional tackle. I don’t like that kind of image thing. For the same reason I’m not into tournaments. I learned that a long time ago from Lefty Kreh. I know that it can be used for promotional purposes but it tends to bring out the worst in some people. I don’t think that adds to the betterment of the sport.

I know that a lot of women are taking up the sport. You don’t have to be some big, strong jock to fly cast. There’s more finesse involved than sheer strength. And I don’t think I’m being sexist when I say that there are many women who have an aversion for handling bait, something you don’t have to do in fly fishing. Myself, I do it because I like it that’s it! If you don’t like it, don’t do it, do something else.

  1. Stepping back a moment who were some of the writers in the sport that you grew up reading and why?

A- As a kid I read Joe Brooks. I read Stu Apte, who really sticks out, in my mind. When I lived in NY I was probably a short step from the penitentiary. I had an aunt who was a Liberian in White Plains. She was the first to turn me on to books. I started reading stuff like Hemmingway and Zane Grey. Well, I was hooked on books; this really turned me on. I would have to say Hemmingway, Zane Grey and Stu Apte. Stu Apte and I are contemporaries today but here is a guy that is a living legend, I love him and I remember reading all his early articles. Stu is what? 68, 69? And I’m not telling how old I am.

  1. What kind of advice would you give to someone just getting involved in fly fishing?

A- The bottom line is to have fun, not to become frustrated. For most people it is not something that you pick up in a couple of hours. To be able to fly fish you have to be able to cast under a variety of circumstances and that takes practice. Do not let yourself get bummed out if your casting is not what you would like it to be. We have enough going on in our lives to give us agada. For you non-Italian folks that means heartburn. My girlfriend thought it meant angina. I told her, oh no, if you have enough agada it leads to angina.

 ave enough going on in our lives to give us agada. For you non-Italian folks that means heartburn. My girlfriend thought it meant angina. I told her, oh no, if you have enough agada it leads to angina.