Inside view of the carbon fiber Vivarelli

Inside view of the Goldstar

Inside view of the ATP 37 alum..

Inside view of the Bold




 I came across this article about the JMC semi automatic fly reel being used for nymphing as well as dry fly. It is relatively inexpensive (99.00€).  These reels are made from graphite and are NOT the same as the heavy automatic fly reels of 30 years ago.  The JMC reel is rated for five weight fly line.


The Czech junior team tested JMC semi-automatic reels during the World Championship in Slovakia.
This year, the Czech junior team received a set of semi-automatic JMC reels from the company Flyfishingpoint, to help them improve at the World Championships in Slovakia.

These reels do not have handles for reeling the line, but rather a lever parallel to the rod which winds the line with the help of springs - similar in principle to a wind-up toy car. They come with the same braking mechanism as a classic fly reel, and can be used for both dry and wet-fly fishing as well as for classic and French-leader nymphing. In most configurations, they can of course also be used for lake fishing.

For most dry and wet-fly fishing, a constant fly line length is usually used in order to systematically fish the whole river current. When retrieving a fish, the line is pulled in by hand (the reel's springs aren't strong enough to pull in the fish), and after landing the fish a few slight touches on the lever rewinds the line into the reel. While wading to a referee, the line doesn't get in the way or get dragged behind. Reeling with the lever is about three-times as fast as reeling with a handle, which can play a major role in competition. The winding speed is constant, and can be controlled by the number or length of lever presses.

In classic nymphing, this reel is similarly useful. For French nymphing, various cast lengths rather than constant line length are generally used. Slack in the line is reeled in with just one finger on the lever, something not possible with normal reels which require the second hand for winding.

The one minor disadvantage of this reel is that the lever may bother some fly-fishers. Some of the Czech juniors took a while to get accustomed to it, but afterwards praised the ease of use, which contributed to them taking home the title of World Champions!

The Best Semi Automatic fly reels

I'm doing an update on the information I posted a few years ago about Semi Automatic fly reels.
There is a great deal of interest in these reels.  The reels are still not fully understood.
Most anglers think that they are the same reels popular about thirty years ago but these new reels do not
have a large spring inside.   They have drag adjustments and removable spools.  In addition to their
ability to hold heavy fly lines; there is more room for backing. I'm posting this new report so that anglers can see what is available.

I have used semi automatic fly reels for about ten years.  I have never lost a fish because I use a
semi automatic fly reel.  They do work.  Part of the reason for writing this second article is that I still
see reports stating that there are deficiencies in semi automatic fly reels.  I've had fly shop personnel claim
that the Thinkfish Bold is made with plastic.  The unknowing claim that these reels simply can not
deal with big powerful fish.  However, my blog shows just the opposite in ponds, lakes and rivers.
The semi automatic fly reels are efficient and well made reels which hold adequate backing.

Fly fishers have more reason to take a serious look at semi automatic fly reels.  They are not bulky
 or heavy.  Many competitive anglers use the semi automatic fly reel because they allow for fish to be played from the reel; which is important when dealing with  fish like carp or bass.  Hand striping in a fish has it's limits.  Most semi automatic fly reels revolve four to five times each time the lever is squeezed.  That means you have an advantage when you bring in a fish; whether you have a large arbor reel or not.

Classically trained fly fisher feel that they will loose the "feel" of fishing by putting the fish on the reel
but the semi automatic gives you the option of being able to do both.  This reel allows the fly fisher to play and net the fish using just your two hands.

The innovative semi-automatic BOLD reel by Thinkfish offers ultra fast pick up of loose line singlehandedly, without interrupting the fishing action. Ideal for all trout fishing - either chasing rising fish on a lake, or moving fast along the river bank.   Made in Spain.

Click here to view the BOLD in real-time fishing action!

• Large Arbour capacity up to AFTMA 7 weight line
• Hyper-ventilation allowing lines to dry quickly
• Fast and functional feed-out system
• Polished carbon steel line guide
• Mixed cone multi-disc drag system

The ATP 37 reels are available in 2 sizes to fly fish up to the line weights 2 - 5 and 5 - 7.   The 7-level drag adjustment is on the outside of the spool and can be easily adjusted at any time. The lever for fast line intake is anatomically shaped and is space-saving retractable. Each reel comes with an easily replaceable spare spool. One spool is a large arbor -  capacity: WF7F + 100yds. (#20) Backing .
The ATP 37 alum  is  precision machined from anticorodial aluminum bar and comes with an extra spool and a leather case. Cost: approx $600.00 . The ATP 37 comes in an all graphite model which is affordable at about $150.00 and can be purchased online. The ATP 37 has a lifetime warranty.  Made in Italy.

The Franco Vivarelli  Goldstar is precision machined entirely from anticorodial aluminum bar.  The polishing
and subsequent, anodizing guarantees resistance to corrosion.  Just one pull of the lever with your casting hand will pick up your slack line.  Mechanical parts are manufactured from stainless steel, brass, and aluminum alloy.   Completely anodized for guaranteed corrosion strength even in salt water. Line capacity up to WF 8F+ 100 m. micro backing  Weight 162 g.   Made in Italy.

The mid-arbor FULGOR fly reel by Peux is highly regarded in Europe as the best semi-automatic fly reel because it reaches perfection. The lever operation in the front brings an amazing retrieval speed to pick up the slack line (one squeeze brings back over 2 metres of line), while as an option it is possible to still have a conventional handle located on the spool allowing you to play a fish like usual. But it’s not only this that makes the reel so special, there is the precision of its mechanism with a sound that inspires quality, and a smooth and progressive teflon drag system. The FULGOR fly reel’s design is purely functional, turned in the highest grade of aluminium making it light, scratch and shock resistant. This combination of elements makes for a brilliant reel and trying it is like discovering for the very first time the drive of a luxury car.

Semi automatic carbon fibre reel. Mechanical parts manufactured from stainless steel and bronze. Push button releases the spool. The Franco Vivarelli reel in carbon fiber, the great classic of the collection. Extremely light and perfectly balanced. Acting on the rod attachment, it is possible to regulate the position of the lever in base of the grip.  Line capacity up to WF 6F Weight 103 g.   Made in Italy.

Rear view of the ATP 37 alum.

Rear view of the Goldstar

Rear view of the Fulgor

Rear view of the Carbon fiber

Front view of the semi automatic fly reels

I've taken carp and pike with four of the five reels shown; so they are sturdy.  I even used
the Goldstar to catch a striped bass (30+ inches).  The Fugor has taken salmon.

Bold showing the drag adjustment

Carp Flats Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing for Carp and GC by Missouriflies.com

Carp Pellet fly: How to spin deer hair

Northern Pike

by Ron Jacobsen
Fisheries Technician
February 14, 2013

There was a time when New Jersey anglers would have to travel to places north and west, such as Minnesota and the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba to find good northern pike fishing opportunities. Today, thanks to the efforts of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, anglers can enjoy superb pike fishing close to home. Currently, successful pike fisheries exist in nine water bodies including the Passaic River. The Passaic receives 2,200 six-inch fingerling pike each year. It also receives additional surplus pike, ranging from two to four inches, due to its miles of winding river. They are now well-established over much of the river's course as evidenced by angler reports. The Passaic River borders or runs through seven different counties, flowing through relatively remote wilderness flood plains as well as densely populated urban areas. It offers both challenging and easy pike fishing opportunities for anglers of every level. Much of the river from Chatham to Fairfield is accessible only by canoe or kayak. However, many city riverside parks are havens for shore-bound anglers.

A 45-inch, 20-pound Passaic River Pike Click to enlarge

Popular fishing methods are casting large spinners and jigs, and also floating shiners under bobbers. Anglers may keep two northerns per day provided they measure at least 24 inches in length.

Stocking fingerling pike in the Passaic Click to enlarge

It has taken years of searching roads, bridge crossings and parks to find good access to the river's banks for stocking. Pike are now stocked at more than 25 locations from the Lower Chatham Bridge at the Morris-Essex County line to Pennington Park in Paterson. Locations from Hawthorne to Garfield, above the Dundee Dam on the Bergen County side of the river, are also stocked. To explore the uppermost Passaic River pike-stocked area, small watercraft can be launched at the McCormick Bridge off South Orange Avenue, Livingston, and at the Swinefield Bridge near the intersection of Eagle Rock Avenue and River Road in Morris County. The Great Piece Meadow Natural Area stretch from Horseneck Bridge Road downriver to Two Bridges Road has consistently produced large pike for anglers fishing from kayaks. Anglers have reported catching pike weighing up to 20 pounds and measuring into the low 40-inch range.

Motorboats can be launched at John Suchorsky Park in Little Falls Township. This location has limited parking and shoreline access to the river. Pennington Park in Paterson (park will be closed in 2013 for renovation) offers an expansive shoreline from which to fish. There is a boat ramp at Memorial Park in Fairlawn, and riverside fishing and boat launching is possible off River Road in Elmwood Park near the town's high school. NOTE: The Passaic River is prone to flooding so watercraft fishing trips should be limited to times of normal flow.
Although not stocked upriver of the Lower Chatham Bridge or below the Dundee Dam, which spans the Passaic between Clifton and Garfield, northern pike have been reported caught at numerous locations outside of that range. Recent reports have been received from anglers who have caught pike upriver at Berkley Heights and downriver at Belleville.

The division's Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery began rearing northern pike in 1981 with eggs obtained from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. However, it was not until completion of the hatchery's new intensive culture system in 2000 that large numbers of northern pike fingerlings were reared. Northerns prefer cooler, vegetated reaches of larger waterbodies of at least 100 acres in size. In New Jersey, this limits opportunities to a few select waters in the northern and central portions of the state. Under the guidance of state fisheries biologists, introductions of northern pike were attempted in fifteen waterbodies from 1981 to 1996 with fisheries eventually establishing in Budd Lake, Cranberry Lake, Deal Lake, Farrington Lake, Millstone River, Pompton Lake, Pompton River, Spruce Run Reservoir and the Passaic.

The author with broodstock pike Click to enlarge

New Jersey's northern pike program is self-sufficient and is sustained by maintenance stocking of hatchery reared fingerlings. The Division does not rely on out-of-state sources for eggs. Each year staff from the Hackettstown hatchery collects broodstock, large adult fish, during March and April from New Jersey lakes for spawning. Eggs are fertilized, hatched and the fingerlings reared to stockable size (normally 6 inch average) at the hatchery. The adult broodstock are returned to their lake of origin after the spawning process. (See the Hackettstown Hatchery Broodstock Collection articles for details.)
If you want to enjoy exciting northern pike fishing close to home, the Passaic River is the waterway of choice. Obtain some maps and explore the possibilities. To assist the division in managing this exciting fisheries resource, please e-mail reports of Passaic River pike catches, including location, size and weight (if known) to: Mark Boriek at Mark.Boriek@earthlink.net.
Get out and experience another of the great fishing opportunites New Jersey has to offer.

Parks with Ponds on Staten Island

Lake Ohrbach

I have not  fished this lake in a few years but it is on my "to do list" this year.

Only Staten Islanders fish this lake on a regular basis and it is a gem.  This is a quiet
lake with few people fishing when it is open to permit holders in the spring.

Since it belongs to the Boy Scouts, a permit is needed to fish here and the permits are limited.

At it's deepest point it is 16  feet deep.  Wading is permitted.

It is known for it's big Large mouth bass and trophy size pickerel!

I made these " flies" by gluing small soft baits to bass hooks.  I have caught a number of
fish with this; including white perch, bass and panfish.


The 65-year-old Lake Ohrbach covers approximately 17 acres of the 143-acre Pouch Camp facility, which is actually an entity that is separate from the surrounding Greenbelt.
A secret treasure of the West Shore, most residents aren't the least bit familiar with it.
Formerly Flagg Pond, the lake was renamed when the now-defunct Ohrbach's department store funded a man-made dam in the early 1940s.
The blockage allowed the flow from adjacent ponds -- Hourglass, Pump House and Long, to name a few -- to turn the shallow swimming hole into a body of water with some real body to it.
On the outskirts, the lake consistently runs from 3 to 7 feet deep, but averages out anywhere from 7 to 11 near the middle. The lowest trench bottoms out at about 16 feet.
Fishing is the main attraction here with bass, pickerels, catfish, freshwater eels, crappies and sunfish swimming beneath the surface. And the floating docks provide an ideal spot for 125 prospective anglers.
Why that amount? Because the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America only make that many permits available to fisherman prior to the season.
Scouts and YMCA campers make up the largest portion of the near 40,000 people who enter the gates each year. They have the distinction of being allowed to take advantage of the safe zone for swimming in the summer months, as well as canoeists and kayakers.
Overlooking Ohrbach are not only a portion of the camp's 52 leantos, but also Berlin Lodge. Named after legendary composer Irving Berlin who donated all the proceeds of "God Bless America" to the New York Scouts, the meeting hall is deserving of its serene location.
Senior Camp Ranger Gil A. Schweiger cares yearlong for the entire facility and often treks up and down the blue and yellow trails around Ohrback. Despite being partial to warmer weather, he admits that the chill of autumn adds a whole new dimension to the lake.
"It's a great place in the fall when the colors change. It's just incredibly beautiful."