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Hackensack River

I returned to the Hackensack River to look for more access points to the water.  I traveled
up near the dam.  Here the river looks lazy as it moves with the tide.

Looking south there is a small island.  I could not see any fish but there are no places to enter
the river here.  An earlier review of the maps showed  that there might be access near two
baseball fields.  So I walked several kilometers to the next town.

After a long thirst building walk, I was sweating a great deal.  I stopped and bought something
cool to drink. It felt good to sit and refresh myself.

I found there is access to the river near the baseball field.  It even has a boat launch.  A large
fish jumped out of the water on the left side.  In this area it could be a fresh or salt water fish
because it is tidal water.

Looking west across the river

By coincidence, there is another access point on the west side of the river.

It appears that there is shoreline access on the west bank too.

More access on the east side

I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few large carp under this floating debris.

Hackensack River Carp fly fishing

Brett Park today, just as the tide is going out.  The weather was beautiful.  The Hackensack
River is full with carp in this area.

There is a flat area here the only problem is the flat is soft; extremely soft.  Some maps
caution that the area has 45 mm of soft sinking mud.

It is dangerous to walk the flats without this information.  I have been making trips to this park
for several years and trying to find hard spots on the flats.  Without knowing where to walk
it is truly dangerous.

I like to sit and watch the flats here.  It is peaceful looking as the tide pulls the river out to sea.
But I came to catch carp.  So I put on my Orvis waders and got down to work.  The first few steps
felt solid.  As I reached the two meter mark, I began to sink into the mud.

At three meters out, the mud was at my knee!  This is what makes this area dangerous.  It
is very easy to loose footing and fall into the water.  Since the bottom is mud there is
almost no way to get back on ones feet.

Off in the distance the tide has already left the flats.  The only thing on the flats now are
small birds and slow moving turtles.

What appears to be a rock, in the lower left hand corner of the picture, is a big slow moving
turtle.

My waders after an hour

Closer look at the small birds of the flats.

The tide is completely out of the flats.  I was not able to walk on the flats beyond the
tree laying on it's side.

Fly Fishing

I intended to fish a river today but due to repair work being performed on New Jersey Transit train tracks.
I changed direction.  This lake is the first lake I fished to catch carp.  I fish here now when I want
to try different tactics and flies. 

It is a little hard to see but the ripple in the water is being made by a tailing carp.  Carp
were active this afternoon but only one fish was caught, by a fishing buddy.

Duck Pond Fishing

This is the most obscure place to fish that I have been to in the ten years I have been fly fishing.

There are no signs to guide you to  this destination.  In fact the only indication that you have
arrived at Duck Pond is an old train caboose.

If it had not been for the Google Satellite photo, I would not have believed Duck Pond
existed at all.

It is like an oasis in the middle of an industrial parks.  On all sides it is surrounded by factories
and offices.

These train tracks are parallel to the west side of the 3 acre pond. At the end of the tracks is a
red caboose.

 The caboose

I did manage to catch this Bluegill late in the afternoon.  I saw fish jumping in the center of the
pond too.

There are sunfish,catfish, bass and carp here.

While it took me a awhile to find this pond; it was a quiet, pleasant place to spend a summer
afternoon.

I saw several of these green apple trees and it made me think of an old ballad " Little Green Apples".

Fly Fishing Diamond Mill Pond

Another place to fish for the first time; The South Mountain Reservation.

The  park was designed by the Olmstead Brothers.  The same firmed that designed
and built Prospect Park and Central Park in New York City.

There are  pickerel, catfish, carp ,bass and it's  is stocked with trout several times each season.
Unfortunately, there is no aerator to prevent the growth of algae during the warm summer months.

Look at the forest.

About a kilometer north of Diamond Mill Pond is Campbell's pond.

I read somewhere that there may be smallmouth bass in here.

There was no wind the afternoon I fished Campbell's pond.

I was surprised that no fish were taking flies on the surface.

South Mountain Reservation, covering 2,047.14 acres (8 km²), is a nature reserve that is part of the Essex County Park System in northeastern New Jersey. It is located in central Essex County, New Jersey, within portions of Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange, and borders South Orange, between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains.^[1]
Carved from wilderness at the end of the 19th century, designed by Olmsted Brothers, and developed over a few decades, the reservation has changed only slightly through the years. Preserved primarily in its wild state, woodlands abound in a variety of hardwood trees, and tall hemlocks tower above streams, creeks and ponds, and waterfalls. Higher points offer vistas of New York and Jersey City skylines, Elizabeth, Union Township, and Staten Island

Clarks Pond Fly Fishing

I'm trying to fish as many new places as possible this season.  This water is called Clarks Pond.

The water was murky and except for two carp jumping in the center of the pond there was
no indication of any fish activity.

Access is limited to the west side of the pond,  I estimate that less than half of the water
can be fished from shore.  The rest of the shoreline borders on private property.

Two ducks feeding below the dam.

Whatever is here, the ducks like it,

I was able to catch a few bluegills and green sunfish.

They all took a #12  black stalking bug.