BY MARK J. CZERWINSKI
The Record
STAFF WRITER
PARAMUS — Frank DeMarco already is a veteran angler. So are Jim Martinelli and Jay Logan.
Sure, they know all about fly fishing for trout. They'd seen others do it plenty of times over the years, and they were definitely intrigued.
But until they signed up for the beginners fly fishing course offered by members of the East Jersey chapter of Trout Unlimited, they were outsiders, uninitiated in one of the most enduring rites of spring.
That all will change when the New Jersey trout season opens Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Even though they've only just started the class, all three know their April fishing experiences never will be the same again.
"This is really the sport end of fishing," said DeMarco, 61, who lives in Wayne. "I've always liked to fish, but this is different."
"I had a little taste of it last summer," said Martinelli, 46, of Saddle Brook. "But it's like golf. You can do it, but if you want to be any good, you have to take a couple of lessons."
One of the class assignments over the next couple of weeks is to go fishing, and like the rest of the state's trout chasers, these guys won't have a hard time finding a place to do their homework.
The state has been stocking trout in designated lakes, ponds and rivers since March 22, and nearly 600,000 fish will be added to these waters by the end of spring. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that trout-fishing participation is up by more than 21 percent over the past five years, and the ranks of fly fisherman are about to swell a little more.
"I've been wanting to learn how to do this for a long time," said Logan, 49, who lives in West Milford and hopes to visit the Pequannock River sometime in the next week. "About a year and a half ago, I bought myself a fly rod, but I never did anything with it.
"Last year for Father's Day, my family got me a fly setup. When I saw the article about these classes in The Record — boom — I was in."
The members of East Jersey Trout Unlimited are dedicated anglers who know the North Jersey trout-fishing scene inside and out. They are good and patient teachers who enjoy passing this art form on to other anglers, and the group of instructors even includes former students back to help out.
The classes began last month at West Brook Middle School in Paramus, and run for seven weeks, three hours each Tuesday. The first two sessions made a big impact on the students, who seem hungry for more.
"What I've learned is that I don't want to miss any classes," Logan said. "I want to learn it all. About the bugs. Reading the water. All of it."
"I started with the fly-tying classes over the winter," Martinelli said. "They say once you move away from bait and become a fly fisherman, you never go back to worms and a lure. After this, worms and splitshot seem prehistoric."
The class already has learned the mechanics of casting, so students know enough of the basics to take advantage of everything April has to offer.
Sure, they know all about fly fishing for trout. They'd seen others do it plenty of times over the years, and they were definitely intrigued.
But until they signed up for the beginners fly fishing course offered by members of the East Jersey chapter of Trout Unlimited, they were outsiders, uninitiated in one of the most enduring rites of spring.
That all will change when the New Jersey trout season opens Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Even though they've only just started the class, all three know their April fishing experiences never will be the same again.
"This is really the sport end of fishing," said DeMarco, 61, who lives in Wayne. "I've always liked to fish, but this is different."
"I had a little taste of it last summer," said Martinelli, 46, of Saddle Brook. "But it's like golf. You can do it, but if you want to be any good, you have to take a couple of lessons."
One of the class assignments over the next couple of weeks is to go fishing, and like the rest of the state's trout chasers, these guys won't have a hard time finding a place to do their homework.
The state has been stocking trout in designated lakes, ponds and rivers since March 22, and nearly 600,000 fish will be added to these waters by the end of spring. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that trout-fishing participation is up by more than 21 percent over the past five years, and the ranks of fly fisherman are about to swell a little more.
"I've been wanting to learn how to do this for a long time," said Logan, 49, who lives in West Milford and hopes to visit the Pequannock River sometime in the next week. "About a year and a half ago, I bought myself a fly rod, but I never did anything with it.
"Last year for Father's Day, my family got me a fly setup. When I saw the article about these classes in The Record — boom — I was in."
The members of East Jersey Trout Unlimited are dedicated anglers who know the North Jersey trout-fishing scene inside and out. They are good and patient teachers who enjoy passing this art form on to other anglers, and the group of instructors even includes former students back to help out.
The classes began last month at West Brook Middle School in Paramus, and run for seven weeks, three hours each Tuesday. The first two sessions made a big impact on the students, who seem hungry for more.
"What I've learned is that I don't want to miss any classes," Logan said. "I want to learn it all. About the bugs. Reading the water. All of it."
"I started with the fly-tying classes over the winter," Martinelli said. "They say once you move away from bait and become a fly fisherman, you never go back to worms and a lure. After this, worms and splitshot seem prehistoric."
The class already has learned the mechanics of casting, so students know enough of the basics to take advantage of everything April has to offer.
"This is real fishing," DeMarco said. "It's so much more fun. It's so much more rewarding."
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