Dad passed away
 

He lived to be 83. I feel funny posting this on the NJF site but it takes me to my roots of fishing.
He was born in England and always told me stories of how he would fashion a make shift hook and get some string to catch Grayling and Salmon as a kid. He said sometimes it was tough, you had to hang from the tree branches in order to catch the fish. I went to England one time with my father and he showed me a few of the great rivers, sure enough, the kids were loading up on Grayling. We lived in Pennsylvania for a while and he showed me how to sneak up on weary trout in the lime stone creeks and told me to present my bait as natural as I could. We would go camping at a huge quarry in Dutch Amish country. The lake was big, deep, and crystal clear. I remember getting up before anyone else and running down to the lakes edge and seeing giant carp in the shallows, big bass cruising the shoreline, and lots of trout and perch.
He loved his party boats. Going way back he fished the Piper, that sat where the Sea Devil sits now. I remember doing fluke trips with him, seemed like a few weakfish in the 5 to 6lb. range were always boated along with tons of fluke, I think his PB is 13 lbs !!! We fished the Big Marie S out of Belmar, he enjoyed the free hot dogs and the little trophies the captain would hand out to the kids, little plastic ones, but to a kid it was a big deal. As I got older he took me for mackerel., I remember wading knee deep in mackerel. As I got older yet, we did magic hour trips on the Norma K III , yes, burlap sacks would over flow with huge whiting and ling !!! We fished more, then he moved me up to bluefish, Miss Belmar, Capt. Bill Van just to name a few, using bingle bananas !! He took me on my 1st tuna trip on the Sea Devil (back then I think he was the only party boat going for tuna) Only a few tuna boated but we hit a wreck and I was banging 40lb+ Pollock on whole butters. He also fished on the Shamrock and Gambler for fluke..
Gonna miss him, he didn’t fish much as he got older but we always talked fishing, I gave him reports when ever I could, he liked that.

Re: Dad passed away
 

R.I P. Andy's dad.
Now I really know where you come from:)

Re: Dad passed away
 

Sorry for your loss....May he rest in peace...

Re: Dad passed away
 

Andy,

I'm sorry for your loss. Your write up says it all, my Dad turns 82 this year and if it weren't for him I may not be fishing today. He took me everywhere and spent most of the time setting me up and snapping pics of my catches, half the time he didn't even get a hook in the water! I fished the Passaic yesterday with my 23 year old son and even though we didn't catch anything it was great. I wish I could take my Dad out but his health doesn't allow it. I do make it a point to call him everyday after I get done fishing to tell him what I caught and bring up a memory of when we fished together. I'm so thankful for the time he spent to teach me the sport that hopefully my son will pass along to his kids. Fishing is still as magical to me now as it was when I was a kid thanks to my Dad.

Re: Dad passed away
 

Im sorry for your loss....RIP. I grew up and never really had a father at all, and now that I have a lil baby girl, I couldnt wait to be what I never had, a Daddy. I took her fishing for the first time to the "duck pond" near where I grew up(she's 3 1/2) and she caught her very 1st fish!! A lil bluegill... but the look and sound she made when it ate the worm and bounced that lil rod as she reeled it in....PRICELESS. "Daddy!! I got a fishy!!" I hope someday when Im gone she will have the same priceless memories of me...:) So I say to try to ease your pain...think of the joy you brought him when you were a small boy, and got your first "fishy". Again, sorry for your loss, and may he rest in peace..

Re: Dad passed away
 

Sorry brother, sucks, I know.

Like I said, anything you need, ask, done.

Re: Dad passed away
 

Sorry to hear of your loss Andy....Tough to fill the void of a guy like that but sounds like he led a very full life. Glad you have those memories to fall back on. Hang in there.

Re: Dad passed away
 

May he rest in peace Andy..

Re: Dad passed away
 

Sorry for your loss Andy.
Miss my dad too, gone 30 years this past Jan.

Re: Dad passed away
 

Sorry for your loss