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Friday, April 7, 2023

Parking Grab Protested

Published in Bernardsville News: 

TO THE EDITOR:

In America, a tradition of access to public parks is long-standing; to the contrary, fishing access for British anglers is stringently the privilege of the rich with access to private lands. The irony is that the brilliance of Izaak Walton, author of The Compleat Angler—listed in the Western Canon of literature—came from a nation where fishing is elitist. Here in America, we’re restricting fishing and making it elitist! Anyone who buys a fishing license, or is exempt by age, always has been able—and should be able—to fish. The American tradition is, however, threatened today, and in Bedminster, people by the hundreds will lose valuable trout fishing spots along U.S. Highway 202/206. Recently, the elimination of parking near the pond was discussed at a Bedminster Township Committee Meeting.  

Once New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife learns that public access to the AT&T entry and exit stretch of the North Branch Raritan River is limited, they will stop stocking trout there. No fish get stocked where anglers don’t go. The AT&T stretch is not far downstream of Bedminster Pond. (The pond situates along the river.) Any argument that anglers can take the walkway in from River Road Park is a red herring. Pequest Hatchery will learn that drastically fewer people find their way to where they would put the fish—and stop stocking them there. Otherwise, what fisherman would protest, knowing he could simply walk a few hundred yards longer to a river full of trout no one else is fishing for?

Loss of access is happening elsewhere in New Jersey. Nationwide, such loss means the American nation is becoming something else—not American. It is too early yet to know if public space will become limited to the privileged to such degree as to eliminate needed recreation for millions of people, but loss of public access anywhere should be alarming.

Two stocking points on the South Branch Raritan River will be lost this spring. Merrill Creek Reservoir recently adopted restricted hours on public access. Hakihokake Creek in Milford, New Jersey, has lost access at two former stocking points. None of these measures, nor that discussed at the Bedminster Township Committee Meeting, have to do with safety hazards. The highway near Bedminster Pond has a very wide breakdown lane, and in addition to that, the gravel parking space beyond the pavement has plenty of room for safe parking and backing up. For decades, people have parked and gone fishing without any accidents occurring.

The Hike and Bike Trail came into existence long after people had been fishing the AT&T stretch and the pond. None of the many of us who remember when fewer people came through has ever been unwelcoming to joggers, bikers, dog walkers, and the like along the trail, even though they crashed the party that was underway long before the trail was extended and paved. We anglers have never presumed to keep the river only to ourselves, but we will never give up the value of our experiences at the AT&T stretch and Bedminster Pond.  

Bruce Edward Litton

Thursday, April 6, 2023

South Bound Brook


Went to Scotch Plains to try selling a coin. I got there at 3:52. The store supposedly closes at 4:00. I was just waved off, but I quickly reasoned that I'll get a better price if I'm not running in to beg for time. I might have to wait until I retire. Just can't schedule it. I'd sell it on Ebay, anyhow, but the dime is in such poor condition, I need an expert to judge the mint mark. 

No big deal, but numismatics aren't only about keeping.

From there--82 degrees out--it took me 50 minutes in heavy traffic to arrive in South Bound Brook. I did find some six or seven feet of water, I think. Maybe if I only wanted a bass, I should have stayed there with hopes of hooking one as it headed upstream.

Got my big paddletail snagged but pulled it free. 

I backtracked to Island Farm Weir. Felt as if I had a better shot there. Not so sure now, but I cast my heart out, hoping to hook a striper over 28 inches so my wife could cook a novel dinner. 

Lost my big paddletail to something in the water. The fast water there below Island Farm Weir eats lures. I switched to a smaller paddletail and kept retrieve speed fast, allowing the jig to dip down on occasion--careful about that. 

Millstone River




 

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Encounter with a Brown Trout


Got this year's permit, and took a shot of Echo Lake. Then I got in a little trout fishing before I fixed my squareback canoe.

I had wandered down to the stream with my camera. Gazed into gin-clear water from an elevated stance. The pool looked really nice. Three, four feet deep. Rocks. Plunge at the head. 

I didn't see any trout. 

Satisfied with my search, I was about to turn away, when suddenly, like a website pop-up as you reach for the X in the top right corner of a laptop screen, I saw a subdued flash like a knife blade a split second before the water splashed.

I kept still and searched the bottom of the pool. There it was. A brown fully eight inches long if not a little better.

I got my two-weight and worked a bead-head repeatedly, but nothing happened. 


I saw Brian Cronk minutes later. He said I should have used a stonefly pattern. Noted that as something to buy.


Wild and Native Trout  

Elimination of Parking at Bedminster Pond

Notice width of breakdown lane.

I won't say much about it. Too depressing. I put my all into my TO THE EDITOR letter soon to be published in Bernardsville News. Perhaps I'll publish that in the blog later this week.

None of us would believe what they claim about this situation. That they're doing it to protect us. That the situation is too dangerous for us to manage. It's a safety issue. 

Don't we need our politicians....

Just think, without them we'd be so stupid as to park there, as I did days before they filled in the lot.

So wide my long morning shadow doesn't touch the gravel. And I stand only halfway to the white line.

They've marked the road. Parking at the AT&T stretch appears to be doomed.

And that's what the sign implies. Where a gravel parking lot for anglers used to exist, flowers are supposed to be planted. Like a grave.