Posted on April 01 2026
Surprised myself and made it to 83 on Monday. Birthdays are something I no longer celebrate, but rather a day to assess the ravages of time on my aging carcass. It has occurred to me that I am now burying friends at roughly the same rate as I am becoming acquainted with new physicians (not a cheery thought). I'm currently weaning my self off a med prescribed by my cardiologist (a recent addition to the medical team), that I was told would slow down and strengthen my heart beat. What it does is lower my blood pressure to levels that, if converted to golf scores, would enable me to pin Dennis Molter's ears back with regularity.
It's been an uneventful winter here in the Florida Keys. There are almost no Ontario and Quebec license plates to be seen but the traffic on US 1 is the worst I've ever experienced. Have not seen a bonefish skiff on any of the flats all season. The Keys are warm and sunny, it never snows, but with the disappearance of the bone fish, they hold little allure for me. We have been in the process of shutting the place down for the last week and have scheduled our departure for early Saturday morning. If there are no major traffic problems, (a big if this year), we'll be back home sometime Sunday afternoon.
Have been watching the weather up north and am not hopeful for an early start to the fishing season. The river was frozen over all winter, the reservoirs are all now full and there is a flood watch. For sure there will be boats on the water with people throwing streamers but the dry fly fishing looks to be almost a month away. Will have plenty of time to get the Lordville Estate up and running before worrying about the increased cost of my daily excursions along the river looking for rising fish.
Happy Easter 🐇🐰🐣 to You and your Families
Many Happy Returns, Angler 119! It’s been a brutally long winter, but seeing this post is like spotting the first mayfly of the season. Looking forward to another year of your invaluable reports. Safe travels.
Happy Birthday, and Thanks for the update! Safe travels home, and good luck opening the estate.
To Ed Smith… a very nice homage to the great Jackie Gleason…
Happy birthday A119! Safe travels back to NY and remember how much we all value your words of wisdom. May this season be better than last year!
Welcome back A119!!! I know your BP doesn’t get that low!! All my gear is ready and I can’t wait to hit the water. Adrian is floating already and has been doing well with streamers. I am not a streamer guy but Adrian has to make a living. He said he has seen stone flies on the water.
Safe travels and I look forward to your articles!!
Been waiting for this post since November. Welcome home! If you are bored and stuck in the floods, would appreciate your view of what happened to the bonefish in the Keys, and whether that is likely to spread to elsewhere in the Caribbean. I was unaware.
Looking forward to your daily updates again this season.
And a nod to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound”
Now it’s officially Spring …. Safe Travels north
Happy Birthday A119!! So happy to see your first post. Safe travels home and here’s to another season on the Delaware!
Happy Birthday and safe travels back to what is wet and gray.. I’ve been tying some new brainstorms in anticipation of the new season ahead of us.. great to see some of the familiar scribes back on your post..been a loooong winter!
Happy Birthday.
So glad to see this today. I know you’re probably right about the late dry fly action but I hope you are not. Tight lines.
Angler119’- Thanks for starting a new season of “ name that tune”. And away we go. Ed
A119
Welcome back and Happy Birthday! 🎂
Your assessment of the system is correct, water is still cold and flowing fast, but before you know it you will be targeting risers. Safe travels back to the Estate.
Yeyyyyy! Welcome back and let’s go fishing again. 1st run scheduled for Friday but with the river running wild will be up on the reservoir instead.
Angler119’- Happy Birthday 🎁🎈🎊. Welcome back. Glad You and Jean are doing well.Looking forward to hearing from You this coming season.Jim N has been out and landed a few fish on dries so that’s an encouraging sign. All My Best Ed