TPO Testimonials
Escaping City Boundaries: a day on the South Branch of
the Raritan
"Having to endure the natural fatigue that
comes from living and working in NYC is a tough task for anyone, and
so, I had been looking for a way to get out of the city for a
leisurely afternoon that I could pursue one of my loves;
fly-fishing. Having
grown up in Massachusetts, I had
become familiar with many of the famous eastern rivers, like the
Deerfield, Housatonic, Westfield, Rapid, and Androscoggin,
just to name a few. All
of these rivers were out of reach, since I literally lived in the
middle of Manhattan.
Obviously, to get to any of the aforementioned destinations
could take anywhere from 3-8 hours by car, minimum.
Because of this, my fishing was restricted to times where I
had to leave the state for at least a few days, if not more.
Unacceptable.
This all changed when I had sought out a guided tour with
fly-fishing expert Aaron Jasper.
Initially we had setup a tour on the Housatonic, but because
of my time constraints, I had to cancel, until Aaron had suggested
that we fish the South Branch of the
Raritan
River in New Jersey.
I liked the idea, but somehow thought it wouldn’t have been
as “picturesque” as the ol’ Housatonic.
I didn’t mind because I was anxious to learn some new tricks
from Aaron, so we went.
Just as I had been told, the S.B. of the
Raritan
was an incredible river to fish, and I wouldn’t have wanted to fish
it with anyone else.
The landscape was extraordinary, and just as beautiful, if not more
than any of the classic New England Rivers.
It was an extremely intimate river, where you could see the
fish, and the imbedded structure of the river that lay underneath a
shield of foliage. The
reason for this testimonial is to introduce this river as a major
source of fly fishing enjoyment for those who are frustrated by the
daily grind of Manhattan
and surrounding boroughs.
Most astoundingly, it took me less than an hour (46 minutes
to be exact) to get from midtown Manhattan to Morristown New Jersey,
where Aaron picked me up and then brought me to the river.
Within an hour and 15 minutes of being in the city, I had
been suited up in gear and in the water with fish on line.
This is something I didn’t think was possible.
I HIGHLY (to say the very least) recommend this trip with
Aaron on the S.B. of the Raritan.
He is a guide that simply knows all the intricacies not only
of the art of fly-fishing, but also of the river.
He knows the topology of the river down to the smallest rock
in the riverbed, and most of all, he knows where ALL of the fish
are. On a personal
level, he treated me as a companion and friend, which was absolutely
thrilling for me.
Instead of just changing flies and pointing to fish, he included me
in the process and made me feel a part of the sport.
It was an incredible experience and I urge anyone and
everyone to take this opportunity if, like me, you thought you were
trapped within he confines of the city boundaries."
David Fulmer - Violinist and composer, The
Juilliard School, NYC