Michael & Emily’s Wedding

This weekend was an exciting and fun time in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. I was honored to serve as the officiant at Michael Maoui and Emily Hocks’ wedding, held at the Twin Lights Historic Site. From the site, one can see across Sandy Hook to the skyline of Manhattan. This site was not chosen at random, but was the result of careful planning of two, particularly wild eyed fly fishers. As we were getting ready for the ceremony, they pointed out the particular locale on the Hook where they had been fishing successfully all week, and where we would all fish after the wedding luncheon. And so we did. We managed a couple of hours at the end of the day, casting from the beach for stripers and shad. Emily caught her first striper from the beach–casting with a 12 foot 7 spey rod with a Skagit head. All of us took stripers and shad before watching the lights twinkle on on Manhattan. What a great day for both of them, what a great day for all of us.

Michael and Emily and me at the close of the ceremony.

Newlyweds heading up the beach to "their" fishing spot.

The best fishing came just at sunset when a school of baitfish came in to shore.

The stripers all ran in the 20 to 24 inch range.

The shad were thick at one point, making striper fishing impossible.

ONE COMMENT

  1. Theo bakelaar says:

    Hi ho Gary,
    Yah…..that was nice day for them….get married, fish for Striped Bass and ringing the bell.
    You have had nicce weather….looks better than when we were at the ocean isn’t it.
    Nice pictures from that young couple……thanks.
    Cheers
    Theo from Holland