Capt. Jason Dapra

I have had been obsessed with fly fishing for over 35 years (yep, somehow I got old) and I have been fortunate enough to be able to guide fisherman for the last 20. My company, BlitzBound Guide Service, runs saltwater fly fishing trips on the New Jersey Shore and Montauk, NY, as well as river trips on the Upper Delaware River in upstate NY.

During the spring and summer, I split my time between the salt and the Delaware river. Chances are that I will be running 3 days on the ocean and then 3 days rowing my drift boat. It’s a hectic schedule for sure, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

In the salt, I am running a 25’ center console out of Atlantic Highlands, NJ. and Montauk, NY for the Fall Run. I really believe that there is no better area than the NJ Shore in the spring to catch a trophy striper on the fly… it is a difficult game, but if you put the time in, it is rewarding- we have 4 stripers over 50lbs and countless over 40 on the fly in the past several years.

During the fall, Montauk, New York is the place to be for the legendary “Fall Run” to pursue false albacore, bluefish and striped bass… The huge blitzes and feeding frenzies have to be seen to be believed.

Although the numbers and size of the fish in the salt are exceptional, there is still no place I would rather be than on the rowers seat of my drift boat. The Upper Delaware river is a river system that is temperamental, difficult, technical, a little crowded… and just plain awesome! You need to work to catch wild fish the Big D, but every fish to the net is special. An added bonus is that both my dogs, Tippet and Trout, make every float trip with me…. If you don’t like bird dogs, you may want to find another guide.

I am extremely passionate about not only the sport of fly fishing, but also the “lifestyle” that comes along with it. I’m not talking about flat brims, IPAs and hero shots… It is about the experience a good fly fishing trip offers you- enjoying the beautiful places the fish we pursue live in, the camaraderie with fellow fly anglers and, most importantly, the fun of it all – fishing, hanging out at the bar/campfire talking about fishing.

I am blessed that I have a fantastic family (as you can imagine, my wife is very patient), but I have a pretty damn good fishing family too. Along with Scott Fly Rods, HATCH is one of those companies that just gets what it is all about and I am proud to represent them.