[Jimbo]

Unfortunately for me it wasn't to fish, but to collect trash with the Salties. But what an experience! Every year for every one of my 64 years, crossing the Canal has always been either near the tail end of the drive up from NJ or LI, or near the beginning of the drive home, so I (or we) never stopped to appreciate it. Then later in life all the reports of crowding, no parking and territoriality, fights, litter, drug use, etc., it just didn't seem worth the trip to experience.
I went with 5 other folks to the parking area under the Bourne Bridge, walked down to the bike path and I just stood for five minutes, just staring at what I'd missed out on all my life. Bikers stopped to thank us for picking up, I stopped and chatted with most all of the fishermen (nobody bit my head off), weather was a sunny, blustery early Fall-like day. Well, what a great day to be at a great place with some great folks. I'll be back!
And the most important lesson I learned, if you see a really nice piece of rope at the water's edge, tied off to a rock and the other end going out into the water, Do Not Touch It! Fortunately I was warned by my crew, not the owner.