Capt. Neil Passed Away Last Night

Rest in peace.

Lep thats so sad to hear :cry:Yes RIP capt neil ,,,,,,,✝️,,,,,,><)))):<
><)))):<

RIP Capt. Neil a true gentleman!!

Rest in peace. Really super nice guy.

Rest in Peace. Sorry for your loss Pete. I had the pleasure of meeting Capt Neil at a luncheon at Varneys with Capt Mike a couple years back. Super nice guy and really enjoyed his stories.

Captain Neil, a genuinely nice guy, and a true gentleman. May he rest in peace.

R.I.P. Captain Neil

> **Leprechaun, post: 347563, member: 7 wrote:**
> My dear friend Capt. Neil passed last night. He was as good a man as I've ever met, and he will be greatly missed by everyone who's life he touched. I'm proud to have known him and I'm sure he's with his maker now in a far better place.
>
> **Rest in Peace, my old friend.**
>
> With Capt. Mike @ Varney's/Bellport for one of our Winter luncheons.
>
> ****
>
> Hard at work building my very trick BS704 Super-Togger. One his most original works of art, and one of four Capt. Neil rods that I'll never, ever part with.
>
>

T

Rest in peace ,Capt

This one hits me exceptionally hard. Aside from my immediate family members there are few people I love and respect as much as Capt. Neil. He was my mentor and the main reason my charter business is still running today. Anyone who knew the man, even briefly, could immediately sense his love of life and compassion for others.

Personally, we were good friends for something in the neighborhood of 40 years. He built all but one of my custom rods which I cherish and still use today. He built a beautiful Striped Bass rod for my wife that she also adores. One of my most enjoyable experiences as the son of a fisherman was to watch Capt. Neil spend a huge amount of time consulting with my dad on the one and only custom rod he ever owned during his lifetime.

I had the honor of taking Capt. Neil and a few other close friends out on my boat on several occasions over the years. I had the even greater honor of taking his family out on several other trips as well. All very special memories for me and I hope for Neil and his family as well.

While he seemed to love catching almost any species, I firmly believe that Fluke held the most hallowed space in his heart. I still chuckle when thinking about the days when the Sea Robins would overwhelm our Fluke catching efforts. He would often proclaim, "I think I have another* Irish Fluke*" on the line!

Attached are some photos of just a few of the very fond memories I have of this great man. The shot of him with the young boy holding the nice Striped Bass is not one of Neil's children. It was a very lucky young man whose Dad had won my raffle trip at Ward Melville HS many years ago. I promised the dad that his kids would get to fish with a legend that day!

To the best of my knowledge, Capt. Neil never did catch that DD Fluke he was always chasing. I have a feeling he will be coming face to face with his trophy very soon.

RIP and God Bless you, my friend.
Capt. Mike

RIP Capt Neil - a true class act.

That second pic looks mighty familiar! 8-)

Very sorry to hear this. Met and spoke with Neil about all things rod building. Was a special person in every sense.

Condolences to all his friends and family. RIP

RIP Capt.

Captain Neil played a huge part in the development of **Noreast Saltwater** back in the day.

He was at every event we ever held, from the Noreast Bash, to the seminars, to the charters. Neil was always there. He was part of the fabric of it all.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more honest, upstanding guy. We shared a lot of laughs, a lot of stories, and a lot of good days on the water. He will truly be missed.

I still have three fishing rods that Neil made for me, and I will hold onto them forever.

Something tells me he’s standing at the rail right now, explaining to somebody the right way to catch a fish.

Because that was Neil.

This one hits really hard for me too. Captain Neil was maybe the nicest person I’ve ever known. I used to love the trips out to Sayville with Pete Lep, in January to Neil’s hose to pick out the rod he was gonna build for me. I still use those rods every time I go on my boat. I loved all the great stories he would tell. The Picture in my avatar is my personal best fluke on a CN702, caught in Montauk on my favorite Captain Neil rod.

Heaven got brighter today, and we lost a great man

> **Leprechaun, post: 347604, member: 7 wrote:**
> That second pic looks mighty familiar! 8-)

Probably because, I think you took it!!

> **Bassman909, post: 347617, member: 70 wrote:**
> This one hits really hard for me too. Captain Neil was maybe the nicest person I’ve ever known. I used to love the trips out to Sayville with Pete Lep, in January to Neil’s hose to pick out the rod he was gonna build for me. I still use those rods every time I go on my boat. I loved all the great stories he would tell. The Picture in my avatar is my personal best fluke on a CN702, caught in Montauk on my favorite Captain Neil rod.
>
> Heaven got brighter today, and we lost a great man

No surprise, Bassman, that my favorite Capt. Neil rod is also a CN702. In fact, I will be using it tomorrow and as many days as God allows me going forward, in Neil's honor!

> **captmike28, post: 347622, member: 48 wrote:**
> No surprise, Bassman, that my favorite Capt. Neil rod is also a CN702. In fact, I will be using it tomorrow and as many days as God allows me going forward, in Neil's honor!

Actually Mike, I realized that the CN702 is my second favorite rod. My favorite is a no name, 6 foot Japanese “Impact” blank that Captain Neil found in his basement. It is the perfect shallow water, or slow tide jigging rod. I have caught more fish , by far, on that rod than any other rod I own. I just had two guides replaced at Causeway, as the resin is wearing out. I don’t go fluking on my boat without that rod.
I just bought a brand new Diawa Kage reel for it two days ago, and smiled when I put in on, while I thought of Capt. Neil