Saturday 19 May 2012

May 24 A "Grand" Start

I was lucky  to get out today and fish the Grand River for the first time this year,and even luckier to get into some decent fish. The morning was cool with a slight breeze and I was surprised to see fish rising early.  An emerger pattern took a few small fish quickly.  It felt good to have the rest of the morning and early afternoon to try for something larger.  No skunking today.  I left the rising fish and limped down river.  For the record I have been nursing a sore back for the past several days. A pinched nerve I suspectIbuprofen was my friend today, and took the edge off the pain and allowed me to hobble my way slowly around the few runs I would fish.  I am happy to report as I type this that the pain has almost completely faded.  Finally.  So back to the fishing.  I stopped at the next decent run and for the first pass came up empty handed.  Time for the Black Bush.  I would have success dead drifting it as opposed to swinging it.



The run would not give up anymore fish, so I decided to go back to the Van and try the next access. I was the fifth vehicle... 9:00 am on a Saturday...Time to hobble.  I had one run in mind, it was occupied, So I decided to have a seat and wait it out.  I watched as the run was worked many times over by the two anglers.  Nymphs took a couple small fish at the tail only,  I became confident that the "Black Bush" was going to come through for me. They finally pulled out of the run and made their way back downstream.  I started at the head and by the time I had reached the tail I had hooked 3 decent trout,  unfortunately I only landed one.




I passed through the run a couple more times drawing blanks.  I was now convinced it was done. and so was I.  I arrived home a couple hours earlier than planned.  What a "Grand" way to start the long weekend!
   

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Browns...

I spent Monday fishing for resident Brown Trout. Finally a full day that would allow time for a jaunt to a nice Trout stream! The system I wanted to fish was dropping and clearing days prior to my arrival.  I knew conditions would be tough by the time I would be there. The norm these days, as planning holidays around flow rates can be tricky to say the least. Good timing is always a bonus but does not guarantee success. I love when I arrive at a stream and it is ripping at the perfect level. One does not need to hike far to find the bigger runs and slots, or fumble around and try to fish the cursed "Frog Water". This day would be filled with Hiking and exploring new water in hopes of hooking some decent Browns. I enjoyed limited success instantly. I was so eager to fish, I nymphed a skinny slot as soon as I stepped into the stream. My prize was confirmation that I needed to find some deeper runs.



That's exactly what I did. I skipped the next couple digs and headed right for a spot I had enjoyed success at  last year. It didn't take long for the line to go tight and feel the weight of a decent Brown. I was happy that my instincts led me to this fish. The 4wt had a nice bend in it and I offered the fish no line. My second fish of the morning a nice 14" Brown.  




I covered the run with no more players then headed to the next likely spot and sure enough.... Within a few minutes it was "Fish On". My third fish of the morning 13.5". 




It was still early and my friend was scheduled to show up, so I waited on the trail. Once he arrived we walked down to the next access and turned back and headed up River. The action was done, the fish had shut down completely and we were baffled. We reached the bridge with only a few small fish between the two of us. My friend had to head back as he only had the morning. I contemplated driving another hour to a well know River. I fired up the Van and headed out, as I was coming to the overpass to get on the Highway I changed my mind and continued into a small town where I stopped at a Tim Hortons for lunch and pulled out my torn road map. After eating I had formed a plan to hit another stretch I had never tried before.

And so part two of the day began... I walked a fair distance until I started to hit some nice water. Little Rainbows were abundant and aggressive.




Every bend was now just getting better and better. I was amazed at the quality of the water I was finding. Classic Trout water for sure! 




I fought with one more decent Brown that afternoon but couldn't seal the deal. Finally I had to call it a day. I broke the rod down and made the long hike back to the Van. What a great day.  A couple nice fish brought to hand and I found some new wicked water. Beauty!




Saturday 12 May 2012

Plan "B"

I am longing to fish for Resident fish but my schedule will not allow the travel time.  This morning I would stick closer to home and fish for Dropbacks.  Plan "B" was a lot better than not fishing at all.  I strung up the Single hander and headed out  several hours before first light.  The lights from the bridge above the River offered just enough light to make the tailout of a small run just visible enough to fish.  Two drifts in and I was hooked-up with my first fish.  The springy jumps of a nice trout replaced the peaceful lull of the River.  The Stars hung overhead.  I brought three clean Hens to hand in the hours leading up to dawn.  The morning arrived  and dark males were the norm.  I fished for a couple hours and called it a day. I returned home in time for a nice late morning breakfast, followed by a glorious nap with my Son. A perfectly executed plan "B".     

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Playing Catch up.

Its time to play catch up folks.  Between work, the house and fishing I have had zero time to keep up
with my Blog, so here goes....  I guess I will start with my Spey Casting Lesson with Mike Verhoef of Flyfitters.  What a guy. If you are considering a guided trip or need a brush up on your casting give Mike a call, he is a fantastic teacher.  We started our day in the lower end of the Maitland River  several weeksbefore the official start of the Season.  The Flow was good and there were high prospects of hooking some fish.  We spent the morning casting and fishing with a couple missed fished and lots of Green trout... We went for lunch and then returned to a different run for the remainder of the day.   By the end of the day I had so much information in my head I felt dizzy.  The biggest lesson from the day was to slow down and not over think things.  Great advice and when I would follow this advice things would work just as they were meant to.  A great feeling. I promptly booked a fall float for Steelhead with Mike for mid November.  I'm already counting down the days!

So for the next couple outings I fished the lower end  with Spey in hand and nabbed some more fish.


No more reel dunking in these stretches as the goo was already getting bad.  Anyone who fishes this river knows when the goo starts to show up things are coming to an end.

So... the 4th Saturday of April rolled around and I found myself in the same stretch I had been fishing since  February.With the runs I had been swinging pre-season getting lower I decided to nymph some sections that were not necessarily swing friendly with my Single hander.  It paid off.... the fish were turned off of the roe and beads and honed in on Black stones and caddis pupae. I cleaned up a couple outings, but secretly was longing to catch them on the Spey. A few shots of my results with the Single Hander.


So now that I have had my fill of Spring Steel, I am ready to fish a few beats for resident fish.  I just recently got out with a good friend and fellow blogger for Brookies.  We enjoyed a morning together and I hope we can gel our schedules again soon.   Perhaps next time in some more favourable conditions.  Gil it was a pleasure as always and I am still laughing about that episode. Your energy is contagious!  Perhaps we should head north next time?

Sorry for the lapse guys and gals, stay tuned for the next blog entry coming soon!
Cheers!