Steelheading Time Again!

Hey all...  Been too long. Once again I have neglected the Blog.  I'm going to jump in quickly.

 Every year I fish my Birthday, the 3rd of October.  It just turned out this would be my first outing of the Fall.  Past years I would fish close to home, this year however I decided to treat myself and make a drive up to the Saugeen River. This would be my second time on the Big river ever.  With the flows in early October on the Huron side being so low, I was happy to fish the Saugeen, and although it was low also it offered a little more flow than the Rivers south of it. 

A friend and I set up on a well know Run early on the 3rd. It was midweek which was nice as we only had two others to share the run with.  First light came and I drifted my yarn and Black stone fly offering along the inside seam, within minutes the indicator twitched and I set the hook on my first fish of the Fall.  Unfortunately the hook-up was short lived, the line went slack just about as fast as it had tightened. I continued on and shortly after I repeated this weak hook set again.  My buddy encouraged me and said, "Well at least you have them dialled"  His words really didn't make me feel any better, I was headed  down that path... that way of thinking when you just can't get it right.  I had to turn this around. I wanted to bring my first of the season to hand.  For the next hour I made mistake after mistake. everything from  letting fish get into the faster water to having my line wrap around my reel foot.  I decided then to relax and to remember last fall when I was on my game. With a little luck and a good solid hook-set down and to the bank, I played and landed my first fish of the season.

The day continued on and my landing ratio improved. My Buddy had prepared a Lunch for us and we enjoyed Sandwiches, crackers and cheese, pepperettes and cold drinks tailgate style mid day.   I was very happy to have such a good first trip. Outings like this spoil a Steelheader.  No guilt. You got to take it while it's good and work extra hard when it's tough.

 Speaking of tough... my next trip to the Saugeen was a humbling experience. Blanking, I made the long trip back home and refusing defeat  decided to check another system on my way. Arriving at the River I spoke with a lone Angler who was stating how slow it was, we fished for an hour with no action.  Finally it was if a switch was thrown and the fish turned on.                     

 What a feeling, to fish 80 percent of the day and nothing then finally the rod is loaded up for the remainder of the day. We took turns hooking fish.  switching up patterns would produce a few fish and re-spark the action.  What a treat, Overcast grey skies, light drizzle and HOT Steelhead. What a sweet ending to a long hard day.

 Luckily I have been doing well on each of my outings.  After that first trip I have seemed to worked out my problems and I feel to be settling in to a nice rhythm.  I am so blessed to have such a compensating Wife who understands how much I love to fish.  I spent some time fishing with a friend whom I hadn't fished with since last Fall. He is a very fishy guy and our outing would find us sharing some great water alone.

Two runs and a bunch of fish was on tap for the day.  Good times indeed. We both took turns picking them off till the action slowed and we made the hike out.  With plans set for November we are hoping our favourite little stream sets up nicely by then.

Fickle.....

adjective

1. likely to change, especially due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable:fickle weather.

Yup that was me.

  This past Friday I had decided I was going fishing on  Saturday. With a BBQ to host at our place for my Mother-in-Law on Sunday this would be  my only day to get out and blow off some steam and try to hook that Trophy Brown I have been dreaming about.  I started the tried and true routine of checking the River charts and forecasts.  Trying to pick a good location was frustrating and discouraging to say the least.  A well know Trout Stream was setting itself up perfectly by Thursday only to show a steady rising past fish able conditions when I checked it Friday morning. I started to question the data and set the Stream in my mind for the AM.  Several times throughout the day I checked it's levels only to be discouraged more and more.  I finally abandoned the plan and set my sights on a different system.  No doubt there was a snag with this location also, and I was unsure of the visibility of the River.  The flow was normal as it is regulated, but it would turn out the Algae Bloom had made its appearance early this year.  Reaching out now to a good friend I fired off some text messages,  Gil would offer some access points on a different system that seemed pretty decent.  I now had another option available and I juggled the two locations around in my brain for sometime.  I finally decided I wasn't going fishing at all.  I was going to have a few drinks and perhaps sleep late on the Saturday.  I was fine with this decision for the first part of the evening, but my thoughts kept creeping back to Angling. Later that night I decided while taking a shower that I was going fishing.  I rigged up my rod and put my gear together. One last check of the forecast sent me reeling,  70% chance of thunderstorms.  Perhaps I shouldn't go?  Ah that's it I'm going!!!  And I'm glad I did.
My Personal best from this River!

The Thunderstorms never materialised. The early morning was rainy, but the skies eventually cleared and the day was fishy.

Although there were some hatches I ignored them and continued swinging the "Black Bush" for aggressive fish.  I only brought four fish to hand but they were no doubt my best four from this River ever.  Unfortunately the two other fish landed would not permit a photo. 

This fellow was much more photogenic and It was a pleasure to watch him work the River for a brief moment.

So in closing, I am very happy I decided to make the Trek.  It turned out to be my best day thus far on this River.

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 suspect.  Ibuprofen 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!

   

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!

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".     

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! 

The Happy House.

Well the days to move into the "Happy House" as my Son Cole calls it arrived.  For the next few days I would find myself "Knee Deep" in boxes, but would also make time to be "Knee Deep" in a couple runs swinging  the Spey.  Segmented short trips were the plan.  I would later find that executing this plan would place me in a world of exhaustion.  Several early morning hours of Fishing followed by long days of moving duties would take its toll.  A small price to pay to do what I love to do.  "Where there is a will there is a way, but always a price to pay".  Some shots of the "Happy House" in the almost box free zone.

Our Cole enjoying our Daughters TV while we wait for the new 46" monster to be delivered. 

Another Box free pic. Well sort of.  

 

Truth be told the other rooms were chaotic and there are no pics of them.  I don't think I ever want to see another box again.  Thank heavens for family, as my parents helped us out with our transition.

I managed to hit my second fish on the Spey.  Lost in thought when this fish smacked the fly, I was startled to say the least.  A real "Jumper" she left the water three times, oh it was so worth the exhaustion.

A head shot of the bright jumper.

One morning I met an older gent Spey casting.  A short chat led into several hours of casting instruction and a new friendship.  I was taught several casts that would enable me to keep the fly on the "down wind" side of me.  Fishing river left with a down stream wind using the "Snap T" cast had became dangerous and it was awesome to have other options. Official casting Lessons in two weeks, cant wait!