Never Taunt your Fishing Partners

 My son arrives home for the weekend with a need to get away from the big city of Toronto. He describes it as a sea of cement and wants to get back to small town Ontario. He tells me he won a big bet in the hockey playoffs, bought a new depth finder with the cash and wants to test it out. After checking the weather radar and seeing no rain in site my son, his girlfriend and I  load up my Hyde boat and head to a small pike lake I know of.
 After unloading the boat into the lake and have all the fishing gear packed its time to do battle.Not ten minutes of fishing my son ties into about a 3 pound large mouth bass. It jumps once waves at Kory then throws the lure back at him to taunt him for not being alert and ready.
 Well lesson number one for me is don't taunt your fellow fisherman after loosing a fish as in the video below

In the following pictures and videos the only thing you will see me doing is netting fish for Kory.

Here are a couple more pictures of Lindsay's catch. I had one pike on the fly rod but similarly with Kory's first fish I was too mesmorized watching the fish hit my fly that I forgot to set the hook. Well it was a fun day all in all and hope next time to get my daughter out for a day of fishing on the lake.

Just had to finish with a trip to the Soo

Well like a foul I just couldn't stop, not yet, no way just had to go north for that last horray. So, I gave my good buddy Brad from the Soo North Fly shop a call and asked him if I could room in for a couple days and that I was looking for a good guide. Just kidding we both know he's going to be doing the guiding. So after a six hours of driving and two Xlarge Timmie's coffee I crossed the Sault St Marie International Bridge and peered out my window in total amazement.

   I see only one guy on the rapids. What does this mean? No fish?  It was a scary sight on a sunny Sunday but my good buddy swore to me on the phone that a new push of fish were in and to "get your ass up here now". So even with this strange site I continue my trek across the border and arrive in the Canadian Soo two blocks from my friend's shop.

Finally I saw the familiar sign of the Soo North fly shop, my home for the next few days,  and standing below it is Brad holding two spey rods.  When I pull up and he shouts, get your truck unloaded  we've got some steelies to slay. I proceed to tell him that I saw only one guy on the rapids with but he replied, who knows more about this water then me.Well all I could do now was agree and unpack as fast as I could.

 Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the rapids, fly rods in hand surveying the river. Well the guy I saw from the bridge had moved into the back end of the run where Brad was going to have us set up. Brad gave me a choice of taking the tailout or the top of the run. I took the top and let him proceed to the tail out. The first two hours of fishing turned out to be a good start with a couple nice fish landed . Brad warned that word will get out quickly that a fresh push of fish are in so suggested that get up early the next day to get the prime real estate.

 So the next morning we were up at four a.m.,,,,, yes, we're nuts  When we got to the pool both of us took a side on the tail out and with the real estate cornered, what a morning a morning we had. Here are a couple of the fish landed on shore and released back to the river.

As you can see Brad busted a few fish and I had two on but struggled to land any. So at nine a.m. we  headed back in so that Brad could open the fly shop. Then later I went back out for the afternoon fish until about 7 and had a good catch. I didn't hit that double digit but still had fun. I hit all my fish on hexes and caddis nymphst that Brad had tied for me.

 So here is a small video to help you understand the mentality of a steelheader.

Well, day two turned out to be another great day. Double digits numbers were caught between the two of us  by 9 a.m. when we to returned  to the shop. Here are a few pictures of the day's catch. All fish were released unharmed (and some were long releases lol)

 When I went back to the rapids by myself later I had another good afternoon but several more fisherman began to arrive. It's likely that word got out about the fresh push of fish but since I was on my last afternoon up there, life was grand. I got back to the shop at  about 7p.m. totally exhausted  and thought I would watch the hockey game. That's a joke, I didn't even stay awake long enough to make it through the 1st period. I woke up at 8 o'clock the next morning with numb hands from all the fishing. Brad informed me it was a good thing I didn't go fishing that morning, by the site of all cars in the parking lot  there would be a lot of fisherman at the rapids.  So, it was time to pack up and  head for home, finishing the season off on a great note. So what started as the season from hell ended with not so bad at all

On the way home I drove through some fog at the Mackanaw bridge and thought yea, how poetic, the season fading back into the fog of day to day routine. The end of another steelhead season a sad point but hope for many more to come.

Finally ending the Spring Season from Hell on a Good Note

Well this had to be one of the worst springs in many years. I had a friend ask have I stopped blogging and I reply you have to land fish to get pictures to be able to put them in the blog for people to see. Well 1st 7 fish never made it to shore. Then there was the day from hell when I fell down the stairs at the Manistee river and broke my spey rod, then I got wet by stepping into a hole just over my waders while fighting a fish that never made it to shore.
 They say persistence perseveres and you got to put your time in to get those good days. Thought it wasn't ever gonna happen but finally I got that day.
 I arrived at the river a little later then I normally would after sun rise not before like I usually do. But believe it or not I was still the 1st one to the river. After about the 5th swing bang! Tyeing into my 1st steelie on the swing. Landed a nice 3 Pound fish and  thought hey think I will take a picture. Took my camera out and guess what? Dead batteries lol here I go again, if it wasn't for bad luck I would have no luck at all. My cell phone was buried deep in  my waders so I let the fish  go so that not to hurt it.

 So I went back to fishing and 4 fish later I thought dam I better get my cell phone and get a picture or I will not be able to write a blog because I will have no proof of fish. I dig deep into my waders to retrieve my cell phone and number 5 fish took up a pose for me to take a couple pictures of him. I think he was a male model because he was very cooperative to the taking of the pictures. I thanked him for his time and released him back into the river.
 Well it ended up a double digit day on the fly rod with a couple float fisherman beside me only taking a couple fish. Take that you float fisherman lol just kidding. There are days when the fly rod can be more productive then the float and this was one of those days.

 So here it is middle of May and I finally get that day you dream about, so where do I go from here? Do I hang up the waders until fall walking away on a high note or try my luck again. I will have to see, cant get out to the river for another week. There always could be a trip to the Soo before the end of May. We will have to see how this story works out so stick around for the next blog and lets hope its another day like this one.

Need to Get tying

Was out last spring with my little brother on a Local river. My brother and his friends brought the hard ware but the old man with the fly rod out fished then. Think he took so long to get the pictures to me so I wouldn't brag but was he wrong. And the best surprise was I finally caught a pickerel on a fly. Here is the fly and its been deadly for me in the spring on the Maitland but specially on the Saugeen. So spring is not to far away guess i better get tying. Here is a few more pictures of that spring day.

Sorry the pickerel didn't make it back to the river and was it delicious.

A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you Bloggers

Being New to the blog world I thought I would wish you all a Happy Holiday season and look forward to 2011 to being another productive year. Here is a few pictures of my pass journys fishing. Hope you enjoy

 I've been told I am crazy for some of the water I have been known to fish. The Maitland was rocking this fall day.

 This Laker decided it was a river run fish caught it on the Maitland in  the Fall of 2000

 

 Here are a couple of Soo Rapids Atlantics caught the summer of 2006. It was so amazing catching big fish like this on a caddis nymph size16 hook.

My nephew who lives in Germany came hone for a visit and had to get him out on a drift on the Saugeen for some Muskie. Here never caught any but we did see 3 this day follow our flies to the boat. 

This 4lb bass was taken while fishing for muskie on the Saugeen. The flies we throw at these fish are almost as big as the bass

Here is my friend Paul with a Saugeen muskie

 

 

 Here is my 1st Drift Boat a 3 man pontoon

But now upgraded to  Hyde drifter. Just got to get it out and use it more the old girl is getting lonely

Let is Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow

So here it is Dec1st, and the weather forecast calling for lake effect snow squalls. The night before sleep is very restless with anticipation, knowing the river will be on the rise from the previous day rains. As usual I beat the alarm by five minutes so the first thing I do is look out the window to see if there's any snow. None yet but they are calling for it later in the day so I don long johns to protect my body from the winter elements.

Now I'm a real stickler for routine and a bit superstitious, so  I grab my lucky hat on the way out the door and head directly to my regular first stop, Tim Horton's for an extra large black. The funny thing is I don't even have to order.... the person on the other side of the mic is asking me "the usual?" and I reply "of coarse". Then before I leave the parking lot I stop, get out and recheck to make sure I haven't forgotten anything before my trek north., everything accounted for, so off I go.

When I arrive at the river there's still about thirty minutes to sun rise and not another sole is on the river yet..... No hurry to get to my favourite spot so I sit on the river bank get my rod ready and wait for the sun to show itself . Fifteen minutes to sun rise I see another car pulling up to the parking lot...... time to move out to my spot before anyone else gets there ahead of me.

 Now there is enough sun to start fishing and man... is the river rocking. The two guys that just arrived decide to brave the high water and cross the river....I might have attempted that ten years ago but not today. As it turned out my decision not to cross was good one because I ended up having a hell of a of a good day. I'm not one to post numbers but it was the second best day this fall and the morning  ended with a great catch. The forecast of snow must have kept most of the other fisherman away from the rive so all morning I'm singing to myself let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

  I know that my wife thinks I am absolutely nuts hoping for rain and snow on my day off.... and for getting up so early and standing in freezing water..... but if you are a steelheader you can understand the enjoyment I get from it all.

The Big One that got away

I was up fishing in the Manistee River with a good friend a few weeks ago and want to give brief synopis of our weekend. For a great detailed account of our trip you can check out my friend's blog at "November Rains". The whole trip was great but with every trip there are memorable moments that stand out. Mine was the 1st day when I decided to leave the float rod back at camp and decided to take my spey rod (being a aging steelheader in hopes of saving my shoulder for the float trip later on).  So after a full day and at the end of our trek down the river, we concluded that our only luck was with the steelhead that my buddy had on..... I had no luck at all with the spey.

  From the bank above I suggested it was time to call it day. He was finishing with a couple more casts to the run he was in. Just about fifteen feet upstream of him, there was an aggressive male Chinook scaring any fish that came near a spawning hen. I asked my friend if he minded that I go a little upstream and swing to this aggressive male. With his assurance I proceeded down a steep sand bank with trees to the right of me and a downed log to the left, so it was a very tight area to cast and swing. So with determination I got to the river side and started my first couple casts. This male Chinook seemed to have a bad attitude and followed my fly as if to warn it not to get to close. With the next cast this big brute had had enough and slammed my fly with aggression.....having had a long day with no fish on,,,,, in my excitement I pulled the fly and spent the next 20 minutes trying to get my tippet, sink tip and fly line out of the tree. I thanked my good friend for not taking any pictures to add to my embarrassment.

 After spending some time retieing my line I was ready to do battle again.... and this time I really pissed this bad boy off. It didn't take more then 5 casts before he hit my fly again and this time being a little more patient  I let him have it...... Fish on!!!! Or I thought.... This smart  old male took me into the lumber in the river and proceeded to get my fly hooked up while swimming back to his lair no worse for wear. So,,,,,  this is the time when a fisherman swallows his pride, gives kudos to the fish,  thank him for the memories and move on.

Another part of fishing is subjecting your fishing partner to all the whining about the big one that got away...... over and over again. However, we had some good laughs about how I got snagged in the tree and that's what makes it so memorial..... So, I have no picture proof of this elusive monster, but one of the fly I used....and since it's one I tied myself it's rewarding to know that it worked. Watching the fish attack with all mother nature has given him to survive and the respect you give him after being defeated in the battle.

 Oh by the way that fish had to be 50lbs (OK 20 ) but in my mind he will always be bigger then me.