I’m not really sure where I got the idea there were trout in this spot but the first fish of the day was hooked and landed by ME and it wasn’t a trout. Actually it was a 17 inch chain pickerel and he/she put up a nice fight on my light-weight fly rod. I thought I had on a 3 pound trout.

The first chain pickerel I ever saw I caught when fly fishing for brook trout near Browns Flat New Brunswick. This little pickerel was about 9 inches long and actually flew out of the water and grabbed the fly as I was pulling it off the water. Pretty cool looking.

I couldn’t believe how aggressive this little guy was and came back the following week specifically to catch more and bigger pickerel. Pardon the pun but I was hooked immediately.

Chain Pickerel Fly Fishing Fun

The pickerel weren’t very big, running about 16 to 19 inch but let me tell you they made up for their lack of size by fighting as if they were much larger fishing. I was only using small sized top water trout flies. Love that top water fishing.

There was really no waiting for strikes although they seemed to be right in the back of this spot so we had to travel for about a half hour before we had any strikes which led us to wonder if there were any fish there at all. But once we reached the chain pickerel they were crazy leaping out of the water for anything we tossed at them.

The pickerel have very sharp teeth and made quick work of our tiny trout flies but they are so easy to tie and nothing fancy is needed, at all. Two minutes or less per fly works for me.

I don’t video myself tying flies as the video camera intimidates me and I just make lots of tying mistakes. I felt it would be better if I just showed you a few easy fly tying videos from Youtube, which is always the first place I look for helpful videos.

Biot Body Rusty Spinner Fly

Well that was a quick and easy fly to tie. And I tie a lot of these style flies because our Chain pickerel, just like the pike, has nasty teeth and destroy them pretty quickly but in such a fun way.

Related articles

• Fly Fishing For Bass And Pickerel In New Brunswick (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Using Bass Poppers For Chain Pickerel Fishing (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Now that Casey has a fly rod I’d like to get my fly rod out to take with us on our fishing trips and see what kind of fun we can have fly fishing for pickerel and bass.

I never had any artificial flies designed specifically for pickerel or bass but found they didn’t mind smacking my trout and Atlantic salmon flies. I can’t get any gardening done today so I am playing around on Youtube looking for flies to tie for some Smallie action.

Tying A Leech Pattern

Bass and Chain pickerel love eating leeches. Here in New Brunswick Canada I tend to tie leech patterns in browns and black. Every species I fish here likes them, a lot.

Related articles

• My First Day of Pickerel Fishing 2012 (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Spring Salmon Flies For Those Atlantic Salmon Trips (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• “Fishing for Memories” Pickerel Tournament For Alzheimer’s Support (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

I love watching people fly fishing for Atlantic salmon, although I rather be there fishing instead of watching of course.

I looked through a number of videos and couldn’t seem to find one for spring 2012 here in New Brunswick Canada which showed the salmon at the end along with the fly they were using, so I will show a video of fly tying my favourite spring Atlantic salmon streamer, the Mickey Finn.

The Mickey Finn is one of my favourite springtime Atlantic salmon streamers as it’s easy to tie and I can tie a bunch in a short time. One other BIG reason is that it works in our New Brunswick rivers.

Related articles

• Going To Chubby’s For My Fishing License Today (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• The Dieppe Fly Tying Club (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

“Fishing for Memories”

After witnessing the toll this disease took, not only on the person suffering from the illness, but their loved ones as well, we felt it important to create an event that could involve the whole family.

The gentleman who inspired this event was an avid outdoorsman who loved his time on the water, and we felt it fitting that our event would allow others to share his love for the outdoors, while at the same time, allowing participants to create new and lasting memories with their families, all while supporting a great cause.

The “Fishing for Memories” tournament has been designed in a way that allows anyone to participate. We hope to attract people of all ages and all walks of life. The tournament will take place along a stretch of the beautiful Saint John River, but having a boat is not necessary as there are many locations in the area where fishing from shore can be very successful. All that is needed is a fishing pole and the desire to have a good time and support a great cause.

We will be hitting the water at 8am on June 23, 2012 from the Hampstead Ferry Wharf, just off of Route 102 in Hampstead NB. Entry fees are: Adults $25, Youth 12-18 $10, and Kids Under 12 free. All prizes will be based on a percentage of entry fees plus donations from sponsors.

You can find the rules of the Fishing For Memories Pickerel Tournament here.

Anyone interested in participating in the tournament, or helping out on shore as a volunteer, please call Donald Paterson at (506)468-9098 or email dcpaterson@live.com

Once you are hooked on tying your own flies, you want to be prepared with plenty of your own before you get to your fishing spots. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way and you lose all your flies on the river.

It would be nice to have some fly tying materials with you. Many fly shops near great fishing spots only have part of what you’ll need: Hooks, but no feathers or it’s feathers, but no hooks. We are usually too far away to just skip in to town and pick some up or we’re in an area that has no town! We found out a long time ago, that you had better be prepared with your own supplies. But, how do you contain it all in an easily accessed way?

There are tackle boxes with multiple draws that can work out well. Choose materials you use often, and some that are specifically for the areas you want to fish, plenty of hooks in different sizes, and spools of thread in colors you most often use. You can keep your fly tying box in the car or trunk until you need it. Then you just need a surface to clamp your vise to and you are ready to go!

Kenny & I used to camp in tents, with sleeping bags on mattresses. We’d been doing this for years, and actually preferred it, until one morning when we woke up, the mattress had gone flat, and we were sleeping on the hard, cold ground, leaving us stiff and sore that day.

Kenny decided, right then and there, that we would get a camper, to help us live better outdoors. On her maiden voyage we discovered a few things:

1. Get better latches on the cupboards to keep that liter of Jack from crashing to the floor.
2. We needed a convenient place to keep our fly tying materials & fly tying equipment.

A couple of drawers would be perfect! Kenny made wood boxes from matching paneling, attached some sliders, and viola! We now had a place to keep our fly tying equipment, feathers, fur & such.

A simple but strong latch system keeps them in place when we drive up bumpy dirt roads, and the drawers are easily pulled out when we need to tie. We can set the drawers on the table or bed to search for that perfect color to match the local bugs, and still keep it all contained while tying flies.

With the camper being so compact, every bit of room is premium, so setting up a few drawers or containers, in out of the way areas, can greatly improve the stress levels of ‘cramping’ together.

As in most RV’s, our table is made of white Formica, creating the perfect background for fly tying. We attach our vises to the side with a bit of light cardboard between the clamp and table to protect it from scuffing.

Our flies stand out well against the white surface as we are tying in wings or trying to see the spacing of our palmering. Also, the white reflects light well, giving you better quality lighting. Choosing a white table in your RV can greatly enhance your fly tying experience.

It is a wonderful feeling, knowing you can make any fly you may need, no matter where you go. Also, when you find a fly that the fish are going gaga over, you can make plenty more for the next day. It is also good to have a few extra to use in trade for a new kind of fly from someone you meet on the water. A friendly gesture of gifting a few flies can grease the flow of fishing tips and techniques from a fly fisherman who is normally hesitant to share.

After a day of fishing, and a nice BBQ dinner, we usually tie a few flies. We’ll have a shot & a beer and talk about the flies that worked best, and what to create that may work better.

We get excited, because we know we’ll be ready to meet the rise of fish in the morning, fortified with our full fly boxes!

Ken & Debbie

LiveBetterOutdoors.com

The Dieppe Fly Tying Club

This fly tying group was formed in 1999, with the goal of creating links between fly fisherman and sharing in the pleasure of fly tying, fly casting and exchanging information on our passion, fly fishing.

The Dieppe Fly tying Club holds its meetings every Tuesday at 6:30 PM from October through April at the Lakeburn Adult Education Center (Therrien Street) where the focus is on Fly tying.

Beginners and experts alike learn new techniques especially in tying new flies (Hairwing and Classic) for trout and Atlantic salmon. Everyone is welcome to join us and it is free. The club members created a commun project in establishing the annual Dieppe Fly Fishing Forum held every spring at the NBCC Dieppe.

The Dieppe Fly Tying Club is an affiliate to The New Brunswick Salmon Council and the New Brunswick Wildlife Federation.

I am really excited about this fly tying club as I have never been to one yet I have been tying flies here in Moncton for at least 30 years. I think I will check with my fly tying buddy Jamie and if he’s not overly busy maybe we can both attend.

Looking forward to seeing what’s up at the Dieppe Fly Tying Club and maybe even get a few pictures to share with you.

This is a shame! Scud patterns are terrific flies at catching fish, and work especially well on both largemouth and smallmouth bass. But bass are not the only species of fish that eat scuds – rainbow trout, brown trout and just about any fish you can think of include a high proportion of scuds in their diet. In some waters, these crustaceans can make up for 20% or more of a fish’s diet. In waters where scud populations are high, rainbow trout can put on quite a bit more weight in a year than in waters where scuds are not as populous.

Although some anglers think scuds are shrimp, they are not. With their 7 pairs of legs, scuds are powerful swimmers but will curl up into a ball like shape when they feel endangered. Shrimp on the other hand will try to spring away from danger.

It is understandable that some anglers consider scuds to be shrimp, however as well as the difference in their danger response, their legs are positioned differently on their bodies than a shrimp’s legs.

Scuds do not hatch into winged insects. They do hatch from an egg, and then spend their entire life in the water, simply growing into adult scuds while increasing in size.

Scud patterns should be tied up on curved hooks such as the Tiemco 2488 or the Gamakatsu C12B. Generally, size 12 to 16 hooks can be used although some anglers like their scuds even smaller. They may be tied in a variety of colors including tan, gray, orange and yellow. However, when tying your scuds, bare in mind that they are fairly close to transparent and the color they take on comes from the hue of whatever they have been eating which is lodged in their intestine.

If you’re an avid small or largemouth fly angler, be sure to have some scuds in your fly box. They just might be the ticket when nothing else is working. There are a variety of fly fishing techniques that can be used when the fish don’t seem to be biting that can improve your chances. Don’t forget that scuds can move quickly – keep that in mind when fishing them.

Fly fishing can be a very addictive sport, and if you enjoy it, you’ll probably enjoy fly tying as well. There’s nothing more exciting than catching fish on the flies you’ve made yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Hugh_Scott

Don Moroz has the right idea, why not make money doing what you love to do.

Don has taken one of his hobbies, fly tying and turned it into a work from home idea for making money.

Great job Don.

I am a bit of a fly fishing nut and usually tie my own flies. I have never had any desire to make my living tying flies. I much prefer to tie them and then use them myself, although they do make great gifts.

I went to the Moncton Market to see if I could find a couple of friends that usually have a booth there. My friends weren’t setup that day but I was happy to turn around a corner and see Don’s booth setup.

Don Moroz, owner of Don’s Fly Box

I talked with Don for a few minutes before being dragged off by my wife to look at some things I had absolutely no interest in but it was great talking to Don.

Next time you drop into the Moncton Market check out Don’s Fly Box booth.

Maybe you can even buy your wife a set of new earrings.

If you’re looking to maybe start tying your very own flies be sure to checkout Amazon for a few great books on Fly Tying Basics.

Image by pacres via Flickr

I love fly fishing for just about any species of fish but smallmouth bass hold a special place in my heart because they are real fighters. I also fly fish for a Atlantic salmon which put up an awesome fight as well but they are few and far between unlike the smallmouth bass here in New Brunswick, Canada.

The fly I would like to look at today is called the Clouser Minnow and works great for pretty much any species of fish, fresh or saltwater.

Ass you can see by the picture, top left, you can tie the Clouser minnow in just about any colour.

Here is a video I found that will show you how to tie one up.

I hope you learned how to type a Clouser minnow for smallmouth bass and get out and use it. Happy fishing, friend.

I like to vary the size of the eyes depending on the size of the hook I am using. I also use a figure eight pattern to secure them in place. Also depending on the fish I am going after I will vary the hook size. However when I am fly fishing for smallmouth bass I don’t have to worry much about the size as they will smack em good whatever size you use.

Related articles

• Saint John River, Harts Lake And Some Smallmouth Bass And Pickerel Fishing (flyfishinginnewbrunswick.com)
• New Horton Lake Fishing June 23, 2011 (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

The white front of the bi-visible makes the fly a whole lot easier to see drifting down stream.

Here is a video showing you how to tie a brown and white bi-visible trout fly. It’s one of the easiest flies to tie, enjoy.

Related articles

• What To Look For Fly Fishing Trout Streams (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Muddler Minnow-A Fly Fisher’s Fly (thejoyofflyfishing.com)