About 30 some years ago I took up fly fishing here in New Brunswick, it’s what made me move here from Ontario by the way. I had lived for almost 30 years before I was even introduced to fly fishing and in less than 10 minutes I was catching brook trout and soon moved on up to Atlantic salmon.

Looking back I am so happy my brother-in-law took the time to show this ole hippy how to fly fish. It has brought so much joy to my life that I think every one should be fly fishing.

Not everyone is as lucky as I was to have a guide help me get it right so today I would like to direct you to a web site focused on teaching you to fly fish. They even have classes throughout the summer for your convenience.

They are called The Atlantic Fly Fishing School and they are located in Brookfield Nova Scotia.

I usually tie most of my own flies and have been doing that for 30 years but I know that not all of us can pick up fly tying as fast as I did. I just fell in love with tying and can just look at a fly and know what I need to do to recreate it.

If you are interested in fly tying as well but are not sure how you can learn that too at The Atlantic Fly Fishing School, check them out.

Here is a link to their The Atlantic Fly Fishing School location page so you can see if they are close enough for you.

I am more than happy to finally have a fishing buddy, Jamie, that is computer literate. My other fishing friends don’t know their computer any more than to find their email and visit facebook.

I like it when I go fishing with a friend and we have somethings in common other than fishing. So Jamie I would like to welcome you to the world of blogging and to tell you I really like your blog, Fishing Fun in New Brunswick.

Learn a little bit about Jamie on his introduction page.

I only met Jamie last year, through one of my fishing blogs actually, and we hit it off right away.

We only got out fishing a few times last season but we only met near the end of the season so I am curious to see how much fishing we do in 2009.

Last season we fished mostly chain pickerel and a few bass but this year we will be getting out the fly rods and of course we will still be fishing pickerel and bass but also brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and Atantic salmon.

Jamie takes pictures, lots of pictures and I like that. I have very shakey hands and take terrible pictures. So, for that reason, I never got into taking pictures.

I bought a new digital camera last years that is suppose to help with taking the shake out of picture taking so we will see how that goes this year.

Image by lx-88 via FlickrIt’s been a five years since I have been able to fly fish. After my heart attack I was not allowed to lift more than 10 pounds, not allowed to cross my arms or legs, no lifting my arms over my head, so many rules, just to stay alive.

Well it’s 5 years later and 2008 rocked for me. I was able to get out and do some fishing, even made a new fishing friend but I still didn’t get to fly fish, maybe in 2009.

2009 is going to be my year for fly fishing. It’s only mid-January and I have started lifting 5 pound weights to strengthen my arm so I can spend more than 3 minutes with my fly rod.

As soon as winter is over long enough to get back out into my backyard I will be practicing my cast and building endurance.

The funny thing about all this is that I miss fly fishing for Atlantic salmon but what will I do if I actually hook one. Well that’s why I didn’t bother trying last year. I was just happy to get out fishing at all.

I have been lifting my little 5 pound weights for a few weeks now and just this morning I thought about moving up to 10 pound weights. I imagine it’s going to hurt but the fear of pain has lessened a bit and my doctors says I am okay to work out a bit, just not to push it.

The only part of me at this point that is in good shape would have to be my calf muscles from walking and my tongue from talking. Other than that I really need some work.

Image via WikipediaI was just reading an article in fly fishing magazine I bought back in 1995 and I still learn new and interesting things.

This morning I was going over an article that talks about using or creating flies that are way out there and it reminded me of some of the horrible looking things that have done well from time to time.

Over the years I have tied a lot of flies and caught a lot of fish. It’s a great hobby and few of my other hobbies have brought me so much joy. Well I would say maybe my guitar comes close.

While I am tying flies I sometimes get the urge to tie something that’s way out there.

For brook trout I usually stay with the artificial flies that have worked well for me in the past, the same with my Atlantic salmon flies but when it comes to smallmouth bass or chain pickerel, well that’s a different story.

Unfortunately I don’t have any of them left, well any of the ones that worked pretty well. But I have had fun with making up flies.

One particular day comes to mind.

I was fishing near Fredericton one very hot and still day. I was at a location that I had never fished but was given directions from my fishing buddy Kerry that lived in Fredericton.

I arrived ready to fish smallmouth bass but when I looked at the brook I was sure he meant I was going to be fishing trout.

The water didn’t look deep enough to use my float tube so I just walked the banks and fished for a while.

To my surprise my first cast landed me a cute little bass who thought he was much bigger that he actually was. I gave him a little kiss and dropped him back in the brook.

I followed the brook for a little ways and as a moved around a corner in the brook things opened up and I could see that I was able to get my float tube in so it was back to the car.

I relocated the car closer to the area I should have started in and what a day I had.

The bugs were unstoppable and I was glad I had plastered myself with bug spray, but as soon I as I got a way from the bank they died down enough that I almost forgot they were there.

The further around the bend I got the more I could see weeds and it was getting deeper. It was starting to look more like water I would find bass and pickerel in.

It was time to try one of my wacky flies. I had tied a few flies that were deer hair. They were fat flies, getting close to the size of a golf ball. Okay they were a little smaller but not much and they were hard to get that cast I wanted as they just wanted to float around in the sky.

I had a lot of action with those flies but didn’t catch much. The flies were just too big and round to get a hook set.

I had to use my nail clippers, as I didn’t have any scissors with me, to cut the deer hair back a bit at the bottom, but I didn’t want to cut it back so much that it would start getting hooked on the weeds.

Well I did mess up the fly. I started catching the bass but it wouldn’t go through the weeds after my hacking at it with my clippers.

I still had one of these really goofy looking balls of deer hair and so I put it on and spend most of the day just getting those explosive stricks that make your heart stop or explode.

I am going to try and duplicate that particular fly to use this year for pickerel. I will put a guard on it so that it should be pretty weedless.

We will see what happens. If they attract pickerel like they did bass I am sure we will have a blast.

For the bass I just left the flies brown but for the pickerel I think I am going to add a bit of red coloured deer hair. It seems that any thing I have thown at pickerel with red in it gets there attention.

I have even had soft plastic baits that they would hold on to even though they didn’t have a hook in them. Too much fun, can’t wait.

Sit down and learn a few very simple bass fishing tips that you will definitely want to be aware of. The amount of information you can learn on bass fishing is vast, such as knowing the types of lures to use, the type of bait that is more ideal, the best waters to fish, and also how you can catch those elusive fish. It seems that everyone and anyone that’s ever been out fishing and has snagged a big one has some bass fishing tips to share, and this is all well and good.  Why keep your secrets to yourself?

There are times however, that you need to be cautious when sharing bass fishing tips You can quite easily assume that one set of lures will work for others when it works really well for you. This however is not always the case. So many factors need to be considered when catching fish, and occasionally it is not possible for bass fishing tips to take all this factors into account. The time of year, the season, the weather, the water temperature, the amount of sunlight; all of these things have something to do with how the fishing are feeding and how much. Sometimes it’s not only about the bait or the lures that you use. Everything, well all these factors should be harmonized and in alignment for the tips to work as they should.

What To Do?

The best bass fishing tips you’ll get will take everything into account but will keep everything simple as well. Trying to over-think or over-plan your approach isn’t going to help you be successful at all. Whilst many factors need to be considered in bass fishing, the fish are still what they are – fish. When you look at all the bass fishing tips out there and find that some are far to detailed and has many expectations, then sometimes they are simply not practical to use.

Easy bass fishing tips include casting past your schools and slowly retrieving the lure over them. This won’t startle the fish the way trying to get your lure right on top of them will. You might want to practice some different types of casts; take the hooks and lures off and try some in the backyard or your living room. Use an underhand cast or sidearm cast to get past some cover in the lake; these will need some practice as well.  Some of the best bass fishing tips will tell you how to practice these casts until you’re comfortable with them.

The use of the correct type of lures is also a part of any good bass fishing tips that you can get. Grubs are ideal on the later part of the day, while crankbaits are better suited for the morning. Do some necessary adjustments if you are simply not getting any hits on the line. Make use of lighter lures when it is bright outside and darker ones when you are fishing in darker waters; if don’t then quite obviously the lures will simply look unnatural and the fish are likely to stay away.

What you have read are indeed very simple and basic bass fishing tips, then again the simpler the better. You should just get to know your fish and discover what will attract them but this task cannot be over done either. If you take these tips and figure a way to maximise their uses then you are on your way to successfully catching those big bass.

Deep sea fishing is a wonderful sport and can be a great adventure. The sport, however, requires some specialized equipment. This equipment includes saltwater fishing tackle. Finding good equipment is as easy as a trip to your local tackle store. Just be sure you know what to look for when you get there. Here is a guide to help you on your shopping trip for big fish tackle.

The starting point is to gather as much information as you can on saltwater fishing and the tackle you will need, as well as other important factors, including the weather and sea conditions, location, the type and size big fish likely to be found at the site, and even the number of people who’ll be making the trip with you. Once you have the answers to these, you will be in a better position to select the kind of fishing rod, reel and tackle that will be ideal to meet your needs during your expedition.

Selecting sea fishing tackle can be a pretty bewildering exercise, considering the hundreds of choices available to you. This shouldn’t be much of a problem, because you can consult any experienced, deep sea fishermen who will willingly give you some valuable advice. On the other hand, there are several online reviews and articles on fishing tackle, as well as printed literature and magazines that you could read to gain knowledge on the subject.

Deep sea fishing trips are only successful if you have the right saltwater fishing tackle. Examples of terminal tackle that you will need are hooks, swivels, flies, sinkers, lures and leaders. The swivel will be one of the most important purchases you will make at the tackle store. When you are deep sea fishing, a big fish that is very heavy may get on your line and the tugging and sheer weight will cause the line to twist. When this happens, the swivel will stop the line from breaking. Several different types of swivels are available, including the crane ball-bearing swivel, the snap swivel and the barrel swivel.

Another useful item is a ‘leader,’ which is a device that prevents cutting of the line by rocks or the sharp teeth of some fish species. Leaders are available in different strengths that will correspond to the type of fish at the site or the ones you are angling for. Another essential item is a ‘lure.’ There are several lures specifically designed for saltwater fishing. Check with your local fishing tackle shop to see which types will be most suitable for your needs before you purchase. Lastly, a ’sinker’ of suitable weight will complete your saltwater fishing tackle set, happy Fishing!

I was busy going over things I have planned for 2009 and I hear a knock on my door. Strange time to get a visitor. Cool another happy client coming to pay me for my services.

Big Paw Outfitters owner Kevin Caissie has been a client since early 2003 and has seen his life and business grow over that time. I was happy to be a small part of that.

Kevin knows I love fishing, especially Atlantic salmon fly fishing and his lodge is right on the Renous river, well within spitting distance anyways.

Well Kevin just invited me and a guest to spend a couple of days at his lodge Atlantic salmon fishing. I am more than stoked for this one. It feels like Christmas all over again.

I made a new friend and fishing buddy through this site in 2008 who actually took the time to take me fishing with him. I think I have a new friend for life now. Yee Haw.

To make a long story short my new fishing buddy Jamie made my summer in 2008. I have been having health problems, heart related, and because I wasn’t allowed to drive my fishing completely stopped. Then Jamie contacted me through this site and my summer changed for the better.

How better to repay a huge gift like Jamie gave me in 2008 than to invite him as my guest on this fly fishing trip to the Renous.

I know what I will be dreaming about tonight.

Thanks Kevin, you rock.