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What a great way to start off summer. A great day of fishing with a friend.

Casey picked me up and we headed off to New Horton Lake for some smallmouth bass fishing.

The weather was pretty much perfect. Lots of sun for vitamin D, almost no wind at all for the entire day. Heck there were even a few fish to keep our interest up.

Oh yeah, and no one came home sunburned, this time.

New Horton Lake

Actually New Horton Lake reminds me of a couple of lakes I’ve been on in Ontario that were left behind after the last ice age backed off, leaving huge rocky gouges in the landscape that filled with water and today hold plenty of hard fighting fish.

New Horton Lake, New Brunswick on Google Maps

We Headed To An Island, Or Was It

Here is a photo I took while we were going down the lake on my first trip there with Casey. I thought we were headed to an island however it was a point of land that come way out into the lake. I think it’s about a half mile long or more.

No Jim That’s Not An Island

If you look at the bottom left of the Google map above you will see the strip of land that comes out into the lake. Lots of fishing area along the shore line here.

You can see just how calm the water was from in the image above.

Casey was saying the wind can quickly whip up waves but no problems this day.

Casey Catches First Fish

Casey didn’t waste any time catching the first fish. I think he may have brought it with him but then again if he was going to do that I’m sure it would have been a bigger one. Ha Ha.

Not A Huge Fish, But The First Fish, Congrats

We didn’t get much action trolling but as were got close to weeds and banks I was casting. As soon as the water warmed up along the shore they started taking baits.

They were hanging around the shore where the water was a degree or two warmer and where they could stay in the sun or move into shade.

We started hitting the shore line where there was a definite line between the sun and shade. I love being able to pop a lure up on the bank and then pull it into the water.

It’s amazing just how fast those bass can strike. Sometimes it seems that the lure would have to land in their open mouth to be so fast.

At one point Casey said he was changing to a spinner bait. I agreed but had given all my spinners to my son Steve for trout fishing.

Casey pulled out a tackle box with dozens and let me take the first pick.

I choose the little #4 Mepps with a nice floresent blade. It’s the one on the left and worked great as I caught the first smallie in about a half minute. First cast to the shore in a shady spot.

I had never fished smallmouth using a Mepps. I have used them on pike, pickerel and trout but now it’s a new confidence bait for bass as well.

The only reason I caught the first bass using the spinner is because Casey let me pick first and in about 4 seconds it was on my line and I had that first cast to the bank.

Look At That Lure Fly

I bought a new shrimp/perch pattern Rapal. I’m no good at names of lures, I just buy em and use it. Anyways I put on this new lure, lined up a spot to cast to and let her fly.

There was a little knot in my line and it snagged after about 6 feet of line went out and that lure straightened the swivel snap and that lure fly so far.

I told Casey it was a floating lure so we headed in the direction I made the cast. I thought it was long gone and probably somewhere out in the bush somewhere.

Just before I gave up looking I saw the sun reflect off the top of the lure which had about a square inch showing about the surface.

It had hit the water a couple of feet from shore. Very lucky.

What’s really funny is that last year I lost the original lure in New Horton Lake and I’m sure it did land somewhere in the bush. That was the reason I had a new one this year.

Related articles

• Saint John River, Harts Lake And Some Smallmouth Bass And Pickerel Fishing (flyfishinginnewbrunswick.com)
• What A Perfect Day On The Water (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Cassidy Lake Pickere Fishing 2011 Part Two (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Cassidy Lake Pickerel 2011 (flyfishinginnewbrunswick.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Today I wasn’t feeling so good so I thought I would turn to the TV for a little entertainment. My choice for entertainment today was fishing. As a Canadian I like to watch Canadian fishing shows.

I started skipping through the channels to see what I could find. First I found Bob Izumi, well he was ice fishing but it’s the first of June and I was I was looking for some spring and early summer stuff so I skipped Bob.

Next  I found the Fishing Canada Show but they were fall fishing and as this is now late spring I switched the channel again. I had already removed the record setting on my PVR for these guys as the first 5 minutes of their show is all commercials.

Next I found some guy named Barry Pringle or something like that but guess what. They were ice fishing as well.

What the F*** is wrong with these people. I’m not sure who wants to sit in the house on a rainy day and watch ice fishing or fall fishing when it’s spring.

I have just deleted these three guys from my PVR settings and will have to watch American fishing shows until the dumbass Canadians get their seasons right.

I would think that maybe they should present shows that match the season, just like matching the hatch. Come guys.

I much prefer to watch a fishing program that is going to teach me something I can use today, not 6 months down the road.

Of course the problem may just be with the TV stations not having any fishers in their midst to tell them what season it is.

Cassidy Lake Pickerel Fishing 2011 Part One

Casey landed his first pickerel and had the biggest grin on his face. Not sure if it was because it was his first fish of 2011 or because it wasn’t me with the first fish.

Ha, maybe a little of both. I sure hope it’s not a sign of things to come for 2011 as he just kept catching them and smiling, a lot.

Casey was using minnow baits with blood red hooks and what a huge difference it made to the fish catching.

I didn’t have any lures with the blood red hooks and they just weren’t interested at all.

He kept offering me lures, even ones with red hooks but I don’t like losing other people’s lures so for a time I just said thanks but didn’t use them.

Well after Casey’s 7th fish to my zero I was willing to lose one of his lures. Errr I mean use one of his lures.

Finally I hooked into a monster. Well maybe not a monster but I am sure it was all of 12 maybe 13 inches, it just thought it was bigger.

Fishing Tip of the Day: If you haven’t given blood red hooks a try yet you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Casey was smart and started replacing the hooks on his baits at least a year ago.

You can be sure I will be ordering some red hooks to replace my existing hooks.

I will tell you that if you invest in lures with blood red hooks or buy new blood red hooks for your lures you just might get a whole lot more action.

Casey couldn’t seem to do anything wrong Friday, even though it was Friday the 13th.

Even though I started catching pickerel they were few and far between for me. Casey on the other hand just kept catching them.

A Great Day of Pickerel Fishing

I was still determined to catch some pickerel on lures without red hooks. After all I fished for many years before red hooks and did great.

Well I did manage to catch a few more using a perch pattern and ended my day with 7 pickerel and a sun burned face. It really looked like I was most embarrassed about getting my butt kicked.

I believe that Casey landed 25 pickerel by the end of our day. So he caught the first fish of the day, the most fish of the day along with the biggest.

I am already looking forward to my next trip to Cassidy Lake. I had kind of forgotten about the lake once we started pickerel fishing the Chipman, New Brunswick area.

I guess there’s just not enough time to fish all the places I love as often as I would like.

Maybe I will get more fishing in once I retire in a couple of years.

Casey, thanks for the great day of fun and I love what you’ve done with your boat. It’s going to be an awesome summer.

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Barry, an old friend I haven’t heard from in years, since he moved away. Well he’s moved back and gave me a call to see what’s happening in my neck of the woods.

He didn’t even fish the last time I saw him but now he’s into a little less stress in his life, for health reasons and thought fishing would be a good way to get away from things that stress him.

He told me he has always loved a good feed of brook trout and thought that might be exactly what he wants to fish for.

We met before I was married and he knows I was out every day during fishing season, even had a part time job to support my habit yet still have loads of time off. That changed once I got married of course as it wouldn’t be fair to a non-fisher lady, would it.

Barry doesn’t know how to fly fish, yet, so I thought I would just share a few tips to help him produce better results.

Trout fishing was the first thing I did when I moved to New Brunswick, where I learned to fly fish, but most of the places I was fishing back then were tough to fly fish so I did a lot of spinner and worm fishing.

It’s sure great having a huge lawn as I can get enough worms for an entire day of fishing in about 15 minutes. I water the lawn just before dark and then come back after an hour or two, with a flash light, and start grabbing them.

Where To Locate Brook Trout

It’s not hard to locate trout here in New Brunswick but to find those bigger brookies one needs a little stealth or they will spook and be gone in a flash.

Obstacles That Hold Brookies

When I am fishing brooks and streams I look for under-cut banks, log jams, turns in the brook that create deeper holes and just about anything else that will give trout protection from above and predators around them in the water.

Areas With Different Water Speeds

I also watch how the water moves because the seems between water at different speeds is a real hot spot for feeding trout. They will sit right where they keep in the slower moving water but dart out into the faster water to pick up food.

How can you tell good spots? Well I personally like to sit for a few minutes before starting and watch what floats down stream. Watch how foam, bugs, leaves and other debris moves down stream because that’s the same path the trout’s food will come.

Brook Trout Fishing Gear

When I go brook trout fishing I take both a spinning rod and a fly rod, both light action of course as most of the brookies are small and even the larger ones don’t get much past 5 lbs in the places I fish.

I really prefer that fly rod but it’s good to cover yourself in case there is no room to use the fly rod. That’s when I get the spinning rod out.

I love using dry flies for brook trout but also have great fun fly fishing using leech patterns. The brookies will hit them hard. I fish flies anywhere from size 8 woolly buggers to size 16-18 for midges.

I carry a few small lures like Mepps and Red Devils when spinner fishing. Usually I will put an attractant on the hooks, maybe even a small worm if the fishing’s tough.

Wading The Stream

When I am wading the stream I try to move up stream to prevent spooking fish, however that’s not always an option so my suggestion is to try and be as stealthy as you can because brook trout are always nervous and will scatter easily.

Enjoy the sport, ease that stress and preserve our waters, never leave trash behind and always release the fish you don’t want unharmed.

How long should you hold a fish out of water? Trying holding your breath while you’re looking at and taking pictures, when you can’t hold it any longer that’s too long for the fish.

Related articles

• Secrets of Fishing For Brook Trout (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Can’t Hardly Wait For Fishing Season To Open (stepbysteptips.com)

I have a couple of life vests from 30 years ago. Unfortunately they must have shrunk somewhat as I just can’t seem to fasten them these days, so I either need to lose weight or buy a new PFD and I am sure it’s not going to be weight loss.

For the past couple of years Casey and Jamie have always had an extra life vest but I think it’s time to get my own.

The style that my fishing buddies have work great and give me extra support for my back, which doesn’t seem to stand up as long as it did back 30 years ago. So I might need to get a vest and some sort of back support for those long days, which are the days I enjoy the most.

Mustang Survival M.I.T. Auto Inflatable PFD Vest

Membrane Inflatable Technology Lightweight stretch fabrics Greater range of motion Reduced chafing and fatigue 1.5-times more buoyant than traditional foam PFD Easy-to-use design22 lbs. of buoyancy when inflated Brand-new Membrane Inflatable Technology features lightweight stretch fabrics inspired by materials originally designed for the medical industry.

Provides a greater range of motion, reduced chafing and fatigue, and is 1.5-times more buoyant than the traditional foam PFD. One-fold, easy-to-use design; 22 lbs. of buoyancy when inflated.

Colour: Red. Imported. USCG approved/Type II.

This vest uses Mustang Survival Rearming Kit Model MA2012 which is sold separately and can be found through keyword search “Rearming Kit Model MA2012″. Manufacturer model #: MD2012. . Mustang Survival M.I.T. Auto Inflatable PFD Vest

Fly Fishing Muddler Minnows

If I had to pick only one fly I could only fish with all year long, I would have to choose the Muddler Minnow. I like this fly pattern because it is so versatile, and it seems to produce on big rivers, small streams, and lakes. Popular sizes ranges from size 4 down to size 10 and it doesn’t have to be tied perfect to be effective. In fact, I have a friend of mine who once told me that “the worse it looks, the more fish it catches.” So if you are tying your own Muddlers and they don’t look that good, do not worry they may still catch fish.

The Muddler Minnow is a great fly for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Steelhead, and most other game fish. This fly has two major things going for it. First, it looks like a wide variety of fish forage. For example, to the fish, a large Muddler may look like a grasshopper, big stonefly, or even a small field mouse. The smaller Muddlers may look like caddis flies, small minnows, or small sculpins. Second, it can be fished just about any way you want using a dry line or a wet line, dead drifted on the surface, down and across the current, or cast and striping the fly. Don’t be afraid to give the Muddler some action. Make it look like alive trying to get away from a predator, or make it look like a big fly trying to get off the surface of the water.

A Muddler Minnow fishing tip that works when fishing slower currents or lake fishing: Cast out to a spot. As soon as the fly hits the water, twitch the fly a couple of times while stripping in about 2 feet of line, and then let it sit for 5 seconds, then twitch and strip in again working the fly back to you. Make another cast to a different spot about 6 feet from the first spot. Try not to fish over the same place over and over.

Just as there are endless variations of the Muddler Minnow, there are just as many ways to fish the Muddler. For example, in the summer, you can fish it like a hopper; twitch and pause making it look like a big insect has just fallen in the water. Skate the Muddler, and make it wake across the current while at the same time giving the fly the action of an injured minnow trying to escape a charging predator. In the springtime try the smaller sizes, and fish the fly with a sinking tip line close to shore, giving it a short stripping action. During early mornings and late evening of summer and fall use the larger sizes of the Muddler, giving it action along the edges of deep pools and cut banks.

Please remember to be careful while you are on the river, do not harm our wonderful land, don’t litter, and please practice catch and release for the next generation.

Stanley Stanton is an Oregon Fly Fishing Guide and McKenzie River fly fishing guide, Visit: http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com For additional fly fishing tips and information about Fly-fishing for Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Fly fishing and salmon fishing. Email: stan@oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com The above author authorizes distribution of this article and that it be reprinted or Published in its entirety, including this resource box.

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

Tying the Muddler minnow I use is pretty straightforward. Check it out the Muddler minnow in our fly tying section.

Related articles

• Can’t Hardly Wait For Fishing Season To Open (stepbysteptips.com)
• Secrets of Fishing For Brook Trout (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Image by James River Association via Flickr

Where are the Brook Trout?

Brook trout are looking for oxygen and water that is at least 53 degrees or colder. The stronger the current, or the more rapids there are, the more oxygen will be created in the water. As the seasons change, the these trout follow the cooler water.

Spring time, with fast flowing and cooler water, is a great time for catching brook trout. However, as summer comes and the water becomes warmer, the trout will migrate to cooler waters. Here is where you need to understand the waters where you fish.

As warmer surface water flows from the lakes to the rivers, the water becomes too warm for the brook trout. Typically they will migrate downstream where they find rocks as well as natural springs running into the river. Both of these cool the water. However, if the head water of a creek is fed by a spring fed lake, the trout will head up street to cooler waters. In the summer time, you will need to determine which way the cooler water is – upstream or downstream. That is where you will find your trout you are looking for.

What to Use for Bait and Lures?

Brook Trout will hit worms and natural insects They like grasshoppers and mayflies. They also like any artificial flies that mimic the natural bait.

A good bait to use is one that you can roll up into a round ball that resembles a salmon egg. Put this on your hook and see what you can catch. This type of bait comes in a small jar and molds just like Silly Putty, which makes it very convenient.

A 6 or 4 pound test line with small hooks is best for brook trout fishing.

Why can’t I catch Any Brook Trout?

One of the most difficult times to catch one is when the suckers are spawning. The Trout love to gorge themselves on these eggs. That means they will not be interested in what you have to offer them. If this is the case, you will need to go further up or down stream to find some Brook Trout that are hungry.

All trout are very sensitive to sound and smell. They can actually smell you, so leave your smell good stuff at home. They also scare easily, so if you go traipsing through the water making lots of noise and splash, they will hide from you. If you offend their senses, they will swim away to their favorite hiding places.

One more reason Brook Trout may be difficult for you to catch is because they often are at the base of a waterfall or rapids area. They like deep pools and bubbles but they may be in areas that are too deep for you to wade in thereby making them very difficult for you to reach.

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• 3 Brook Trout Fishing Tips I Think You’ll Like (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
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