This is one of my favorite fly fishing in New Brunswick Atlantic salmon fishing spots. It’s one of those places that you don’t even need a boat, even though the river is fairly wide and deep at this point. I think that this particular area has a place in my heart because it’s where I caught my first good size salmon and also where my brother-in-law took me when I first moved to New Brusnwick in 1974. It’s also the same place, just to the right in this photo where I was charged with holding a salmon out of the water too long. That dumb stunt cost me a day of work, to go to court, and a $200 fine. I didn’t agree with the charge as I continually put the salmon back in the water as we were taking pictures and held it in the water until it was strong enough to pull out of my hands. This spot is a great place to fly fish for salmon without being crowded. A little further up where you see the river divide it can get a little congested at peak times but most fly fishers are very polite and move up the river without much prompting. When my fly fishing buddies and I head into the Renous backroads for Atlantic Salmon trip we will usually stop here and fish for the evening before heading in and setting up camp. We certainly are blessed with Atlantic salmon rivers, let’s take care of our waters.
This is one of my favorite spots to fly fish for Atlantic salmon and brook trout. To the right of the bridge a nice cool brook flows into the Marimichi River making for a great spot to catch the odd monster brook trout. The last time I fished here they were just starting the new bridge and the old one vehicle steel bridge was still there. It was nice to use the new bridge without waiting for the on coming traffic, which could get pretty crowded at certain times of the year. My wife and I stopped here on our day of fishing and I noticed that the big boulders that used to be along the river at this point, just off shore, have gone. This is going to definitely change this stretch of water. We stayed there for a couple of hours and saw absolutely nothing moving. The water was still a little high here but in past years I have fished here this early and caught Atlantic salmon and trout. I certainly hope this was just one of those days and that the fishing at this spot comes back. Maybe I will get back there this weekend to give it another go. It just shows how man can mess things up when they are trying to make things better for us humans.
Image via WikipediaAs most of my reader know I haven’t been fishing in almost 5 years, 4 fishing season. It’s amazing how much you need your heart beating to just walk.
My wife has been terrific since Feb. 2004, well she was terrific before that, she just showed it a whole lot more since my heart attack. Ah love.
It has been most depressing but I couldn’t imagine going through this alone, I am sure I would have just given up and faded away completely.
Not being able to even go fishing was a big part of that depression during those 4 fishing season I could not fish. It bothered me so much I had to hide all my fishing gear and fly tying equipment away in the basement.
Even though I spent a long time being depress I never actually gave up 100% otherwise I am sure I would have given or thrown it all away.
Really long story short I took meds, plenty of them, and walked as much as I could for four years and even though I will never be 100% I am up for going fishing, so…
I bought another desk and put it in my office. It’s a bit crowded but I have two of my three passions here in my office now. My computer and my fly tying gear. My wife, my other passion, comes in my office every once in a while to see if I am still kicking.
I couldn’t go out while the weather was still too cold, my body can’t take the cold yet but I can be a fair weather fisherMann for a while. It just feels so great to be only a few days away from actually getting out fishing.
I bought a small video camera a couple of months ago so that I could document the progress of our backyard garden and flowers for my gardening blog but now I will also be able to take it fishing and get some nice shots of the places I go.
I probably won’t give the actually locations but it’s more about sharing the scenery and the experience and not so much about sharing the locations to the point of over fishing.
Wish me the best and if I get out on the water I will certainly post about it.
Image via WikipediaIt’s always fun fly fishing for trout in New Brunswick. I don’t remember ever having this much fun fishing in Ontario but back then I didn’t use a Fly rod.
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. It had been raining for most of the week but we thought we would stop by Stone Brook to see if the water was clear enough and low enough to fish and to our amazement it was. We were sure we heard the brook trout calling our name.
It was still early enough for our chest waders so we suited up and headed down the railway tracks to where we normally get in. The water was too deep there and the current too strong to get a foot hold so we walked down a bit further.
This is such a nice spot. If we have two vehicles we can park a car at one end and the other at the other. We can fish all day and then it’s only a two minute walk to the car.
If we only have one vehicle it’s still just a 20 minute walk back to the car by way of the railway tracks. It makes for such a great day.
Well back to the river and the trout.
This brook is full of brook trout and it’s wide enough for two of us to fly fish together in most parts.
We have a lot of fun trying to get the other guys spot before he can.
Well Roland and I have had a few adventures and laughed at each other for years and it always seems that we forget to snap a picture or two for future laughs.
On this particular day the water was a bit higher that normal for that time of year. There is one or two spots on the river where the trees tend to cover the entire river and the only way to get a cast is to get in under the trees.
Of course this is also where the water runs a bit deeper. Roland is a bit shorter than myself so he decided to get out and walk around this spot but not me.
I thought I could get through it and almost did, just not quite.
It was the funniest thing because Roland saw me bobbing out the other end bouncing from rock to rock on my tip-toes and just keeping the edges of my waders from going under and getting me soaked.
I had my Fly rod extended in Roland’s direction. He was laughing so hard he kept missing the tip of my rod. Eventually he did grab and slowly guided me to the shore.
I didn’t even get enough of a foot hold in there to get a single cast, just bobbed my way through just out of the reach of any of the tree branches that make it so hard to get a cast.
Image via WikipediaOur new home is taking up a lot of our time this year. I haven’t even been fishing yet and it’s May 15th already. Yesterday as Spring cleanup day and we managed to get almost everything done we wanted to get rid of and just in time. They arrived for pickup about 12 hours early but we were ready.
Unfortunately most people in our city were not ready and are in for a cruel surprise when they get up this morning to see all their junk still sitting at the curb.
In the next couple of days I have to get all my fishing gear in order. I still haven’t picked up my New Brunswick fishing lisence yet. Not having a car since my heart attack really does suck at times.
I am sure one of my fishing buddies will take me Lyon’s store tonight so we are ready and can leave as early as we want.
I don’t think we will be taking the float tubes yet as the water will still feel like ice water and sitting in it too long at this time of year can be painful.
I would like to go to the little pond/lake where I found a second beaver pond in behind.
I always take my Fly rod with me even if I don’t get to use it. I like to see how early in the season we can attract trout on a dry fly. I have caught my limit with the Fly rod in years past but those years are few and far between.
The last time I fished this little spot in the spring it was snowing and raining. The wind was blowing so hard it ripped our panchos right off but the fishing was so hot that we couldn’t just go home.
We froze that day but it was worth every shiver.
Image via WikipediaWe have been married 26 years today. My wife says it’s time for some new fly fishing gear including waders and felt bottomed boots.
I have lost 60 pounds since my last purchase of fishing waders so I kinda just float in my old waders. Plus they have seen better days.
The multiple patches make them look like I got caught in a cross fire.
My felt bottomed fishing boots basically have no felt or bottoms any more so they gotta go as well. Duct tape worked to hold them together for the last couple of trips but now they are just gone.
I have always been one to wear things until they have paid for themselves. I guess it’s the mentality of being broke through my entire youth. No one seemed to mind when it was my blue jeans but my fishing buddies just can’t stand to see my waders and boots any longer.
Smallmouth Bass are one of my favorite species for sport fishing on the fly in New Brunswick. I have caught them up to 4 pounds but only a couple of times. I usually max out in the two, two and a half pound area but I don’t mind because they all think their 4 pounds.
Smallies a blast whether your using a baitcaster, spinning rod or Fly rod. My personal preference has to be using my Fly rod for smallies. I do keep my spinning rod available for those days that the wind is taking the fun out of fly fishing.
I have mentioned a little hot spot for smallmouth bass that I go to when it’s too windy and it also makes a great place to learn how to fly fish as there are plenty of spots one can cast from without hooking up in a tree or a bush.
I have a little spot I go to when it just too windy elsewhere so I get to use my Fly rod here most days. I try to keep my favorite spots a bit hush hush and in the past 20 years or so I have only told two people where this spot actually is. One of those people is my son and I am sure he won’t tell any one.
The smallmouth bass in this spot only seem to grow to about 14 inches but what a day of fun you can have with light action gear.
Another reason I love this place so much is that it’s only about an hour from home and I am within about 15 minutes of trout fishing and pickerel fishing and even Atlantic salmon fishing. Can’t beat that with a stick.
These waters don’t require you to fish using a fly rod like a few other places I fish so those that are just learning can go back and forth between a spinning rod and the fly rod.
Come and go fishing with me, as long as you don’t mind wearing a blindfold while getting there. 
