I spent my childhood years in Ontario, back in the 1960s and was led to believe that walleye were called pickerel. It wasn’t until I was 30 and had moved to New Brunswick that I caught my first pickerel and learned they are not even the same species. What was that all about?

Pickerel also go by “federation pickerel” and in southeastern U.S. they are nicknamed “southern pike”.

Caught My First Chain Pickerel on The Fly

I feel lucky having hooked my first chain pickerel on the flyrod. Because it was a happy accident. A friend and I were actually fishing for brook trout on the fly.

Fishing A Flooded Forest on The Fly Rod

It seems like a very long time ago I had been visiting a flyfishing friend. Wayne was going to show me a little spot he wants to keep quiet about. He told me we would land some large brook trout on the fly.

When we arrived I could hardly believe that he expected me to actually use a fly fishing rod in there. The place was a stand of trees that had been flooded a couple of years before after busy beavers had blocked the flow of water and flooded a large patch of woods.

Wayne told me there were 16″ brookies living there. I didn’t call him a liar nevertheless I’d been considering it. However I became a believer soon after he landed the first 16″ brookie.

Fishing in trees was a brand new experience. I’d fished rivers and lakes for brookies using my fly rod, had even learned to deal with trees behind me but not a forest all about me.

I spent most of my time avoiding trees but did get some brookies. As usual when it comes time to leave I always have to get a few more casts. The second I lifted the fly off the surface for my final cast a pencil like 10 inch fish came flying out of the water and grabbed that dry fly.

I couldn’t imagine how intense that tiny fish was. That is the day I discovered the difference between a walleye and a pickerel.

Today I fish pickerel any chance I can. My personal best continues to grow from that first 10″ chain pickerel to 25 inches.

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I’ve caught a variety of fish in my time but have to say that I have had the most fun over the years brook trout fishing. The brook trout, also known as speckle trout, have been entertaining me for more than 40 years.  So I would say I’m quite fortunate to have so many brooks, stream and beaver ponds close to where I live in New Brunswick Canada.

Brook trout are located pretty much anywhere the water is clear, cold and running which covers almost all the waters where I live. I don’t think there are many places here in Canada we don’t have brook trout. Of course Brookies don’t stop at the U.S. border as they all have dual citizenships.

The rainbow, brown and lake trout are great fun as well but where I live it’s only at certain times and places these species are available however the brookie is available from opening day right through closing day of fishing season.

Trout Fishing Tip #1

Trout Fishing Using Live Worms

From opening day during trout season you can catch brook trout on worms day after day. It’s a food source that’s not natural to the trout but they sure love em. They like them so much it surprises me that there are any trout left.

I like to rig things easy and fast so depending on where I am fishing I will use a worm, a hook and a little sinker to keep it closer to the bottom. How simple is that.

When I take kids fishing for trout, and the water is deep enough, like when we fish the local trout ponds I bring along bobbers so that we can set them for the depth we want to fish. It helps to keep the kids from snagging the bottom so much and they don’t need to pay so much attention to the fishing.

It’s important to show kids a good time when fishing or they may not have fun and never get hooked on the sport, so take those bobbers along.

Trout Fishing Tip #2

Trout Fishing Using Artificial Baits

I like using live worms when fishing brook trout but I also keep some artificial worms for those times I didn’t get live worms or run out of them which happens a lot. One product I like is from Berkley.

Berkley Gulp Alive Maggots $ 5.99

NEW Berkley® Gulp!® Alive!™ is the next generation in Gulp!® technology. Now your favorite baits come floating in the “Magic Gravy” in a sealable jar, enabling you to recharge your baits by putting them back into the jar for the next use. The new Gulp!® Alive!™ baits absorb 20% more Gulp!® scent and attractant which, you guessed it, makes them at least 20% MORE EFFECTIVE than the 1st generation baits. They also have a 34% better swimming action than original Gulp!®. WOW! More attractant, better action, BETTER RESULTS than ever before! At Berkley®, our passion is that you CATCH MORE FISH! Get yourself some Gulp!® Alive!™ and go have some major fun! Click to Buy

I like to fish trout using artificial baits as well. On those days they seem a little shy to strike I might tip them with a worm or some other product I purchase like: Berkley Trout Bait.

Berkley Power Bait Trout Bait Twist $ 3.59

Bright, attractive colors swirled together with a sprinkling of dazzling silver fleck — resembling the scales of bait fish that trout love.

Environmentally friendly biodegradable composition. Click to Buy

Mepps and Red Devil lures are two other lures that I always keep in my tackle box. I also keep them in multiple sizes as that can make quite a difference day to day and depending on the water I fish.

Acme Wob-L-Rite $ 3.29
A time-tested favorite of fish and fishermen alike. Wob-L-Rites cast far and true, run deep, and have a darting, side-to-side action that resembles a baitfish in frantic flight. Especially effective for casting on windy days, fishing in swift water, or when you want to go deep where the big ones wait.

SIZE	DESCRIPTION	TYPE OF FISH
1/4 oz.	2-6 lb. test – medium-light spinning, spincasting & trolling	Ideal for pickerel, trout, smallmouth & largemouth bass.
1/2 oz.	8-12 lb. test – medium spinning, spincasting, baitcasting & trolling	Ideal for steelhead, salmon, trout & bass.

Click to Buy

Trout Fishing Tip #3

Trout Fishing on The Fly

I love fly fishing for trout. It’s one of my favourite methods for fishing trout, well really any fish, is using my fly rod and artificial flies. Some of these flies are so tiny that I am amazed every single time I hook into a brook trout with them. Others are bigger and some are ones I actually use for fly fishing Atlantic salmon, Smallmouth bass and Chain pickerel.

Some of the places I take my fly rod look like I’d never be able to use it so, unless it’s fly fishing water only I tend to take my spinning rod as well, for those sections of the river that are too crowded with Alders and other trees.

Brook Trout Flies I Use

I like tying my own trout flies for those days on the water and I never go with anything complicated so even if you never tied an artificial fly you would be able to put one of these together.

Most often, almost 100% of the time I use dry flies. It’s just so much fun watching them take it from the surface of the water, but every once in a while I will use a wet fly, a streamer or even a nymph to get below the surface if they aren’t taking anything from the surface.

My personal favourite dry flies for trout, wet and streamer trout flies:

Dry Flies – Hair Wing Dry Flies – size 8-18

• Gray Wulff
• White Wulff
• Irrisistible

Dry Flies – Fan Wing – size 10-20

• Adams
• Royal Coachman Fanwing
• Dark Hendrickson

Other Trout Dry Flies I Use

• Misquito size 10-20
• Brown Bivisible sizes 10-20
• Brown Hackle Peacock sizes 12-20

Wet Flies

• Black and Grizzly Weighted Wooly Worm – size 2-10
• Coachman Lead Wing Wet Fly sizes 12 -18
• March Brown English Wet Fly sizes 10-14

Streamers For Brook Trout

• Mickey Finn – size – 6-10
• White Maribou Streamer sizes 10-14
• Black Woolly Bugger – size – 6-10

Tying Trout Flies

I have never bought many flies because I like to tie my own flies for trout fishing. I have purchased specific flies so that I could see exactly how to tie them. Fly tying is a great hobby and when it comes to catching fish I get much more enjoyment knowing I tied the flies I am catching fish with.

Fish With Our Children’s Future in Mind

Brook trout fishing, whether on your spinning rod or fly rod is a great hobby but always think conservation for our children and their children. Practice CPR – Catch, Photograph and Release.

Note there is nothing wrong with eating a few trout. I love to keep a few for dinner in the early spring when the water is still ice cold here. They taste great but for the rest of the year I always release them unless I hurt them during the fight and know they won’t survive.

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Turning into a proficient fly fisher begins with learning the way you use a fly fishing rod to throw an artificial fly. Once you’ve accomplished that task an entirely new angling experience opens up to you.

Learning the fundamentals of fly casting only requires 10 or 15 minutes but gives back years and years of fly fishing fun.

I consider myself privileged mainly because my sister’s husband Joe, who had been fly fishing for quite some time before I arrived on the scene, took the time to show me the right way to cast a fly.

That’s 30 years ago and I still get pretty excited whenever I go for a day on the water with my fly rod. There is something special about casting a new fly on the lake and seeing a salmon take your fly.

The Joy of Fly Fishing

Should you be anything like me you’ll be pleased you took those few minutes learning the way to cast a fly. The only time I take my fishing gear from my vehicle is during the off fishing season as I hate missing a fishing opportunity so my fly rod and gear never leave the truck during fishing season.

And now lets start on those five tips for the fly fishing beginner…

Use Your Backyard To Practice Casting The Fly

Don’t wait until you’re at the water’s edge to start practising your fly casting technique. The time I spend fly fishing I must be paying attention to the things around me instead of being irritated attempting to figure out the cast.

I started in the backyard. The first step would be to ensure there were no obstacles behind me that would impede my cast when first learning. I started by making sure I had approximately thirty ft with no obstacles right behind me.

Next, I tied on a fly. Note that I snapped off the hook point to prevent hooking things during practice sessions, things like a tree.

Joe showed me that putting a magazine between my elbow and ribs would make for a better cast and it worked great. In addition Joe showed me that moving the rod within 10 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions during the cast would make it easier and that worked better too.

The Armchair Fly Fisher

I don’t know where I learned about this technique for practicing fly casting but it worked well. I used the end section of my fly rod, attached a 3 foot section of yarn then seated myself in my living room where I practiced holding my arm at my side going from the 10 and 1 o’clock position.

Practice getting the technique down before ever worrying about accuracy or distance. You will be surprised how easy it become to get distance and accuracy once you perfect the stance and arm movement.

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Casting is a fundamental skill in fly fishing. It is the foundation of the sport thus it should be done correctly to achieve the desired results. Below are a few things about casting that one should keep in mind when going fly fishing for the first time.

It all starts out with the grip. The appropriate casting grip is one which has the thumb on top from the rod. This helps the fisher apply a greater force when casting.

• Prior to casting, any slack on the line ought to be removed. This would enable for a smooth forward and backward cast.
• The line must fly towards the direction where the person points the rod during the cast.
• The size created with the loop depends on how the rod tip is moved when casting.

The distance of a typical cast is normally several meters away from the caster. Long distance casts are achieved by tons of practice. The newbie might not get it right on his/her very first few tries at casting. Nonetheless, with the proper guidance from a much more experienced companion and a lot of time dedicated to practice, the correct way of casting may be achieved.

Ideally, 15-30 minutes spent on practicing per day can aid improve the beginner’s technique. As a word of warning, practicing casting can be a hazardous activity. Which is why beginners are advised to do their practice away from the water and away from a lot of folks.

Fields are ideal spots to complete this as there is really a big room to accommodate errors that might prove harmful in otherwise constricted areas.

Arguably the best way for fly fishing novices and experienced gurus to improve their technique is through fly fishing books. There is a gigantic selection of books available online which teach great fly fishing technique along with other skills such as those found within fly tying books.

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Casting is very important in fly fishing. It is the foundation of the sport thus it should be done correctly to achieve the desired results. Below are a few things about casting that one should keep in mind when going fly fishing for the first time.

It all starts out with the grip. The proper casting grip is one which has the thumb on top with the rod. This helps the fisher apply a greater force when casting.

• Prior to casting, any slack on the line ought to be removed. This would enable for a smooth forward and backward cast.
• The line should fly towards the direction where the person points the rod during the cast.
• The size around the loop depends on how the rod tip is moved when casting.

The distance of a typical cast is generally several meters away from the caster. Long distance casts are achieved by tons of practice. The newbie may not get it right on his/her first few tries at casting. However , with the appropriate guidance from a a lot more experienced companion and a lot of time dedicated to practice, the correct way of casting can be achieved.

Ideally, 15-30 minutes spent on practising per day can help enhance the beginner’s technique. As a word of warning, practising casting can be a dangerous activity. That’s why beginners are advised to accomplish their practice away from the water and away from a great deal of people .

Fields are ideal spots to complete this as there is really a large room to accommodate errors that may prove dangerous in otherwise constricted areas.

One of the best ways for fly fishing novices and experienced fly fishermen to improve their technique is through fly fishing books. There is a gigantic selection of books available online which teach great fly fishing technique along with other skills such as those found within fly tying books.

When it comes to salmon fishing, remember that there are quite a few things that you need to be resonant of in order for you to be successful. Like any partisan who is after a certain rocking horse, or for that matter an experience, salmon fishing is sure as shooting something that comprises many composite workings. There are quite a few affairs that you need to know, like for representative where on the button you can fish for salmon. Other than that you need to also be careful of what kind of gear you need. And to be genuine, the list does not end here either.

You should be alert that like most rocking horses there are certain dangers that are linked to salmon angling. In most cases, fishing for salmon takes place in the wilderness. The truth is other wildlife such as bears may be crossing that particular area. This is why you need to get an accomplished opinion of what arenas are the best and also the safest when it comes to salmon angling.

Another way in which you can find out Selective Information is to check out a few of the tourist offices that are offering salmon fishing as an attraction. They are sure to offer the said experience at a lower rate for locals. This is where you need to do an individual search on your own. Having said that it is also worthwhile to check out within your neck of the woods if there are many salmon angling radicals who band up unitedly and venture into areas where salmon is abundant. Besides the adventure you are sure to come across many boosters as well.

If you seem to come crosswise many dead ends when it comes to brilliant for opportunities with reckon to salmon angling, try joining a few blogs and word boards online. You are sure to come across many articles on what you should do in order to be prepared for salmon fishing. Not only that there are quite a few leads you will be able to gather from interacting with a vast array of mortals who are into salmon fishing. Selective Information on which areas are shorter, what gear to take, which itineraries are better and even adjustment spots can be easily told apart by talking to enthusiasts of sportfishing.

Finally just make you are know what your status is with wish to salmon fishing. Ask yourself whether you are an amateur or whether you are following this just as a avocation and not as an occupation. All this Selective Information will sure help you when it comes to gaining more data for yourself.

Even if this sounds like an overwhelming undertaking, understanding saltwater fly fishing basics is not really that difficult. This certainly has been a great deal published about saltwater fly fishing. In fact, you will find more information about accessories, and it may feel like you have been inundated with information if you have never picked up a fly rod. However, just like any other fishing, fly fishing can be complicated or as simple as you would like to make it. However, understand that you do not need a lot of knowledge or equipment to start successfully. In fact, you do not even need to invest significant amounts of your savings on equipment. Here are the basic equipment needs that will help you get started.

The first thing you will need is a good fly rod. Most saltwater fly anglers recommend an 8 or 9 weight for average salt water fishing. This includes the average saltwater fish in the Northeast such as bluefish or striped bass.  Most anglers recommend a rod length of typically about 9 feet long, since they give you the leverage that you need to cast the line. Anything much longer than that becomes hard handle. Most tackle shops will carry a good quality rod for somewhere around $100.

The next most important piece of equipment that you will need is a good reel to match your rod. The good news is the confusion is easy to wade through. Since reels and fishing rods are rated the same, and an eight weight reel will match up with an eight weight rod. If you plan on using your fishing rod primarily in salt water settings, a large, arbor reel is typically a best choice. The benefits of these include wider deepest pools that allow you the room that you need for a couple of hundred yards a fly line backing, as well as your fly line. This additional line is necessary in the event that you hook a large fish that make a long run. This type of fly reel system can be purchased for well under $100.

The next piece that you will need is fly line and backing. Inexpensive fly lines are a good choice for those just starting out. Make sure the line weight matches your rod and reel, and that you use a floating weight forward line. You will not need sinking lines right away. Before you add your fly line to the reel, fill it with fly line backing.  Dacron line rated at 20 to 30 pound test is usually your best option. It is typically best to ask the tackle shop to wind the line for you, since they have winding machines.

The next piece of tackle that will be required is a leader. Made either from monofilament line or fluorocarbon line, leaders are typically the same length as your fishing rod, and are attached to your fly line before you tie the fly. Your local retailer should be able to recommend ideal leader sizes for the type of fish that you will be attempting to catch. It is important to remember that leaders are generally tapered, which allows them to unfurl at the end of the cast.

Talk to others who fish locally for deciding which type of flies to use. As a general rule of thumb, a small selection of surface flies and streamers are usually sufficient. For those just starting out, the employees in a local tackle shop can provide this information. After you have been fishing a few times, you will start to figure out what works best for you.