I have been watching their TV show for some time and always learn something. I especially like the time spent at the fly tying bench. I get to see how to tie the flies that are new to me and then I get to try them here in New Brunswick. I get a fair bit of fishing on TV but when I heard that Sport Fishing on the Fly had moved to WFN I contacted my satilite TV dealer and had them add WFN to my account. Now I can record more shows than ever. Thanks WFN and thanks Bell Express. The SFOTF hosts, Don Freschi and Grant Fines do an awesome job. They know what they are doing and unlike so many other fishing shows they keep fairly sane during the taping which I appreciate. I have a couple of float tubes and love taking friends fishing. It’s nice to get out fishing but I really do enjoy it so much more when the day on the water is shared. How much fun is it to yell fish on when you are all by your self? It’s also nice to have a friend who can take good pictures. My hands shake too much, ever since I was a young boy, so I really suck at picture taking. I bought a viedo camera this years and a tripod. I am hoping to finally be able to take great pictures and share them with my readers.
Sport Fishing on the Fly is one of my favorite fly fishing show to watch. I enjoy sportfishing on the fly myself and get out on the water every chance I get.
Image by nwalpineguide via FlickrNew Brunswick sport fishing gets even better when you are fishing from a float tube. You can move right up on the bass without making a sound which can bring on heart stopping action.
I like float tube fishing so much that I keep two float tubes on hand at all times. I have to pick up another set of flippers though as one of my friends kind of broke my extra pair.
One very hot and I mean one of the hottest days we had that summer we headed to a lake about 2 hours from home but only about a half hour from Kerry’s place, where I was staying for the weekend.
We headed out early to beat the heat a bit but didn’t have a whole lot of luck which is a bit strange because I thought for sure we would get some great bass action. Well it’s a little tougher covering large areas of water from a float tube.
I can only go as fast as my little legs can kick.
As the day go hotter Kerry’s attitude started to change and he was whining a bit which is just not Kerry so you know it was a scorcher that day.
I suggested that we move up the lake about a mile and he freaked, thinking I meant we would kick our way there. I had meant we would take the car as the float tubes just fit in the back if you put them in right.
We reached our new destination and I was in the water and well off shore before he even hit the water. And even when he did hit the water he was just floating around near shore.
It wasn’t until I caught my first bass on the Fly rod, about 3 lbs, that he perked up and started moving his butt in my direction.
We followed the shore link in this rocky area and caught bass after bass for the rest of the day. We forgot all about just how hot it was and concentrated on just how hot it was fishing.
A new friend, Charles @ Dr Ordi PC Dr, interested in going fishing with me asked about the cost of a fishing license here in New Brunswick Canada. A few others have also asked about the cost, especially those that are non-residence that I have extended a fishing invitation to.
Here is a list of fishing license fees for New Brunswick in 2008 I found at Goverment New Brunswick Services. This is only the fees so you may want to follow the link and read the entire page:
Non-Resident - Salmon
Season (class 1)
$105 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $30 conservation fee 140.00
7 day (class 2)
$57 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $20 conservation fee 82.00
3 day (class 3)
$29 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $10 conservation fee 44.00
Season - Live Release (Class 13)
$105 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $30 conservation fee 140.00
7 day - Live Release (Class 14)
$57 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $20 conservation fee 82.00
3 days
$29 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $10 conservation fee 44.00
Non-Resident - All Species - Except Salmon
Season (class 4)
$30 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $20 conservation fee 55.00
7 day (class 5)
$20 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $10 conservation fee 35.00
3 day (Class 6)
$15 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 25.00
Resident - Salmon
Season (class 7)
$20 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 30.00
Kids 10-15 years or Seniors 65+ (class 
$8 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 18.00
Live Release (class 16)
$20 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 30.00
Live Release - kids 10-15 years, 65+ (Class 17)
$8 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 18.00
Resident - All Species - Except Salmon
Season (class 9)
$10 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 20.00
Seniors 65+ (class 10)
$0 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $0 conservation fee 5.00
Ice Fishing
Non Resident (class 11)
$10 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 20.00
Resident (class 12)
$0 legislated fee + $5 fish stocking fee + $5 conservation fee 10.00
I am really glad they have included an extra $5.00 as a fish stocking fee. So much has happened over the past 100 years to do major damage to stock and habitat it’s good to see we are correcting our past mistakes.
Image via WikipediaAs a kid I lived in Ontario Canada and did a fair bit of catfishing near the back of our farm. When I was in my 20s I moved to New Brunswick Canada and have never hooked a catfish since. I miss that.
Way back then I just used a metal pole from an electric fence, some line from my brothers rod and a hook with a worm on it. It worked great but not all catfishing is done the same way as I did for those little foot longs.
There are a few basic methods that are effective in catching catfish. Bear in mind that specific methods are applicable to specific kinds of waters. That is because techniques and baiting mixtures are formulated for specific targets.
The following methods are simple, yet proven successful when used:
1) Rigging method - Depending on the bait used, loop the bait holder or the treble hook from a line to a preferred distance to the end. Bait movement is not suggested; therefore, a weight must be used to allow the rig to be still. A good distance shall be about 18″ to 24.”
Same as the first method, using the Slipweight to make the bait stable is also effective. The weight does not matter as long as it can slide in the line. The fish will not feel any weight and it will be late until they realize that the bait is fake.
Multibait technique allows multiple catches at once. Simply place three-way swivel along the line. As it draws more strikes it makes a great choice for catching more catfish at the same time.
2) Bait - Experts opt for chicken livers or medium sized shrimp from groceries. The shrimp’s tail and skin must be removed and body should be big enough to slide up in a number 6 hook. This is simpler than the chicken which necessitates the use of pantyhose. A diameter of a quarter is wrapped in a piece of pantyhose leaving a tag end then attach it through the treble hook. Blood worms, minnows, catfish paste, night crawlers, snails, living or dead small fish, and dough baits are also good choices of baits. Remember that the best baits are always those that nature produced.
3) Chumming - Fishermen catch more catfish with this method. This is simply throwing balls of mixtures of natural recipes in the fishing area. This attracts more catfish; the trick is that the mixture should be right enough for the catfish to feed heavily. The hook that will be used to fish normally must have the same recipe for the bait. Adding a good smelling flavor into the pasty mixture attracts catfish more.
4) Tackling - Although the technique involved in this method is by far effective, it’s still the bait that attracts and brings the catfish in. As simple as it is, the tackle should be about 6 feet long with a spinning real. Choose heavier lines to allow more battle between the fisherman and the catfish. It doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive. The experience you get from a cheaper tackle is no different from an expensive one.
Make sure the grip is secure hooks are removed by pliers after catching the fish. Avoid being stuck with the fins as some are poisonous. Just simply sliding the hand up to its belly from tail, placing the fingers behind one side and thumb behind the other can remove the catfish from the hook without any harm. Happy catfishing and good luck!
I was watching a TV show a few weeks ago and these guys were in the water but they had no fishing gear. Then one guy went under and a minute later came up with about a 30 or 40 pound catfish attached to his arm. Then the other guy did the same thing and caught another huge catfish. This is a technique you wouldn’t want to try for pike.
Image from WikipediaA few years ago my good fishing buddy Roland took me to a spot along the side of the road where he used to stop every time he drove by and dropped a line in to see if there was a brookie sitting there. That’s as far as he ever went at this spot and never ventured into the thick under brush to see what was on the other side.
He always seemed to catch a few nice trout in the early part of fishing season but nothing much later on. I am glad he at least showed me the spot.
I was talking to another fishing buddy and we were talking about going out to catch a few trout and that it would be good to try a few new spots.
I started telling him about Roland’s little brookie spot and said that he had never fished beyond the road and that it was less than an hour away. In just minutes we were ready and on the road.
I didn’t bother taking my Fly rod with me because the brush was just too thick. It was going to be tough just using a spinning rod. We fished the road, caught a couple of little brookie and then we headed in.
It was farming country but it looked more like a war zone in there. Downed trees, old cars, garbage. What’s wrong with people anyways?
I am not sure how long we had been fishing or at least trying and we were talking about heading back when the trees opened up and the river widened into a brook we could both walk and fish.
It was like we had been teleported to an entirely different river it looked so different. At that moment I wish I had my Fly rod with me but I wasn’t fighting my way back.
It was only a few minutes later that I hooked a trout that didn’t seem quite the same as the brookies I have caught over the years and when it jumped it didn’t look the same.
I had just caught my first brown trout and both of us were blown away. We didn’t even know there were brown trout in New Brunswick and I have been down here living for about 15 years at that point.
Our day just got even more exciting that it was when we came out of the bush to such a nice river to fish. It’s easy to lose track of time when you are having a day like we were having.
We fished all day and caught many fish and before we knew it the light was fading and we had no idea how much further it was to the next road. At that point we heard voices up a head and though it was the road.
It turned out it was a father and son having a little fishing fun. They had access to the river from the road and told us that the bridge was about 20 minutes ahead of us and that when we were done they would pick us up and take us back to the car.
We measured the distance back to the car and we would have had to walk just about 5 miles to get back there. Thanks for the ride buddy.
Sport fishing brown trout in New Brunswick is a new pass time now. Just a few more weeks and I will be out there again, but I don’t go in the same way now and I do take my Fly rod with me and always a friend.
Image from WikipediaMy life isn’t just about fly fishing in New Brunswick oh no. I also love to bait cast and spin cast for early season salmon, trout, bass and pickerel.
I have a few friends that don’t fly fish but I still love a day on the water with them pretty much any time. Of course if I have been asked to go fly fishing most of the time fly fishing will win out.
We even fish for salmon in the early spring while the fishing rules have not changed to fly fishing only as they do after the middle of May. The dates are not the same for all our salmon fishing areas so you really have to know your guide and the rules.
I have about 6 spots that I like to try on opening day, or as close to it as I can, to see how I do compared to previous years. I have had a couple of great years but for the most part the open day has never been that great so when I get a year that rocks I remember it.
One year that stands out in my mind was a spot just about 1 hours drive from home. It is so easy to get to that I am surprised I don’t see more fishers out there. But then again the first year I found this place I had to crawl through brush and it was tough going.
On the way out I looked for a better way and that’s how I now an easy way to get to it. My lips are sealed.
Back to the story…
I found this spot in the middle of the fishing season about 20 years ago and thought it would be a good place to try opening day.
So April 15, about 1988 or so I headed to this spot which is right at where the lake empties into a nice little brook.
I was standing about 30 feet away from where the beavers had it damned up. I didn’t even get to the water and a snow storm hit. It snowed so hard I couldn’t see across this little brook that wasn’t much wider than rod was long.
I had the best day of brookie fishing I have ever had. The trout all seem to have a death wish and I could hardly get the line to the water before I was fighting one of these spunky little brook trout.
I admit they weren’t big but for the area 12 and 13 inch trout are a good size and in the early spring while the water is still cold they taste soooo good.
The lake was still completely frozen and only about a foot of ice was gone around the damn so getting a cast into the lake was out of the question.
I have had a few other opening days like that in different areas and its fun to get out and see if I can do better than other years.
Sport fishing New Brunswick is a lot of fun but it’s so much more fun when you take a friend.
Well I gotta go and tie a few more flies for opening day. I am going to start tying the Mickey Finn. An easy salmon fly to tie but a deadly one for those salmon that have been in the river all winter and are heading to sea.
FACT: New Brunswick has more than 60,000 km of rivers, lakes and streams, that’s 37,284 miles for you non-Canadians.
We have 49 species of fish in New Brunswick but I really only fish salmon, trout (brookies, lake and browne), smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and some perch now and then.
Our Atlantic salmon is world-renowned and we get anglers from around the world coming for the challenge of catching salmon that don’t eat while in the rivers spawning.
We also have some of the most colourful brook trout that come in all sizes from pan fry size up into the pounds. Many anglers have been surprised by catching them in pounds, when they thought the rivers and brooks had had 8-12 inchers.
I live in Moncton and when I get the urge to cast a line I can be on the water fishing trout in just a few minutes and to fish for a few salmon I am within an hour.
The 2008 Fishing Guide
It extremely important to have your fishing license on your person and to have read the 2008 fishing rules and understood it because their is no room in our system for ignorance of the law and the wardens will take you in.
