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.

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.

This was a few years back now but my first boat was a headache as well as some of the greatest fishing time I have had. My buddy Roland was with all the way through the good times and a few bad times.

First, my first boat was a double hulled fiberglass boat and it was extremely heavy.

I don’t remember exactly what I paid for this luxury liner but it was less than $400 and it came with a trailer to haul it.

The thing about the trailer was that the rollers were totally seized up so they would roll the boat on or off the trailer. Instead the boat had to be float because if you had to push that sucker off that trailer you were in for a fight.

It seemed lke the trailer glued it’s self to the bottom of the boat and wouldn’t let go unless you floated the boat, like I said. The few places we launched that wouldn’t go deep enoug into the water sure gave us a workout getting that boat wet.

Our very first trip two things happened. First we blew a tire on the trailer about half way to where we were going to fish which put us about an hour behind schedule.

Secondly. We finally arrived Saturday morning and launched for our first day on the water. It was so exciting and then the boat started to sink, bummer.

That’s what happens when you don’t put a boat on a trailer correctly and the bottom of the trailer goes through the boat’s outer hull.

So here is it is, early Saturday morning, nothing was open yet and we were getting ready to go back home when I looked over at the road and saw a man and a kid pull into a car repair shop. I pretty much ran from the boat to the car and asked the guy if he worked there.

Long story short, for $60 he fixed my boat and we were on the water in just two hours.

When I caught that first smallmouth bass both Roland and I did our happy dance.

This day started getting kind of windy which is normal here but I had spent my alloted budget on that boat and couldn’t afford a motor for it. I did however had a trolling motor which got us from point A to point B until the wind over powered our little motor.

We ended up on the rocks beside the railway line and had to get out of the boat and walk it around the point so we could get it back out into the water.

We decided to take a break for lunch and headed to the local grocery store to buy a few supplies. It was very hot that day so we took a drive around the lake while we were eating. That’s when I saw it…

There it was just lying there on the grass chained to a tree. A 9 horse Evenrude (I could be wrong on the size but it was small) outboard motor.

The owner was home so I asked how it worked. He unchained it and hooked it up to his little aluminum boat and it started first pull. It also pushed that little boat quite fast, I was totally impress.

Now this is something you don’t see or hear about any more but that guy gave me the motor and gave me his address so I could send him the money. He had never met or heard of me so he had no idea how honest I am but he just trusted.

Well that little Evenrude wouldn’t go any faster than 5 miles an hours once it was on my boat but that was a lot faster than my trolling motor was taking us.

That was just about the perfect speed for trolling though and we had a blast for about 5 or 6 years before I sold it. I still miss that old boat even though something went wrong every single time we went fishing in it.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

One of my web design clients, Big Paw Outfitters owner Kevin Caissie dropped in yesterday and was telling me how the Atlantic salmon fishing was doing in the Main West Miramichi River. He and his clients have been having a blast.

That was awesome to hear but one thing that really caught my attention was the size of brook trout they caught. I know there are a lot of salmon and I enjoy fishing for them but my heart has to go to the brook trout. Their beauty just can’t be beat and they fight like there is no tomorrow.

So many people I talk to tend to think there are only small brook trout in the brooks, streams and rivers here in New Brunswick but they are dead wrong.

What it comes down to is the fact so many fish where every one else fishing and those spots tend to get over fished but if they would take their time and go to spots that are a little off the beaten track they would find a lot more and bigger brook trout.

An important key to catching brook trout in brooks and streams is stealth. If you can see the trout you can be sure they can see you, unless…

… you are really stealthy and keep low, don’t cast a shadow across the water and keep the noise, especially your feet, quiet otherwise you will alert that 4 pounder behind that downed tree.

Image via Wikipedia

It was early season for brook trout and the weather does change frequently here but we were still going, even if it was to snow. It wouldn’t be the first time we had to fish in a snow storm. It was later enough into spring that we really didn’t expect snow.
We could have gone brook fishing instead. I think that would have helped with fighting the wind as the trout brooks we fish are usually surrounded by trees, giving the trout some protection as well as the fishers, like me.

Kerry had come down from Fredericton the night before so we could get an early start Saturday morning. It looked like maybe the weather guy was wrong, again. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as we leaving.

We had packed everything the night before, well everything except our rain gear. Not sure what happened there.

We were well on our way when the clouds started rolling in, dark heavy looking clouds and that’s when I remembered exactly where my rain gear was. We decided to wait at Sussex New Brunswick for a store to open so we could get a couple of panchos for the day.

To make a long story short we had a great day of fishing even though we only got a couple of hours in before it was so windy we couldn’t use our Fly rods and went back to the car to switch to spinning rods.

Normally on a day like this we would have gone home or sat in the vehicle hoping it would get better but this day the fish were biting on every cast. I am sure I could have cast into the bush and a brook trout would have found it.

The wind had torn my pancho, literally to ribbons, and eventually the wind ripped it right off and it was gone with the wind. I was soaked through and through and shivering like I was on a vibrator but I wasn’t about to quit fishing, not a chance.

Image via Wikipedia

Learn more about the Atlantic salmon from Wikipedia

The Altantic salmon are born in our rivers and streams where they start the life cycle that will bring them right back to the exact river that spawned them.

Man, in his never ending attempt to dominate the globe, has destroyed many river habitats so much so that the Atlantic salmon no longer returns to their homes leaving so many fly fishers and anglers crying as they have to drive by once productive waters.

Fortunately for the Atlantic salmon and of course the fly fishing enthusiasts all is not lost and with more awareness and many willing to make the necessary changes our salmon waters are improving and life is returning.

There are many factors that come into play which make Atlantic salmon fishing in New Brunswick such a sport. A huge factor is you and me. We can make a huge difference in our environment and that of the salmon by not polluting, leaving no garbage and cleaning up any that we see.

We call this our planet but in reality the planet is the future of our grand children. If we keep that in mind all the time we might just take better care of her.

Image via Wikipedia

When I first made Moncton New Brunswick my home I was only working part time and had plenty of time to find new places to fish.

I drove all the back roads and many times found myself rather turned around but I always found my way back home again. My little treks around our great province has led me to many beautiful locations in my search for more trout fishing hot spots.

One fine day I was cruising the back roads, less than an hour from home, and found this little brook that didn’t look much different that so many other brooks and streams I have fished. The biggest difference in this brook was the fact that it wasn’t choked with trees making it hard to fish.

This little brook was wide open and the trees were more mature and not as close the water. This was the kind of place I could bring my son, as he was still a little guy at this time, and a great place for a picnic. I love these spots as it makes for a great family day with a bit of fishing included.

I had such a great day at this spot that it took me longer to walk back to my car than it took me to drive back home to Moncton.

New Brunswick is so full of great brook trout streams you could fish you whole life and never fish the same spot.

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 Wikipedia

If you want to make it even more exciting you need to fly fish from a float tube. Yeah, you could fish from a boat but it’s just not the same as when your elbows can touch the water.

When you make a cast into a grassy or weedy area you need to hang on because when you see a wake from a chain pickerel moving through the water you get the greatest urge to yank on your line but wait, it’s just about to get really exciting.

It’s always nice to get big pickerel but I have so much fun with the little 16-20 inch guys and my Fly rod. They just don’t seem to give up. Another part of pickerel fishing I love is that fact they will quietly follow your fly all the way back to your float tube before exploding on the fly just as you are about to draw it out of the water for another cast.

Most already know I like to fish with friends. I have had too many times fishing and having such a good time but was alone. No one to share the experience with. There is nothing much more fun that fishing side by side or back to back with all day action and laughing.

I haven’t been out fishing with my buddies yet this year but being out in the last couple of weeks without my float tube has me itching to do some chain pickerel fly fishing with Roland and Paul. It’s been way too long, five years to be exact.

I am putting my float tube together today to make sure I have no surprises when I do finally hit the water with it. So guys if you’re reading this you better have yours ready as well.

When is it time for bass fishing in New Brunswick? When the turtles are on the logs.

My wife and I went fishing last weekend. I took her to a place she had been to before about 7 or 8 years ago when our dog was just a pup. Our dog was a black lab mix and we soon found out just how much she loves the water.

I was guiding my wife to where I was going to fish, she doesn’t fish, just loves to come with me, when Shadow, our new pup, just jumped off an 8 foot ledge into the water without hesitation at all. My son and wife freaked thinking she was going to drown.

Well she didn’t drown, she loved it and we had a hard time keeping her out of the water when I was trying to fish, especially when I had a bass on the line.

We parked at the same spot I always park and saw that we were alone, excellent.

I looked around for a few minutes decided where I would start fishing this pond. I walked up one of the steep hills made up of bits of shale making it hard to walk up because it would shift under your feet.

When I got to the top I noticed 4 turtles all in a row on this log. I wanted to take a picture but I wanted my wife to see them first so I was trying to get her to climb the hill so she could see but she made too much noise and the turtles all slide into the water.

For me seeing the turtles on the logs is always a good indicator that the bass are ready for just about anything I would throw at them.

Next time I go there I will not wait for Jenny, I will just take the picture and show it to her.