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 WikipediaDo you like to get you heart pumping when you’re fishing? YES!! Well then you need to take a crack at fly fishing for Chain Pickerel. Here in New Brunswick, where I do my fly fishing, we have some great action fly fishing for pickerel from about the first of June right on through into the fall.
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.
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. 
When is it time for bass fishing in New Brunswick? When the turtles are on the logs.
Many years ago, not sure how many but by the size of the trees growing on these mounds I would say it been abuot 50 years or more since the mining stopped do to hitting too many springs and flooding the entire area. The miners just packed up and moved on leaving a huge new area of spring water and potential, so the wardens stocked these new ponds with smallmouth bass after about 10 or 20 years. The result, a lot of fun for bass fishers like me. I brought my son here for his first exprience with a float tube and fishing bass. He doesn’t use a Fly rod but we still had a great time. Actually we always have a great time when we go fishing. This is a great spot to fish. You don’t need a boat of a float tube as you can fish right from the banks around the ponds. It can be a little hard walking here as the shale moves under your feet a bit and the piles are pretty high but it’s all worth it when you see how much fun you can have.
I know of this great little spot for fly fishing smallmouth bass in New Brunswick on those really windy days. This spot is protected on all sides by high mounds of crushed rocks and trees from strip mining.
The bass don’t get huge here but with light gear you can have fun all day. This is a great place to bring kids if you want them to catch fish, almost guaranteed.
Heading Out For A Day of Fly Fishing in New Brunswick My goal for the day was to fish my butt off and her’s was to make sure I came home alive. Both our goals were met and mine were exceeded making me a very happy fly fisher. First Some Pickerel And Bass The first part of the day was spent fishing chain pickerel and bass but half way through the afternoon I started itching to fish for Atlantic salmon. Half way through the day I was already bored with fishing for pickerel and bass although it was a blast and my arms and back were feeling the burn. I wanted to move on and maybe give Atlantic Salmon a try before heading home. I also thought an hours drive would give my arm and back muscles a bit of a break as I haven’t worked this hard since my heart attack. The Caines River I suggested we take a few back roads and in less than an hour we could be at the Caines river fly fishing for Atlantic salmon. Jenny smiled a weary smile, as she was pretty exhausted just following me around and agreed. We got out my map book and started planning the route we would take to get us there. First we made a couple of peanut butter and jam sandwiches to fill our bellies while we were driving. I love peanut butter and jam, Mmmmm We have had a lot of rain over the past two months with lots of flooding but I didn’t realize just how high the water was until I got right to the river. Normally I can walk across the river but this day I had to look twice to be sure I was even at the right spot. I was actually fishing for Atlantic Salmon but as they don’t eat once they hit the rivers to spawn in New Brunswick the brook trout don’t mind jumping in and taking the flies. So, even though I didn’t catch or even see an Atlantic salmon I had a great time catching brook trout and they make such a good meal, almost better than peanut butter and jam. All in all my first day out fly fishing in New Brunswick after 5 long years stuck at home was the best and I have to thank my wife Jenny for all her support.
My wife Jenny and I headed out early Sunday morning for my first day of fly fishing in 5 years. There is no way she was going to let me head off into God knows where alone after taking so long to get my health back.
I am sure I was the happiest guy on the planet on Sunday. It was a full day to say the least and I am sure it will take a few days to work out all those aches and pains but it was all worth it. I have been out walking for the last 4 years trying to make my heart strong enough to go fishing again and it paid off. I was much more prepared than Jenny was. Going Rain or Shine The weather guy was calling for rain off and on all day which was a bit of a bummer. I don’t mind fishing in the rain but I really didn’t want to put Jenny through that as she was just along to make sure I was ok but she doesn’t fish. That would make for a really long day for her. We fished all day and didn’t see a drop of rain. I was never so glad that the weather people mess it up regularly here. The Long Short Drive We headed out at about 7am after a good breakfast. Even though it was only an hours drive to Chipman from our house it seemed like it took all day. Just too eager I guess. Jenny was kept interested during the drive by watching the wildlife along the way. We have plenty of deer and moose here and they like to get out of the bush and eat the fresh leaves and grass. Fishing Destination #1 I have been going to Chipman New Brunswick for Bass and Chain Pickerel. These two spots are only 15 minutes apart making it a great place to go. Today our first fishing destination was Red Bank, just outside Chipman New Brunswick. I usually bring my float tube to this spot but this day we were on foot. My wife felt it would be safer if I stayed on dry land, at least for the first fishing trips. Fish Where The Fish Are Let me start by saying that when I am fishing alone or with my fishing buddies we never really catch anything much here. Well not from the shore. At this time of year the Chain Pickerel are finishing put their spawn ritual which is carried out further back in the marsh area where you just can’t walk without going to your knees in mud on each step. And if you stand still you will be right up to your butt in minutes. I brought my medium action spinning rod with me because if you do get a nice pickerel you need some backbone in your rod to get them out of the structure. The Catch of the Day My first cast let me know how deep the water was because all I came up with was weeds. It’s always good to know how deep the water is. My second cast I kept just above the weeds and BAM my first strike. My first Pickerel jumped out of the water, spit the lure back at me and disappeared. I was so happy because I wasn’t really sure I would get anything fishing from the shore, so my hopes here began to soar. He was only about 16 inches but even at that size and the right rod you can have fun all day long. I have been fly fishing this area of New Brunswick for 25-30 years and the largest Chain Pickerel I have seen was 26 inches long. I didn’t catch that one though, it was my fishing buddy Roland that hooked that one. I wasn’t using my Fly rod here on this day because there was just no way to get a cast out as the banks are all pretty steep and everything grabs your fly. When we have our float tubes we love to use the fly rods. I think I love Pickerel fishing because it’s so much like Pike fishing. They seem to follow your fly or lure right to the point where you want to take it out of the water and then they smash it with all they’ve got. When you are fishing from a float tube that means they soak you and usually they scare the crap out of me for a second, but it’s so much fun. This is also the spot where the trucker stopped to ask me if I needed help with my boat. I was actually in my float tube and he thought my boat had sank. Ooops, I got sidetracked, again… Well back to fishing. Once I figured out the depth I changed lures to one that looked more like a Perch. It was a little heavier than that last lure and would allow me to get further from shore and it worked… My first cast attracted a 24 inch Pickerel which of course waited unitl it was almost on the bank before exploding on my little perch and then the fight was on. My first fight since my heart attack and I was feeling like a million bucks. If I had to go home right then I would have been a happy camper, but the day was only just beginning of course. I fished there for a while and then crossed the road to the other side where we walked the bank and fished for another hour or so. To my surprise I caught another two 24 inch Pickerel and a few smaller ones. I was kinda blown away that I could catch them from shore here. We have fished this area time and again from our float tubes and never caught anything at these spots. I would say someone was looking down on use on Sunday and put those fish there just for me. Well that’s was the first few hours of our day but that’s all for today. I will add a few more posts through the week sharing more of our great day fishing in New Brunswick.
My wife Jenny and I got out for a one day fishing trip on Sunday, after 5 of the longest years of my life.
Like I said in an earlier post, it’s been five years since I have been able to fish due to heart problems. Well I’m getting pretty excited and I have the okay from my doctors to get out and catch a few fish. I would have gone today, being Saturday, but my son is moving out on his own today and I want to be here to see him off. I will go fishing tomorrow instead. The only way I can go fishing right now is to take someone with me for safety reasons, plus if I kick off out there someone will know where my body is. (my attempt at humour) I am not going after salmon on my first trip out as I need to build my strength so I will start with a few places that have small fish. I have two places in mind and they are only 15 minutes apart. The first place I will go is for Pickerel because it tends to get windy here in the after noons and less so in the early morning. Once the wind picks up or the action sucks I will move to the Bass, which are in a well protected area, protected from the wind that is. This little spot for Bass is the best place to take kids. They can sit right on the bank of the ponds and they don’t even have to cast very far at all, just a few feet. A great place to picnic with the family, as long as you take out any garbage you bring in. I spend a lot of money on my fishing hobby and I find that I can keep within budget if I use eBay to find those fishing related products I want or need.
