Image via WikipediaNew Brunswick, Canada is known world-wide for it’s great Atlantic salmon fishing. I have to say that I really feel blessed to live in New Brunswick and get to fly fish for my favorite sport fish the Atlantic Salmon.

It was touch and go for the Atlantic salmon for a number of years because of over fishing by commercial fishers and poor management of our rivers. Fortunately for fly fishing enthusiasts like myself Atlantic salmon fishing is once again on the rise.

As we all know it’s not difficult at all to destroy habitat but it certainly takes time, energy and money, plenty of money to correct the problem onces it’s started. So please protect our Atlantic salmon and if you see any garbage while on the water take it out and put it in a garbage can where it belongs. Thanks.

Learn more at the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

I never fish for wild Atlantic salmon with anything other than my fly rod. I think salmon were meant for the fly rod and it makes me want to say something to people using spinning rods.

Wild Atlantic salmon fishing in New Brunswick is a sport and hobby that I want my son and grandchildren to enjoy, so I always take care not to pollute or destroy our environment.

Image via WikipediaFly fishing for the Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick can be quite frustrating when you can’t get any response after hours of carefully putting your artificial flies right on the end of their nose. But that’s Atlantic salmon fishing and makes it all the more exciting when that strike finally arrives, be prepared for it.

All those hours of holding your breath all pays off when your line goes tight and the fight is on. That fight is the reason I am still salmon fishing after 30 some years.

I have used a lot of Atlantic salmon flies over the years and most I would say I don’t have a clue about their names but there are a few that I do know the names.

Mickey Finn

One of first early spring salmon fly I was introduced to by my brother-in-law Joe and is still my favorite early season fly is the Mickey Finn. A great artificial fly for those spring black salmon. It has also hooked me up with a few nice sized brook trout as well.

Butterfly

The Butterfly is another Atlantic salmon fly I like using in the early spring right through the fall. I have three butterfly patterns that I use. They look the same but have different coloured wings (red or white) and the butt colour is either red, yellow or green.

Personally I tend to use a butterfly that has a red butt, I haven’t really noticed if the wing colour makes a difference but I have noticed that I get more stricks when the butt is red.

Brown Bug

The one I call a brown bug most likely has a real name, I just don’t know what it is yet. It looks very much like a Green Machine, which is another fly I like to use and have had much success with over the years.

Green Machine

I like using the Green Machine when the water is low. I like to let it drift right up to the salmon’s nose and then just yanking it away as if the bug had been sleeping and just realized it was in a dangerous situation.

It’s one of those flies that just seem to give me confidence in fly fishing for the New Brunswick Altantic salmon.

I couldn’t tell you how many Atlantic salmon I have caught using the Green Machine. Sometimes it just seems to be the only fly they are willing to smack.

I have tried to take some pictures of my flies but I really suck bad at picture taking. I will try again with a tripod and better lighting. At that time, if all works well, I will put up a picture of each of the flies mentioned above.

I was sitting here this morning watching the sun come up. Another beautiful sunny summer day in New Brunswick and I am stuck here at home doing chores. Oh sorry dear, I was just getting to it.

I don’t mind working around the yard because we love the fact that we finally have our dream home but it does need some work to make it our castle as well so I don’t mind making it better.

I love having my office in my home looking out over our backyard garden we feel so blessed.

While I was sitting here this morning I was remember a day on the water in the Renous with my good friend Roland and Paulie, as we call him.

Paulie had not been fishing with us for long and had only been to this spot one or two time, if my memory is working. He had caught a lot of trout to this point but had not managed to hook an atlantic salmon.

This day was going to be a fun day.

The spot we were fly fishing was in the Renous, New Brunswick area about 3 hours from home so we usually camp for the weekend and a lot of fun is had, maybe too much some times but it’s all good.

This day is one I will never forget. Not because we caught fish because we didn’t that day but Paulie hooked one and that was the most fun I have watched in a long time.

I have never seen Paulie move so fast and so gracefully.

It started with a scream. FISH ON !!

Then a huge Atlantic salmon came flying out of the water and the game was on. Paulie’s line was screaming and we all stopped fly fishing and took our lines out of the water to watch.

Now to help you understand let me tell you that the rocks were greasy all the time and there were huge trees down lying in the water so it was impossible to move around this salmon pool quickly.

But that didn’t stop Paulie. I have never seen any one move so fast and sure without wiping out.

He just started running down river with that samlon and jumped over downed trees and floated across rocks that would have caused most people to slam face first into the dirt, rocks or water but not Paulie, he just kept on going.

That salmon kept jumping but this time he went down and didn’t move. Paulie kept the tension on her and never let up, then after about 2 minutes of hard pulling a log surfaced and we all burst out laughing, well all expect Paul.

That salmon had come out of the water about 3 feet and then went down and dislodged the fly leaving it stuck in a log without ever releasing the tension on the line.

The salmon was too big to keep so he would have had to let it go anyways and he did get a great fight but it still sucks when we all pretended we never saw the fish.

I forgot to ask Paul what flies he uses to catch such nice logs. Ha Ha

Image via WikipediaWhat is the Atlantic salmon?

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.

I am in love with fly fishing in New Brunswick, well that’s what my wife says. Really I am not in love with it it, it’s more of an addicted if you ask me. If I dont’ get my fix of fly fishing I get cranky. Like now, since it’s been way too long since I was able to wet a line last.

When we visit family in Ontario the subject of fly fishing in New Brunswick comes up. All the guys in our family are fishermen but I am the only one that fly fishes. In 30 years I have not been able to convince any of them to come down here to New Brunswick and do some fly fishing with me.

They don’t know what their missing. Instead they just sit in the middle of the lake where our cottage is and dangle their lines and drink beer. That’s not for me, plus I don’t drink until after the fishing is done for the day.

I still enjoy getting together with my relatives but I don’t enjoy their fishing strategies, or lack of them.

They are going to read this post and most likely be a bit annoyed with me but hey, I get under their skin all the time. I am the youngest of the bunch at 55 and don’t plan to change.

I don’t care to tell people where I do my fly fishing. New Brunswick anglers can be pretty tight lipped. I can tell you a few locations, just not specific enough for you to find my honey holes.

Just a little plug for one of my website design clients, Big Paw Outfitters. Kevin knows the best places to take his clients when they come to him for a fly fishing New Brunswick experience at their lodge. So giving you Kevin’s website may just lead to you finding a few of my best spots but when a fly fishing guide is taking you there I guess it’s ok.

Big Paw Outfitters is located in Renous, New Brunswick and is only a stones throw away from prime fly fishing for our great Atlantic salmon.

Check out Big Paw Outfitters website. Kevin also guides for black bear and moose, but I will let him tell you all about that.