Look out Chain pickerel, we have some extremely hard to resist flies that have your name on them. But fear not as we always practice CPR, catch, photo and release and sometimes a little kiss just before we send you back to family and friends again.

Hey, we’re trying to take a picture here.

Casey and Jamie have taken me fishing so much in past few years I could never say thanks enough but in that time they have never done any fly fishing for pickerel so you can imagine my surprise when Casey emailed asking if I have any flies for chain pickerel. I am so looking forward to 2011.

My first adventure for pickerel on the fly was with my fishing friends Roland and Paul. We headed out on a little body of water I won’t mention here but we were in our float tubes. At the beginning it didn’t look like we were going to catch anything making us wonder if there were any fish in this place.

Once we reached the opposite side from where we launched our float tubes we had our first attack and then it was non-stop for hours and hours. We didn’t hook into any large pickerel on this trip but we did get into numbers that had us laughing for most of the day. I showed Jamie this little spot as we passed it on our way to do some trout fishing on the fly and I am sure we will be there with the float tubes this year.

Some of the flies we used on that trip were small brook trout dry flies, the same kind that I caught my very first pickerel with. They worked really well. Of course we had to a few Atlantic salmon flies, like the Mickey Finn. They worked as well but the three of us really love the top water action so we went back to top water flies like deer hair bugs and poppers I tie for the smallmouth bass I fly fishing trips.

I am going to be tying a few of the flies I have mentions, enough for Casey, Jamie and myself but I have also been looking online to see what other flies I might want to tie that will attract more chain pickerel.

Wooly Bugger Leech Pattern

I really like the wooly bugger, leech pattern and so does the chain pickerel here in New Brunswick but they didn’t last very long as we were fishing without any leader and I lost the only two wooly buggers I had. So I will certainly be tying a few wooly bugger patterns for the three of us, however this time around I will be sure to use some fluorocarbon leader and maybe keep those flies longer than one cast each.

Tip For Fishing The Wooly Bugger – It took me a little while to figure out the best retrieve for the wooly bugger but the minute I got it right I had immediate action. Kind of like the pickerel was looking at the leech and wondering why it didn’t swim right. Once I started giving it about 6 inch stripes and pausing they would strike and strike hard.

I am going to start with the wooly bugger and I will tie up a hand full of those. Then I will look up a pattern for a popper for next week and tie some of those. At that time I will add another video showing how it’s tied. Untill then enjoy the video and hope to see you on the water.

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• Fly Fishing Chain Pickerel in New Brunswick (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Image via WikipediaThe summer of 2008 was a real blessing for me. After spending 4 years without fishing, trying to survive an inoperable heart attack in 2004, I had all but given up on ever being able to go fishing again.

The most fun I had during the 2008 season was fishing pickerel with my fishing buddy Jamie. We only used our spinning rods so Jamie didn’t get the opportunity to experience what fly fishing for pickerel is like. Look out 2009.

I fish a lot from my float tube and pickerel is one of the most fun fish to catch on the fly here in New Brunswick. I know the Atlantic salmon can’t be beat but they sure come in a close second in my books.

I have had a few days fishing with friends from float tubes where we just had our arms pulled off all day long. It makes for one of those days that your face hurts from laughing and your throat hurts from yelling “FISH ON” all day long. Jamie is in for a treat he will never give up.

Fishing for pickerel almost always takes us to the weeds where it becomes important to have flies that are weedless or 95% of the time you will be hung up on the smallest of weeds. That tends to take a lot of the fun out of fighting pickerel as they fight a whole lot better than those darn weeds.

I am scouring the net for pike and pickerel flies for 2009 but I would appreciate it if you would take a minute and give me your opinion and best choice for artificial flies that catch pike and pickerel.

Image via WikipediaI love the joy I get from fly fishing. Not too many things thrill me like casting a line to a spot you know could holding. Even better is when the water explodes and in your mind you can’t help screaming FISH ON.

Now imagine the same scenario but this time you are using a fly you tied yourself. That adds a whole new level of excitement for me. Now you have the excitement of fly fishing but it’s just so much more.

It doesn’t matter to me if I am fishing for Atlantic salmon, Smallmouth bass, brook trout or even Chain pickerel tying artificial flies for them just makes for more excitement.

Tying artificial flies doesn’t have to difficult at all. A few fly tying tools and materials and you are ready for a new experience that will be with you for life.

Where To Start Tying Artificial Flies

I would suggest that you first find someone that will show you the ropes. I had someone show me and in no time at all I was out buying my own vise and materials.

Having someone show you how to tie flies and then letting you try your hand at it will give you a good indication of whether you will want to do this for yourself. I was hooked right away but I have a few friends that would rather just buy their artificial flies.

My fly fishing friends and myself of course look for fly tying supplies on eBay . It’s a very affordable way to get started. I also use eBay to buy the artificial flies I don’t want to tie myself or just don’t have the time to tie.

Required Fly Tying Tools

The Fly Tyers Vise

To begin with you will need a vise to hold your hook while you are tying. It just doesn’t work when you try holding the hook with one hand.

There are a variety of vise types. I personally have a very basic, inexpensive vise that has worked for me these past 30 years. But you can get some really nice vises. The only thing I wish my vise did would be to rotate the hook when I need to, it would make tying even easier.

Price range for Fly Tying Vises: $30 – $200

Fly Tying Scissors

Scissors are extremely important. I like to have two pair of small scissors. One pair have straight cutting blades while the other has curved blades.

The curved blades make trimming your fly so much easier, especially the body of the fly as it’s usually oval and not square so the curved blades follow the shape making it easier to trim.

I have been using the same two pair of scissors for at least twenty years, maybe a bit longer, and the only thing I have ever had to do was to sharpen them.

Price range for Fly Tying Scissors:

You will need fly tying materials like feathers, hair, yarn and of course a variety of thread colours.

I started by buying a fly tying kit and later I purchased all the supplies and tools a friend I worked with at Sears was selling when his health took a turn for the worse and he no longer went fishing. I still have a lot of things he sold me and that was some twenty years ago.

I have found eBay to be a great place to get the best deals on all things fly tying.

Fly fishing for bass is one of the most popular types of fly fishing there is. The thrill of your first time to catch a largemouth bass, can be counted as one of the most thrilling fishing experiences you will have. Most anglers will use spinning or casting reels to catch bass. But if you really want a challenge, then you need to try fly fishing for one.

Fly fishing for bass certainly will not win you any fishing tournaments. But it is the most challenging way you will find to catch bass. It is far removed from most fly fishing techniques, such as fly fishing for trout in a mountain stream.

The rod used is heavier than those used for catching trout. Rods for bass fishing are usually 8 weight, a rod such as this is required because this type of fish takes some landing. Also the fly used would be larger as well. The leader used for this type of fishing would be shorter as well, 4-6 feet, with the tippet at around a 8 pound test line.

The best way to catch your first fish, is to cast your line from a boat towards shore, making sure it lands underneath trees and there branches. A technique that is known to work well, is simply letting the fly rest on the water for a period of time, then snap it across the water quickly, this is a great way to get the attention of any bass that are there. You will find that the popping sound of this action will attract the fish and then you can make your first strike.

Some of the best fishing you will find is in smaller bodies of water. Small county lakes and slow moving creeks are perfect for fly fishing. Slow moving creeks are a favorite, this is because can use the shore to cast from and position your fly in a favorable position, such as, beneath trees.

The thing about this type of fishing, is the fight the fish will put up, will make it seem far larger than it is. A two to three pound bass caught will seem and feel like a six pound fish. All this adds to thrill and excitement of your new fly fishing experience.

Fly fishing for bass is not only an exciting experience, it is also fun to do. So next time you are thinking of going fishing for bass, put aside your normal rod and reel, then give fly fishing a try. You will not regret doing so and will have the most thrilling fishing experience that you will ever have. Also just think about the tales you will be able to regale your friends with, about your new found experience. So are you up to this challenge?

If you would like to learn the art of Fly Fishing Mastery, then try visiting Fly Fishing Tips.

Image via WikipediaAs most of my reader know I haven’t been fishing in almost 5 years, 4 fishing season. It’s amazing how much you need your heart beating to just walk.

My wife has been terrific since Feb. 2004, well she was terrific before that, she just showed it a whole lot more since my heart attack. Ah love.

It has been most depressing but I couldn’t imagine going through this alone, I am sure I would have just given up and faded away completely.

Not being able to even go fishing was a big part of that depression during those 4 fishing season I could not fish. It bothered me so much I had to hide all my fishing gear and fly tying equipment away in the basement.

Even though I spent a long time being depress I never actually gave up 100% otherwise I am sure I would have given or thrown it all away.

Really long story short I took meds, plenty of them, and walked as much as I could for four years and even though I will never be 100% I am up for going fishing, so…

I bought another desk and put it in my office. It’s a bit crowded but I have two of my three passions here in my office now. My computer and my fly tying gear. My wife, my other passion, comes in my office every once in a while to see if I am still kicking.

I couldn’t go out while the weather was still too cold, my body can’t take the cold yet but I can be a fair weather fisherMann for a while. It just feels so great to be only a few days away from actually getting out fishing.

I bought a small video camera a couple of months ago so that I could document the progress of our backyard garden and flowers for my gardening blog but now I will also be able to take it fishing and get some nice shots of the places I go.

I probably won’t give the actually locations but it’s more about sharing the scenery and the experience and not so much about sharing the locations to the point of over fishing.

Wish me the best and if I get out on the water I will certainly post about it.