Monday, April 30, 2007
51 Days to go, rest up!
So it's seem that Paul has been kicking ass, landing some awesome fish! I hope fighting all of these monsters doesn't tire him out for the big trip ... he may win again!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
April 28th......all Paul Day!
24"Bull Trout. Clearwater River. 7 mile flats. Another 19.5"in this pool also.
Missed a few on some other rivers. Fished Stauffer, Elk, Clearwater, and Fish Creek.
It was no brown Sunday!
Friday, April 27, 2007
April 27 Warm Up
Couple of small 15" trout landed today on the North Raven. One big one to shore but lost and a couple of decent hits. Water dropping by the day.
Decent bull trout on the Clear Water just below where Tay River dumps in. Nice pool. Tough early year fish for a mountain stream.
Fished 5 am to 3 pm today. Warm up to tomorrow's 5 am to 9 pm all day fish!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Contractor
Shawn, have you told Jason about the change of plans? Their will be no fishing for him prior to the 20th. He will be having too much fun to think about fishing anyway! Below is photo of what Jason will be enjoying for his first 4 days in a basement. Lo-ve that drywall dust!
Exciting!
Shawn . .. you could save some money and hire a differnt pro, or maybe we will invite her on the trip!! This girl knows her stuff!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Reading the water part.5
Eddies
An eddy is a pocket of calm water that forms from the back or front side of an obstruction in the current flow of a river or stream. The bottom of a pool may also be considered a form of eddy, in that the current is significantly decreased with the depth of water in a pool. Eddies formed by rocks or boulders are a prime rest area for all species of fish in a given river or stream. The back & fronts of these are among the first places I look when searching for bass in a moving water environment. Trout will seek these places out with willing intent. When salmon fishing, these eddies formed by rocks are always a holding area on the way upstream to spawn.
If there is any doubt about what to look for, a simple tip is look for a back flow against the direction of the current. This could be as simple as watching the leaves floating on the surface of the water. Many times as they make their way downstream, they will come around a bend in the river or stream and seem to dance against the current. This is due to an eddy. As the current pushes against the bend in a river, the downstream side of a bend will have an eddy to it. The sharper the bend, the greater the eddy that is formed by it.
An eddy is a pocket of calm water that forms from the back or front side of an obstruction in the current flow of a river or stream. The bottom of a pool may also be considered a form of eddy, in that the current is significantly decreased with the depth of water in a pool. Eddies formed by rocks or boulders are a prime rest area for all species of fish in a given river or stream. The back & fronts of these are among the first places I look when searching for bass in a moving water environment. Trout will seek these places out with willing intent. When salmon fishing, these eddies formed by rocks are always a holding area on the way upstream to spawn.
If there is any doubt about what to look for, a simple tip is look for a back flow against the direction of the current. This could be as simple as watching the leaves floating on the surface of the water. Many times as they make their way downstream, they will come around a bend in the river or stream and seem to dance against the current. This is due to an eddy. As the current pushes against the bend in a river, the downstream side of a bend will have an eddy to it. The sharper the bend, the greater the eddy that is formed by it.
Large scale
Check this out!
Louisbourg man believes he hooked record-sized brown trout (PHOTO)
LOUISBOURG – It was the big one that didn’t get away. On Saturday evening, Charlie Lahey hauled what he believes is a mammoth brown trout aboard his 14-foot aluminum boat on the Mira River, with friend Raymond Barter looking on in awe. “I just couldn’t believe how big it was,” said Lahey, a resident of Louisbourg who fishes lobster for a living.
Louisbourg man believes he hooked record-sized brown trout (PHOTO)
LOUISBOURG – It was the big one that didn’t get away. On Saturday evening, Charlie Lahey hauled what he believes is a mammoth brown trout aboard his 14-foot aluminum boat on the Mira River, with friend Raymond Barter looking on in awe. “I just couldn’t believe how big it was,” said Lahey, a resident of Louisbourg who fishes lobster for a living.
Monday, April 23, 2007
You decide
One of these photos is of a UFO in Oregon, the other is of a "...she was at least 14"-16" .... tried to get her to shore to get a better pic but she took off with my Edson tiger still in her mouth .... Mark's first hit of the year! Brookie"
You decide.
You decide.
VS
Reading the water part.5
Undercut Banks
These are the honey holes of any river or stream, providing you know how to find them. These holes may have been cut over many years and can extend several feet into and under the bank of the river. Look for these undercuts on the bend of the stream. The sharper the bend in the river, the deeper the undercut.
Another place to look for an undercut is around shoreline trees. I'm not talking shrubs
here, but large hardwood type trees such as oak and maple. These type of trees will often have large root systems. Which in turn can loosen the supporting soil at the river’s edge, and along with the force of the river, will form large cuts in and under the banks. Here are where many a trophy trout lies in ambush of their next meal. If I see a tree of this sort along a riverbank, I will make sure to enter the river well above it and make my first cast into this spot. Be sure to walk along the riverbank as gently as possible. There have been a few times where I was careless and saw what was a sure trophy, scoot away from the bank where I was just about to enter the river.
Another place to look for an undercut is around shoreline trees. I'm not talking shrubs
here, but large hardwood type trees such as oak and maple. These type of trees will often have large root systems. Which in turn can loosen the supporting soil at the river’s edge, and along with the force of the river, will form large cuts in and under the banks. Here are where many a trophy trout lies in ambush of their next meal. If I see a tree of this sort along a riverbank, I will make sure to enter the river well above it and make my first cast into this spot. Be sure to walk along the riverbank as gently as possible. There have been a few times where I was careless and saw what was a sure trophy, scoot away from the bank where I was just about to enter the river.Shawn First of 2007
North raven today. + 6 cel. 3 fish total. black wooly weighted. 19, 21, and 22". great start to 2007.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Reading the water part.4
Pools
Pools are slow in current and have silt; sand or fine gravel to their bottoms and will also appear smooth on a calm day. In slow moving streams or rivers, pools are generally wide while the runs are narrow. This is typical of Long Island's streams. In faster moving streams, it may be difficult to identify the different sections of a river, but a well-trained eye will help. You can be sure the fish know how to tell the difference!
This is where a majority of the larger fish in a river or stream congregates. There is safety from predators in this deeper water as well as a slight decrease in current velocity. This makes for a reduced effort to the fish to hold steady while offering an easy meal ticket in comfort and safety.
Pools are divided into three sections. A shallow head entrance, the deep pool itself and the tail section of a pool. The water level decreases as it again builds in velocity, becoming a riffle as it enters the main river or steam section. You'll find fish staggered in these pools between the head and tail water of any given pool.
Here you'll find fish at all three locations of this pool. Head, deep middle and tail end. On bright sunny days, look for the larger fish to be tight to cover and shade. The trophies I have culled from here have been at the tail end of the pool because of the extreme denseness of the shrubbery, combined with the tail sweep of the riverbank. This makes for easy access to food while providing all the comforts of home.
This is where a majority of the larger fish in a river or stream congregates. There is safety from predators in this deeper water as well as a slight decrease in current velocity. This makes for a reduced effort to the fish to hold steady while offering an easy meal ticket in comfort and safety.
Pools are divided into three sections. A shallow head entrance, the deep pool itself and the tail section of a pool. The water level decreases as it again builds in velocity, becoming a riffle as it enters the main river or steam section. You'll find fish staggered in these pools between the head and tail water of any given pool.
Here you'll find fish at all three locations of this pool. Head, deep middle and tail end. On bright sunny days, look for the larger fish to be tight to cover and shade. The trophies I have culled from here have been at the tail end of the pool because of the extreme denseness of the shrubbery, combined with the tail sweep of the riverbank. This makes for easy access to food while providing all the comforts of home.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Reading the water part.3
Main Current Runs
Runs are similar to riffles but are deeper and less turbulent. For the most part, I have found that fishing the "open" water or "runs" of a river or stream will lead to smaller fish, although it is still important to explore the possibilities. Some of my larger, main river trout have come on dry flies on these runs.
When fishing in the main section of the river, fishing some kind of structure is very important. This is where you look for any fallen trees or submerged logs. Also, don’t overlook any kind of shade line caused by the over hanging trees. A sharp contrast between shade and sun can mean a world of difference in the "security" a trout feels while treading water mid-stream.
Fishing with a good pair of polarized glasses is very important to me for this particular reason. Trout will set up shop under these holding points always facing into the current waiting for an easy meal. Casting ahead to these points and allowing your offering to sweep past the fish will usually entice the fish to strike. If fishing a rocky terrain area and you find a lot of submerged rocks or boulders, fish will hold either directly in front or behind these rocks.
Pools. Pools are slow in current and have silt; sand or fine gravel to their bottoms and will also appear smooth on a calm day. In slow moving streams or rivers, pools are generally wide while the runs are narrow. This is typical of Long Island's streams. In faster moving streams, it may be difficult to identify the different sections of a river, but a well-trained eye will help. You can be sure the fish know how to tell the difference!
This is where a majority of the larger fish in a river or stream congregates. There is safety from predators in this deeper water as well as a slight decrease in current velocity. This makes for a reduced effort to the fish to hold steady while offering an easy meal ticket in comfort and safety.
Pools are divided into three sections. A shallow head entrance, the deep pool itself and the tail section of a pool. The water level decreases as it again builds in velocity, becoming a riffle as it enters the main river or steam section. You'll find fish staggered in these pools between the head and tail water of any given pool.
Here you'll find fish at all three locations of this pool. Head, deep middle and tail end. On bright sunny days, look for the larger fish to be tight to cover and shade. The trophies I have culled from here have been at the tail end of the pool because of the extreme denseness of the shrubbery, combined with the tail sweep of the riverbank. This makes for easy access to food while providing all the comforts of home.
When fishing in the main section of the river, fishing some kind of structure is very important. This is where you look for any fallen trees or submerged logs. Also, don’t overlook any kind of shade line caused by the over hanging trees. A sharp contrast between shade and sun can mean a world of difference in the "security" a trout feels while treading water mid-stream.
Fishing with a good pair of polarized glasses is very important to me for this particular reason. Trout will set up shop under these holding points always facing into the current waiting for an easy meal. Casting ahead to these points and allowing your offering to sweep past the fish will usually entice the fish to strike. If fishing a rocky terrain area and you find a lot of submerged rocks or boulders, fish will hold either directly in front or behind these rocks.
Pools. Pools are slow in current and have silt; sand or fine gravel to their bottoms and will also appear smooth on a calm day. In slow moving streams or rivers, pools are generally wide while the runs are narrow. This is typical of Long Island's streams. In faster moving streams, it may be difficult to identify the different sections of a river, but a well-trained eye will help. You can be sure the fish know how to tell the difference!
This is where a majority of the larger fish in a river or stream congregates. There is safety from predators in this deeper water as well as a slight decrease in current velocity. This makes for a reduced effort to the fish to hold steady while offering an easy meal ticket in comfort and safety.
Pools are divided into three sections. A shallow head entrance, the deep pool itself and the tail section of a pool. The water level decreases as it again builds in velocity, becoming a riffle as it enters the main river or steam section. You'll find fish staggered in these pools between the head and tail water of any given pool.
Here you'll find fish at all three locations of this pool. Head, deep middle and tail end. On bright sunny days, look for the larger fish to be tight to cover and shade. The trophies I have culled from here have been at the tail end of the pool because of the extreme denseness of the shrubbery, combined with the tail sweep of the riverbank. This makes for easy access to food while providing all the comforts of home.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Reading the water part.2
Riffles:
Riffles. This section of the stream or river will be the shallowest and will run over gravel, rocks or boulders. They are moderate to fast in current speed and have a turbulent surface. Unless there is a kind of large fall down, there is not much action here except for low light conditions. Fish will use these riffles as roadways to and from the other feeding areas of the river or stream, most likely at first and last light of each day. This is a good time for smaller fish on dry flies and an occasional trophy. Other than this, I'll usually bypass this section of river in favor of other locations.
Reading the water part.1
Anatomy of a River
There are several ingredients that make up the anatomy of a river or stream and narrowing the choices of these components makes a difference in the amount of time spent searching for trophies or the time spent catching trophy fish. Each stream built by Mother Nature is constructed of a basic configuration of three parts. They are the stream flow or "runs," riffles and pools. Add to this any kind of "fall down" structure combined with undercut banks or eddies and you have the making of an ideal situation to find trophy fish.
These sections of the river are formed by the awesome excavating force of moving water. Fast water in a riffle digs a deeper channel or run. As this run happens, the current slows, forming a pool. The slower current of the pool causes sediment to settle at the pool's tail or downstream end. As the sediment builds up, the water again becomes shallower, channeling the stream flow into a narrower area. The stream current picks up and forms a riffle. In most streams, this pattern occurs or is repeated every seven stream widths. That is about every 140 feet on a 20-foot wide stream. Let's explore these in the order they occur in the river.
These sections of the river are formed by the awesome excavating force of moving water. Fast water in a riffle digs a deeper channel or run. As this run happens, the current slows, forming a pool. The slower current of the pool causes sediment to settle at the pool's tail or downstream end. As the sediment builds up, the water again becomes shallower, channeling the stream flow into a narrower area. The stream current picks up and forms a riffle. In most streams, this pattern occurs or is repeated every seven stream widths. That is about every 140 feet on a 20-foot wide stream. Let's explore these in the order they occur in the river.
New Links added
I have added the www.sierratradingpost.com and www.cabelas.com to the links on the side bar for easy access.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Flush Floater Stone
Here are a few nice looking flies that Cabelas has in the bargin cave. They look like they would be great for big cutts or bull's.
Barrie, Barrie, Barrie
Well, I'm not sure what to think? When fishing with the big boys some people go through desperate measures!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A nice Rainbow video from Alberta
Good day, Here is a video of a nice Rainbow. Great one cast shot in here.
Rumor has it that Barrie got a huge brown last week. I can't wait to see the photos! I am heading to the Cornwallis later on today to try my luck for a few as well. I'll let you know how it goes!
Rumor has it that Barrie got a huge brown last week. I can't wait to see the photos! I am heading to the Cornwallis later on today to try my luck for a few as well. I'll let you know how it goes!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Time for a Flyshack.com order
Hey guys, I think we whould all get our lists together for the fine folks at Flyshack.com. Shawn has already put his order through and it may be a good reference for what to order for yourself. Mark if you are interested in being the order taker again it seems to work well.
So Paul, Shawn M, Jay, Mark, Barrie and Phil need to make a list, send it to Mark. We get a discount over $50 and free shipping. maybe we should to two orders ... one to Nova Scotia and one to alberta???
So Paul, Shawn M, Jay, Mark, Barrie and Phil need to make a list, send it to Mark. We get a discount over $50 and free shipping. maybe we should to two orders ... one to Nova Scotia and one to alberta???
Mark write the guy at Flyshack.com an email an tell him you have a huge order coming soon for the same fishing trip as the last year. Tell him we are looking for a few small prizes for the trip.
Revisit these posts:
Alberta's Trout Highway. Fishing the Forestry Trunk Road
and
The Fly Shack - Shawn's order
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
First day Photos
Jason and I were on the road by 6:00am on the way to Sheet Harbour. It was nice to be on the water, but not a fish in sight. There was lots of ice sill in the West River. Too cold for any trout yet boys! Due to the lack of fish I stepped up my photographs to compensate! 
Monday, April 2, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Jim Beam Slide Show
Jim Beam 2002, the Nathan Smith Memorial slide show. A great year, lots of folks, and lots of great memories. Slide show done by Tremblay.
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