Solo mission!

As I was making the girls breakfast this morning I was running a multitude of ideas through my head that would occupy my day and prevent me from actually going Christmas shopping. It wasn't until I poured a coffee and starting surfing the MacBook did I realize that the river saw a decent little spike in flow due to the snow melt from yesterdays mild temps.

After flying through the 'kiss and drop' at the school I quickly threw my gear together and hit the road.

On the way up I contemplated fishing up high but by the time I got there I decided that the bottom end looked awesome and I was convinced there should be some fresh fish cruising around.

It was after 10am before I was fishing and the only other angler in site was a familiar face who abruptly told me that it was DEAD!!!

I bounced around the estuary section for an hour or so before deciding to put my head down and book it up to the first real 'wintering water' in the system. I was esctatic to see no one in sight!!

I drifted every inch of that pool more than once and had only 2 hookups to show for it. Both were dark males that fought like it was the middle of January. The ambient temp might have been above seasonal but that river is VERY cold right now!


I worked my way back down and fished a few pockets that I rarely fish - not sure why because there is some very nice water through there.


The bottom end was void of anglers so I took another hours worth of drifts, shaking my head with each one and thinking that the conditions should at least award me a small skipper or two. But no such luck!!!

It was kinda nice fishing solo today. I was very aware of the sound of the green water making its way to the Lake. Today I was at peace with myself on the river.


I am not sure where all the fish are but I am thinking if tomorrows rain doesn't mud her up I might just fish up real high in the system on Thursday.

Christmas GREEN...

Only six days until Christmas and my shopping is not done but yet another bout of precipitation last week saw the river up and green once again.

Shopping would have to wait!!


It could well be the last chance to fish my favorite river this year so dad and I made plans to hike into a stretch of river that has been fishing very well this year.

Disappointed, but not surprised, the access point already had company. Lots of footprints leading to the river belonged to Adam and a few buddies who fished a day earlier. Reports of moderate success had dad and I optimistic.


It was a balmy 5 degrees as we hiked across the field and I was hoping the mild spell would have the steelies on the feed. If nothing else, it was nice to fish without numb fingers and icey guides.

The water was still quite cold and I anticipated the fish in winter mode and holding tight in the tail out sections. It didn't take long and I was into a strong hen.


Dad missed a fish not long after but as the morning progressed it became increasingly evident that the fishing was going to be tough.

I bounced around a couple different pools and fished some really nice water today.



I suppose we have been spoiled with such a stellar season as the average success had me puzzled. Perhaps a blessing in diguise as it forced me to change up my presentation and patterns in search of chrome.

By days end I hit a few fish in the faster water and I managed to hook up using roe, jigs and beads today. I tried the pink/white worms for a while but no luck with that.



Although a few less than expected, dad and I had just over 10 hook-ups between us - definitely a great day. The river was in nice shape, the weather was incredible and the angler traffic was bearable.


One thing for sure, the beavers have been busy along the river. It is truly amazing how much these animals can accomplish!


With any luck at all I will get some Christmas shopping done tomorrow just in case the forecasted precipitation affords yet another opportunity....

Dodging bullets and snowflakes!

With the way the Fall season started it was quite disheartening to not see my favorite river come into shape at all in the month of November. A good shot of precipitation early in December would bring her into shape during the second deer hunt.


The drive up was dicey and the hike in to the river was eerie knowing that a number of fully armed hunters were giddy with anticipation at the chance to shoot something!

Knowing that the water was prime and that there were lots of fish in the system we were somewhat concerned that perhaps the fish would be spread out pretty good so we made a gameplan that would see us cover some serious miles. Scott was coming down from Port Elgin to join Adam and I so we would take full advantage of having two vehicles. This would be Scott's inaugural visit to this river and I was certain he would be in awe of the beauty and grandeur that she has to offer.


We dropped Scott's truck off at the pull out point and proceeded to our access point. Disappointed to see another vehicle already there we shrugged it off and followed a single set of footprints all the way to the river. Arriving at the river I was happy to recognize the other angler. It was Nardi and I spent much of the first light minutes chatting - by the time I got to fishing it was not five minutes later we had already helped each other out...



During the hike to the river we talked loudly so as to help limit any chance of getting shot at by an over anxious hillbilly. We talked of our expectations for the day and Adam and I agreed that our 'goal' would be for each of the three of us to get 10 good hookups. This was not so much about the number as it was a pact to share the water and see that we all get ample opportunity to do what we love to do - catch fish. Now a 30 fish prediction might well seem to some to be a little aggressive but with the timing and conditions we knew it would not be outside the realm of possibility.

We easily doubled our expectations!!!!

The first pool of the morning would see the four of us ( including Nardi ) hook close to 15 fish.


We said our good byes and good lucks to Nardi and ventured off down stream in order that we get to our pull out point before dark. While we wouldn't find that degree of success again we did hit fish everywhere on the system. Each run/pool would give up a few fish, mainly in the tailout sections.



Scott spent the entire day running a single bead and he held his own. His landing ratio was not the best and I am certain that is due to the bead. But the smile on his face at the end of the day tells me he very much enjoyed his trip down from Bruce County.



We would fish some pretty stellar water as the snow accumulated all morning.


And we saw a lot of deer - more than the hunters who were chasing them I am sure. We had a herd of does and a big buck come to the river and appear to want to cross where we were but instead bolted up the cliff with ease. We didn't hear a ton of gun shots but each one sent a chill up my spine.

There were not a ton of photos taken today as it was cold and wet. But I did manage a couple nice grip and grins after the snow stopped and the sun came out ( albeit briefly ).



As we approached the last pools before our exit point it became quite evident that it has become the most popular section on the river. The section has obviously fished very well but it is amazing how quickly word gets around. It is not the easiest of access points and I became a somewhat emotionally detatched when I saw the masses.


After fishing all day and seeing no one but Nardi, coming around that corner and seeing the 5 guys in the picture, and 4 guys behind me, was devastating. I should have expected it and normally it doesn't bother me but for some reason this time it just zapped all enthusiasm from me. Perhaps it was a result of already fishing hard and having great success but none the less that crowd threw up a big stop sign for me. I am pretty sure Adam wanted to fish down a little further but I was done ( and I think Scott was also done )

Adam ended up chatting with the gang around a fire and I made my way down to get him so that we could take off. On my way I threw a few drifts where the guys had been fishing all day and actually hooked 3 fish in 5 drifts. If nothing else that certainly validates the fact that fishing second water isn't necessarily a hinderance for success. I felt pretty good about myself doing that as they all watched -I hope that doesn't make me a bad person.....


The hike out was even slower than the drive up. I am getting pretty old to be bouncing around the river like that and the wet snow covering the slippery rocks made for a long day. My back was screaming and my elbows were hurting from numerous wipe outs over the course of the trip.


I briefly entertained the idea of heading back up again today but chose to sleep in and spend the morning typing and drinking coffee. I only work a few days next week and then off for a while so with some more precipitation in the forecast I am thinking this spectacular season of 2012 might just continue until the end of the year!!

Cheers!!

Enough already!

Yet another planned road trip to NY State was thwarted by a mild snow melt in the hills and yet again plan B was a trip to Bruce County. Adam decided it best to spend some time in the office so he was out altogether but dad had the new GLX all rigged up and was hell bent to fish somewhere. Not a ton of options these days so a return to Bruce County was the plan yet again.

I must admit that I wasn't really into this trip from the get go but I had a green light to fish a couple days and the big river has been fishing so well that I was game to give her another go.


After getting home from hockey at 1am the sound of my alarm at 4am was about the last thing I really wanted to hear. But I dragged my ass out of bed, loaded up the van and drifted in and out of consciousness over the 2 1/2 drive north.

When we arrived at the river it was already windy as hell...... enough already!!! Is it just me or has it been windy for like a month straight??? It was a big and bitter East wind and it was brutal!!

The river was crowded.....enough already!!! It is obvious that no one works any more and that there are limited fishing options in SW Ontario right now.

We opted for the deep slow water for first light so I wheeled out the 15' Frontier and the Milner. This would prove to be a big mistake as only 15 minutes into the morning my elbow was screeming for mercy. I obviously didn't balance it out very well and after only 30 minutes or so I was hiking up the cliff to the van for the CTS/Riverkeeper. I am fairly sure that the Frontier is going up for sale - just too heavy and the extra length is of no real value IMO.

The fishing had slowed considerably and the river was much lower and cleaner than the weeks prior. It was actually quite amazing just how much lower but I am thinking that with so many days of Westerly winds the Lake was pushed over to our side and now that the wind was howling from the EAst the Lake has pushed back out...

I landed a couple silvers and dad hooked a couple fish but by mid day it was evident to me that there was just no point spending the night to fish again the next day. With a decent number of anglers present there was just not enough action to keep me interested.


We pulled the pin and hit the road mid afternoon and once again I drifted out of consciousness over the course of the trip. By the time we got home the rain had moved into the area and I was already thinking of fishing again. I am hopeless!!

I had already comitted to getting the kids off to school in the morning but I was thinking seriously about fishing closer to home and with any luck at all I might catch the smaller river on the rise.

I woke up the next morning and while I knew the area only got a few mm of precipitation I just had to go. I have been wanting to hit my favorite trib for a few weeks and I figured that it was a nice day for a walk and to at the very least scout out some new pockets and runs on the system.


It turned out to be one of those days that are just good for the soul.


There was no 3 hour drive!

There was no one chucking lures at my feet from the other side of the river!

There was no wind down in the valley!

There was no garbage!!

There was just me and dad and the sound of our favorite river ( even if it was just a faint trickle of her magnificent self ).


There are lots of fish in the system but I felt sorry for them. They are trapped and judging by all the footprints they have surely been beaten upon over the past weeks. I didn't even try very hard to catch one of them. Today felt too much like spring to me and I hate site fishing for steelhead. I chuckled to myself that if I could see them, they could surely see me - and many of them might even recognize me!!!! LOL I crack myself up sometimes!

Today I had a nice walk in the bush and I learned a little bit about that stretch of the river. I didn't spend a lot of time there today but it was fulfilling nonetheless.

Having said that, I am not going back until she is over 1.2 on the graph!!!

Bruce County calling.... Again!

With a few days off and an inability to rearrange some things in order to join the guys over in Michigan, a trip up the Pennisula was a pretty decent plan B.

There had been a decent amount of snow plus some rain in that area that put the big river back into shape.

We battled some ferocious winds over the course of 4 days on the big river but the fishing has been nothing short of stellar.


Day 1 access was Grant's Park so we could fish First Rapids down past the Bottom Island.



Plenty of fish moved up past over the course of the day and by days end our arms were sore and eyes burning from the glare of the sun off the water.




Day 2 would only be a half day due to family comittments and we opted for a similar gameplan that saw success the previous day.



I spent the entire two days running a bead in tandem with a roe bag. I don't know how much more proof I need that these beads work - all but 3 of the fish I landed hit the bead!!


The original gameplan for Days 2 and 3 were for a roadtrip to the Catt with my buddy Adam. Unfortunately some big rains in that area had blown the river out yet again. With clear schedules and a desire to fish, we made Bruce County Plan B once again.

I chose a different access point this time, one that would offer some relief from the big SW winds and would no doubt hold some fish.




Around mid day the wind swung around the NW and it turned bitter cold. We took a break and grabbed some pizza and beer before venturing up to witness the 'shit-show' at the Dam Pool. After seeing a few fish and chatting with a few guys we suited back up and slid in down at the Chute to close out the day's fishing.





Interesting to note that I continued to run a bead in tandem with rainbow skein bags and none of the fish hit the bead over the course of Day 3 and 4. :0

The river is literally loaded with fish. Everywhere you look there are fish rolling and jumping - some due to being caught but many for no apparent reason.

The anglers chucking hardware seemed to do exceptionally well and I wonder if it is due to the thousands of these that migragted by me up the river over the course of the trip.


Definitely a good sign for Lake Huron to see such a seemingly healthy alewife population.

Day 4 would proove to be another short day due to the weather and the sheer exhaustion of fishing for 4 days!!



In the end it was a terrific 4 days on the river. We met some interesting people, reunited with some familiar faces and caught lots of fish. There are worse ways to spend a week. Speaking of which, work only called me 3 times wanting me to come in.....

I still have another 10 days off and if I can supress the greedy beast within me I will likely fish again somewhere next week.