Deja Vu

Well, we hit the road at 5am again this morning with the exact same game plan as the other day. My expectations were once again quite low but the weatherman was calling for some precip so there was an outside chance that things might start to move.

WRONG!! The weatherman is a jackass!! We got maybe an hours worth of light sprinkling all morning!!!

Conditions on the river were even more dismal than the other day. I didn't think the river could go any lower or get any cleaner but it did. Dad managed a coloured up male early in the morning but it wasn't enough to keep us there.


This picture illustrates just how horrific things are. The main flow of the river is behind me but at this time of year ALL those rocks should be underwater!!


We made a pit stop for a coffee and breakfast sandwich and headed back to the beach. The winds have been SE so conditions there were still conducive to catching fish.



When we arrived at the mouth we found a pair of spawned out cohos trying to get back to the Lake. The male was in horrible shape and looked like something had been eating it alive. Unfortunately my camera was buried in my bag or I would have captured a photo. The hen was actually still in pretty good shape and was very skittish.

Conditions at the beach were pretty close to ideal. The gentle wave action from the south had put a little bit of sediment in the lake so the visibility had a tinge of colour. It was threatening to rain so we hoped that might bring some fish closer to the creek mouth as well.


NADA!!

To make matters worse we were not alone there again today. Some dude joined us mid morning and he seemed to be quite familiar with the area.

Back in September when I looked at my schedule and saw a week off in late November this in NOT how I envisioned it. Local conditions are just abysmal and getting skunked for the second consecutive outing stings a little!

It was still nice to be fishing and a day on the water is far better than any day at work.

The beach is a pretty cool spot and the view is spectacular. I was able to find a few unusual rocks for my girls collections and during my search I came across this little fellow....


I am pretty sure he was laughing at me!!

The fact that the beach is not as big of a secret as I thought, combined with the hike in and the lack of recent success, means that I will likely not fish there again for quite some time. Besides, In the past it has been more of an early September spot for staging salmon and an early spring fish for steelies anyway. The only reason to be there in late November is shitty river conditions and hopefully that doesn't happen again any time soon!



I am contemplating fishing again tomorrow but the thought of getting skunked 3 consecutive trips has me thinking of going Christmas shopping instead! WTF????

A day at the Beach..

Despite the fact that local river conditions are low and clear, I am embarking on a few days off work so I just had to go fishing today. I originally toyed with the idea of a roadtrip - perhaps NY - but ultimately chose to stay closer to home this week. My dad has finally hung up the golf clubs for the season so he was eager to join me.

I was not expecting much from todays outing other than enjoying the continued unseasonal weather. We figured our best chance at some steel would be the estuary of the larger of the local systems in hopes that some fresh fish might have crept in overnight and were hanging out wondering what to do.

We arrived pre light, geared up and made our way down to the run. The river was real low but we had the entire section to ourselves so I held a glimmer of hope that we would find a couple hook ups. The air had a bite to it this morning and my fingers got pretty cold as I drifted. After only an hour or so it became quite evident that we were not going to find any success so we opted for Plan B - The Beach.



We chose the solitude of this lesser known smaller outflow as it is a pretty good hike to get to. Although the system is small it does receive a limited run of fish and we have had success here in the past.

Conditions were close to ideal...



There was a cool breeze from the South/South East and lake had a gentle roll. The water was perhaps a little too clear but that is definitely a better option than too dirty.

We hiked in some chairs and a lunch and enjoyed a very peaceful morning listening to the creek spill into the Lake and the Lake in turn gently tap at the shoreline.



I was somewhat shocked to have 3 other anglers make their way down the shoreline and set up shop around us. I have in the past noticed signs that would indicate other fisherman, but I have never had anyone else fish there at the same time as me before. They seemed like good guys and I actually recognized one of them to be a local angler who fishes the entire area at great lengths. He told us of some good catches of brown trout over the past weeks including one pushing 13lbs. He also shared my belief that the conditions were favorable and that with 5 roe bags in the Lake, it wouldn't be long and someone would be yelling 'fish on'.



However, it just wasn't meant to be. It was the first time this season that I have been skunked and I was not the least bit disappointed. I suppose it hinged directly on the fact that I did not have high expectations for today.

It was a beautiful day - the company was top notch and the scenery was spectacular.







Not sure what to do tomorrow. The kids are in school and I don't have to work so I might as well be fishing - somewhere!!

COHO MO'JOE'

After working the day shift all weekend, attending a party Saturday night and playing hockey Sunday night, I wasn't sure I had it in me to fish today. But a favorable weather forecast, a promising fishing report from the weekend and late evening email from Joe was all it took and I was on the road by 4:30am.

We both agreed on what section of the river to fish at first light and I was intrigued to hit these pools from a different access point. Definitely a better way to approach some of my favorite runs in this section!!!

The river was still holding a tinge of green and was a little higher than I expected. I was really thinking we might be able to put a hurt on 'em today but the river was stingy.

The fish were few and far between but the ones we did land were interesting!

Joe seems to have a knack for landing Cohos. Check out this nasty looking gator...


He also caught this bizarro Steelhead......


At some point this fish suffered a serious back injury and while it looked somewhat like a mutant, it was an otherwise very healthy looking fish that gave Joe all he could handle in battle.

On the other hand, I had no Mojo going today at all. The only fish I touched all morning was a small chub and a nice little par. Somewhat frustrated by the lack of action we decided to hit a different section of the river for the afternoon shift.

Before we left we ran into a couple brothers who frequent GBO and we chatted for a while. They seemed like great guys and they warned us about a wierd looking, short, stout dude wheeling a black Islander and Rainshadow combo. Apparently they ran into him on Friday and they described him as a bit of a river hog who seemed to like to fish real 'close'. They didn't quite know what to make of this dude inviting them to meet him in the bathroom at the Goderich Macdonalds. ????

While the lack of cars at the new access point did offer a glimmer of hope, I was still not real optimistic that my luck was going to change. The temps were well in to double digits and the hike in was peaceful. As we approached the river we saw a truly magnificent sight that I wish we had been able to capture on film. A mature Bald Eagle was circling the pool fairly low to the water and Joe and I just stood there in awe of the size and beauty of that creature.

With the mid day sun now high in the sky the river was staring to look a little skinny. We drifted the pool for a little while before Joe struck again with this big brute of a buck...

Joe's Buck from Steve Harvie on Vimeo.

We didn't get a tape on this fish but I would put it at an honest 11lbs. He was a solid specimen with some pretty broad shoulders.

I would be stymied in this pool as well so we crossed the river and fished the next run. After only a few drifts my float finally drops. A big healthy hen put up a pretty good fight. It might have been the only fish I landed for the day but she was a beauty.


We put on a ton of miles today and while we weren't rewarded with quantity, we did catch some quality fish. It was a beautiful day spent on the river in good company - sure beats working - which is what I will be doing for the next 2 weeks :(

Flying Solo

Today I flew solo - Dad needed to rest after a bushwacking expedition yesterday and Gene had some unexpected duties on the home front.

The Big River has been calling me but after packing up all my gear last night I started to have second thoughts about making the journey alone. I went to bed with the game plan that if I woke up early I would go and if I slept in I would just hang out around the house. I managed to open my eyes about 4 am but quickly said "F*** it" and went back to sleep. That 4 extra hours sleep was heavenly and I feel much better for it.

Once the kids were off to school and my wife and mother-in-law were gone shopping I poured a coffee and wondered what to do. The Saugeen was still calling and since the gear was all packed already, I jumped in the truck and took off North. About half way to my destination I ran into a fishing buddy and his uncle who fished first light with some success. For some reason they were leaving the river and were heading to do some beach fishing but I chose to carry on North rather than joining them.

I arrived at the river about noon and to my surprise, the access point was void of vehicles.





The river was in GREAT shape!! And to my delight, all the other anglers were on the other side of the river today. I had a large section all myself - well except for a drift boat full of fly chuckers. Every time I fish here there are more and more of them!!

I settled in just below them as I was intent on fishing the tail out anyway and just a couple drifts in, I set up on a nice fish.



Just as I tuck the camera back in my waders I look up to see the fly guys staring at me and the guide pulling anchor. Sure enough, by the time I release the fish the boat had drifted by and set up just downstream of me!! WTF!!! I shake it off and bounce around this section and would eventually hook into one more fish which got the better of me.

I saw a few fish caught today. One thing for sure - not too many anglers practice catch and release on this river!! Word on the river is that the morning fished VERY well - figures!



Deciding to try the lower section for the last couple hours of daylight I was once again surprised by the lack of vehicles at the access point. I descended to the river and once again found no one on my side of the river - and once again yet another drift boat right where I wanted to fish...

I would plug away until the daylight began to fade away with no signs of life except for a few salmon working away in the riffles.

I originally planned to spend the night and fish again in the morning but as I packed up my rod I was overcome by a multitude of emotions. At first I felt disappointed to have not hooked more fish - no big deal - this happens more often than not!! But that was quickly replaced with a weird sense of loneliness. It has been a long time since I have fished solo and it has never really bothered me before but for some reason, as I hiked up the hill to the truck, I missed not having any post game comraderie. An even stranger feeling of guilt soon took over and for some reason I felt like I shouldn't have gone fishing today. This ultimately lead me to decide to head home and forgo fishing again in the morning. The 3 hour drive home was also a little lonely but gave me ample time to shake these irritating demons out of my mind. For a few minutes there I was even thinking that maybe I should take a little time away from the river. But then it started to rain!!!! And already I am wishing I had stayed to fish tomorrow!! I think I need professional help LOL!!!!

It did rain pretty hard on my way home - all the way from Port Elgin to Goderich - go figure!! Things are still pretty dry south of that!!

It's a Keeper...... Riverkeeper!!

I have been longing for a new float reel for some time now.  I am certainly not what you would call a 'gear junkie' but ever since I first saw the prototype Riverkeeper I knew that I had to have one.  

My 5" Stanton has served me very well for more than 15 years now but by today's standards she is heavy and just doesn't spin like she used to.  I suppose I could upgrade the bearings but I have chosen to leave it alone - right down to the plastic reel foot.  I had an aluminum foot made but never installed it.  She will hit the shelf an original classic....

The Riverkeeper was most appealing to me for a number of reasons. I like the look of it - influenced by the Milner, the Stanton, the Mykiss. I chose the ported model which is light weighing in at around 9.2oz. The reel is hand made in Canada by a local steelheader. Robb is a great guy and a wicked craftsman.

I picked up the new reel last week and I have been anxious to put it to the test on some November chrome. A few days off work would afford the opportunity so Dad and I hit the road early bound for a river that was on the drop - hopefully it wouldn't take long to break it in!!

We literally "ran into" the infamous GNorland at a pre dawn pit stop at McDonalds. After some idle chit chat he agreed to join us on the river. We hit the access point a little later than planned but we managed to arrive at the pool of choice devoid of anglers. Ironically this was the very pool that Gene was planning to fish and much to my chagrin, his access point is apparently much easier LOL! The river looked great but would would be very stingy. Gene would hook a fish out of a heavy seam and that would be it!!! Deciding to cut our losses we left the river with a plan to fish another river on which Gene had some success a day earlier.

A long hike in didn't offer a great deal of anticipation since we knew the river would be pretty skinny at best.



We fished a couple pools with nothing but a couple parr and a spawned out salmon so I took off hell bent for a big deep pool downstream. Dad was close in tow but apparently Gene had other ideas - sorry dude, I thought you were coming down as well - hope you made out ok!!!!

The big pool would be stingy as well but there HAD to be fish in there. After multiple drifts with roe I switched to big dewie and WHAM...... hit like a ton of bricks but managed to break me off!! Time was of the essence so I decided to leave dad to the big pool and I slid down to some pocket water around the corner. Finally!!!!!! 6 drifts would yield 4 hookups and the Riverkeeper passed with flying colours. A solid, smooth reel!!







All in all a pretty tough day on the river today. It was great to get out and test the Riverkeeper and it was nice to fish with Dad and Gene.





The Riverkeeper is a keeper!!

Holy Cow!

Big Bruce - a symbol that you are in Bruce County.  I grew up meters from this iconic statue and if there is one thing that Bruce County is known for it is BEEF!!

My father-in-law is one the many beef farmers that call the Bruce home and every year we order 1/4 cow from him to put in our freezer.    It tastes great, the price is right and the fact that it is 'Organic' is an important healthy alternative.  Besides, with 3 girls in this house there is already enough hormones to go around - no need to consume unnecessary growth hormones in our meat.

Anyway, the other day I got the call that our meat was cut, wrapped, frozen and ready to be picked up.  As with previous years, I was able to coordinate this with a fishing trip.  If I am going to make the trip all the way up there, might as well take advantage and hit the local river for the morning.   My dad and Joe were on board and eager to make this 'dual purpose' road trip with me.

A 4am departure time was made easy by the fact that I just came off nights and played hockey last night - didn't sleep a wink!!  I finally just got up at 2:30 to get all my gear together and wait impatiently for my ride.  I am feeling it right now though  :(    I certainly was not prepared for what I saw when I looked out the window.   A good inch of white covered the vehicles, lawns and rooftops this morning.  Ugh!!  But oddly enough, as we drove north the snow disappeared and the temps increased.

'First light' is magical.  There is no better feeling than being riverside as the the first traces of the day's light makes it's way out of the darkness.  The sense of anticipation induces excitement in an otherwise calm and peaceful moment.

River conditions were perhaps a little lower and cleaner than those that would normally induce a fresh run of October chrome but we were up for the challenge.  Fishing was tough but we would find a few silvers.

The highlight of the trip for me was this big beautiful specimen.  She fought extremely hard and used the heavy current to her advantage.  By the time I coaxed her to the bank my arms were toast.  My only regret is that Joe was not nearby with his photographic wizardry.  I would have liked to capture the true beauty of this fish through his lens but it will stand out as one of my most memorable fish none the less.

Another fantastic day doing what I most enjoy - gotta love it!!!

On the way home I wish that I had been able to take a photo of the full on s-rat assault taking place on the first day of 'the Derby'.  I'm talking campers, trailers, awnings, fires, shoulder to shoulder rube shenanigans that would send our very own GNorland to the rubber room! Unbelieveable!!!!!

Hopefully it rains next week - I have a week off coming up and I wanna fish!!!

Where's Waldo?

Can you find Waldo (aka Shit-Rat Russ) in this photo??

This was the scene everywhere we fished today.  We fished multiple sections of two different rivers and it was a true 'Convention' out there today.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - after all it was a Holiday!   It kinda reaffirms my aversion to fishing on weekends/Holidays.

I fished with Joe today and it was a pleasure to catch up with him since we have not fished together since last fall on our upstate NY trip.



We met up at a convenient locale and carpooled to our early morning destination.   We were early and it was quite fresh out but we were psyched at the thought of some fresh chrome.

With the recent spike in the river we expected there to be some fish to be had first thing in the morning down low.  Unfortunately, the river had a very frustrating surge flow and the crowds became a little overbearing so after only a short time we cruised on upstream.   Rather low, the river still held a nice touch of colour so we were hopeful that some of the pools in the lower regions would be holding some willing fish.   Not so much!!!   We fished for another hour or so and as the people continued to appear out of nowhere we talked of an alternate plan of attack.

A different river!!   We jumped in the truck and after picking up a couple Hazelnut Javas we headed north.   Arriving at our access point we count no less than a dozen cars - yikes!!   A quick 'screw that' and we were off to yet another access point.   This one also yielded a large number of cars but we decided to give her a go.   A little bigger river meant a little more room.

This river was in decent shape and we saw a couple fish but there would be no photo opps for us here either.   So after some time, we left the river with ideas of a nice lunch.   Not much open on Thanksgiving Monday but we found a nice little restaurant and came up with yet another game plan over a coffee and some eggs benny.

Back on our original river we hiked into a fairly popular pool and not surprisingly found it full of anglers.   No doubt this section got absolutely pounded all morning but we thought we would go for a walk and check things out anyway.   We pointed ourselves upstream and proceeded to fish some pretty skinny water unsuccessfully.



Figuring it was rather pointless to continue we leisurely made our way back.   A little less crowded we managed to sneak in for a couple drifts in the big pool but by now I have pretty much conceeded that we just are not likely going to hook up today.   That said, I tell Joe of a nice little run that has NEVER let me down.   I said it with tongue in cheek but this often overlooked spot has been consistently pretty good to me so we decided to give a look.

We slip downstream and upon arriving at the head of run I turn to Joe and give him a thumbs up.   This was the nicest looking water we saw all afternoon.   First drift, the float drops.... a beauty little parr.   A sign of life at least!!   Third drift and the float dips again... another parr.   A good sign with respect to the health of the system I suppose but I don't really want to be hooking anymore of these little gems.   I slide down to the tail out of the run and let Joe on his own for some drifts with a dewie.   A couple drifts later I set up on a nice little chromer and not long into the fight I look up just in time to see Joe set up on a real good fish.   A double header out of nowhere!!!   Sweet justice!!!




Another very enjoyable day on the water today.   The rivers were busy today but it was actually bearable.   Everyone was courteous and friendly and it was nice to meet and chat with some other anglers.  'Bunzy' from Hamburg seemed like a pretty cool dude (despite being a Sabres fan...) and it was good to run into the Riverkeeper again.   He still has a black ported reel set aside for me and hopefully one day real soon I can add it to my arsenal.   We also ran into Jeff - a knowledgeable young fella who filled us in on his success using spinners a little ways upstream of where we were.    It was also nice to see a number of kids fishing today!!

So it looks as though a push of fish did bust up the system. Hopefully the infamous GNorland (aka Trotsky) had some success where he was today - yah, we saw the Tercel in your parking spot - I wanted to let the air out of the tires but Joe wouldn't let me!!!!