Mexico And Mayfly, A Ritual?

So this is mt Backwinder Reel. It was a very cool product from a relatively short lived Norwegian company. As you can see, it has no center hub. It's fit and finish is unlike any other reel I have seen and has only a small drag adjustment. It looks fantastic and is silky smooth. I lined it with a Cortland 333 Classic fly line and have it on an old Innovator X-Stream fly rod until I get my Fiber Glass rod through the Fiberglass Manifesto. That will be my go to Trout setup and I cannot wait for Mayfly to kick this season off. Once again though, I needed to practice, so I did this........

It is about a 2 pound Bonefish caught in Boca Paila, Mexico. So what is so fun about a 2 pound Bonefish? When you hook up, they swin the other way, at 70Kmh. Yes 70. It is the craziest run I ever experienced. They are sleek, silver, fast and fun to fish. You have to spot them in skinny water, then cast to them and get them to take. Sounds easy, but it really isn't. As a life long trout angler, you have to resist the urge to "trout set". The long learned act of raising the rod to set the hook. For salt water fish you keep the rod tip low, and strip once the fish takes to set the hook. It takes some getting used to. I just set up the blog to allow remote posting so I will fire some May Fly photos up starting Thursday. I will have to remember to Trout Set now. Such hard work.

If you are curious, this is the Red Truck Glass rod, minus the reel of course. Can't wait.

I'm Thinking Of You Down In Mexico.........

My annual May Fly trip awaits. Less than a week away.  So for practice, I did this........

Ok, it is not a trout, it is not Mayfly and it sure as hell wasn't cold, but it is one of the coolest fly fishing experiences I have ever had. The fish is a 15 or so pound Jack Crevale. The location is Boca Paila Mexico, near the chill Mexican town of Tulum. It is something of a home away from home for me and my wife. It is our sixth visit, and this fish was a highlight in 2016.

There are many more highlights. Great restaraunts (we tried Casa Banana this year, amazing). Boutique beach front hotels and even great condos to rent. The story behind this fish?

The short version, it was 30 degrees, windy, and the surf on the beach was high. We were casting for Jacks between the waves. In the foam (foam is the home as my guide Rhett Schober told me). He was right. The first take I got was light and I missed it. (Trout setting in the salt is a no no). The second was solid and hard, I hooked up and the fight was on, until it wasn't. My free line wrapped around the fighting butt on my rod, and the fish was gone.

The third take was intense, and the fish ran hard and fast. Well into my 200 yards of backing and he took the fight for 40 minutes before he came to hand. The unseen part of the photo is the seven stitches in my leg from two nights prior. Apparently wet feet and spiral staircases are a bad mix. Who knew?

The trip though was with two of our good friends, including my friend Darren who I grew up with as a child. We played as four year old kids and on this day we played as 50 year old men. Tulum is worth more of a write up than this. As does my friendship with Darren, as does this fish and the events that led up to this day of fishing, including my daughter living through two earthquakes in Kumamoto Japan. yes it was quite a week. One I won't forget for a lot of reasons. I will elaborate more soon on all of it.

Hello World.......

Anyone who learns programming languages will recognize the Hello World as an exercise where you write your first code. I have had this blog since 2008 but I have sadly neglected it but now I find myself inspired again. A lot of stories to tell and ideas I am piecing together. Including things like posting from the lakes and rivers.

So where have I been? I have traveled many places, I rediscovered Salmon fishing and fell in love with the beauty of fishing in the tropics (Mexico specifically). I will write about all of this over the next little bit but my inspiration for this blog is drawn from this:

This, is my home province. Well a piece of it anyway. This is something I have neglected. My love of fly fishing was born in the lakes and still waters and rivers of Nova Scotia. In the back woods. Tea Kettles and cans of beans on open fires. Walking to a new lake and admiring the challenge of it. Reading a map and vowing to conquer another piece of this amazing wilderness we ar beyond lucky to have at our disposal.It is easy to be lured to the bright light side of fly fishing. Beautiful lodges on world class rivers. Beach front hotels near Mexican fllats. I love all that and will continue to enjoy it. But I turned 50 in 2015. And this winter I thought about the back woods trout fishing I did the past few years and realized, it wasn't much. So now, I want to right the wrongs and bring myself back to the land. While all in Nova Scotia on the angling front is not perfect, we are lucky to have some still pristine trout waters and the ability to explore them.

So the reset button is firmly pressed. It is time to rediscover why I started fishing and restore balance to my fly fishing soul. 2016 will be a great year. I will make sure of it.

The Tent Dwellers, circa 2015

“If you are willing to get wet and stay wet — to get cold and stay cold — to be bruised, and scuffed

and bitten — to be hungry and thirsty and to have your muscles strained and sore from unusual taxation; if you will become these things, not once, but many times, for the sake of moments of pure triumphs, and that larger luxury which comes with the comfort of the camp and the conquest of the wilderness, then go! The wilderness will welcome you, and teach you, and take you to its heart. And you will find your own soul there; and the discovery will be worth while.”

I first read the tent dwellers when I was 16. Bought my copy at a yard sale. At that younger age i enjoyed the book for the story it was, without the conext experience provides.

You see The Tent Dwellers is a story of 4 men on a three week long canoeing/trout fishing trek through the wilderness of my home province of Nova Scotia in 1908. The Nova Scotia described and the Nova Scotia today differ widely as you might imagine. In 1908, the unspoiled waters of Nova Scotia teemed with trout, big and small. The woodlands untouched. The Acid Rain not yet scorching the pristine waters.

This post though is not about that exactly. You see the book is a story of respect and love for the outdoors. The toughness and dedication of those who fished it. It is about the feeling of connecting with the outdoors, a group of friends, the fsh and it is a chronicle of all of it.


So this year, the group of us who May Fly fish together decided to do our own tent dwellers trip. We don't have time for three weeks, so three days will do.  So in early May we will pack our gear, lift out canoes and travel to some remote lakes. Sleeping by the shore, eating under the stars and photographing and chronicling it all. Our own Tent Dwellers circa 2015. There is still special fishing in Nova Scotia. We have done a lot of it already, but this May we will get it all in word in pictures and save it here for posterity.

We have done these trips before. The formation of our now camp started with week long trips in tents, in rain, in snow, in the cold. Wet for a week straight. We have never done it with the idea of keeping it in detail for future reads or looks.

I am neither a writer nor a photographer and certainly not Albert Bigelow Paine, but the motivation is the same, and the results, whatever they may be and for us at least, will be special.

How The Toronto Maple Leafs Ruined May Fly Fishing (For One Day)

May 8, 2000

I know what you are thinking. The Leafs don't play hockey in May. Usually, you would be right, but once upon a time, they did occasionally. For me, a Montreal fan, I could care less. Derrick however was a huge Leaf fan.

It had been a long day on the water. Sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon, and the temperature satyed at about 7 degrees for the better part of the day. The conditions though, were perfect. A light breeze was just enough to carry fly across the lake and the fly were thick. So we did well, right? Well, not exactly. You see the small lake not far from the camp is not your typical lake. You have to work it hard to get fish, but it holds the biggest fish in the area. So it is a risk/reward lake. My favourite kind.

For Derrick though, tonight was Game 6 of the conference semi finals and his goal, was to leave the lake before dark (prime time) to watch his Leafs stave off elmination. So shortly before game time, he came to us and asked if we were going to go back to the camp and watch the game. Our reply was swift. "It's prime time". Derrick nodded and told us he would get the camp warm.

Now it is almost dark. Stephen and I caught nothing so far. Seen a few big fish move, but that was it. So we decide to go back and join Derrick at the camp. As we paddle back in low light, in the North side of the lake we see a raise. then another, then another. There is a big fish getting spent fly in the cove, and Stephen decides to go after it. As he is paddling to it, I see a raise just 50 feet of the shoal. I paddle out. It moves again. Another big fish. As I drop my anchor to move the boat around. As my anchor hits bottom, Stephen hooks his fish. It is large and the rod bends deeply. I check to see if he wants help, he says fish mine. I cast, and as the fly hits the water, the fish takes.

The next few minutes, we are landing our fish near the shoal. Derrick arrives as we do. He watches us bring them in. "Holy shit" was all he could muster. We measure the fish, both are 18 and 3/4 inches and close to four pounds. Almost like twins. We ask Derrick about the game on the walk to the camp. "It's over. The Leafs had 6 shots on goal, lost 3-0."

Stephen and I laughed. Like true Habs fans, our team missed the dance, we found our joy in the relative failure of the Leafs, and the biggest double header either of us will ever experince, for Trout at least. As for Derrick, we got back to the camp and he poured a drink. He took a snap of it, looked at us and said "The Leafs Ruined The May Fly". You can only laugh.

A Long Walk Home

I have written about our trips the camp many times. I usually keep them light and focused on fishing but the truth is the camp was and is always about more than that. My wife calls it the he Man Woman Haters Club and while that is not true, the sentiment that it is a sanctuary where us, as friends take a week and do what we like to do best, May Fly fishing. We have done it for a lot of years now. 25 maybe as a group.

I met my friend Derrick Gage, oddly enough, fishing. The first time was at a meadow stream in Stewiacke. He was friends with another friend of mine and we hit it off right away. Derrick and I fished on a regular basis from that point on. Many trips yearly, leading into the time we decided, along with Steven and Stephen to build a camp.

In May of 2010, at the camp Derrick informed us he had cancer. He told us, and to this day I think it was for us, it was skin cancer. He would take drugs for it, some Chemo and all would be good. It was treated by him as minor and we fished, drank, told our stories and moved on from it. Over the course of the next two years though, things got worse. We rarely spoke of it, respecting his space and how he wanted to deal with it.

In May of 2012, we brought Derrick back to the camp. His health had deteriorated, so we wanted to make sure that he made this trip. Unlike the other trips in the past, this one was not about the rum, and the laughs, and the stories. This one felt necessary. It was about making sure that our friend got to spend May Fly at his favorite place in the world.

Sadly, Derrick never fished there. The walk to the camp was hard for him. A 10 minute walk for a healthy man, took us over 30 minutes. Derrick sat and caught his breath, got some sleep, but never really got his legs under him. Over the next 24 hours, fishing was not important. We ate, we talked, we kept our friend in good spirits. We talked past trips, the best catches, the funniest stories.

The next morning all went fishing except for me and of course Derrick. He slept, and was clearly uncomfortable. When he woke, I offered to drive him home. We agreed that the next morning we would make our way out.

The next day we all walked Derrick out. The trip took longer than the way in. Frequent rests, many stops, slow movements and a lot of pain. Once we reached the car, things got difficult. Long time friends, all saying goodbye. It was a difficult time. Everyone tried to keep a brave face. When Derrick and I got in the truck, he turned to me and said " I am never going to be back here again." I bit down hard and patted him on the shoulder. Sadly, he was right.

Derricks last fish was caught on the Bonaventure River, in September of 2011. It was his bucket list trip and he got the fish on the last full day of fishing. A large Hen Salmon that any fly fisherman would have been proud of. He passed away on August 18th, 2012 at the age of 48.

How Did We Become The Enemy?

I have fished Salmon since the age of 18. I am not the most avid of salmon anglers, nor the best. In recent years, after a few years away from salmon fishing, i rediscovered my passion for it. I got to hold one in my hands again for a brief moment. Like I do with any fish, I appreciated it for the gift it gave me and watched it swim away. With reverence.

Now it would appear that me and others like me, have been identified as the enemy. My sport, the downfall of the species. We, in 2012, are interfering with the native food fishery, so we are told. Now we are no longer allowed to fish for them. They say "for now", but no one really knows. The threat to the sport so many of us have passionately pursued, is very real and fly anglers in Nova Scotia are shown the value they hold in the eyes of DFO. None.

At the risk of making my wife angry, let me give you all an idea of what Salmon fishing means to an economy, just from me. I own thousands of dollars of gear. Rods, reel, lines, flys, waders, jackets, shirts, boots and so much more. All of it purchased from fly shops and fly fishing manufacturers. In 2011 I fished for Salmon in Quebec and Nova Scotia. I spent part of 12 days on the water. I spent more than $900 on gas, $1000 on accommodations, well over $1000 on food, drinks, diners, coffee, restaurants, farmers markets and corner stores. I am one guy who does not get the time to fish Salmon nearly as much as I want to, but I spent in the area of $5000 in the pursuit of my sport. There are 2500 licensed Salmon Anglers in Nova Scotia. Do the math. Salmon fishing is a $130 Million industry that employs 4000 people in Eastern Canada, and it's existence is being threatened.

Even more important we took a good friend who has cancer on the trip of a lifetime and created memories we will all never forget.

And now, we are the enemy. The truth is, the angler is the protector of the species. While the aboriginals and DFO might want to stake that claim, no one has done more to protect fisheries of all sorts, than those who sport fish for them. Most of us only catch and release. Our presence on the river is saving it from poachers, and organizations have taken on projects from building fishways, to liming dozers to enhance and protect the habitat. And now, we are the enemy.

Maybe it is time to assert OUR rights. Maybe it is time to step up and make a stand for OUR passion. Maybe it is not right anymore to be treated like second class stakeholders in OUR rivers. Maybe, just maybe, we are not the enemy.

I urge any salmon anglers across this country, and anyone passionate about fishing to write your MP's, MLA's and area Councillors. Tell them as salmon anglers we are the greatest friend the species has. Tell the we are NOT the enemy. I welcome your feedback and anyone who wants to make a blog post about this, email it to me at djphill@eastlink.ca.

2012, Here We Go

It has been a while since I posted here. Too long. Things got busy though. As I posted here before I am the distributor for Vision Fly Fishing in Canada and that undertaking has been a lot of fun,time consuming and very rewarding. So I have a few posts to make about 2011 and what it was for me. I fished in Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Finland in 2011. The most memorable year in my angling history so far.

I learned a lot about the passion of the people who make the products I sell. I learned about the Finnish passion for hockey which is Canadian like. I also learned the passion for fish I never caught before, including the Northern Pike and the love of them in Finland.

I learned about the Gaspe. The potential high cost and the amazing rivers like the Bonaventure, maybe the most eye catching watershed I have ever seen. I learned about friends and why they are important and how they come together in good times, in bad, and in the face of worse case scenarios.

I also earned a new appreciation for the fishery in Nova Scotia. While it has it's problems, it also has pockets of special fisheries. I am lucky enough to have a camp in the middle of one of them. I also saw a North Shore Salmon fishery that had a very promising year, as did the Margaree.The problems are not gone, but all is not lost. We have a resource worth protecting.

Lastly, I learned a greater appreciation for life on the whole.  Good food, good drinks, good friends, and an amazing family. I reaffirmed that life should be celebrated at every turn. It came from a lot of different sources, including my own wife. Life is too short to live it any other way.

So as the new year arrives, my wife and I have travel plans (including bonefishing) in the Bahamas, I will be going to Finland again, and I will continue the work to make Vision a player in Canada, and of course I will fish May Fly at my camp. I don't believe in resolutions, but I do intend on seeing that 2012 will exceed 2011 in every way possible.  I hope you all do the same.

So look for new posts all week so I can get 2011 in the books, and look ahead to 2012.

Four Friends, Forty Ounces, And The Funniest Tarp I Ever Met

It's May, 1999. Steven F and Derrick have already made the trip to the camp, before there was a camp of course. They will set up a campsite, and Steven B and I will join them. Work, once again, has gotten in the way for us.

Steven and I take off Friday at 6:00 pm. Our only stop is the liquor store. A pint and a forty of rum and we are on the way. Now keep in mind. We had no camp. No set meeting spot, no cell phone service. We got there at 8:00 pm, and it is dark. Too dark to walk anywhere, and we didn't even know where. Steven cracks the pint and in a few short minutes, it is only a memory. From there we are unsure of what to do. My Toyota truck was a single cab. Can't sleep there. We could set a tent up near the truck, but we have no fire, no stove, nothing. I honk the horn of the truck, hoping someone hears. I honk a few more times. Ten minutes later, Steven F. comes out of the path with a flashlight. We are saved. Sort of.

We get to the campsite. It is a tent, a portable table for the stove, and a big campfire. A tarp was placed from tree to tree to give cover from the rain, which has fallen all week long and continues into the weekend. We open the forty. It is gone almost as quick as the pint. Needless to say, we are not sober. Not at all. We stand and tell stories under the tarp. Rain collects on it as we speak. From nowhere, the edges folds down and dumps a gallon of water on Derricks head. Laughing is not a great description of what we did. We lost composure. We laughed until parts of us hurt.

We fix the tarp, and Derrick wisely moves to the other end. Another 40 minutes or so pass, Derricks cigarette gets dashed by more water than dumped on him the first time. Again, we lost it. Worse this time.

That is about the last thing I remember from that night. Steven B and I set up our tent. I know that because we woke up in it. I also know we put waders on to keep us dry from the downpour. I know, because I woke up wearing them. We wake at about 5 AM. It is first early light hitting the tent. I can feel it tearing through my not yet opened eyes. I give Steven a nudge. "Time to get up". I get a mumble in return, and then a "yeah, lets go fishing".

I move my feet. I hear splashing. Steven moves his feet. We hears splashing. I move mine again. Same result. We look down, and we laugh harder than we did the night before with the tarp. We set the tent up near the edge of the lake. The lake has a marshy side and the bottom edge of the tent was down into a wet hole. When we looked down, water was over our sleeping bags, up to our waists. Our state the night before ignored or simply never noticed that.

We fished hard the next two days, and we did well. The rain hampered us but in the times it stopped, the fishing was hot. Occasionally this story still comes up around a drink at the camp. Four younger fools, who are now four older fools. A lot has changed since then. Some good, some not. I think another trip for all four of us at the same time is in order. It has been too long.

Fiberglass Is Back - The Vision Cult Fiber

I was asked this recently while showing someone the Vision lineup. “Why fiberglass?”

There is more to it than marketing.It isn’t just a cool label to hang on something. The Cult Fiber was developed allow fly anglers to touch their roots once again. They are not “old school” though. Cult Fibers are light and responsive. They have deep, soft actions with a nice hidden reserve of power. Despite all of that, with all of the types of rods out there, and all of the technology, why fiberglass? The best way, was to fish one.

Two weeks back I got a Cult Fiber and test drove it before sending it out to a perspective shop. It was a 6’6″ 3/4 weight rod. I had a 4 weight GT reel and a 4 weight Attack fly line. The thing that stood out in particular, was the relaxed action. I took the setup to a small trout stream. Lots of Brook Trout from 10-12 inches. I caught 14 trout in an evenings work. It felt peaceful. The rod had a quiet, medium action with a nice throw of power on the 4 weight line. Light tackle all around made 10 inch trout feel like 15 inch trout. The rod handled them with care.

I fish a lot of rods in a season. All types of actions and sizes. Sometimes fast actions and long lines. On a Wednesday evening I fished a small fiberglass rod and a light line for small, beautiful Brook Trout full of fall colours. I will definitely being doing this often next season.

As for others, the Cult Fiber retails for $310 CAD. They will be available at new Vision Dealers coming this spring. Stay tuned.

Vision Comes To Canadian Fly Fishing

I am pleased to announce I have become the exclusive Canadian Distributor for Vision Fly Fishing through my company, Fish Brooks Tackle. Vision has been around for 15 years in Europe and have a full lineup of rods, reels, waders, clothing, accessories and fly lines. Vision are known worldwide for their fly lines, in particular the Spey Ace series of Spey lines. They are changing single handed lines as well with their Vibe series of lines. You can view the whole lineup at www.visionflyfishing.com. You can also follow and be part of the roll out of Team Vision, following the Canadian blog at http://visionflyfishcanada.wordpress.com/ and if you have facebook, follow us on our Facebook Page. Lastly, join us on Twitter to follow the latest developments.

We are looking for Pro Staff as well in all areas of Canada. You can contact me at djphill@eastlink.ca for more information on how you can help us promote Vision in Canada and the opportunities available.

Caring For Your Fly Rod, Reel, And Line

So the first trip is fast approaching and so is the time for the yearly ritual of preparing my gear. Good fly fishing equipment is an investment and proper care is protecting that investment. Most of you who fish likely know a lot of this, but for those who don't, here is my routine.

Fly Line: Todays fly lines are very technologically advanced but still based on a PVC coating on a Dacron line. In the spring the line needs to be cleaned, stretched and dressed. During the season, several times, the cleaning and dressing should be done again. The performance of a line is based largely on it remaining supple and smooth. Grit can take the sheen off of it. Sunlight and drying out make it less supple. The line can be cleaned with soapy warm water (mild soap only), and dressed with a line dressing. Do yourself a favour and spend a few dollars more to get dressing from a fly line manufacturer. They know what they are doing. To stretch the line to get rid of reel memory, tie the line off to a post or tree in the yard, and roll it off the spool, and pull it past tight. Use some discretion. Stretching too hard can damage the PVC or the Dacron core.

Fly Reel: A modern fly reel is a remarkable piece of engineering. The tolerances are aircraft level and so are the materials. As such we have to take proper care to avoid damage. Most important? Keep the care instructions that come with your reel. Reels have different drag systems and some require different types of care. Know which one yours is. Take the spool off of the body and make sure you clean our any sand, grit, or dirt after every trip. In the spring, a drop of high quality oil (sewing machine as an example) on the moving parts and center shaft. It is also wise to check and screws that hold the reel together and ensure they are tight. A reel has a lot of movement during casting and they can work loose over time.

Fly Rod: I always check the guides for any grooves. A gritty line can make them easier than you might think. The tip guide takes the most abuse. If it is grooved or has sharp edges it should be replaced. A local rod builder can replace it easily. Also find yourself a silicone cloth to clean the blank, clean and smooth the guides and also to clean your reels as well. Check all of your fits on the rod sections and the strength of the handle and reel seat. Also check the ferrules and windings along the length of the rod. Damage to those could mean a repair or a replacement of the rod. Regular cleaning and careful use and storage can make a good rod last a lifetime.

Nova Scotia May Fly Hatch

The Black Quill. Leptophlebia cupida. The Nova Scotia may fly to most of us. It is a brief, fleeting moment really in the overall length of a season. For anglers here it is a roughly two week stretch of the most intense fishing of the year.

The Hatch as it is known is responsible for eating up a weeks vacation every year for 24 years. In my youth i fished the hatch at a lake called Governors in Harrietsfield. (Unfortunately riddled with Bass now but that is another discussion.) At 13 i was spending weekends there fishing what to this day remains maybe the heaviest hatch i have ever seen. At the age of 18 or so i started to move around the province more to target the hatch. I found out early on that smaller waters often produced by and large better fish. Not a rule, more an observation. So i started to look for those in the less pressured areas of the province. It was hit and miss but eventually, i found some.

So how do i approach it? The hatch is not rocket science, it is a blend of technique and will. It starts with wetting down some fir boughs and tapping fly from lakeside trees and brush onto them. They join me in the canoe, usually with my 8' Innovator HLS fly rod. Then, we have to find the spots to fish. Over time, you learn them. On your home waters you will in some ways master them. All are not always readily apparent. Some however, are. Points, shoals, submerged rocks, incoming streams are all good places to fish. If you have a wind blowing offshore and taking fly down a lake, usually somewhere on that winds path, you will find rising fish. On a day with a gentle breeze, you drop fly into the water and let the breeze move them. Then you wait. Sometimes not long, sometimes all day, until it happens. One raise, two more, three more. The game is on.

For a lot of years i have read, studied, explored and each year i still see something that i would not have thought of. Something that doesn't make a lot of sense. I still get surprised 31 years into the hatch. I suppose i will for as long as i am able to do it.

For fly choice, many would think the fly is known as the Black Quill, so you use a Black Quill. That is right, and wrong. In my youth at Governors, it was the fly of choice. Now, in the more pristine waters i swear by the Blue Upright. For some reason, not always apparent to me, it out-fishes a Black Quill by a wide margin. I also will use a Brown Quill more than the Black Quill. Maybe it is more comfortable for me. Maybe the Trout like it better. All i know is it works. All of the flies in sizes 12 through 16, although for me 14 seems to be best.

The best times to fish, early morning, first light in fact, and supper until dark in the evening. Now on cloudy/rainy days, this can extend all day long but a bright mid-day sun is not usually a bonus for someone fishing the hatch. For me the first and last light have been the most productive and most exciting, especially for large trout. My largest trout ever was caught in what would have had to have been the last cast of the night for loss of light. 18.5 inches and 3.75 pounds. Stephen caught one at the exact same time, almost the exact same size. When we fish our small lake near dark, seeing those large Trout move is an adrenaline rush. The most fun i have ever had fishing.

"The hatch" is a truly special time for a Nova Scotia Trout angler. For two or three weeks, we fish the most intense period of our season. Many fish have been caught, many stories told, many more to be written. We are about a month away. I am counting the days.

A Bold Fly Reel

I was contacted last year by a Spanish company called Thinkfish about the launch of their new fly reel, the Thinkfish Bold. I was interested because i love different fly reels. I have things as simple as a Fenwick, to the cool Backwinder. When I got the information for the Bold, i was intrigued.

It is a 3 speed, semi automatic fly reel with their patented Surge drag system. Here is a quick run down. The reel has no handle to reel it in. Instead it has a lever or trigger that can be used to bring in line, fast or slow. One of the great features of this is that with your rod hand, you can use the lever to haul in slack line when a fish is hooked at amazing speed, without backlash. By simply using the lever at a slower rate, you can bring in a fish as the fight progresses.

The other great thing about this reel is the drag system. It has a 6 ball bearing, mixed cone, multi disc drag. This allows the drag to be deactivated during retrieval of line, allowing high speed retrieval, but engaging as line is fed out.

Top it all off, it looks fantastic. It is a little odd in North America. There have been some cheap automatic reels with no or useless drag systems. This is an engineered reel that rivals any reel you will ever see in build quality and execution. You can see more HERE. If any one has any questions or wants more info, you can email me at reactionoutdoors@gmail.com. I can order them or send you more info. I will be fishing this reel in the next few weeks and will update on them as the season goes along.

Fishing season in Nova Scotia is three days away. Can't wait.

Nova Scotia Trout Management - The Anglers Role

In any documents i have read about managing trout in Nova Scotia, they talk about "angler buy in". Basically it means getting the end user in the fishery involved in the process of collecting data and implementing programs. The toughest one of all comes down to finding a happy medium when it comes to creel limits.

As i mentioned before, when i was young, no one wanted to leave without "getting their limit", which was then 10 fish. Now at 5 fish, far too many fish to "get the limit". With that in mind, the limit for trout in type A waters should be reduced. Now i am not a catch and release only fisherman, but i keep in the area of three or four wild trout in a season now. One or two early season (mayfly) Brookies, and one or two sea trout in July. Everything else is released. Can the limit be reduced to one or two in Wild Trout Management or Type A waters? If they want to do it, they can. There might be backlash, but that is a necessary evil.

We as anglers can do other things on our own. Some of them very useful.

1- Set your own one or two fish limit- Have you ever thrown out a freezer burned fish? If so, you have likely been overfishing. For those who like to eat trout, and i am one, we know fresh ones are by far the best. We don't need a freezer full.

2- Barbless Hooks - With fly fishing this is, in my opinion, far less important than with live bait. Trout inhale things like worms and the hook can kill a fish before you even get a shot at releasing it by a barbed hook. A barbless hook makes a world of difference.

3- The Anglers Report Card- If you value the trout fishery in Nova Scotia, keep an accurate catch record, fill out the report card stub on your license and send it in. The more of these that Inland Fisheries receive, and the more accurate they are, the better the data is. This data can be key to identifying and planning the future of trout waters all over Nova Scotia.

I am very lucky. I fish Type A waters every year. I have a camp secluded in the middle of them. The truth is, there are a lot of them. The populations may not be what they once were, but the quality and size of fish is Trophy like for Nova Scotia. The thought of damage to these is something i don't like to think about. In the past 15 years i have changed a lot as an angler. I have done my share of damage, especially as a younger man. Now it is time to see what i can do to help. I have decided to join Trout Nova Scotia this year and try to do my small part to help control a bigger problem.

Maybe if a lot of anglers do this, the native population of Wild Brook Trout, which is a true natural treasure of Nova Scotia, can be saved and even improved. I have been asked in the past what my obsession with fishing for Brook Trout is. I never had a good answer other than i love doing it, until last year. Last year i caught a trout early in the season. Steven snapped a picture of me with it in the canoe, and it was then released. When i saw that picture it sort of hit me that i got to hold a living, breathing part of nature in my hands for a few seconds, and captured it forever in a photo. How may people really get to say that?

Trout Management In Nova Scotia

This winter, I have wondered if there is a trout strategy in Nova Scotia. The Brook Trout fishery in Nova Scotia. Is it in crisis? If so what can be done to help it? If not, what can be done to make sure it won't happen? More importantly, what is being done.?

So before I start looking close at the urban fishery, I decided to look province wide. In 2005, the Nova Scotia government released their Trout Management Plan. While it was seen as a good start, albeit a late start, it was not without issues. Trout Nova Scotia combed through the plan and identified the weak points and areas it thought needed further study. You can read further on that here. Here are some key points in a nutshell in my opinion.

1- Identify "Type A" trout waters: Using anglers, conservation groups, and Inland Fishery resources, identify the waters and areas in Nova Scotia where the wild stocks are healthy now. It is much easier to keep them healthy now than it is to revive them later.

2- Set New And Alternative Limits: When I was young, the limit was 10 fish per day. Most people I knew made that their daily goal. The limit was then changed to 5 fish per day. Then most people made that their daily goal. In the waters identified above, the limit needs to be changed. Plenty of discussion can be had on what that limit should be, but one or two fish a day, maybe with a minimum size would be a major help.

3- Specialized Regulations: The implementation of things like catch and release only waters, minimum size catches, no live bait, and fly fishing only to name a few would be useful in identified areas.

4- Angler Involvement: I have always believed that making the angler feel involved will make them become involved. Programs that give them some sort of influence on the outcome are best. Partnering with associations like Trout Nova Scotia, Trout Unlimited, the Nova Scotia Salmon Association and the many river and watershed associations around the province would help make he angler more aware, and feel more empowered.

5- Follow Up And Data Collection: No plan, and no program works unless it is followed up and the data is collected so that both successes and failures can be studied and learned from.

These five things that were identified by Trout Nova Scotia as key points in a new management plan, are all extremely accurate. It is not too late to save some great angling waters in this province. Once they are gone, it is a much bigger task to bring them back.

For those who want to read more about this, visit the Trout Nova Scotia links above and click here to read the Trout Management Plan from the Nova Scotia government site.

A Foggy Wednesday

My alarm goes off at 5:30 in the morning. I am not in the comfort of my own bed, yet I am still strangely comfortable. The camp at this hour is still dark, and with the overnight fire gone, the air is crisp. The kettle slips on to the just lit burner and the water on it's bottom hisses. Within minutes i am on the front deck, a steaming cup of tea in my hand. The sky is just warming with some light, but the air is damp, and foggy. We have been in since Sunday, and every day has been the same. Today appears to offer nothing different.

It had not been my best trip so far. In 2 full days of fishing, i caught one fish. A 10 inch monster whose catch and release took 30 seconds of my time. I saw many. I had spread fly over the water and was rewarded with moving fish. I just couldn't catch them. While Steven and Derrick were at another lake getting fish each day, my stubborn side kept me at the small lake. Looking for that elusive "lurker" i saw move the first morning in the water. My tunnel vision has taken over.

I arrive at my canoe and look over at the far shore. There is a slight breeze from the diagonal at the shore. Like Tuesday, I release fly and let the breeze take them to the shore. Nothing. I do it again. This time a nice trout moves. Not a "lurker" but a good fish. I cast and my fly lands a foot shy. I leave it and the trout takes. I miss it, and it is gone. Those seven words have been my week. I paddle to shore, and as I am about to get out and head for the camp, I decide to reload with fly and try once more.

My fly make it to shore untouched. The breeze takes them along the shoreline past the white crown land marker. As it does, a raise. Then another. Then two more. I cast into the middle of it. It seems it is another small fish but right now I'll take it. The fish takes my fly and to my surprise, my rod bends heavily as i set the hook. The size of a fish while it is in the water is hard to guess. All I know is it is the largest trout I have ever had hooked. It's tail breaks the surface and sends water flashing to the rocks. It goes deep again and takes line from the reel. As it gets close to the boat it nears the surface. It is huge. It's belly is dark red, and the fins a stark white edged in black.

In the end, 17.5 inches and about 3 pounds of native Brook Trout. A prize any angler would be proud of. Amongst the small talk at the camp in the evenings are the stories of the one that got away and the one that you will hook tomorrow. On this night, my glass of rum warmed me a little better. The foggy morning that did not impress me when i awoke, was the sky i hoped for the next day. After three days of fishing i had caught two trout. One 10 inch monster that took 30 seconds to land, and one a little bit bigger. I couldn't have been happier.

Halifax: An Urban Trout Fishery

I am not an environmentalist. As an angler, maybe i should be but i am a believer in progress as well. I am a firm believer society can move ahead, and co-exist with nature. There is a middle ground. The problem is, we fail to find it and embrace it. Many believe Trout fishing in Halifax is approaching non existent. The reasons are numerous. Overfishing is one. Mis-management is another. The environment and urban development as well. And of course there is the introduction of predators to the trout waters near the city.

The truth is there is still good trout fishing around Halifax. Not the great fishing you get up the Eastern and Northumberland shores, but good. Trout management around the city for too long has been simple stocking for recreational angling. A need for sure, but not a long term plan. There have been successful projects in other places that have not only revitalized the trout fisheries, but have made them into trophy destination fisheries.

So in the new section of the blog i am going to talk about the trout fishery around Halifax. The good, the bad, the ugly. There is still some good fishing to be had for the angler who is willing to explore a bit. So each week i will look at the fishery in and around the city. The past, the present and the future, and maybe what is being done and what we can do to try and help bring it back to it's former glory.

Camp Trip 2009 - Day One

May 5, 2009 was the beginning of the Mayfly trip for 2009. Every year we speculate on the timing. Too early? Too late? Right on time? The good thing about the may fly, is you can make any of those situations work. This year, we were right on time.

I fish a small lake near the camp. Three small connected bodies of water with a unique structural layout. Rock bars, drop offs, weedy coves. The lake is nestled in between two hardwood hills, and gets a natural windbreak because of it. The winds prevail most of the time from the south, and in this lake, as long as the wind is manageable, it serves as a fly feeder to the trout. The nice thing is the lake is deceiving. Many an angler has passed it by without even wetting a line in it. It is small and shallow around the shorelines, and nearly impossible to fish without a boat. Yet it holds Brook Trout over 3 pounds. In Nova Scotia, that is trophy quality. A few years back, Stephen F and i had a double header. Both Trout over 18.5" and 3.5 pounds. It is truly a special piece of water.

We arrive around noon, canoe strapped onto the truck, and begin the process of hauling in food, gear, etc for the week. It can be an arduous task but on day 1 there is always a spring in everyone's step. By 5:30 everything is done, supper is eaten, and it is time to hit the lake. The winds are up and the air is pretty cool for early May, but the fly are thick on the bush and with a little work, I fan them out over the upper end of the lake, and wait.


Fly fishing is a game of patience. Especially around the camp. They are tough lakes to fish. The Trout do not rise without good reason. They do not rise in great numbers, and they do not rise consistently. We have to work these lakes. That means we send a lot of fly out to cover a lot of water, and then if you wait long enough, the fish will move. On night one, about a half hour in, and the first fish is moving. It takes 10 or so casts before i hook up with a fat 13" trout at about 1.5 pounds. Before dark, another one moves, and in two casts, a 15" male comes to the boat, about 1.75 pounds. Both caught, both released. A good start to any trip

First Trip - Let There Be Light

The first trip into the camp every year is one part anticipation, one part trepidation. After a rough winter there can be any amount of bad things that can happen to a camp deep in the back woods. So this year Steven F and I made small talk and made the walk. The last section of the walk is over a hill. At the top of the hill i took a look, and saw the chimney and commented to Steven it was still standing. I followed that up with an "Uh-Oh".

Our camp is built in the middle of a small nestling of trees. A couple of those trees are large. The largest, a Spruce too wide to wrap your arms around, was no longer visible. At least not the top of it. Visible over the camps roof line, was the snarled broken trunk of the giant tree. The rest of the tree was no longer visible. We were relieved when we came alongside the camp and saw the branches had hit the roof, but the trunk went two feet to the side of the building. Avoiding destruction of our roof, if only by a matter of inches.

So now we have some work to do. A large tree will have to be limbed, cut up, and hauled away into the woods. It will be a lot of work, but it beats the alternative. On the bright side (pardon the pun), the camp is wired the generator is working, and i caught my first fish of 2009, a beautifully coloured 14 inch brookie. The big trip starts on May 4th, and the timing in terms of the hatch looks dead on, and the water level and temperature is right on. If everything holds true, we are in for a hell of a fishing trip.