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.

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.

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

Gearing Up For A New Season

In two weeks the season opens officially. April 1st, aka April Fools day. I have been that fool on some opening days, fishing in snow, sleet, cold rain. You name it, I have fished in it on opening day. These past few years have resisted the temptation to go too early. Now, I look a April 15, and maybe even more important, April 25 and 26. Our first trip to the camp, pre Mayfly to check the accomodations, and the development of the years big hatch.

In the meantime, I load my reel with new line, and a second reel with more new line. I am cleaning rods and packing them into to their tubes. A month away from wetting a line and I just keep getting things ready to keep me occupied. My wife, I am sure, thinks I have lost a few more marbles each year. Every year it gets a bit earlier. I talk about it a bit more. I am sure it makes here wonder if she married a sane person or someone spiralling into some sort of madness. I do know for sure, in a few weeks, she will be tired of hearing about fishing. I guess I can't blame her.

Anyway, I am looking for pictures of peoples gear. New rods, new reels, all that good stuff. The picture above is my Innovator Velocity Fly Rod. It is an 8'6" 5 weight and it is the best rod I have ever fished up until this point. I will soon have a few Broman Odell Alpha Series which are very high end rods that are supposed to be amazing. I will let you know soon. If you have anything you would like to submit for a new gear article, email me a photo and some details and I will make a series of posts on new equipment.

Until the season opens, I hope you all are patient. I am trying to be.

A View From The Bridge

The picture with this post means nothing in particular. It is a shot of my favourite lake, at 5:45 am on a foggy Nova Scotia morning. I think it is a great picture and really captures my early morning view. I caught 5 trout on this foggy morning before the sun broke through and the wind started. The importance of early morning trout fishing cannot be lost on any good fly angler. It seems the big fish in particular like the low light conditions to feed in, cruising around cleaning up spent fly and getting morning emergers. I am working on a fly fishing journal to post here that plots trends, water temperatures, wind conditions, time of day and so on and it is yielding some interesting results. I will be posting them here shortly, and i would be interested in anyone who reads this emailing me any factual information in the same vein.

In The Middle Of Nowhere, In The Middle Of Everything

A warm, dry, comfortable place to stay. 20 kms from the nearest small town, and most of that 20 kms is back in the woods. The camp is really in the middle of nowhere. There are no other camps anywhere within walking distance. What is within walking distance is 5 of the best trout lakes i have been fortunate enough to find in Nova Scotia. Every year the trip is met with great anticipation. This year was no different, and despite tough conditions for fishing, the lakes came through yet again.

Steven F., Merle, and myself made a 4 day, 3 night stay that consisted of a lot of food, a bunch of drinks, many hands of crib and auction, and a ton of fishing. Joined by two of my uncles late Wednesday, and completed late Friday, the trip did present some challenges when it came to fishing. The fly started early this season. In fact on a trip i made on April 27, the fly was already on, and relatively thick. The result is in the 10 days before we went up, the fish fed greedily on mayfly, and were approaching the glut when we arrived.

Glutted fish are not impossible to catch, they just have to be persuaded. In fact the glut can be good if you are looking for big fish, as they cruise the lake picking up spent fly all through the hatch, rather than gorge all day like the younger and smaller fish. In the four days, i caught 12 trout, most in the early morning or late in the evening. On Thursday night a heavy rain and high wind cut fishing short, otherwise, nice evening calms and mild temperatures cooperated with us. In all, 25 fish were brought to the boat, and another 10 or so lost as the fish won some battles. All but three were returned to fight another day.

For myself, i caught none smaller than 12 inches, and around 1 pound. The largest was 17.5 inches and weighed in at about 2.5 pounds. A couple of trips to the camp for seatrout runs are already in the works. For now, the 2008 mayfly is in the books, and was a success. The camp was comfort as always. I look forward to the next visit.

"A Blue Fly? It'll Never Work"

The Mystery That Is The Blue Upright

The mayfly here in Nova Scotia occurs in the first two weeks of May. Medium sized, black flies, come to life in swarms and the trout gorge on them for a two or three week stretch. As a young fly fisherman who never had an abundance of flies in his possesion, the older brother of one of my best friends gave me a fly since i ran out. The fly he passed me was a peacock quill body, and a blue hackle, with Grey wings. I looked at him strangely, and asked if that would really work. "You'll see" he said. And i did. So, look at the pictures below:









The grey wings make sense. The peacock quill body also is a good representation. What about that blue hackle and blue tail though? Where does that come into play? That day i got my first one i wondered that quickly to myself, and continued fishing. It worked. Much better than the black flies i had been using. In all of my years since, it has been a superior fly. In all of those years, i wondered why, and kept fishing. A biologist i met, gave me what sounds like a reasonable answer.

The key to a Blue Upright working so well over a black quill with black hackle rests in it's profile. Cast the two flies side by side, the same size pattern, and the black quill will look bigger. From below the water, it looks bigger still. The blue hackle on an upright allows light to pass through it, giving it a slimmer profile, and a more realistic look to a rising fish. I rarely use a black quill anymore, although i carry some for darker days. However the Blue Upright is Nova Scotia's premier dry fly, and a fly no one should be out the first of May fishing without.

Take A Look Around, Look What I've Found

The backwoods experience is all about exploring. In the picture with this post, is a small lake, a pond really. In our home waters, a trip to a far cove to get some fly led us to a tract of water. I t was small and came out between some rocks, amongst thick bush. Steven and myself, with the fishing slow, decided one day to follow it. It meandered through the woods for about 600 or 700 meters, through a clump of Alders. On the other side of the Alders, it opened up into a small pond, surrounded by a floating bog shoreline.

Despite it's frog pond look, we decided to go back and get our rods and kill some time there. There were no fly on it, and despite it being totally calm, no fish rising. That never stopped us before, and it wouldn't this time. Steven cast in first with a Muddler Minnow, and had a strike on the first strip. My Dark Montreal came next, and after a 5 or 10 second sink, it got hammered on the first strip of line. All in all, we caught 8 trout, with each of us getting one over two pounds.

Since then, it has been a private excursion. No one we know of fishes there, or even cares it is there. We always go in once during our May trip, and spend an afternoon pulling wet flies and streamers through it. One afternoon a year, and thats it, thats enough.

If we were too lazy to take a ten minute walk through some thick bush, we'd never have found it. I think we'll keep it now.

The Lure Of Calm Waters

Its 6:00 am and the 10 minute walk to the lake from the camp has helped wear off any after effects from a few drinks of rum the night before, and helped digest a great breakfast that was probably too greasy for any man. The walk down the path to the canoe is shielded by trees, but the last right hand turn reveals the view of the lake. The sun is only just coming up, and a thin mist is rising from the water. The lake is flat calm. My love of stillwater fishing started at the age of 10, and hasn't stopped since.

I have walked that same path hundreds of times, on many many mornings. My first job when i get there is simple. Light a Swisher Sweet, sit on the rock by our homemade boat launch, and watch for emerging fly, and rising fish. There is no need to hurry, only a need to observe.

I have read a ton of magazines. I have read about structure, and littoral zones, and cover. I have read about the life cycle of trout, and the life cycle of Mayfly. All of the minutia that makes you a better fisherman. For anyone starting out who asks me, i always tell them the same thing. Go to the lake early, pull up a rock, and start watching the day develop.

Big Brook Trout are often active early in the morning. Picking up the spent fly from the day before, and any new emergers that may be coming alive. The smaller trout will gorge all day on any type of fly, spent or otherwise. Most people who fish backwoods lakes don't bring fish finders, and can't read the structure of a lake electronically. They learn to read lakes by paddling around them and watching. They watch, over a period of time, where the Trout like to feed. They quickly identify points, shoals, sand or gravel bars, and incoming or outgoing streams. Those areas get marked in you mind. They become your go to areas.

The differnce between a person who always gets fish, and one who struggles to get them isn't always based on technique, or what they have read, or the flies they use. It is the time they have spent watching, and learning the way a stillwater works. There is no substitute for it.

I am by no means a professional angler. I have a passion for it. After 32 years on the water though, i do have information i can share, and advice i can give, and i will be doing that here. You can take it for what it is worth. I hope someone will find it helpful. A lake is always a challenge, even if you have fished it for years and years. Sometime when you don't feel rushed, take a walk in early in the morning and while you fish, pay attention to the way the day develops. Enjoy the surroundings and the solitutde. Do yourself a favour and get a journal and start logging everything from water temperature to weather conditions, to fly conditions and wind. The best anglers have something in their home waters that others don't. Familiarity.

I remember fishing a small stillwater with my grandfather when i was 10 or 11 years old. We walked up the path along the boggy sided brook that ran out of the lake. When we got the first point, he showed me a shoal of rocks that jutted towards the center of the lake. He told me to cast to the right of it and bring the fly back slowly. I had a nice brook trout on the first cast. I was in awe. I thought he must simply be the best fisherman ever. He knew that fish was there, and couldn't see it. It was his go to area, and he lent it to me. Like me, hopefully you will find yours.

I Have My Father To Thank

If you ask any angler why they fly fish, you will get as many different answers as anglers. For me, there were two main reasons. The first was simple. On many trips to Governors lake at 9 or 10 years old, i cast my spinning rod without result while the older guys caught fish after fish on their fly rods. That's reason enough. The main thing that changed it was a particular event, on a lake called Baker's Lake, in a 12 foot aluminum boat tight to the shore with my father. I was 11 years old, it was 1976.

He tied a rubber minnow on my line, with two treble hooks, and got me to cast it at the mouth of an incoming stream on the north side of the lake. I had two brookies, and lost a third, within 15 minutes. During the excitement i tried to throw another cast. My rod fetched up behind me. I gave it two sharp tugs. There was no give, but a strange sound followed each tug. I gave one more tug as i turned my head to see what bush i had caught with my new best lure.

There was no bush, no tree, no side of the boat, and no clothing in the way of my lure. There was only my fathers face, with a rubber minnow embedded in his cheek. Two of the three points on the treble hook were completely through his cheek and into his mouth. It was likely the best hookset i had made in the first 11 years of life. My uncle was 20 feet away in another boat, and he was as pale as a ghost. He grabbed my rod and quickly cut the line off at the eye of the rubber minnow, and we rowed back to his camp. In the camp he performed backwoods surgery, cutting the two hooks at the bend, inside my fathers mouth, and then retracting them back through his cheek. Within 30 minutes, it was almost like it never happened. That was until he ate his lunch, with an orange for a snack. His mouth burned for another 30 minutes.

Overall, we had a great trip. Two days, a lot of fish, and my Dads cheek. The drive home was quiet. We pulled in the driveway after dark. Before we got out he asked me if i had a good time. Of course i did, and told him so. "I think we should get you a fly rod", he said. He never said why, but i know he was thinking that a fly rod won't take a treble hook, and so neither would his cheek. It has been 31 years of fly fishing and counting, and i owe my start to my father, a rubber minnow, and an orange.