A Last Season Change of Scenery

This entry was actually printed weeks ago in the Kings County Record and I apologize for not posting more blogs lately but it is tough for me to find a balance between writing, working, and playing so I have something to write about.  Maybe work and writing should be considered just one if I truly want to blog more??  Hope you enjoy.

It is all over.  It went by in a flash.  Before it was over I t was able to send it off with a bang…or maybe more of a blub.  The season finale was similar to my season opener in the fact that I was out with the same wingman.  Like the season premier I was relying heavily on my wingman on making the season send off a success.  Oh in case you didn't figure it out, fishing season ended September 15^th and before it past Robin Doull and I made it out on the river one last time.

I would typically fish a river by wading and casting a fly line looking for trout.  Robin had been trying to get me out in a kayak targeting some bigger fish for quite some time.  With warm water the trout needed a break so I took Robin up on some smallmouth bass fishing off Darlings Island from my kayak.  (Note: The smallmouth bass season actually doesn't end until October 30th) 

We didn't get an early start but the day was overcast and not overly warm so we we're hoping the fish would be active.  This would be my first time casting lures from a kayak in hopes of catching a bass or pike.  I was unsure as I cast my lure out a number of times as I let the kayak drift down the river.  Suddenly I watched as a couple of perch chased my lure towards the kayak. 

From my seat in the kayak I was amazed at how far down I could see into the water column.  It was cool to watch fish chase my lure and made the anticipation of catching a fish more exciting.  Robin was rewarded first as he landed two fish before I hooked one.  Ironically I didn't even see my first perch take my lure as it took the hook well away from my craft.  The fact that I had to reel it in some distance meant that the modest size perch had a chance to pull my kayak for a bit.  I snickered as I thought about my drag setting on my reel; I guess it wouldn't have to be set to tight.

I landed a small smallmouth bass before landing my biggest fish of the day, another smallmouth.  It was fun to watch the fish jump a number of times and to hear my reel whine a bit as it pulled my boat around and downstream at a surprising pace.  I laughed as I finally got the fish to my kayak and unhooked it from my Rapala lure.  It took no time for it to dive deep back into the channel after I let it go.

The leisurely pace which we floated down the river was enjoyable and it possibly had a negative impact on my casting rate so I was not able to catch as many fish as Robin.  That is my story at least and I'm sticking to it.  Before long Robin landed a pickerel and once again I had to bow to his superior tactics.  As I was bowing to take a photo of him and his catch my camera went blub.  I dropped it in more than 10ft of water and even though it was a waterproof camera, I didn't think I could find it so there it lies along with the photos I had from the day.

As noon rolled around we decided to call it a day and started the paddle back up river to our take out point.  The wind was light and in our face so the paddle back up was a bit different but no less pleasant that the trip down the river.  I struggled with my desire to cast the lure out a few more times but I had a conference call early in the afternoon so I kept paddling.

It was a great way to end the fishing season and I hope that next season I can expose a few more people to a similar experience.  Until then I'll start planning my ice fishing trip.

See you in the woods or on the water.

Fishing Forms

It has been a tough start to the fishing season here in southern NB.  With still a foot of snow in the backwoods as of April 28th, water levels may stay elevated for a while yet.  This makes it hard to fish many of the rivers in this part of the globe.  I  say "hard" but not impossible.  There are some changes for many anglers this season and some long standing restrictions still in place.  The online fishing forums have been alive with chatter on all these management strategies and there are as many opinions on the topic as there are fly patterns.  If you don't fish then you'll have to take my word for it, there are a ton of fly patterns.

I caught this Atlantic salmon in 2013 and released it saftely.

One of the biggest changes for this angling season will be the fact that no Atlantic salmon can be caught and kept this season in NB.  For those who ply the waters in the Sussex area this is not really to concerting as our local waterways have been closed to salmon fishing for a number of years now.  However, for those who make regular trips to the Miramichi or maybe the Restigouche Rivers this will mean a huge change in attitude.  Personally I fully agree with the changes implemented by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 

The intent of the change is to give the salmon a fighting chance at recovery.  If we keep fishing and taking fish out of the system, it is very hard for nature to recover.  In order to make the $40M (a rough guess) a year industry sustainable we have to make some sacrifices. A catch and release fishery is still very rewarding for the angler and let's face it, who really fishes for sustenance now a days.

The Kennebecasis River has a catch and release section for all fish species and anglers should know where this is.  It is the responsibility of the angler to know where he or she is and what regulations apply to the water he or she is fishing.  The catch and release section on the Kennebecasis River is above the McCully Road bridge (by the potash mine) and extends up to Ketchums Brook near Portagevale.  This management tool was established to protect superb breeding habitats.  

A further management section was created on the Hammond River and a delayed season opening exists on a portion of that river as well.  For more on angling regulations check out the 2015 Fish Guide.

Not all anglers understand the need for habitat and species conservation.  In fact some see conservation as an infringement on their valued hobby.  Some anglers, either knowingly or unknowingly, have negatively impacted the streams they call their home.  There are concerns like introducing non-native fish into streams or maybe diseases or insects or worms that might impact the natural ecological balance.  An example of this on the Kennebecasis River is the recent presence of small mouth bass which are not native to the Kennebecasis.  While many people love fishing for small mouth bass, these aggressive feeding and prolific breeding fish can readily out compete speckled trout and Atlantic salmon for space.  This shifts the natural balance within the river and makes it harder for the trout and salmon to survive.

There are approximately 26 species of freshwater species in the Kennebecasis River but the health of these various species is not fully understood.  Many groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, the Nature Conservancy, and the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee along with government departments struggle to better understand all aspects of our waterways.  This requires a great deal of effort and to ensure the management policies are effective and sustainable the more data these groups have the better informed the policy makers are.  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans – Gulf Region (this is the north and east coast of NB) has an on-line creel survey.  This survey will help determine management strategies for striped bass.  The Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee has a similar on-line form that will assist them in directing restoration efforts for salmonid species.  The websites for these are:

http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Gulf/FAM/Recreational-Fisheries/Creel-Census

http://www.kennebecasisriver.ca/creelcensus.html

Hoping for More Blessings Like These

The following was a column I had published in the Kings County Record on Tuesday, January 15, 2013.  I hope you enjoy the read as much as my mother did, although that might be hard to do as she is a bit biased.  Enjoy 2013.

 

It happens without warning.  There is no evidence that that moment will be great.  You are looking across a landscape admiring it for what it is, beautiful.  The symmetrical lines of ice along each bank of the river are highlighted by the darkness of the cold water running down the valley.  There is white snow hanging heavy off the spruce while the same snow sits lightly on the farm field on the opposite shore. 

The winter scene can be taken in at almost any bridge crossing in New Brunswick this time of year.  What made this one special?  What blessed this day?  Suddenly it happened.  Two deer stepped down out of the tree line and onto the ice.  I was on the bridge over the Hammond River taking photos for work but since I was still on my holiday time off, I had my son with me.  This further elevated the whole blessing.  We both took photos and stood open jawed in awe of the scene that was put before us.  We couldn't believe the dumb luck we had to witness the scene before us.  We laughed when a truck simply roared by and didn't even slow down to notice. 

I can only count, maybe, a handful of times this type of thing has happened to me.  This time was different because I shared it with my son and it happened over the holidays.  It drove home the so many things that I have to be thankful for through 2012.  The fact that I am able to get out and enjoy the many natural gifts this area has to offer is a big one.  If you take the time to put yourself into those situations, you subsequently experience more of those "wow" situations.  Sometimes the problem is not that we are privileged enough to witness such moments but rather we just don't recognize them.

On a canoe trip down the Millstream River a few years ago I approached a beaver dam and suddenly, just below the dam, a large buck stepped out into the river.  It was another great scene and I was able to take it in and appreciate it.  The other day, my Dad, who was with me that day, asked if I remembered the day.  We both had the same outlook on the memorable day.  It was rare and special.  The more time I spend outdoors in the wilderness however, the more I think "Huh, maybe it isn't so rare?"  As I write this column and I think about which special moment to write about I realize how many I've had.  The beaver in Falls Brook, the cow and calf moose in Newfoundland, the pair of moose in Maine, the osprey on Trout Creek and many more.  It isn't just animal sightings that inspire these moments; there have been sunsets and sunrises, lightning strikes, and even insects that have inspired me.  Again though, the hardest part is recognizing those moments when faced with them and avoid racing by them like the truck on the bridge where my son and I stood.

For 2013 I am making a resolution to create more of those "Wow" moments.  Further I want to share those moments with more people.  So far I have shared a moment with my son and I'm hoping there will be plenty more in 2013.  I hope you have a memorable 2013 too and take the time to get out and wander the woods.