Some Tips for Beginner Fly Fishing.

One of my buddies testing the waters on Smith's Creek above the Oldfield Covered Bridge

There is a misconception out there about angling being a rich man's sport.  I am by no means a rich man, yet I consider myself an angler.  I'm not a professional angler, nor even an amateur.  To me it isn't necessarily a sport but rather an incredibly enjoyable hobby. 

Not long ago I got started into fly fishing and to get going it cost me probably less than $100.  I didn't buy waders because I could go with some sneakers and shorts.  I didn't buy a fishing vest right away but just carried what I needed in my day pack.

To be honest I could write about it all day but someone else already created 5 fly fishing tips that I think are pretty solid.  The only other thing I might add is that don't let limited financial resources stand in your way.  Just get out there and keep casting, there is no better way to learn.  The link also has lots of good links to videos and such so check them out to.

Sunny St. Martins

Everyone has that go to spot.  That place where you go when you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the urban center.  For my family we like to go into St. Martin's, NB.  The quaint Village is becoming known as the jump off point for the Fundy Trail Parkway, but for me, it is more than that.  I have been enjoying the Village since well before the FTP was developed.  With small local shops, artisan galleries, fishing boats, and covered bridges, you can't beat it for appeal.  This entry, published in a recent Kings County Record, reveals how we recently spent a day there.

It is mid July and the mercury has finally pushed over 25°C.  You sweat by simply stepping out on your back deck so there is only one thing you can do.  You head to the beach.  Luckily in NB we are fortunate enough to have lots of beaches to enjoy.  We have water on three sides, the Bay of Fundy to the south, the Northumberland Strait to the east, and the Chaleur Bay to the north, , not to mention the Saint John River runs along a good portion of our western boundary and it also has many beaches.

From Sussex Corner, I recently drove the scenic Route 111 into St. Martins where my family and I spent the better part of a day simply lazing around on the long cobble beach near the caves.  It was amazing how well the whole day went.  It was high tide so we couldn't explore the caves so we had misplaced concerns about whether the kids would enjoy the day.  We had no need to worry as they easily entertained themselves with rocks, driftwood, and one another.

We lathered sun screen on the kids and set them free.  Instantly their imaginations took off and they were playing games in the waves and throwing stones at various targets.  It was inspiring to see the way they readily developed different little games.  It was like the sea breeze instantly prompted their previously dormant imaginations and sent them into overdrive.

We set up a picnic area complete with coolers, Coleman stove, and camping cutlery. When I stood back and looked at the scene, I felt like I was looking at a picture out of the 1960s.  I think the Coleman stove made the scene, along with the tin plates and cups painted red with white flecks.  St.Martins definitely added to the old time feel with its older homes and covered bridges.

After some great grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, the kids were re-energized and went to work building their version of seawalls.  Their imaginations moving towards more industrious ventures as the tide shifted and started moving back out.  Their enthusiasm started to noticeably waver and the kids started drifting apart as they got tired.  I watched as each of my kids wandered away from the group a bit and each became reflective and I noticed a maturity in them that I hadn't noticed before.  I was oddly proud in the moment and committed each of them to memory. Okay so I took a digital photo so I'd remember it later.

We decided that we should leave our mini-paradise on the beach and check out the Quaco Head Lighthouse.  The short drive makes the lighthouse a great change of scenery when in St. Martins and it too is a mini paradise.  The high rugged cliffs and rocky island outcrop just off shore leave no doubt of the need for the majestic lighthouse.  The old foundations and remnants of old fields hint at the location's history.  It would have been a great site to see when it was in its prime, but even now it is a scene that has that special feeling, a spiritual aura.  It was a windy afternoon at the lighthouse so we didn't stay long but the whole day will long stay in our memories.  If you get a chance you should take the trip to St. Martins and make some memories of your own.

Inside Out Covered Bridges

This bridge near Damascus is dated 1914 and has stood prominently over time and sets a tone for its surroundings.

Kings County is known as the covered bridge capital of Canada and most of those bridges are within the Kennebecasis watershed.  Lucky for me I work for the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee and I get to see these bridges on a regular basis.  To be honest I have probably come to take them for granted.  Recently though I have been looking at them from a different angle, from inside to out.

Over the last month and a half I have been monitoring ice and water conditions in the local rivers.  This often results in stops at the various river crossings, including many of the long standing covered bridges.  As I approach the covered bridges I still acknowledge their strong rural flavor and appreciate how they influence the mood of everything around them.  They have a way of making all the surroundings look like a scene from rural 1920s. 

This bridge sits in the heart of Waterford, NB and provides this area with a perfect rural character that makes the whole place more attractive.

The days I am out it is usually windy and cold so before I get out of my car I zip my coat up and then hustle to the windbreak and shelter offered by the covered bridge.  Once out of the wind I can take some time to observe all that is around me.  Of course the first thing I take in are the ice conditions on the river, after all that is what I'm there for, but part of the job is also photographing the ice.  Usually I will stand at the end of the bridge and snap a picture but if the angle isn't right then I have to find a hole in the sidewall of the bridge and this has led me to appreciate the new angle I have taken on covered bridges.

To look down the river from the inside of a covered bridge is not mind blowing until you really look at how sinewy the whole scene is.  When you are outside the bridge looking at the scene you notice the straight lines of the bridge.  From under the pitched roof of the bridge looking out, you notice how everything flows into the river with graceful curves and rolling lines.  Even the parallel lines formed by the skidoo trail down the middle of the river are curved with the snow covered riverbank. 

This bridge in Bloomfield, NB completes the country setting here and provides a welcome feeling to the landscape.

I set my camera so that the lens peeks out through a small knot hole and it captured the scene below.  I then started looking through the various cracks and holes in the side wall of the bridge.  I had visions of artistic style pictures from here but I'm not talented enough as a photographer to get the image that I wanted.  I had a blast attempting to capture my award winning photo at a number of covered bridges.  If someone were to ask me which bridge is my favorite I would have to say the Hammond River #3 – Smithtown, which is dated 1914.  I also have an affinity for the Trout Creek #5 – Moores Mill dated 1923.  This bridge is pure Canadiana as right at the bridge is an outdoor skating rink in the warm heart of the small hamlet of Waterford.

Rediscovering these standing monuments of history has rekindled my fondness for them and I hope to continue to explore them through my work.  Forgetting them is impossible because they have etched their curves into my mind.  

  NOTE:  This is a copy of the column I had published in the March 29 edition of the Kings County Record.