The Lost Keys

You learn to bite your tongue when you love someone. Last night, my son, Dave, told me he'd lost his keys, and I stopped myself from saying, "How do people lose their keys? I never lose my keys."

My brother, Steve, has an expression - "AAA" , which loosely translated, means, "A**holes Always Advertise". I'm thinking about that because, although I didn't make that comment about the keys to my son, I thought of it instantly, which reveals my critical nature. That must be hard on a son. Hard on the Missus too, I reckon.

Anyway, I'm sitting here blogging instead of fishing (which is what I really want to do) and instead of looking for my keys (which is what I really should be doing), because...

I've lost my keys!

I used them half an hour ago to unlock the garage. Now they are gone. I've looked everywhere I might have put them. I've retraced my steps. They're simply gone - vanished into thin air!

They're in that parallel universe with all my odd socks, and the jackknife I lost when I was nine. They're havin' a ball with Dave's keys - livin' large... on Jimmy Hoffa's money!

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

RP

Photo by Random Phrump: Steve's Shangrila

Medway Report 23 April 2008

This time of year, I have to weigh my options carefully... do I go fishing, or go blogging? It depends on the weather, really, and the weather's been pretty fine lately, which means that I've been on the river most days after school.

The water temperature has gradually increased, a degree every couple of days, and today, it reached the magic number 10 C. In fact, it got all the way to 11 C in a protected cove. Not many trout have been showing since Opening Day, but I saw lots of rises today - and actually caught a dozen or more - I lost count. They were all small Brook Trout - 8"- 9" (20 CM) mostly, and they were dumb, too - but they were beautiful! The colors, are so vivid on a live brookie in your hand - mottled green and gold with red and blue spots, orange fins with white leading edges.

Beautiful and dumb! I used only one fly (#8 Rumsey Lake Minnow). Although these trout were feeding on or near the surface, they just couldn't resist the RLM cast to the rise form. Some trout took it as soon as it touched down, others gave chase and nailed it as I stripped it in. I did see a few larger fish and even hooked one of them briefly - long enough to know he was a beauty! I released all fish today - except for that last one - he finessed himself a LDR.

I've been putting this off - procrastinating, as the Missus calls it, but I'm going to have to break down and tie some flies soon. For 80 percent of my trout fishing, I use only 6 different patterns - 3 wet and 3 dry. Here's what I'll be tying:

WET
Royal Coachman Streamer
Rumsey Lake Minnow
Bob Root's Chili Pepper

DRY
The 'Usual'
Tom Thumb
CDC & Elk

The wets I tie in size 8 - the dries in 12, 14 and 16. Notice that the dry flies can all be fished wet and will still take fish. In fact they often are even deadlier, fished wet. I remember the day I waded up the brook between 1st and 2nd Christopher Lakes and released 30 trout on a wet #14 Usual! I guess I'm a "presentation" man - I don't match the hatch too much - except in size. I'm the leading proponent of what I like to call the Simpleton school of fly selection. As far as color goes, I think in terms of two - light and dark.

From this post, you should gather that fishing season is officially "on" here on the Medway. Why don't you take a kid fishing and give him a great memory before the blackflies get too thick?


Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

-RP

Photo by Random Phrump - "Spring Brookie"

Snarls and Loose Ends

I'm a bit of a recluse, so stories take a while to percolate down to my level, but I have news on two fronts - the Hurricane Noel Rainbow Trout and the Medway Catch and Release license.

There was some chat after today's staff meeting. I overheard the youngbloods talking about catching Rainbow Trout in the Mersey, the LaHave, and Petite Riviere. The catches have been fish in the 18" to 23" range. A particularly unlucky angler, reportedly, broke his rod on the one that got away. My thought is that these fish are spawning now, or will be very soon. They are probably in the feeder brooks already.

The other news I read in the Queens County section of NovaNewsNow. I had heard a rumor there would be a catch and release season for Atlantic Salmon this year. It seems that the Medway River Association has been granted 32 licenses to fish for post-spawn Atlantic Salmon. Apparently, the 32 members are out in force on the Medway tagging "slinks", as we call them. In addition, there will be 15 wild slinks surgically implanted with hydroacoustic tags. These tags emit a unique, identifiable sound that is picked up by receivers in the river system and in the ocean. With this technology, each fish can be tracked on part of its ocean journey.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

Random Phrump

Photo: 'Boat at the Swirl' by Random Phrump

Phenology

Phenology, from phenomenology, is the science dealing with the influence of climate on such annual phenomena of animal and plant life as bird migrations, blooming, etc. The observant fisherman can predict when trout fishing will be most productive by noting details such as water and air temperatures, insect and plant appearances.

In my yard, there is a perfect indicator plant species for Brook Trout - the Nanking Cherry, an ornamental shrub. It is an attractive bush, about 6 feet in height, bearing profuse pink or white blooms and edible fruit. A native indicator species is Shadbush (Amelanchier arborea) also known as Juneberry, Indian Pear, or Downy Serviceberry. The first blossoms appear when the water temperature reaches 50F/10C and remain on the plant for about 2 weeks. At this time, Brook Trout are more active and flyfishing more productive. Depending on the weather, this period occurs any time from late April to late May in Southwest Nova Scotia.

Two factors influence trout behavior to create ideal fishing conditions: 1) The trout's body temperature rises to its optimum level and 2) major insect hatches provide abundant food supply. During this peak period, Brook Trout often feed on or near the surface and show their positions to the angler, greatly improving his chances for success.

There is a recurring dream that I have... winds are light, the air warm, sky overcast. Big dark Mayflies are rising skyward and all around, trout are making the water fly as they greedily smash at the struggling Ephemeroptera. The fly floats in the air, then kisses the water, six feet from the nearest trout. In my canoe, just downstream and 30 feet to the right, my eyes are glued to the dead-drifting fly; my left hand gathers in slack line as it approaches the spot. There is no surprise when the trout rises to inhale my offering. I raise the tip, the rod bows - the fish is on!

Perfect flyfishing moments like this can be rare, but easier to find if you learn to observe relationships between natural indicators and major insect hatches. I keep a fishing log, and record date, time of day, air and water temperature, plants and animals observed, as well as fish caught and fly patterns. I like to look back over the years of data and see how my catches (and releases) steadily improve. It's not that my skills are much better - but I know better when and where to fish.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

Random Phrump

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Medway Report 4 April 2008

I arrived at the river with oars and a life jacket, just in case I wanted to take the boat out. A steady stream of stoneflies was arriving at the Swirl and trout were lined up to feed. The Swirl is a great eddy. The force of the current and the contour of the bank causes the water to circulate in an oval path. Water actually flows upstream until it meets a jutting point of land and is sucked back to join the midstream rush to the Atlantic.

I didn't have any dry flies with me - just a box of streamers and wet flies. I tried the #8 Royal Coachman Streamer and got a soft strike, but no hook-up. Then a few casts later, got a heavy hit - but again, no hook-up. I got pretty excited about that one, because it really felt like an exceptional fish. I was thinking... 3-pound Rainbow?

I changed to a #10 Pink Mystery - tied by my good friend, Steven MacDonald - and damn, if a 10 inch Brook Trout didn't grab it near the surface. Later, I tried a #2 pink/orange/yellow Cardinell (looking for the one that got away), and took another trout - about 11". Both fish were released in good shape. I use barbless hooks - I may get a few LDR's (Long Distance Releases), but it is much less stressful to the fish.

I need to remember a few basic skills to be successful with barbless hooks. In general, I try to keep slack out of the line; set the hook with a flick of the rod tip; and maintain a tight line while playing the fish. It doesn't always work, but when I remember to use those skills, I usually get the job done. Trust me, if Brother Al can land a salmon on a broken fly, anyone can be successful with barbless flies. It adds an element of uncertainty to the sport, that I find enjoyable.

All of today's fishing was done from shore, or by wading a few feet out. The water was so cold (3 Celsius) I could not stay in it for more than 1/2 hour. I usually check the water temperature when fishing for trout. The magic number, by the way, is 10 Celsius. At 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit, for our American friends), insects start to become active and trout begin to get a lot more aggressive about their feeding. This increases until the water temperature reaches 15 Celsius - a Brook Trout's optimum temperature.

News Flash!

My brother, Steve, told me that a couple of Rainbow Trout were caught in the Sackville River this week. I think next time, I might have to take that boat out and have a good look around. We surely have some in our river if those aquaculture escapees made it all the way up the coast to Halifax.

News Flash! News Flash!

My son, David, told me that he heard there will be a Catch & Release season for Atlantic Salmon on the Medway River this year. That is, as yet, unconfirmed. I will be checking into this!

Good Luck and Good Fishin'
- Random Phrump

Medway Report 1 April 2008

I forgot about it being Opening Day while I was at work today. It rained hard most of the day and blew hard too. When I got home about 4:30PM, I was tired, but decided I would go out to the river, just for a few casts. The wind was steady from the Southwest at 40 kph, gusting to 70 kph. It was about 6 Celsius, 42 Fahrenheit, cloudy with light rain. There were a few stoneflies on the water, but no surface feeding that I could see.

I tried a hot orange/yellow #8 Muddler Mickey streamer, then a #8 Royal Coachman Hairwing streamer, and finished up with a #8 Rumsey Lake Minnow. A nice, fat 11 or 12 inch Brook Trout grabbed the Royal Coachman. As I brought the fish to hand and released it, I was amazed at how cold the trout felt. Checking the water temperature, it was no wonder - 2 degrees Celsius, about 35 Fahrenheit! That explains it.

That's all the action I got. I didn't see any other anglers, or any other fish. I was hoping for a rainbow trout, after the Hurricane Noel destruction of a local aquaculture farm last fall. All in all, I was happy with my hour on the river - it was a bit bigger fish than I usually catch. I will keep you posted on my angling adventures on the Medway this season.

About the Royal Coachman - the fly in the illustration is not exactly how I tie them - I use a sparse collared soft hackle instead of a throat hackle, and I believe the one I used today had a sparse white bucktail wing instead of the white calftail. Be careful with the length of the wing - a wing too long will get fouled around the bend of the hook. It can be a deadly fly for Brook trout in Nova Scotia. I always have this attractor pattern in my box for times when no obvious surface feeding is happening.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!
- Random Phrump