Medway Report 15 May 2008

Water temperature 14 C. Saw an almost white deer, a beaver, many ducks and cormorants, a great blue heron, an osprey. Shadbush is in bloom. Dark Mayflies with transparent wings. Caught & released five brook trout - from 9" to 11", and one salmon parr. The Usual #14, and RLM #8. Beautiful sunset. Blackflies a nuisance.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

RP

Photo by Random Phrump: View from the Water's Edge

The Landing Net

The Missus whispered something to me last night as I was drifting off to sleep...

It's not what you're thinking.

She said, "Marilyn and I are going to the city tomorrow. Is there anything you need?"

"Yes, I'm glad you asked," I replied. "I need a new landing net - a trout net, if you come across one."

"Don't you have one?" she inquired.

"I do, but a couple of years ago, I was fixing the well. I needed something to weigh down the foot valve so it would sink to the bottom. One-inch PVC pipe comes in coils, and won't straighten out worth a damn. I thought about tying a rock to it, but I couldn't tie a knot that would hold a big heavy rock. Then I thought of using a net to hold the rock. Not long after that, I cut the mesh off my old aluminum landing net - sacrificed it in the name of domestic harmony," I explained.

"Oh, how sweet of you!" she cooed.

"I release all of the trout I catch," I continued, "so it hasn't been an issue. But today, when Dad hooked that beautiful brookie and wanted it for supper, I was in a bit of a pickle without a landing net."

"I'll try to get you one," she whispered.

"Thanks, Hon - you're the best!" I murmured as I fell asleep, while visions of laminated exotic hardwood landing nets danced in my head.

Today when I got home from school, she and Marilyn were in the driveway unloading their swag. Out of the back of her car came cases of bottled water, 48-roll packages of toilet paper, and a four foot long aluminum handle with about three feet of black mesh dangling down...

"What in God's name is that?" I choked. "I asked for a trout net!"

"Well, it's a net! What does it look like?" she asked, indignantly.

I really should have known better... I was half asleep at the time... I was bushwhacked... I...

I know what you're thinking...

You're right - there is no excuse. A man who can't buy his own fishing gear deserves what he gets.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!
RP

Fishing with Dad

I took my Dad fishing today. He told some of his classic stories - one I hadn't heard in a while was the story of how Dick Gardner outsmarted the warden.

Dick caught a salmon and while he was playing it, the warden, Irving Hirtle, stepped out of the woods and said, "Now, sir, d' ye want I should gaft yer fish?"
"Go ahead!" said Dick.
After landing the fish, Irving said, "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Newfie nickel on yer line. I'll have to write you up for fishing with an illegal spinning device."
"Just a minute," said Dick, "if I'm not mistaken, you gaffed the salmon. That makes you an accomplice. Write yourself a ticket, too, while you're at it!"

We had a good 3 hours on the Medway. I caught and released some small trout from 6-9". Dad showed me how to get the job done right with his spinning rod, by hooking this 15" Brookie. We had no net in the boat, so it was a bit of a struggle getting it in. A couple of times his line was fouled around my rod or one of the oars, but he played it cool, and ended up keeping this one for the frying pan. Another beautiful day on the Medway!

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!
RP

Empty Nest

They say that life begins at forty- actually, life begins when the kids move out and the dog dies. With our children grown and gone, the Missus and I find our minds are on retirement, and the cozy bungalow we want to build on our land upriver.

When we moved here from the hustle and bustle of city life, I never wanted to leave - couldn't imagine a better place to live. This house sheltered our family of five and a parade of house guests for the last 19 years... but our empty nest is getting to be too much house for just the two of us.

Situated on 3+ acres, we have water frontage, a big field for farming or for pasture, a four BR house, a triple RV garage, and four winterized cottages with a rental income of approximately $24,000 CDN / year.

If you know anyone who might like to live on the Medway River in Nova Scotia, leave a comment below... I'll tell you more.

Good Luck and Good Fishin'!

-RP