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

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

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

Person June 1st

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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