I went to bible college for 4 years and never missed a day even though I had to drive almost an hour each way. I was dedicated but every day I drove by a number of great trout fishing streams, brooks and rivers. It was tough on those perfect fly fishing days but I never once stopped to wet a line.

It seemed that all my off time was studying and working to pay for college.

The college sat on a hill top overlooking a valley that had streams full of brookies and even some salmon criss-crossing the landscape. About half my classes had a view of that valley and called to me daily until finally I couldn’t take it any more and went to the main office where I explained that I had never missed a day, even when students that lived on campus missed days because of bad weather.

And then I asked for a day off to go fly fishing for trout. Well the profession I was talking to laughed and told me that he had to fight that urge during classes, but that he lived right there and was fly fishing every evening for an hour or two.

Then he not only said that I could have any day off I wished, with his blessing. He also added that he knew of some great hot spots that he would share with me if I promised not to share these spots with anyone for 4 years.

For a minute I was thinking he was pulling my leg but he wasn’t. I agreed.

The next day I went fly fishing and had a great day. I think I was blessed with the perfect day, maybe because I never gave in to temptation during those months of classes.

The professor I was talking with did take me fishing, in some of the areas I already fished but he showed me how to catch the big trout, 16 and 18 inch brook trout. And I kept my promise not to tell anyone for 4 years. At that time I took my best fishing buddy, who I told about this promise from day one, so he waited 4 years to get this same opportunity.

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I never enjoy getting a hook stuck in me. I really don’t know of anyone that does, although my son might like it as he really enjoys getting tattoos.

Over the almost 50 years of fishing I have had a few hooks stick various places in my body, from my foot to ears but they were all self inflicted. However this story isn’t about me hooking myself. This is about my buddy Roland, who I haven’t fished with for a few years, nothing to do with him hooking me though.

I always were a fishing hat as it keeps a lot of hooks from nailing me in the head when I am fly fishing on those windy days. I wear glasses because I have to if I want to see but I would wear glasses as a safety feature even if I didn’t need them to see. I have only ever ripped my glasses off once but better my glasses than my eye.

Back to my buddy Roland.

We were on Grassy Lake, it’s more of a big pond than a lake but we have pulled many tasty speckled trout from that little lake. Although the year Roland started using a fly rod he only managed to get two trout, on the fly rod that is. And he wasn’t casting at the time, he was just letting the line drag behind the canoe while I was paddling across the lake. He was a great sport about it and never got upset when I teased him about his first year.

Oh yeah, he did how one fish while he was casting. Unfortunately that fish was me. Right in the side of the neck at the speed of sound. Instantly Roland’s face went right into a look of horror and then he couldn’t look at me again.

It was so fast that it didn’t even hurt, no pain at all but of course I could let him know that right away.

Roland was of no help at all as he was too busy looking away and begging me to forgive him.

I tried for a few minutes to get the hook out of my neck but just couldn’t get it to come out and Roland couldn’t look at me so I just left it in my neck and cut the line. He was going to have to tie on a new trout fly.

I fished the rest of the day and when we returned to the car later than evening it only took me about 1 minute to get the fly out of my neck once I could see what I was doing in the rear view mirror.

I should have taken a picture so I could show his wife how he tortures me when we going fishing.

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When you have planned a barbecue for your friends and family or have planned an outdoor trip, mosquitoes can be a great nuisance and can ruin everything. A mosquito bite is like having a needle-prick. This will leave you feeling irritable, restless and very itchy. Your attention span tends to diminish quickly at an outdoor party or trip if you are being hassled by these pests. Not only can these little creatures call you loads of discomfort but the females can give you some very serious infections.

In most Asian countries and in Africa’s Sahara region mosquitoes can cause some grave health risks such as malaria, dengue, encephalitis, West Nile virus etc. A high mortality rate, especially in children can be gained by infections from these pests. It is therefore, quite vital that you smother yourself in some kind of mosquito repellent. This will not only keep the insects away, but will protect you from diseases and stop you getting irritable should you be unfortunate to obtain a mosquito bite.

There are several kinds of repellents available in the market and the electronic mosquito repellent is a suitable solution for warding these nasty pests. Mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of the electronic mosquito repellent and will therefore not penetrate the vapours that it releases into the air. The vapour will be released into a certain radius giving you maximum protection and shielding you from these pests. In comparison to the stronger smelling repellents on the market that you can spray on your skin, this is a more appropriate option. The electronic repellents will last as long as they stay plugged in but these ones only last for a few hours.

Another kind of electronic mosquito repellent is one that emits ultrasonic sound waves that are bearable to the human ear but are found repulsive by mosquitoes. These can either be set on a table or worn around your wrist when you are camping outdoors. The sound of a male mosquito flapping his wings is something that a female will stay away from as it is scientifically said that they can only mate once in their lifetime; this is an added advantage of this repellent as when sprayed it emits the sound that females very often dread. This kind of repellent should not b e relied on for protection however, as it is reported it is not ver effective.

You need to choose a spray that will give you the maximum amount of safety and will give good protection against these insects; this is essential. The electronic mosquito repellent comes close to being the best on the market as it’s not like others which have to be rubbed or sprayed onto the skin. This can be harsh and not smell very nice. The mosquitoes will stay away from you with the electronic repellent as it works silently in the background. One such repellent however, may not be sufficient, as the fumes that a repellent releases only workis within a radius of a few meters and may not be enough for very large areas.

It’s great fun getting out on the water in my float tube to do a little fly fishing for pickerel here in New Brunswick. Especially with a friend. It’s well worth getting out of bed long before day break so we can get there by day break.

I like to keep my fishing gear ready by the door so that when I get the call to go fishing I’m not the one holding us up. The only thing I need to do is make something to bring along to stuff in my face every few hours and I’m good to go. That takes about 4 minutes.

I don’t care to fly fish in the wind, especially when we are fly fishing the weeds for pickerel. It makes it tougher to get to the spot you want and when it’s windy the pickerel in the weeds tend to shut down. It’s the top water action I get from fly fishing pickerel that keeps me coming back.

So I always get excited when we arrive at the spot we are going to start fly fishing from when the water is as smooth as glass.

I have been fishing for almost 50 years and still I am so eager that I am usually the first one in the water fishing. The younger guys seem to drag their butts a bit so they are the last in.

I can’t tell you just how many pickerel I have caught in the fly but I can tell you that the flies don’t last long when I’m fishing chain pickerel. They rip them to shreds after just a few strikes.

Sure glad I tie my own flies or I would be spending a lot more money than my wife would like. I wish I could get her hooked on fishing.

I don’t take many pictures when I am fishing alone so it’s nice when I have a friend or two with me fishing as we can take pictures for each other.

The picture above is from a different day on the water than the one I am referring to but I thought I would use it to show you what the water was looking like and a little pickerel that put up a great fight.

It doesn’t take much to tie flies that pickerel will go after. I am sure I could tie on a coke can and they would still smash it.

I tend to go for the big Bass type deer hair bugs. They don’t seem to get caught up so much in the weeds but when the pickerel strikes that deer hair gives a bit and BAM – FISH ON.

If you haven’t given chain pickerel on the fly then give it a try.

Note: They can slice through a leadline pretty quick. I used to use steel leaders but now I just use some tough braided line and lose very few due to them cutting my line. It still happens but then again I have lost a few steel leaders over the years because of near sighted pickerel.

Right from the start I have to say that I never really get tired of fishing. I get very tired from fishing but that’s cool, a night’s sleep and I’m ready to get right back at. But for others it’s not that simple, some people just get tired of fishing. I guess they haven’t tried fly fishing also known as fishing on the fly.

I spent the first 25 years of my life fishing whenever I could and never tired of it but once I was introduced to fly fishing I put the spinning gear away for a few years. Yes, fly fishing is that much fun.

My grandfather was an avid fly fisherman for many years before I was ever born but I didn’t get to meet him until I was in my 20s and he was no longer able to get out fishing. He learned it from his father back in the early 1900s, who came over here from England.

Fly fishing just seems to put the fisher in closer contact with the fish being hunted. Not quite the same with a spinning rod. There’s just something about tying some feathers and fur on a hook and throwing it out to a fish using only your fly-rod and fly-line, not heavy lures or weights required.

Match The Hatch

I remember the first time I heard the phrase ‘match the hatch’, it just sounded so cool and made so much sense.

I learned to fly fish in about 10 minutes and was immediately able to catch fish, yet I have been working on my fly fishing technique for the past 25 years and it never gets old. If I hadn’t been shown how easy it is to learn I would likely have gone another 20 years without ever giving it a try.

Fishing changed my life as a depressed 8 year old foster kid with little hope in life. That’ why I tell people all the time that they need to take a kid fishing.

Well I would say that fly fishing changed my life as well. Heck it may have even saved my life. It’s a long story but to make it short, the joy of fly fishing drew me away from drug abuse and into a life free of that. I ended up moving from where I was living to where my roots were in New Brunswick Canada.

When people interested in the topic fly fishing start looking at prices they sometimes need to sit down. Yes things can be that expensive but I have never paid those prices for any fishing gear, fly fishing or otherwise.

My first fly fishing setup was all of $30.00 for both the rod and reel. I did have to spend another $25.00 on fly line but that setup is still working just fine today,  about 25 years later. Costs may have gone up but you can still find great deals and remember what you buy for a rod and reel can last you for years to come making it a worthy investment.

I have never bought a fly rod or fly reel on ebay but that’s because I already have my gear. I buy a lot of other things from ebay, including everything else to do with fly fishing. I think that if you are on a budget you should check out ebay and see what’s there. But first be sure you do some research before buying.

When I look at things on ebay, fly fishing or other hobbies and interests I like to look at an item and then go and find the web site for the company that makes the products so I can see about the quality and features.

Try Tying Your Own Artificial Flies

I’m telling you that I was blown away with how easy it was to get started with my new fly fishing hobby all those years ago but even better than that was learning about the flies I was using to catch brook trout, Atlantic salmon and even bass and chain pickerel.

Before long, probably less than a month after I started fly fishing I just had to try my hand at tying my own flies. I was fortunate enough to have a brother-in-law that showed me how to fly fish and he showed how to tie my first fly.

Well like I said it’s 20 some years later and I still can’t get enough fly fishing. Heck I even have my fly tying bench setup in my office where I work at home. It’s great, and I personally recommend giving fly fishing a try, you may just find a renewed love for fishing.

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I live in Canada and love Pike and Chain Pickerel fishing every chance I get. They are just so explosive that I can’t get enough of them. I even would like to get a hook or two into a nice big Musky, now that I know we do have them where I live.

Fishing has been a hobby for many years and I love introducing people to my hobby and watch them take up a new hobby.

I have one new friend I introduced to Chain pickerel about 2 years ago and he can’t get enough of them. He never wants to fish anything else. That’s how much fun they are.

BTW: We practice catch and release so our kids and their kids can enjoy this hobby as much as we do now. Keep our waters and land clean for our future.

I really like using the ole fly rod on these toothy critters but my buddy isn’t quite ready for that but I will be sure to get him to bring his fly rod every time we go. I have had days in the heat of summer when there isn’t a breeze anywhere. What a great time to get the fly rod out. I’ve had days where I have caught dozens of pickerel and had to call it a day because my arms where just worn completely out.

Using Big Lures Catches Bigger Fish, Sometimes.

I said sometimes because these pike and pickerel are nuts and will hit just about anything that moves. Even the little guys about the size of a hammer handle like taking on a huge lure that is almost as big as they are. It’s all great fun.

Most of the time when I am fishing I am using something that resembles what the fish I am after eat but not with pike or chain pickerel. I think I could tie just about anything on and toss it in and they would still go after it. I really like getting out the biggest and ugliest lure than you would wonder why I ever purchased it and throw it at them just to show people they will go for almost anything.

But, if you have a lure that does look like something local, like a bait fish, mouse our even a small bird and you will get action, lots of action most days. I have learned not to stick my fingers in the water when pike fishing for just that reason.

I’ll mention three categories that lures fit into and you would be hard pressed to find something they won’t go after most of the time.

• Spoons
• Spinners
• Live Bait

The first category I mentioned is spoons. This is where I started with pike fishing many many years ago and it still works great today. Pike and Pickerel just can’t let it go, the motion is just too erratic for them to ignore. I very seldom ever miss a strike using spoons.

When it comes to using spinner baits go big or stay home. You will get a lot more hookups that stay on if you choose to use larger baits, even adding a trailer hook like we do for bass fishing. The trailer hook will help with the short strikes pike and pickerel are known for.

If I am going to use swim baits I like to match the hatch as they say and feed them what they are already eating.

What it comes down to as far as I am concerned, when fishing pike and chain pickerel is to get something in the water and you’ll do fine most of the time.

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I really enjoyed fly fishing from my canoe here in New Brunswick although it was a really easy canoe to tip so I had to have good balance all the time, but it was worth it.

I have taken a few friends fly fishing in my canoe and they usually tell me it was tough fishing as they have either fished from a more stable boat, like a bass boat with a platform to stand on or that they have only ever done their fly fishing from the river or lake bank.

At the beginning I found that the water seemed a little to close for fly fishing when I was in my canoe, but then I went fly fishing from my float tube where my elbows almost drag in the water. Fly fishing from my canoe was much easier after that.

Once I over came the balancing issues and had casting so close to the water I was able to get to fish most others would pass by. Especially where I fish for Chain pickerel. They will fight so hard they turn the canoe around, which has disturbed a few of my fishing buddies.

I may not be able to move as fast as a boat with a motor but I don’t mind. They are usually all over the place, just because they can, so it’s seldom they come close enough to bother me. I end up with all the honey holes that they couldn’t get to with their big fancy boats.

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A species generally encountered in the northern fresh waters of the globe, pike is a favorite catch for many hobbyists, myself included, although here in New Brunswick we have Chain Pickerel instead of the Northern pike, but they are still a lot of fun.

The maximum length one pike can reach is 1.83 meters and its weight can go up to 35 kilograms, whereas the chain pickerel is smaller it’s still a power house when it comes to fighting.

Many people who are taking up fly fishing as a sport and hobby just have to give pike fishing on the fly a try. Before concerning themselves about what flies and accessories to use, it is good to find out about the eating habits specific to the species so you can match the hatch as they say, or give them an artificial fly that looks like what they feed on.

Usually I use artificial flies inspired from this toothy monster of the shallows’ diet which covers just about anything that moves, above, on or below the water surface.

Pike feast on shoal fish and they sometimes prey on their smaller kin. They also love insects and amphibians and would not say no to mice or moles or even ducklings if they are really hungry. You could almost just tie a feather or two on a hook and they will still pounce on it.

Flies That Attract Pike

I love using top water flies. I tie them to look like mice, frogs  or small birds. It can make casting a little tougher but once you get that strike the almosts rips the fly rod from your hands it’s all worth the effort.

Of course I catch pike and pickerel on flies that are just regular trout flies but I enjoy using the big bad flies, even if my arm is worn out by noon.

I also use my Atlantic salmon flies. They look just like minnows and pike and pickerel just can’t seem to turn down a free meal or two.

What it really comes down to, when fly fishing pike, is to have something to throw at them and then look out because you’re in for some great fun.

The Atlantic salmon is the reason I live in New Brunswick Canada, but don’t tell my wife that please. Back in about 1974 I was introduced to fly fishing by my sister’s husband and from that moment on it was all about the fly rod and Atlantic salmon.

My wife doesn’t fish so she doesn’t really understand the draw fishing has on me but she is good about it and even goes with me sometimes, just to be with me. Isn’t that sweet.

The fish of 1000 casts is the nickname given to our Atlantic salmon and it’s so true. Yet I have gone a couple of times and hooked a salmon on the very first cast. You just never know what the day will present.

I have a few places I like to go. Into the Renous area when we are going for more than one day at a time and I really like the Cains when I am only able to go for a short fly fishing trip.

I usually have everything ready the night before so that once my work day is done I can hop in the car and be on the water in less than an hour and half. That usually gives me a few of the best fishing hours before a short trip back home again.

I had a great evening on the water with a new fishing buddy Tim, read about on ‘The Joy of Fly Fishing.

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I find few things as enjoyable or exciting as catching bass using my fly rod. Of course I love my spinning rod as well but it just doesn’t come close to the feeling fly fishing for bass has.

I have a fly rod that I use to fish Atlantic salmon, brook trout, chain pickerel and smallmouth bass and it works great for all of them.

Now I have never landed a huge salmon. A 17 pounder, estimated by the other fly fishers with me at the time, was the biggest Atlantic salmon I have fought but the rod held up fine.

It’s a light 8ft fly rod that I have had since the first time I started fly fishing here in New Brunswick and it’s still working great. Hope I didn’t just jinxs myself with that.

I used to have a boat and motor but it was too big for me at the time and I sold it. Now I have two float tubes so I can always take a friend fishing.

I don’t think it could get any more exciting than fly fishing from my float tube. Maybe fly fishing for Northern pike while wading might be more exciting but it’s a close call.

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