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Today was a little more windy that I care for when I am fly fishing but here in New Brunswick is seems like it’s windy every day now. Some times I just have to give up the fly fishing for the day or maybe until just before sunset when the wind tends to die down a bit. I don’t do too well fly fishing in the wind.

I also have a couple of places that are well protected by the wind and I can catch a lot of smallmouth bass on the fly rod which is always fun.

I have a little spot about an hour away that I fish for pickerel, fly fishing for pickerel is a blast, especially from my float tube. But what I was talking about was a spot to fly fish for smallies that go up to about 14″. I use light gear for them but they are so much fun and they really go for top water flies, mostly deer hair bugs I tie, because the water is usually so calm.

I have a couple of spots I can get out of the wind when fly fishing for brook trout as well. Those are few and far between so I wouldn’t even tell my best friend about these spots. They can get fished out pretty quick and take time to come back.

Fly Fishing in New Brunswick Wind

I’ve had a few experiences fly fishing in the wind and most were not good ones, maybe funny but not good.

Example: I was at Quarryville, New Brunswick fly fishing for Atlantic salmon on a windy day. We were all lined up taking turns at the salmon jumping and making a fuss along the far bank. I was a bit nervous as I didn’t usually fly fish were there were too many people as I am not the best at it. Any ways it was windy and I was trying to get my fly in the exact right spot.

While the wind was blowing I switched the rod from my right hand to my left hand as it was easier to cast in the wind. The wind died down and I quickly switched back to my right hand, just as a gust of wind blew across me and the line wrapped around my neck and put the hook right through my earlobe. It was raining just a little, just enough to make the blood run down my neck and look much worse than it was.

The hook went through my ear so fast it didn’t even hurt but every one around me thought I was bleeding to death.

I didn’t want to lose my spot in line so I  quickly cut the line, leaving the hook in my earlobe and tied on a new fly and kept right on fly fishing.

BTW: I didn’t get the salmon I was hoping for but I did get a lot of looks and laughs.

Another time I was fly fishing brookies from my canoe with a fishing buddy. He wasn’t that confident or good with the fly rod at that time and hooked me right in the neck. The fly, barb and all went through the skin on my neck and I couldn’t get it out so I cut the line and kept on fishing. My buddy couldn’t look at me for the rest of the day.

Once I returned to the car where I could use the mirror I took the hook out in about 30 seconds. My buddy was no help at all.

Even though fly fishing in New Brunswick gets a bit windy I still try. I just don’t get very good casts. Always fun.

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I love talking about how fishing turned my life around when I was just 8 years old. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if it continued as it had from age 5 to 8. I was already depressed and had nothing to live for, well as an 8 year old I thought that way.

It’s Take A Kid Fishing Day this weekend in New Brunswick, not sure about every where else but I think it should be a global event.

The weather people obviously don’t fish or have kids because they are calling for rain all weekend.

When you take that kid fishing be sure to make it their day, give them all the attention they need and don’t over do things. When they say they have had enough, they have had enough.

I know each time I have taken a kid fishing my heart has come out of it in better shape than when I went into it. Making a kid a happy kid, even for a day, makes me happy for a long time.

When I am fly fishing for most species available to us here in New Brunswick Canada I don’t usually strip the fly in all the way to the boat but when I am fly fishing for chain pickerel I do. Why?

Well chain pickerel, just like pike, love to follow your presentation all the way back to the boat where they explode on it, so I try to keep the fly in the water until the last possible second before I re-cast my fly.

Then there’s that big V-shaped wake the follows the pickerel as it’s headed for the fly. I have a hard time controlling myself when I see the wake and a lot of times I pull the fly right out of their grasp.

Favourite Fly To Use For Pickerel

I use a lot of flies when I am fishing most species but when it comes to chain pickerel it’s almost always a mouse or rat. They just can’t pass up on a big meal.

The first few times, early season, when the water temperature is still below 54F I don’t have much luck with the top water flies but as soon as that temperature goes up past that magic 54F/7C they will start to move a bit and go for those top water flies.

It’s great fun from that point all the way through to the fall when the water temperature drops below that 54F again. But heck it makes for a great time fishing from my float tube.

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I don’t care how great a fly fisher you are I am sure there are times you don’t feel like getting wet.I live in New Brunswick and we have a lot of water that stays cold all year long. We also have April and May that aren’t exactly known for warm water here.

Then there is the water I would never walk in without waders, like the water we fish for chain pickerel.It’s dark water, full of leeches and the bottom is soft so every step is going down a foot or so into the soft muddy bottom.

Because our season starts mid April I have neoprene chest waders but once the water temperature rises they get too hot so I have a second pair of waders that are much thinner, helping to cool me down on those scorcher days.

Which Waders Are For You?

Chest Waders or Hip Waders

Back 30 years ago when I learned to fly fish I started out with hip waders as most of the places I fished were brooks that were fairly shallow. It wasn’t until I started fly fishing for Atlantic salmon that I need to get myself a pair of chest waders. These days I never wear hip waders.

With or Without Built in Boots

My personal preference for my waders is to have them without boots attached. I find that my boots fit me better when I buy them separately. Plus I have gone through multiple pairs of waders over the years while my boots remained in good shape. No need to replace the boots.

I also find the waders that come with the boots as part of the waders just never seem to fit me properly. The waders are either to big and loose or the boots are. I have never had the problem with waders I buy without the boots.

I have also found that waders with built in boots tend to rub against my legs too much which irritates my calf long before the day of fishing is done.

I never leave home, when I am going fishing, without my chest waders, even if we are going to be in the canoe all day.

Simm’s makes great waders, give them a look before you purchase your next pair of fly fishing waders.

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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.

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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