Summer is slowly winding down here at home on Salmon River and what a summer it has been! Endless days of sunshine and warm weather has made most vacationers very happy. Of course,there has to be a down side to this great weather and that would be the situation our salmon rivers are in. Not good! A summer of low water and warm temperatures does not bode well for wild Atlantic salmon trying to enter our rivers and survive in these extreme conditions. The conditions on the Miramichi and other salmon rivers in the province have been poor all summer and the long range outlook for the fall run isn't looking very good either. Our rivers need rain desperately! Word has it,there are fish waiting to come in when the water freshens and raises but is that going to happen? Only time will tell.
This is a photo I took of Salmon River last year around this time. As you can see,there was quite a bit more water around last year..jpg)
Ryan and Curt practice hook and release on pickerel and after a day or two to heal up,these exciting fish are ready to strike again.
Finally,I bought another outdoor magazine with a great cover depicting a scene from days gone by. This outdoor life magazine has a gentleman bird hunter receiving quail from two setters while his hired help,a black man,holds the horses. The next photo shows the magazine.
This is a photo I took of Salmon River last year around this time. As you can see,there was quite a bit more water around last year. Although our cold water species of fish have been suffering this summer,the warm water species are loving every minute of it! The pickerel fishing has been hot this summer,especially this past month. When the habitat shrinks back and the pickerel beds stand out,the bite really turns on for these toothy predators. We have been on the water most of the summer and the fishing has been very good for both pickerel and perch. We usually target pickerel but there are days when the bite drops off ,so we usually switch over to smaller gear and toss spinners and worms for perch. Salmon River is full of white and yellow perch and I think you could fill a boat with them,if it was legal!
My son Curtis took Sgt. Ryan Cains out for a day of fishing on New Brunswick Day again this year and they had a great day. Curt said they landed about twenty and lost as many during the course of the day. Sgt. Cains hails from Cape Breton and is stationed at CFB Gagetown and he likes to fish with us once or twice a year. The next photo shows Ryan and Curt with a couple of pickerel.
Ryan and Curt practice hook and release on pickerel and after a day or two to heal up,these exciting fish are ready to strike again. I recently had the pleasure of guiding Art Barthe of Hamilton,Ontario while he was down here on vacation. Art loves to fish pickerel and he never misses an opportunity to get out on the water whenever he is home on vacation. Art had a very narrow window of opportunity to fish this year but I told him we could still catch some fish. On most days,fishing at mid-day is not that productive because the wind usually picks up and the heat of the day is starting. This was the only time Art could go out but I said we would try and get a few. As it turned out, we caught a few right off the hop but the bite stopped just as quickly as it started. After the first hour,we couldn't buy a bite. Art was still happy with his fishing trip because catching a few was just a bonus after being out on the water and soaking up the beautiful scenery we have on our section of the river. The next photo is one of Art while we are cruising down Salmon River.
The next photo shows a pickerel being brought to the boat while fishing with Art.
The pickerel bite will continue to be good right up to the middle of September before it starts to drop off. As the water starts to cool,the fishes metabolism starts to slow down and they start to get a little sluggish. Until then,we will continue to pursue those toothy predators every chance we get.
The next photo shows a pickerel being brought to the boat while fishing with Art.
The pickerel bite will continue to be good right up to the middle of September before it starts to drop off. As the water starts to cool,the fishes metabolism starts to slow down and they start to get a little sluggish. Until then,we will continue to pursue those toothy predators every chance we get. The next big event we are planning for is the 2012 moose hunt which occurs the last week in September. The boys will be setting up for the early goose season but the real focus has been on scouting for moose. We have some salt licks out and the moose have been making good use of them this summer. Wes and the boys are set up on the Harley Road again this year but are hunting in a different area than last years location. Ol' Wes has full confidence in Kenny and the boys scouting because they always seem to be in the right spot at the right time. Wes got a dandy bull last year and he's hoping to do the same again this year. There are a lot of moose in their area but the weather can play havoc with even the best made plans,as it did last year. It was very tough hunting because of the heat but we persevered and we all got our moose. I was second gun for Wanda Doherty last season and we had a great hunt! Good company and we got a moose for Wanda, so everyone was happy! I will be hunting the same location as last year in the hopes of seeing one of the large bulls travelling my area. I had one answering but he wouldn't move from his cows side and I wasn't going into that hell-hole chasing him. Hopefully ,this year the weather will be cooler so the moose will be able to move around more. We're all keeping our fingers crossed.
I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of hard cover books recently to add to my library. The first one I bought at a flea market and although I already had a copy,the price was right. Books by New Brunswick author George Frederick Clarke are in great demand and whenever I get a chance to pick one up,especially on salmon fishing,I always do so. The title of this one is The Song of the Reel. The next photo shows the copy I bought.
The next photo shows a book I have been looking for over the past few years. I finally found one on E-Bay and I was thrilled to have the chance to own a copy of this book again. This book has special meaning to me because it was the book that taught me the basics of freshwater fishing when I was a twelve year old boy. Although there was a wealth of information in the book,it was the color plates of the many flies used in fly fishing that caught my attention and got me hooked on fly fishing. I would study the flies and if I fancied one,I would try to buy one to use. I recall using a newly acquired Grizzly King to catch a fifteen and a half inch trout from the Newcastle Stream that year. Not bad for a twelve year old kid with his new fly rod. The next photo shows a copy of that book.
Finally,I bought another outdoor magazine with a great cover depicting a scene from days gone by. This outdoor life magazine has a gentleman bird hunter receiving quail from two setters while his hired help,a black man,holds the horses. The next photo shows the magazine.
In closing,I would invite any readers wanting a day or longer out in the bush or on the water chasing trophy sized fish,to give me a call or send me an e-mail for more information on how to book a trip with us. Until next time,this is Dale Bauer saying"Happy Trails to You.....Until we meet Again"
