Wednesday, September 26, 2012

FALL IS HERE,THE BITE AND VINTAGE OUTDOOR STUFF

    Fall has finally arrived here at home on Salmon River but definitely not in a big way. This year has been very warm and we received very little rain,so that feeling of fall in the air has been a while coming. We finally got some rain that gave Salmon River a small bump of 3-4 inches that was greatly appreciated by anyone travelling the river. That same rain system gave the lower Miramichi a nice little raise but failed to help the river in the Doaktown and Boistown areas. The fishermen and outfitters alike have had what can only be described as a disastrous year on the Miramichi and her tributaries,especially after the great runs experienced last year. Although it was a poor year for our salmon and trout,as usual under these conditions,the pickerel and perch fishing was fantastic. Low water conditions really turns on the pickerel bite and we took full advantage of the great fishing by being out there nearly every day and hooking trophy sized pickerel on nearly every outing.
    To show you how late fall is arriving this year,I will show two pictures taken on the same day one year apart of Moon Island across from my shore. The first photo was taken this year.As you can see,there isn't much color in the vegetation yet.
 The next photo shows the same scene but taken a year ago.As you can see from this photo,the colors of fall were out in full force. That's a pretty dramatic difference from last year. We seem to be running a bit late but the weather has started to cool off some at night so I expect the leaves will start to change soon enough.
    We were out for our last fish of the year for pickerel and we hooked quite a few in the short time we fished. We like to go a little earlier in the evening before the water starts to cool off and the fish get sluggish. For some reason,the fish we caught on our last trip out were all average sized pickerel from 16-18 inches.What the fish lacked in size,they more than made up for in numbers. Several times we had three or four fish chasing our lures as they skipped across the surface of the water.The next photo shows one of the pics I caught on our last trip out.
 I caught a half dozen all about the same size and lost that many or more before we decided to call it quits. The next photo shows me with another small pickerel taken the same evening.
    As I said earlier,the salmon fishing has been very poor this year and we are just hearing of a few fish moving into the system the past few days. If we get some good rains before the end of the season,we could see some decent fishing yet. I'm hoping for enough water in the Cains to bring some new fish up river because I always like to end the salmon season on the Cains River,if at all possible. It's a beautiful river in the fall and can produce some great fishing if the conditions are good. The next photo shows a nice shot of the fall foliage just below ten mile brook. I'm trying to finish this bit of blog up on the eve of the moose hunt and everything is looking good in terms of weather and the amount of sign we are seeing. Allen Davidson and I checked our spot out this afternoon and the road was tore all to pieces,from one end to the other. Dallas called in a fourteen point bull to within a stones throw of his truck in the morning while checking out the Harley Road in his and ol' Wes's moose hunting spot. We will be going right into the duck hunt after the moose hunt and I will post the results of both of those hunts in October. The next photo shows a nice sunset on Salmon River taken a few days ago. This part of Salmon River is very scenic and has some great photo opportunities.
     I have picked up some great outdoor related stuff lately and the first two items are both lamps. The first lamp would be made for a child's bedroom or would work well in the camp. The body is a figural squirrel holding an acorn and is in great condition. Not sure of manufacturer but it dates to around 1950. The next lamp is a fine example of "tramp art" made by an old lad from Kingsclear,above Fredericton. These lamps have become quite desirable the last few years because people like to decorate their camps with stuff like this. The lamp is constructed with Popsicle sticks and is in perfect condition. I would say this lamp was constructed during the late Sixties or early Seventies. Finally,I have a photo of a very nice print of an outdoor scene in a nice,gold colored vintage frame. This print is dated 1939 and is in very good condition. The hunting season is officially started for this year so be sure to look for upcoming posts with reports of our successes and even our occasional failures in the field.That's the way we like to do it - up front and keeping it real! If any readers are looking for a hunt or a day on the water,just send me an e-mail or give me a call at home to make arrangements. We have some great group deals on bear and deer hunts if four or more book together. Hope to see you soon! Until then,this is Dale Bauer saying "Happy Trails to You,Until we Meet Again!

MY OUTDOOR LIFE--THE BEGINNING

    Spring has finally arrived here at home on Salmon River after what could be described as "a good winter" for this part of New...