MARCH-----IN LIKE A LION...........

This month started off with a small blizzard that left behind a foot of snow north of the Cains River,but folks here in the Chipman area were lucky,we had mostly a rain event. All indications are for an early spring and I would say we are about two weeks ahead of schedule in terms of temperatures and snow melt.We had a real good winter here in New Brunswick this year,which is a welcome change from the previous two winters.Very little snow and an early melt-off has certainly been kind to our struggling deer herd.All indications are that the deer came through the winter in very good shape and this bodes well for a strong fawning season.This will help our deer numbers to start to increase and we sportsmen should be doing everything we can to help them during this difficult period.

I have a very sad report to make in this post and it's one that I hoped I would never have to make.Poor old Whiskey dog was struck by a truck as he went to the mail -box with Wes and sadly,went to his reward.I hunted over Whiskey last fall on what was his best day afield. I wrote about that day in a previous post and I must say,I was very impressed with his performance.Although he was only three years old last fall,he really came into his own and was learning how to use his nose to full advantage when finding the ducks in the tall grass. Needless to say,he was turning into an outstanding hunting dog.But,in life,stuff happens and you just have to move on and remember old Whiskey dog for what he was--a great hunting companion and pet. Jamie and Ken didn't wait very long to find not one pup,but two from the same litter to begin training in the hopes of giving them a good start by next fallThis little guy here doesn't know it yet,but he's going to be living the sporting life all his live long days.Jamie is already playing with him using a wing and the little guy is certainly game!I'm sure Ken ,Dallas and Jamie will have these new dogs in top shape in no time.The boy's really like the Golden Retrievers and I wouldn't be surprised if they start breeding their own line at some point in the future.I really like them because of their easy going nature and their smarts.They are also a very affectionate and somewhat soft breed,so a gentle hand is needed to bring them along.We had a very good year ice fishing on Grand Lake this year and we caught some really nice fish.This photo shows Ken with one of the biggest burbot we got this season.It was thirty-one inches long and weighed about six or seven pounds.We also caught a lot of nice pickerel in one area as can be seen in this photo.Overall,I would have to say it was one of the best seasons we've had in a few years.We caught burbot, smelt,whitefish,pickerel,land-locked salmon and brook trout.Thats quite a few species and all taken within an area about one acre in size. Pretty good ice fishing by any standard and we look forward to doing it all again next year.

With this early spring weather,many sportsmens thoughts are turning to the opening day for black salmon or kelts,as they are known by.This fishery is one of the finest opportunities to catch an elusive Atlantic salmon.These fish have been living under the ice all winter and when the ice finally goes out,they start to feed ravenously in preparation for their migration back to the sea.The smelt run coincides with this annual trek back to the sea and the salmon gorge on this high quality forage fish that will provide them with the strength to make it back to the feeding grounds.A good guide will know the resting areas that the salmon favor during this time and great sport can be had,as long as the weather and water conditions co-operate.A few of the top fly patterns for fishing spring salmon are the smelt,renous special and black ghost,to name a few.These are my personal favorites,but there are any number of flies as good or better than the ones I've named.A good rule of thumb to follow when fishing kelts is to fish close to shore and pay special attention to any pools that provide a break in the current.Also,make sure your fly is down deep enough,as many times the fish are laying in deeper water.This year,many old-timers and outfitters from the Miramichi area are predicting an early ice out.Some sports think this makes for a poor fishing season if the ice goes out too early,as they feel the fish will start moving out as soon as the ice goes.Others feel that the fish will stay around until the water starts to warm up and the smelt start running strong.Personally,I like an ice free opener,that way I can concentrate on fishing and not dodging ice cakes.We take a maximum of three sports per day at this time of the year.Remember,this is a one on one guided fishery and usually the fishing is so good,we have a hard time finding guides that want to work.They all want to fish instead!Many times I hear the month of March referred to as a "dirty month"because of the nasty weather we sometimes get in this part of the country or a "dead month"because there isn't much going on outdoors yet.But I like to think of March as a "get ready"month.Yes,it's time to get boats and motors painted and tuned up and all the rods and reels given a once over.There is just too much to do to leave anything to the last moment.The Mighty Miramichi is not a place to be with equipment that is not in tip top condition and we pride ourselves with having good gear that works well.This is also the time to start preparing bait sites for spring bear.The prospects for taking a trophy bear in our area are very good this year and Ken and I are keeping tabs on a couple of real old smashers.Hopefully,we will have some trail cam photos of some of these trophies so the readers of these posts can see the quality of the animals in our hunting area.Kenny shot one of the earliest bears in our area last year and it was a beautifully furred animal that was a very nice trophy.For our spring bear hunts,we have a maximum of four hunters per week in camp and remember,we will continue to offer a "book three,the fourth goes free"deal again this year.This makes this a very affordable hunt if the cost is distributed amongst the hunters or it's a great incentive for someone to put together a hunt and recieve a free hunt for his efforts! So to you sports who have been putting off that bear hunt or salmon fishing trip,I say get out there and get at it.Just give me a call or send me an e-mail and we'll fix you up in no time at all and we will see you here in beautiful Chipman New Brunswick in 2010.

WHITE-TAILS,COYOTES AND THE BITE

The month of February is usually another cold one but this year the weather has been very nice.We didn't have any cold weather or snow that amounted to anything and this made for some very good ice fishing opportunities on Grand Lake.Early in the month, we fished Salmon River at Macleods pond and got some perch and pickerel,then we decided to hit Grand Lake.Kenny and Dallas have two shacks out at the light-house at Cox's Point and we made good use of them last week-end. As you can see from the photo,we had some luck with our burbot lines.We fish set lines with live minnows or cut smelt on or near the bottom with good results.Burbot are primarily night feeders and they will move into the shallows in the evening looking for an easy meal.They are not a fussy feeder and just about any type of bait will work but we have had the best luck with the minnows or smelt.We don't like to set up in water that is too shallow,especially for smelt or whitefish but for burbot,we move into the coves with eight or ten feet of water. Many fishermen think burbot are the ugliest fish they have ever seen but when they get served up a plate of fish and chips,with burbot being the main dish,they aren't long changing their tune after the first bite! Burbot have a beautiful white meat that is quite a bit like cod but better tasting.

This photo shows some of the smelt we are catching on Grand Lake.These fresh water smelt tend to run a little bigger than their salt water cousins and although some fishermen don't think they taste as good,we think they taste great and they are a little easier to eat because they are a little bigger.We have found that fresh cut smelt is the best bait for fishing these rainbow smelt but shrimp or worms or any small bait will take them.Morning and evening usually produces the best bite but they can be taken throughout the day.Remember,they travel in schools,so when they start to hit,get ready for some fast and furious action.The pickerel are usually fished in the shallow water and respond best to a spinner and bait that is being worked in a jigging manner.These fish have a tendency to roam about a fair amount and we have caught some nice ones in the two foot range in deeper water while fishing for other species.We have found that it is usually a bigger one that we get in this manner.A set line with a live minnow also works well for pickerel.The village of Minto held a pickerel tournament at the Key Hole at Grand Lake On Feb.13 and from what I hear,there was an excellent turn out,with many pickerel and perch being caught.I don't know what the winning fish measured,but I did hear that Bailey D.caught twenty- five pickerel and an equal amount of yellow perch.Bailey was not entered in the Tourney,but was on hand to drill holes for the participants and give a few pointers.Bailey releases most of his fish and is very generous about dispensing his knowledge and help to beginners and the elderly at the tournaments.Kudos to you Bailey.This photo shows the interior of one of the two man shacks we have on Grand Lake.These huts may not look like much,but with a small propane heater,they will keep any fisherman comfortable and out of the biting wind that usually blows on Grand Lake. We also have bigger shacks that will hold four men,for those fishermen that like a little company while fishing.Our portables come in handy when fishing in other locations,usually for pickerel or perch.These portable ice-huts set up and take down quickly and many times make the difference between a comfortable day on the ice or a day shaking and shivering while trying to have a good time.Ken and I really like them and we will be adding a couple more to our ice fishing gear.

Coyotes have been a big concern right across the country this year and even more so here in the Maritimes.Many groups and individuals have been making a real effort to reduce the number of coy-wolves in their area,many times with outstanding results.I borrowed this photo from one of the hunting forums just to illistrate that fact. This photo shows about half of the estimated take of coyotes by two brothers from the Drummond area in northern New Brunswick.These twin brothers are potatoe farmers during the season,but when the work is done,they strike out after these deer killers with a zeal I haven't seen before.If only we had more individuals scattered around the province that are as successful as these two,we wouldn't be long Knocking down the numbers of these animals in the province.It really upsets me when when the armchair experts get going on about how it doesn't matter how many coyotes we kill,they will just respond by having larger litters and it's just an exercise in futility.Well,according to Gerry Lavigne,New Englands premier biologist,taking ANY amount of coyotes out of the system will have a benefit to the deer population.Mr. Lavigne has studied the relationship between coyotes and deer in Maine and has found some very interesting facts.For example,he found that our coy-wolves don't respond to pressure the same as their western counterparts.He says the animals we have don't respond to pressure by having larger litters,all things being equal.According to his numbers,if we could kill as little as twenty-five percent more than natural mortality,we would see a decrease in numbers.He also found that it is quite difficult for one coy-wolf to take down a deer,while three or more are quite efficient at doing so.Mr.Lavigne also found that taking out the dominant animals really set back the killing efficiency of the remaining pack animals.These facts suggest that any concentrated effort to control their numbers will produce a very real benefit to the deer herd.This is all good news for those of us who are concerned about the shrinking size of our deer numbers.Mr. Lavigne goes so far as to say that killing coy-wolves is the single best thing we can do to help the herd to rebound.This is one piece of the puzzle that we can actually realize an effect at growing our deer herd.I would encourage all sportsmen and concerned citizens to take up the gauntlet and do their part in trying to grow our deer herd back to its former glory days. So far,this has been an excellent winter for the deer.We have very little snow right across the province and the temperatures have been very mild,except for our manditory cold snap in January.This all bodes well for our deer and sportsmen across the province are keeping their fingers crossed for a continuation of this great weather to finish off the winter.In the meantime,we will be doing lots of ice fishing,so if any sports would like a day out on the ice,Ken and I will provide transportation and bait for your own shack for sixty dollars per person,up to a maximum of four.Just give me a call or shoot me an e-mail and we will set you up for a day of ice fishing on beautiful Grand Lake.See you there!

GRAND LAKE--A WINTER- WONDER LAND!

January is usually our coldest month and it signals a time for some outdoor sportsmen to change gears and settle in for the winter beside a nice warm fire,maybe tying some flies while dreaming of spring break-up or perhaps reloading some pet varmint load at the bench.But for many other sports,the season is just getting started.The ice fishing season has started up in full force the past couple of weeks,after finally getting enough ice to make it reasonably safe. Ken,Curtis and myself had a good day on MCleods Pond at the Park last week-end.The weather was pretty good and we managed to catch a feed of yellow perch and one small pickerel that went back down the hole.Ken had the retrievers out with us and they had a great time running around,stealing bait and fetching all the fish back to Kenney!There are many places to fish pan fish and pickerel between Chipman and Grand Lake on the Salmon River.There are numerous coves and back guts off of the main river that hold fish and are out of the current,making these areas very productive.At the mouth of Salmon River,where it enters Grand Lake,you can fish in the middle in the main channel and good catches of smelt and burbot can be had.Ken and I have been using portable ice huts more and more the last few years.For many years,we built a couple of wood and plastic huts that we put out at Goat Island or off the point at the lighthouse in Coxs' Point. These shacks are nice and comfortable but you are pretty much anchored to that area.With the portables,you are free to travel to different locations,such as Indian Lake or Maquapit Lake.Both of these lakes are part of the Grand Lake system and provide some very good fishing for the sports that are hardy enough to venture forth.

The fishing has been pretty good from all the reports I have from friends and fellow guides from up and down the Four Lakes area.The pickerel fishing has been very good on both French and Maquapit Lakes.Fishermen are getting a few nice burbot around Goat Island.Some of the sports that are targeting smelt or white fish are starting to pick up a few in Syphers Cove on Grand Lake and around Goat Island and the Lighthouse.One thing all these fishermen agree on is the fact that live minnows can't be beat for bait.Many ice fishermen believe in chumming the hole with some type of fine bait food to attract small baitfish and in turn,some bigger sport fish.Ken and I both think this helps and we either use some fish- based food or some meat product,such as ground up liver to chum our holes.We like to use our tip-ups for burbot,baited with a big fat live minnow.Many fishermen just use a gob of liver or a chunk of fish for bait and they seem to do alright by just resting the bait on the bottom and waiting for the burbot to vaacum the bait up. When targeting white fish,a swedish pimple with a very small hook[10-12]or even smaller,tipped with a piece of shrimp or clam will often entice a strike but the take is very light,almost undetectable and the angler must pay close attention or the bait AND the fish will be gone!

Some hunters have switched over to hunting coyotes and there is no shortage of dogs to hunt.Bait is by far the best method for taking these deer killing machines consistently.There has been a lot of controversy lately in the Maritime Provinces about our coyote ever since the young lady singer from Toronto was mauled and killed in the Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia.In an instant,the coyote went from a tolerated pest to a feared and hated evil creature that many feel should be exterminated from existince,if it were possible.These killers have been taking many deer and domestic animals ever since they arrived here some forty years ago or so,but were tolerated because of the degree of difficulty in killing these cunning predators.Nowadays,there is a renewed call for bounties and for the hunting community to actively pursue these killers to control their increasing numbers.Trappers have great success using snares around deer yards or a bait,but the value of the fur is so low many are not pursuing them.It's just not economically feasible for them.Great sport can be had watching a bait and waiting for one to sneak in for an easy lunch.We set up in portable blinds with flat shooting 22:250's or .223's and then it's just a waiting game.I missed a huge black colored one on the first day of deer season and I wish I had knocked him over because I know it was pushing one hundred pounds! An exaggeration you say?I don't think so! I estimated that dog was twice as big as my sixty pound female german shepherd and my son Curtis had to agree with me,as he had a very good look at it also. So if you get tired of sitting beside the fire,just give me a call and Ken and I will guide you for a day of ice fishing or a hunt for some coyote/wolves we have travelling the Grand lake area.