A GREAT START TO 2013 FISHING SEASON!

    April is always a great month around these parts because the fishing season opener falls on the 15th and everyone is usually chomping at the bit to get out and cast a line. For me,it's really all about the black salmon fishing. What I really love about fishing black or spring salmon is the fact you can usually go out on the opener and actually catch fish.Big fish.That can't be said about a lot of other species. Of course, the water conditions are paramount to success and rising or falling water levels can make or break any excursion for salmon,black or bright. This year,the first day the conditions were good although the water was a little low and it made it somewhat hard to get around. The water may have been low but it was as clear as a bell and flowing at a stable rate. This makes for very good fishing and this year was no exception. Most people fishing in the Doaktown area managed to hook a few fish but,as was predicted,there was not the numbers of fish as last year. Then again,the runs of 2011 were extraordinary so good fishing was predictable for the spring of 2012.After the terrible runs of 2012,I was surprised at the numbers of fish that were around this spring.Some locals had said that there was a good run of salmon came in after the counters were down for the year and it looks like they were right. The good news is fishermen were catching a high percentage of msw salmon and that bodes well for the Miramichi River system. This photo shows what the river was like in Priceville on the day before the opener looking up river from the bridge.

 As you can see, the rips on the bars are showing and these spots can be prop killers if you don't know the river. Most fishermen didn't venture too far in search of fish and just fished around handy to their put-in area. I did see a few guides going with their sports but these guys know every rock in the river and they know how to navigate the river in all conditions. Or at least they should.

    On the second day I was fishing with Allen Davidson and the wind came up. Now,anyone who knows me knows I hate fishing in the wind. Apparently Allen hates it too because he suggested we head for higher ground and leave the fishing to more ambitious fishermen and tour around a bit and chat with some river folks.Allen caught four grilse and two salmon on the first day. He caught them all on a smaller bucktail tied by the late Guy Silliker and that fly worked like a charm. For my part,I caught two grilse and a salmon and lost another. I got my fish on a blue and grey marabou. This photo shows me with the salmon I caught on the first day.

 Unfortunately,my fishing partner was under the weather and couldn't fish but she came out for a while just to get out. It's probably a good thing she didn't stay out too long because we found out a couple of days later she had pneumonia. I'll have to give her credit for having the spunk to even go out for a short while. Here is a photo of Donna taken last year when she was in much better health.

 As you can see from these last two photos,the water conditions were very similar from last year to this year.The main difference was there were a few more fish around last year as compared to this year. The wind came up on the second day and continued to blow until the week-end. Friday of the first week proved to be a good day but the fishing didn't last on the week-end because of the water conditions.

    As I am generally a fair weather fisherman I didn't tough it out when the fishing turned poor. Instead I toured around checking out some smaller streams and found most were unfishable due to high water conditions. This photo shows the Newcastle Stream from the Wallbridge Road.

It's plain to see from this photo the water was high and fast. A friend from Minto,Adam M.,said he tried the stream that Saturday that the photo was taken and he said he was just wasting his time. He said wading conditions were terrible and he nearly got dunked a couple of times. I can't stress enough the fact that guides and sportsmen alike must remain vigilant while on the water during the spring fishing season. I just read an excerpt from a local writers column about a gentleman from Blissfield on the Miramichi who injured himself quite badly while heading home after a days fishing. My good friend and guide Allen Davidson was out with Steve D. from Cold Lake,Alberta fishing in the Carrolls Crossing area and had a close call. They had pulled up to the shore and Allen was having problems with the anchor and as he and Steve were fiddling around trying to straighten things out,Steve lost his balance and went overboard. Luckely the water was low and they were on the shore but Steve still went completely under water and managed to claw his way up on the shore. Talk about a rude awakening! I missed Steve's dive because I was landing a fish but they whooped over to me and when I got over to them they could hardly stop laughing long enough to explain what happened. What turned out as a funny incident could have been fatal if they had been out farther and the water was its usual spring height. Everything turned out alright but it drove home the point about how care must be taken at all times to prevent a disaster from happening when out on the water in spring conditions. The next photo shows Allen and Steve trying to get straightened out after Steve's swim.

 No harm done and the boys headed in for the day and Steve got into some dry clothes.  Not to be deterred,Steve went out the next day and landed four nice salmon and hooked another that he didn't land after playing it for an hour. In case you may think Steve is a greenhorn on the river,he has been on the river many times and is a very experienced outdoorsman. This proves that even experienced river folks can get in a mess very easily so be careful out there!

    We got out for another  fish later in the afternoon yesterday on Sunday,the 29th, and I had some great luck right off the hop. I made about three casts and hooked a salmon but he didn't stay hooked long. That's fishing. Undeterred,I took a couple more casts and hooked another one. I seen the flash in the water as the fish took the fly and turned. I tightened up on him and felt his weight as he took a run and when I tried to snub him up, the fly parted from the leader at the knot. I was a little flustered by now but I knew they were in the taking mood so I dropped down a little and after a few more casts I felt the weight of a fish. I felt like I had this one hooked good and as I was thinking that thought,out of the water came the salmon,flipping end for end at least three feet above the surface of the water. This salmon stayed on and I landed it after a great fight that took me half way into my backing. The next photo is of the salmon I landed late yesterday afternoon.

 The spring salmon season is winding down for us and we may make it out one more time before we pack it in and switch over to other species. The sea-trout and fiddleheads will be coming along within three weeks or so and we will be making trips on the msw Miramichi again this year. Timing is everything in this game and prime time can vary from year to year,depending on the weather and water conditions. We keep a close watch on the conditions and we do quite well each year on these trips.

 

    I have been running back and forth to the Miramichi the last two weeks and I left Ken on the bear detail. He has been busy putting baits out and we are getting hits at a few of our spots already. Ken said he has at least one trophy sized bear hitting. Ken said the old boar ploughed right into the meat right off and Ken figured he would have a sore stomach for a couple of days because he said he didn't see any plugs around. Our sights get lots of traffic with a few having as many as a dozen different bears. There is no shortage of bears in New Brunswick and certainly not in the Grand Lake area! As I've said before,it's not a question of getting a chance at a bear but whether the sport can wait it out for a big one to come in. If you take the first bear that comes in most times you will be taking a younger bear.That's just the way it is. Ken and I know this game well and our trail cams give us a good idea when these big boys are coming and going. Don't be shy about booking either a spring or fall hunt for black bear. Archery hunters are welcome and we have bait sites that are set up specifically for hunters who prefer to hunt with a bow. I will post some photos of some of the bears hitting our sites as I get them from the cams. Ken and I will be going full bore for the next six weeks or so. Too many species priming at the same time! It's a tough deal but I think Ken and I can take that kind of punishment any day! The next photo shows a nice, average size bear that Ken took a few years ago.

 Personally,I would be happy to take a bear this size but if you are a true trophy hunter,you would have a good chance to take a larger one IF you have the patience and are prepared to go home empty-handed if the big one doesn't come in.

 

    I have a couple of nice items I picked up at an estate sale last month that have an outdoor theme. I'm always on the lookout for outdoor related items and there always seems to be lots of stuff to pick from.Of course the purse strings can only be stretched so far so I try to get good value for any money I spend. I think I got a good deal on the first item I'm showing. Its a folk art picture made entirely of metal with black paint to accentuate the subjects. The two pointers seem to be fashioned from copper while the frame looks to be made of aluminum. I'm not sure of the year this picture was made but if I had to guess I would say the Fifties..

 The next item I got was a nice little wood carving of a leaping salmon. I think this was made to hold a small ash tray. It is signed by the artist and I would say it was made in the Sixties.

    If anyone reading this bit of blog is looking for a day or a weeks vacation in our beautiful area of New Brunswick,please don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an e-mail for more information on how to book an adventure with us. Until next time this is Dale Bauer saying"Happy Trails to You,Until we Meet Again."

SPRINGTIME 2013

    Winter is finally going the other way and is heading away from us, just as spring is breaking through. I can hardly wait each year until the middle of March because that is usually about the time the days start to warm up and the sap starts to run. I know that in one month,on April 15th,I'll be on the Miramichi River angling for the King of Fishes-Atlantic salmon. This is a terrific way to start the season off and I can count the number of times I have missed fishing on the first day on one hand over the last twenty-five years.
    Many of the smal
ler streams such as Coal Creek,Gaspereau River and Newcastle Stream are all starting to open up and the bigger rivers will break up with the raise of water that will come with the warmer weather. The following photo shows the Newcastle Stream at North Minto looking upstream to the old trestle.

 As you can see,the swifter water and stronger current has the ice moving in the smaller brooks and streams. As of this writing,the Salmon River and Miramichi are still holding solid,for the most part. I noticed the edges just starting to go on the Salmon River near Stewart-McLeod Park. I am sure the ice will be running by the first week of April as long as we don't get a prolonged cold snap.

    If any sports are looking forward to fishing for spring salmon,be advised to concentrate your fishing during the first week of the season. That's when we will be doing all of our fishing in the Doaktown area. Don't look for a season like last year because it's just not going to happen. Last spring the fishing was nothing short of phenomenal but that's because the river was full of fish and the conditions were perfect until we got a big raise of water.This spring there is only a fraction of the fish in the river compared to last year. Above Doaktown, the good fishing will be short and sweet. After the first few days,sports would be advised to head down river if you want to find some fish.

    I had a lad from Doaktown build me a new wooden flat-bottomed boat over the winter. My old one was starting to take a lot of maintenance and I knew it was time for a new one. The boys over there usually build two basic styles of boat, one having a pointed nose and the other is made like a scow with a square front. I like the look and feel of the pointed end design but I think the square front type is more stable and easier to get in and out of the boat. The square front design has a small platform on the front of the boat that provides good footing. My new one is a square front sixteen footer with all the bells and whistles. That includes a double pulley on the anchor,one at the anchor and one on the nose. This set-up really makes it a lot easier when pulling anchor all day while fishing salmon. A word of caution here. The Miramichi River in high water is not a place for poor equipment or mechanical breakdown. PFD's are a must. Oh,and don't forget to wear lots of clothes. It can get pretty cold out there when a wind comes up.

    Here are a couple of photos of the flies we have been using the last few years while fishing for spring salmon.

 These Marabou flies are deadly in clear water that is relatively low. I use them almost exclusively unless the water is high and dirty.In conditions like that,I like a fly that is a little bigger and brighter. Here is a photo of the rabbit strip flies I used last year. I caught nineteen salmon before the orange one with the green head broke.

  Ralph Goodwin tied these flies and I can attest to the quality of the flies he ties. Check Ralphs flies out at his web site http://www.goodfly.ca/ Here is a short video clip from opening day last year.The water  was perfect and the river was full of fish that were in superb condition.

   

  Water conditions and the weather are the two conditions that many times determine success or failure. If the ice is running,I leave the boat parked and wait for better conditions. The Miramichi River is not a place to be in high water with the ice running.

    Here is a photo I took yesterday while checking the conditions on the streams and rivers in our area.

 This is the Gaspereau River looking up river from the top of the hill at Lemon's towards the covered bridge in the background. The water is summer low and running free. There is a lot of ice laying on the shore from the raise in the water that broke the ice up. I would expect the water to rise again over the next couple of weeks.

As soon as the spring salmon season finishes up,Ken and I will be busy placing bear baits for the up coming 2013 spring bear season. This is always an exciting time of year for us because Ken and I both love baiting and hunting bears. I usually don't bother taking one but Ken takes an eating size one nearly every year.

    The Grand Lake area of New Brunswick has a high population of bears that many times reach trophy size without ever seeing a hunter. Our location near Chipman is literally surrounded by thousands of square miles of crown land that is prime habitat for black bear. Non-resident success rates are very high and it's not a question of seeing a bear to harvest but rather if the hunter is satisfied taking the size bear that is hitting the bait. This is where experience and patience come into play. If a sport takes the first bear that comes into the bait,odds are he will be taking a smaller one. These smaller bears will hang around near the bait and rush in to grab a morsel of food before one of the boss bears shows up. I tell bear hunters to take their time and size up the bears they are seeing. It is sometimes hard to judge the size of bears in all the excitement when they are on the bait. One thing I have noticed when judging ANY big game animal is you will know immediately when you see a trophy size animal. If you are looking hard and trying to figure out how big it is,most times it will be a smaller specimen. A trophy sized animal acts and moves differently than its smaller relatives.

    Ken and I are constantly looking for big tracks that give away the home turf of trophy sized bears. We know which locations the bears will frequent while foraging for green grass and a spot and stalk hunt is a great way to take a bear early in the season. This next photo shows Ken at one of our bait sites.

 As you can see from this photo,we like to have our bait sites look as natural as possible. Ken and I don't like bait sites that look like a garbage dump. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we have perfectly clean bait sites but we do try to keep the sites as garbage free and biodegradable as much as possible.

    Most of our bait sites have multiple bears visiting them,with one or two trophy sized ones in the mix. The next photo shows a couple of big bear that were hitting one of our sites last spring.

 This particular site had about eight different bears hitting it. The cameras really take a beating at spots like this and bear proof cases are a must. Although this is a night photo,we get lots of day time action, too! This next photo shows one of the dominant bears visiting this bait site.

 Ken had a bait site not far from home that turned out to be a real hotspot. We had been out baiting and scouting for bear sign last spring when we found a new cut that had a lot of green grass growing along the edges. We immediately started seeing a lot of tracks and scat from different sized bears. as a matter of fact,the place was crawling with bears! It didn't take long to get a bait going.We dropped off the left-overs from a couple of butchered cows and started adding sweets and some special treats that Ken always uses and they started hammering it. We estimated that there were at least a dozen different bears visiting this site. Ken and I have noticed, over the years,that sometimes you will find a spot that ,for one reason or another,has a lot of animals nearby. Sometimes the reason is obvious. Maybe there is a blueberry field or an apple orchard nearby. Many times a significant natural food source will attract multiple bears to an area,including trophy sized ones! Ken and I are always on the look out for spots such as this. The next photo shows Ken with the bear he took last year at one of these prime locations.

    If you visit our web site at http://hargroveandbauer.com/ you will see we have upgraded our site and provided more info so visitors can get the facts easier. We have also lowered the prices per day for big game hunts from $350 to $250. This is a significant decrease that Ken and I feel better reflects the economic times we are in. Sports will get the same service as before but at a reduced rate. We think this is a great deal and we hope our visitors will too.
    My good friend Allen Davidson will be helping us out this year in the woods and on the water here at home on Salmon River and on the Miramichi. Allen is a life long sportsman and guide and has been down many trails with me. He was also tought by some of the best woodsmen in our area such as Angus LeBlanc of Bronson and Bob McBeth of Chipman. Allens father.Fred Davidson,was considered by many to be the best skinner in the area. He brought Allen along on his trap lines and Allen has many stories of his father and the predicaments he would get into. The next photo shows Allen with a nice trout on the Miramichi River last year.

    Ken and I will be donating half day trips on Salmon River to Big Brothers and the Anti-Poverty Organization this summer. We are doing this because we think it's important to give something back to the less fortunate and hopefull make a difference in some young persons life.
    We are also going to give away two free bear  hunts this year. One to an American and one to a European hunter. These hunts will be given to individuals who can help us find clients in their respective countries and demonstrate to Ken and I how they will do that. We still only want to guide a maximum of six hunters per week,so this isn't all about getting larger.It's more about consistency. If anyone can help us out here,just send me an e-mail or give me a call.

    I like to include photos of vintage outdoor items occasionally and for this post I dug up a photo of a great old magazine cover. I love these old graphics that magazines used back in the day and this hunter looks like he has his hands full.

 

    This is Dale Bauer saying"Happy Trails to You......Until we Meet Again!"

 

   

   

ICE FISHING ON THE GRAND LAKE SYSTEM

    February is a short month and Ken and I are eagerly waiting for the longer days of spring, which is just around the corner. Since this is a short month ,plus the fact my computer earased half of my post,this month my blog will be short and sweet. February is a month for ice fishing tournaments and at least three were held on the waters of the Grand Lake system.

    The first tournament held this month was the Paul Gallant Memorial Tournament held on French and Indian Lake. This is the fourth year for this event and it is always well attended,with over one hundred participants registered this year.Many ice fishermen like this tournament because it has easy access to the lakes via the Sand Point Road and the Mill Road. There are some good prizes and it is a well run tournament with very capable volunteers. Prizes are given out for the biggest pickerel and the largest perch. One of the locals,Dale G. took most of the prizes. I guess being a local gave him a decided advantage.

    The village of Minto held its annual tournament at the Key-Hole on Grand Lake,near Princess Park. This is a mostly ''for fun'' tournament aimed at getting youngsters and their parents out on the ice for a day of fun and free hot dogs and beverages. This event is also well attended and the selfless dedication of the volunteers guarantee a good time is had by all. The weather co-operated this year and there was lots of ice and many anglers drove their vehicles right to their angling spot. This made a lot of the older anglers happy and kept the little ones interested long enough to land a few fish and get a hot chocolate and a hot dog. The following photo shows a group shot of the volunteers who make this event happen each year.

 There were folks fishing all over the length and breadth of the Key-Hole trying to find that hotspot where the big pickerel were waiting.The next photo shows some of the participants fishing in this years tournament.

 The Key-Hole has always been a good place to fish for pickerel and perch because of the lower water level and the vegetation growing along the edges.This area has pickerel beds that are perfect cover for both of these species and we have always done well fishing in this area. The next photo shows Jack Trembley serving up some hot-dogs to some hungry fishermen. Jack is from the Minto/Grand Lake area and is a tireless volunteer for events such as these. I also would like to mention Brian Glenn's name because he has been instrumental in organizing this tournament for several years now. Without volunteers such as these folks,many good events like this involving kids and parents would fall to the wayside. The next photo shows a couple of the winners at the conclusion of the tournament. The big smile on the youngsters face says it all!

 

    There was also a pickerel tournament the same day,unfortunately,at Indian Lake. This event was located at the end of the Mill Road and is privately sponsored. Usually,tournament organizers try to hold their events on week-ends that don't conflict with each other but the kids tournament put on by the village of Minto had to be re-scheduled because of bad weather. This tournament has been held for a few years now and participation is growing each year.Indian Lake has lots of pickerel habitat so the deciding factor in this tournament is the weather. This can make or break any tournament and when the weather co-operates,you can count on a good turnout. This tournament is geared towards adults, with a percentage of the entrance fees given back in prize money.

 

    If you are a sportsman who enjoys ice fishing,the Grand Lake system has a variety of species to pursue. If you choose to fish Grand Lake,look for the right habitat that holds the species you are after.By that I mean if you are after pickerel and perch find shallow coves with vegetation where bait fish can hide. If you are after smelt and whitefish try fishing the main channel near Goat Island. This has been a very productive area in the past and there are usually a dozen or so shacks located near the island. One access point is at Whurs Beach. If you are looking to hook some burbot,almost anywhere on the lake will produce some of these tasty fish. Be advised that these fish feed mainly at night and be sure to use a good gob of bait when angling for this species.

 

    In a nut shell,use lots of chum. Fish the right habitat and use live minnows whenever possible. Make sure to use small hooks for whitefish and if you hook one don't use a hard hook set because they have very small mouths that are paper thin. Above all,use caution when travelling on the ice because nearly every year someone goes through and it gets quite expensive to get hauled out of the water in the middle of winter. It's also quite dangerous.

 

    Look for a more detailed post next month that will hold a couple of surprises for any sports who read this blog. Until then,this is Dale Bauer saying''Happy Trails to You.....Until we Meet Again!