MIDSUMMER STORMS WREAK HAVOC IN SNB.

    We are fast approaching our final full month of summer and many are wondering what surprises August will bring in terms of weather. Sometimes we take Mother Nature for granted and when she doles out some bad weather we are taken by surprise. That means many times homeowners suffer personal damage to their property and danger to life and limb. This past month we received a real mix of weather ranging from lots of sun and heat and low water conditions to near spring high water and a sudden tornado ripping up through the Grand Lake system. This was a dangerous storm that could very well have caused casualties in its wake if it had struck any areas with a higher population. Luckily,the tornado tore through a rural area that didn't have a lot of people living there.
    After the storm passed,my sons girlfriend got a beautiful picture of the sky draped in brilliant colors.

 It's funny how something beautiful can come from such a dangerous and violent weather episode. I'm thankful the tornado touched down on the opposite side of the lake from where Curtis and Erica were swimming. This video clip was taken after the big rain we got. I think the total amount was around 85 mm.

 

     When we get a flood  on our stretch of river it ruins the fishing for several days because the river cannot run off as easily as it does on the Miramichi. Grand Lake holds the water back for much longer and we are usually waiting patiently for it to subside. I had a couple of video clips to post but I'm having computer problems so they will have to wait. Ken and I are taking some time to relax and smell the roses this month because of the bad weather so this is going to be a short post and hopefully I can get this computer problem cleared up. Look for a more detailed report next time.

    This is Dale Bauer saying "Happy Trails to You.....Until we meet again!"

 

IT'S JUNE AND SUMMER HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!

This month started out with lots of rain and enough water to bring Salmon River and Grand Lake back to spring levels. This late freshet has been playing havoc with the fishing here at home on Salmon River for most  of the species we fish for.
    At least we had some nice wild flowers to look at around the first of the month starting with trillium's and then the lady slippers arrived. I always liked seeing lady slippers in all the shades of their colors. The next photo shows some lady slippers in their natural setting.

 The shad tournament was plagued with rain and high water but a couple dozen hardy souls braved the weather and water to participate in this growing event. This is great sport for fishing enthusiasts who are willing to put the time in to go after this species that is by and large ignored by locals. I must confess I am one of those fishermen who has ignored this fish for most of my life. And for good reason! When I was growing up there was always shad and baked potatoes for supper when the shad were running.Now,shad are an awful bony fish and I have a great disdain for bones in my fish so I guess because I didn't like eating them I didn't bother to fish them. On one level that makes sense but I love fishing and shad are great fun on a fly rod so I might have to give it a go. This is a photo of last years winners of the Monte Farrell Shad Tournament held on Salmon River.

 This is a well attended and growing tournament that has participants travelling from all parts of the province. From what I can gather,one of this years winners was an old salt from Saint John who goes by the name "ipop" on NBfishing. Although I have never met him I can tell from reading his posts he is a dyed-in-the-wool,hard-core fisherman. He fishes a lot of species and he does it well,by all reports. I'd like to meet him someday.
    While Salmon River and Grand Lake were blown out for most of this month, the MSW Miramichi and its tribs were priming much quicker so I have been spending most of my time over there. I love fishing the Miramichi and I spend a lot of time over there chasing salmon and trout and I usually have some luck if the conditions are good. I remember many years ago wondering why I was so inconsistent at taking bright salmon. It seemed I had to fish twice as long and twice as hard to get a fish back then. Why did I seem to get luckier at hooking a salmon as I got older? After thinking about it for a long time,I came to the conclusion it was all in the timing. Going fishing when the fish were there and in a taking mood. Fishing when the conditions are right. That is the secret to hooking salmon consistently. This holds true for most species but especially Atlantic salmon. Nowadays, if things aren't good for salmon, I usually fish for pickerel or trout in a brook. It's been working for me and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. Although we didn't hook any real monster sea-trout,we did get some in the 10-15 inch range. The next photo shows Allen with a few pan sized sea trout.

 Although these trout aren't huge they are very spunky and provide some good action especially on lighter tackle. We usually use our salmon gear when fishing trout in the MSW Miramichi. There are some big fish in that river and it would be a shame to lose a fish of a life time because your tackle failed. Some of the bigger ones we caught fooled us for a minute into thinking they were grilse but only for a minute. The next photo shows me with a nice one.

 

 These fresh run brook trout are very tasty and I won't apologize for taking some for the pan. I'm a conservationist at heart but if the law says I can take some for the table I will do so occasionally. Always within the law and I should add that ignorance is no excuse. Know your rule book and if you have any doubts ask a DFO/DNR officer. Better safe than sorry. There are some trophy sized sea trout in the system if you can find them. These trout are grilse size and are a little harder to take but perseverance has its rewards when it comes to fishing for this salt water version of our brook trout. In the last few years it has become a little easier to hook some of the bigger ones because of stocking programs,hook and release zones and stricter regulations. Remember,you can only have two trout over 12 inches in your bag limit for the Miramichi River and her tributaries.

    There has been a good run of larger salmon in the river and as of late more grilse have been running with the salmon. This is a great start to the season and if the weather holds there should be lots of fish in the system over the next two weeks. We are getting some rain as I write this and I would expect the fishing will be good after things settle down a bit. I hooked a very nice salmon last week that gave me a great fight. This fish took my Green Machine with crystal flash tail hard and had me into the backing twice while making two catapulting leaps before I tailed her. Allen was the camera man and he's a bit technically challenged but he did manage to get a short clip of me playing the salmon just after I hooked it. Watch closely at the start and you will see it jump and then take off stripping line. I knew I was going to be a while so I told Al to shut the camera off so I would have batteries for a photo.The next photo shows me with the salmon after I tailed her.

 This was a very nice way to start the bright salmon fishing season and I just hope this is an indication of what is to come. We definitely don't want a repeat of last year so everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that we will have enough water and cool temperatures to keep the salmon happy.

 

As I said earlier Salmon River and Grand Lake have been blown out for most of the month but is just coming down to a fishable level. I would expect some nice catches of white perch in the next couple of weeks and the pickerel fishing should pick up as the water drops and the gaspereau fall back from their spawning areas in the river. Ty J. and Morse M. caught some nice trout in Big Forks and had a fry along the shore that included trout,homemade bread and molasses. They topped it all off with some good strong tea from the boiling can. Good catches of trout were also reported from the Gaspereau River and Six Mile Brook in the Cains River area. I am getting reports from the commercial fishermen that they are releasing lots of large salmon as well as some huge brook trout. Usually these guys complain about the sturgeon or big stripers making life difficult for them but this year it seems the catfish are in such numbers that its hard to get clear of them.

 The landlocked salmon have been stocked for the past few years and there are places where you can hook them right from shore. This is one of the best kept secrets in the fishing world around the Grand Lake area. A couple of locations have salmon leaping constantly within casting distance and some of the fishermen in the know are hooking up with some nice fish in these areas. I know they are running Grand Lakes tributaries because someone got one on the Newcastle Stream up as far as the green bridge in North Minto. Ken also got one a few years back at the mouth of Sisson  Brook on Salmon River. This is a good news story and I am looking forward to some great angling opportunities opening up in the near future.

 

    We are seeing lots of game in our travels over the 123 highway  while fishing. Just today Allen and I saw three deer,a nice bear,a pair of pheasant and a hen grouse with a few chicks. There seems to be more deer around in the Gaspereau River and Cains River areas this year. The grouse and woodcock had some cold wet weather during their nesting period and the hens we are seeing have 4-6 chicks rather than 8-12. These numbers would suggest that nesting success for grouse was not optimum. I'm assuming there will still be lots of birds around come fall. The non resident moose draw has been held and some lucky hunters are going to be taking the trip of a lifetime pursuing these monarchs of the forest and your odds have never been better for taking a nice bull. The resident draw will be held next month and we will all be waiting patiently here at home until then.

    The next photo shows a huge moth that my buddy Adam M caught and took a photo of. Pretty cool,it's almost as big as a bat!

 

    If you are looking for a hunt or a fishing trip or just a relaxing day on the river in the Grand Lake area just contact me and we will make the arrangements for your visit. We will do our best to ensure you have a safe and satisfying trip.

    Until next time this is Dale Bauer saying" Happy Trails to You......Until we Meet Again!"

 

TROUT 'N FIDDLEHEADS--A NEW BRUNSWICK TRADITION

    The forests and meadows here at home on Salmon River have finally turned a nice shade of green. Each year it seems to take such a long time for the vegetation to 'green up'. The stark grey features of a winter just past always seems to remind me that Mother Nature has her own rhythm of change and no amount of wishing or praying will speed her up or slow her down. I guess that's just the way it is and that's fine by me.
    We got away to the MSW Miramichi last week and managed to get a good bunch of fiddleheads and a couple of nice winter trout to go with them. The fiddleheads seemed to peak a bit earlier this year but there were still lots around to pick although you had to search for them in the lower lying areas. Some of the commercial pickers were still picking in the lower areas as late as last week-end and having good success. Many native New Brunswickers pick up some extra cash over a three week period when the fiddleheads are in bloom. In a" have not" province like ours this extra income comes in mighty handy for those on a fixed income but are able bodied enough to get out and pick a few pounds of these delicious greens. I'm surprised the government hasn't tried to screw this little home grown enterprise up for the folks who need the extra income at this time of year. The following photo shows a bunch of picked fiddleheads and a nice brook trout in the landing net.

 These new style landing nets are the cats meow for cleaning fiddleheads. The holes are just the right size for cleaning and you can do several pounds at one time which makes it very convenient. We just filled the net about half full and stood in the current and swished them around in the net and they were cleaned in no time. We picked about thirty lbs. and had them cleaned and bottled by suppertime. We will eat them over the next year and do it all over again when the time for picking comes around again. Fiddleheads can be eaten with just butter and salt and pepper or doused with vinegar to taste. Some people make fiddlehead soup and enjoy them this way but I have never tried it so |I can't speak about the taste from first hand experience. The next photo shows me with a nice trout taken during our trip.

 

    This past month also had striped bass making the headlines in the Newcastle-Miramichi area.This fishery is turning out to be a double edged sword for fishermen and outfitters is this area. On the one hand,the sheer numbers of stripers in the system is providing some fantastic fishing opportunities for young and old alike but salmon outfitters know their bread and butter is at stake here. Although these fish are providing lots of angling opportunities at an "in between" time ,they are also present at a time when the smolts are going to sea and they are just the right size for striper food and there have to be a lot of them getting eaten as they run the gauntlet past these voracious feeders on their way to the ocean. Hopefully the DFO has a handle on this situation and a balance can be struck between providing new fishing opportunities and protecting our very valuable salmon fishery.

    The shad have been running hard for a couple of weeks now and fishermen are starting to catch them in the usual spots up river past my place. The 9th Annual Monte Farrell Shad Derby will be held on the coming week-end June 8th. Pre registration required and limited to fifty entries. Entry includes breakfast at the Queens County Inn to get the tournament started. There are some nice shad caught at this derby each year and if the conditions are right multiple hook-ups are possible. Try to get out for a fun day on Salmon River and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to participate.

 

    I"ve been seeing a lot of wild-life in my travels such as moose, deer, mink and lots of turkeys. We are on the verge of an official boost from the government and look for a stocking program in the very near future. There are lots of released birds in our area. They have been here for around ten years and are expanding their territory and that is a good thing. The next photo shows a flock of turkeys on RT 10 earlier this month,

    The last week has been blown out on all river systems in New \Brunswick with high water back to near spring levels. This has slowed things to a stand still around here but we're looking for good things in the coming month.

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