I have only been out fly rodding twice since I got back. Basically I was spoiled in NB. Not by big fish or numbers but by accessibility. Now east coast fishing and accessibility may not seem to go hand in hand what with 15 different licenses and heavy restrictions on where you can fish (right down to particular pools). No, the access I am talking about is being able to drive 20 minutes or 2 hours or more and everything in between to get to one's fishing.
Around here you need about an hour to get anywhere, 2 hours to get anywhere decent in terms of an outdoor environment and 3,4,5 etc. hours to get someplace that has it all (scenery, numbers or sized fish etc.)
Fishing the Fredericton area reminded me of fishing in southern Ontario. I could fish in town for trout, salmon bass or pike (depending on the season) OR I could drive any variety of distance to achieve a different goal.
So with all that water around me my favorite thing to do in NB was to fish the (unnamed) creek (trib of the Rusagonis) behind my Brother and Sister in laws place after dinner.
It has trout, salmon parr, bass and fall fish (locally called 'creek chub' and treated with utter disdain).
Here are some fish. Not big but on a 4wt in VERY skinny water stalking, hooking and landing was still a challenge.
A view of the River/creek I spent most of my time on |
Through these brambles lay a fork and pool where the fishing was best |
Fall Fish (or creek chub) as fickle as trout & fights as hard |
A smallie falls for a bomber |
I also fished the Oromocto just 25 minutes down the road. Similar fish but more open and miles and miles of it I never fish.
The wading boots that never seemed to get dry |