East Coast 2014 trip part 1

So yes, for the 3rd year in a row we are vacationing on the east coast of Canada. We are currently in New Brunswick like last year but we just finished visiting some of the northern parts of the province.

Day 1: Arrive and not much else. Raining.

Day 2: Rental car not ready, still raining. Get car very late in day with barely enough time to get fishing licenses. Rivers brown with run off so no fishing.

Water running down rings

Day 3: Head north. Ultimately to the town of Saint Quentin but we stopped off at Hartland to lunch and visit the worlds longest covered bridge.

World's Longest Covered Bridge 

Saw someone fly fishing on their break and, after our lunch, I saw an immature bald eagle chase an osprey (perhaps to get the nice fish in the osprey's talons?)

In Saint Quentin we stayed at the Du Repos B&B This area of the province is VERY beautiful. You can't drive very far without seeing a tempting stream. This is the northern tip of the Appalachian mountain range. Our hosts Jacques and Louise are avid fly rodders and just great people all around.

The room was wonderful and looked to be the perfect base for our coming adventure!

We asked our hosts about local fishing and they offered to take us fishing the next day!!

Day 4: Our plan was to climb Mount Carleton the highest peak in the Maritimes! So ya the plan was to climb a mountain then go fishing.

So up the more scenic and challenging west side. So many photo ops.

Mountain Stream

Almost There...Not.

Changing lenses.

Nutrition Bar Break.

The last kilometer was the four limb climb over huge boulders. And the area is too steep for pulling out cameras so here is a picture of an easier climb.

"Easy" Scree.

But we made it!

Nictau Lakes

Fire Watch Tower

The current info on the place says it is 2 hours up and one hour down. Well maybe for people used to climbs but living on the prairies for 14 years and stopping for many photos this was the hardest thing I have ever done and it took us 5 hours to get up and back.

So ya this is a fly fishing blog and I did mention our host were going to take us fishing. So back to the B&B and one ham and egg sandwich and 2 Tylenols later I was off fishing.

Now this is their secret spot so I can't tell you but the fishing was good and the fish pretty active. It was bad by their standards but catching wild fish in the shadow of very old mountains has a certain panache that the amount of fish cannot affect.

Secret Spot

So if you are a C&R at all cost type avert your eyes!

Just Add Butter

Nothing quite like eating brook trout fresh out of a mountain stream.

Having such a good time we extended our stay. One, to enjoy the area more and two, to take the family to that fishing spot.

Day 5: We had a few plans to explore the park without climbing any mountains.

Bathurst Lake

Camp Lake

Red Pine Trail

Williams Chute

Roadside Moose

and Calf

She got a small salmon

So again back to the secret spot.

Adelle fished and Charles played in the water. At one point he decided he want to fish. Seeing as he hasn't fly fished since he was 4 years old so I handed him my rod, gave him some reminders and let him at it.

He got a million hits and loved the action!

So I used this an opportunity to break out the Tenkara rod and see if I could get a game fish on it (as I did bust the cherry on it the weekend before in B.C. but they were bait fish).

Tenkara Brookie

That's it for now but I am off to fish the creek behind the house we are staying in.