Short Film - Somewhere in Nothern Ontario

Hiking About Silver Islet

Spent a few  days with my good friend Ken out at Silver Islet.  We hiked around the tops of the mountains around the shore and down by the water's edge.

    

 

 

Fly Fishing Day 6

I've had some time to think about what happened.  I drive through the 'quit' and jump online to order another fishing rod.   I'm able to get it the same day and delight at sitting outside in the sun assembling it.  Applying my knot skills rejuvenates me and I'm excited again to hit the rivers.

I meet up with my friend (social distance observed of course) and the river is very busy with people.  The escape into the woods feeling I've enjoyed the past week is now gone and I'm feeling anxious with the amount of anglers in the river.  There's no more sense of isolation here.  It feels like a live fish market with everyone standing in a line of sorts trying to catch their dinner for tonight.

The time has come and the Steelhead are running this river now.  I don't need to spend too long around a popular pool to see someone pull in a nice fish, take a picture and put it back in the water.  I'm now convinced I will be catching a Steelhead this evening.    

We try a few spots up river for a while and catch only snags.  There is an unpleasant vibe as anglers young and old are walking up and down the trails scoping each other trying to see where the fish might be.  It's all very competitive now.   We make it back down to the 'pool' and claim a spot along the bank just below a set of rapids.   In the span of about 40 mins 3 anglers have caught and released 5 Steelheads mere yards from me.  I'm anxious and envious.  Why aren't they going after my bait?

It's starting to get late and the anglers start to pack up and head home.  Not me though - I'm determined.  It's approaching 10PM and I can barely make out my line in the water now - but I have the whole area to myself.  In a obsessive meditated manner I'm casting and reeling over and over - convinced I'll get a bite.  How can I not?  I'm in the exact spot others have reeled in fish  just an hour ago using similar bait.   What. The. Hell.  The fish God's I guess haven't accepted me as a fly fisherman, unworthy of my conquest to land a fish.   That's all for tonight.  Another fruitless attempt.

Fly Fishing Day 5

Day 6 Saturday morning 8:30 a.m. It is 3ﾟC and the Sun is shining.It's going to be a beautiful day. I'm heading out of town to the McKenzie River.  I've never fished here before and I'm excited to discover a new area.  I've brought my camera along as well as I'm sure there will be something to to shoot.  

The drive is quiet and peaceful.  I find the bridge that I had scoped out earlier in the week and choose to see what's on the right side.  It's challenging to get down the bank through the trees, shrubs and boulders, but it's magnificent!  From the road the bridge is unassuming.  But from this vantage point it is a thing of wonder.  This concrete arched bridge is colossal.  I take in the sight, the sounds and snap a few pictures.  The water is raging and I cans sense its power.

I climb back up the bank and look for calmer waters downstream.  It is still early and the warmth of the sun is just starting to intensify.  The air is brisk and the water flowing past is serene.  I see only one other angler on the opposite side a ways down the stream.

So far the fly fishing experience is testing my patience.  It seems as I am finally get my rhythm and start enjoying the actual fishing it get snagged.  I feel I'm wasting precious time loosing my tackle as I start breaking my line.   The Zen of it is passing.  But I try and find the silver lining - I'm getting proficient at my knots.  I figure I've lost 4 flies by this point.

My friend calls me and I can see him up river on top of the bridge and plan to head down stream towards the old railway bridge.  He's got some insight that the fish might be there.

There's a nice flat rock area that is funneling the river.  There's a few anglers in the water upstream from where we are and few fishing off the next rapid.  We settle into this idealistic scene and the time flies.   I am certain I've gotten a few bites.  I am excited and deflated in a matter of moments.  I try and set the hook right away only to have it pop up.  I try to wait it out and sit with 'something' pulilng my line for 10 mins before the hook pops out.  It is most likely the underwater currents messing with my now fragile desperation to catch a Steelhead. 

After getting so hung up on a snag and 7 hours in now, the worst happens.  I snapped my new fly rod.  It is a  frightening moment standing so close to the edge.  The sound of the rod shattering makes me duck and I almost fall in. It is so loud of a noise that others upstream hear it.  I can only describe it as someone throwing a metal tube at brick wall.

My day is done.  I feel like a complete failure.   What a crazy day 'at the office'.  My drive home is solemn and I rethink my life.