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.

Fly Fishing Day 4

Day four of fishing for steelhead. This is my 2nd day out with my new Red Wolf Fly Fishing Rod purchased from Canadian Tire. I've already lost one hook his morning. I will get a new fly on now quickly as I'm becoming proficient at the Non-Slip Loop Knot.  It's the silver lining I can find from loosing too many hooks recently.

I'm starting to analyze the pattern of the river and how my fly line is interacting with the current.  I think I'm in a really good spot. It's a 7:00 a.m. on a workday but I figured I'd try and get out and take a peek. 

So far I am the only one here. Another gentleman came down the bank about 20 minutes ago but he headed upstream, so I still have this spot to myself.  It's downriver from the road bridge.  There is a small shoal that separates the river.  There is a nice little pool right in front of it.  I've seen many people fishing this spot

It's a pretty peaceful morning to be fly fishing before I login to work.  The skies are overcast. The birds are chirping. There's no wind which is as of late has been blowing cold from the North. 

If I don't' catch anything here on day 4 I won't be discouraged. I relish the motivation this red Wolf fishing rod has injected me with.  I have a new purpose to get up first thing in the morning and just get out into nature and get some of that fresh air and just be still. Present. It is really nice.

When immersing myself into a new hobby/sport I feel like I'm part of some sort of new tribe. I now have the proper gear and it feels nice to be involved in another section of humanity.  The one that strives for peace in life. The isolation. The stillness.  I classify myself as mostly introverted.  This is so appealing.  

With that mindset, hopefully, all this patience pays off with some frantic action of reeling in a giant fish.   I am so fortunate that this river just happens to be 2 blocks from where I live.  The prospect of being able to get up and just drive a very short distance to get into this state of mind I think it's pretty phenomenal.  

I'm not upset that I didn't discover this years ago. I think life is all about new things and new adventures. So I think is quite timely at this point in my life to adopt this new pastime.

I'm really enjoying it.

Fly Fishing Day 3

I'm so excited!  I was able to order a fly fishing rod from Canadian Tire last night.  I was at first disappointed that it was going to take 2 days to process my order before I could drive down to the store and get it curbside pickup.  Then within a few hours, I had an email that the package was ready for pickup!

Being a complete novice knowing nothing about the anatomy of a fly fishing rod - I hit the Youtube hard.  Brian Flechsig of Mad River Outfitters was the best.  How to tie a perfect loop knot to join the tippet to the fly line.

I followed along, tied my knots, and hit the McIntyre by up by the University.  I love this spot.  It's what one imagines a flowing river with rapids under a forest canopy.  In the evening the sun shines through the trees.  It's not very busy either.  So it is really easy to lose track of time and just exist in this beautiful setting.  I also happens to be a block away from where I live.  I'm amazed this little piece of paradise is in the middle of the city.

Fly Fishing - Day 2

I remember when I was a boy the tales of steelhead fishing in the local rivers.  If I recall, a hockey teammate of mine had pulled a big fish out near the dam.  He would have been 12 maybe.  That fish must have felt like a shark.  It always stuck with me anytime I'd bike past that area. 

Now many many years later I've got the time and motivation to give it a go.  I've been doing some research and scoping out the local streams and rivers.  It's now getting late into April and this is when the Steelhead is supposed to start their runs.

The Neebing river is way to busy.  A straight trench of a riverwith anglers exactly a rod's length apart.  We are amidst a pandemic andthe government has some pretty stringent rules for social distancing.  This site will be one to remember.   

So I chose to hit the river near the university.  Unlike the 'trench' this water system is picturesque.  Under a canopy of forest runs a rapid filled twisty and bendy water flow.  The rushing water is hypnotic and there are very few anglers around. 

I try throwing my line in a few times in a few spots that have been talked about.  It begins to snow. It's getting cold.  I come up empty.  However, I am full of joy.  This solitude in nature is a wonderful prescription to the uncertainty that shrouds our everyday life.  

Fly Fishing - Day 1

I don't know what's come over me.  I feel the need to fish for Steelhead.  I started down the rabbit hole of river fishing.  It's mid-April and the talk of Steelies running soon is making it's way to me through all the pandemic chatter.  Is this a path to escape?

I'm going to journal my first season fishing for Steelhead.  Now I'm not certain - but Steelheads are Rainbows.  But not oceanic.  Freshwater.  So these Rainbow Trout live in the Great Lakes and spawn in the spring upriver?  I'm sure I'll learn more about this as the season continues.  It will last according to some about 4 weeks. 

The issue this year in 2020 is that it's much colder than usual.  So many are saying the start is very slow.   I guess that's good for me as I was concerned I may have already missed it.

I've picked my spot - a river system near my home.  It's a block away.  In the middle of the city.  I am grateful that I can in short order, grab my gear, park my car, and walk maybe 5 minutes upstream.

I've explored this area before either photographing or mountain biking.  It just screams 'woodland'.  I brought my camera as I usually do on any type of outing.  You never know what you're going to find and want to capture.  Like this keyboard/piano that I found on the trail.  Legend has it some university students through it in the man-made lake upriver years ago.  It's been slowly making its way downstream.

Epic Dog Walk at Sunset

The sunlight was gorgeous this evening. I was walking the dog and listening to a beautiful little instrumental piece by Roary called 'Being'. It was a perfect soundtrack to my little escape into the woodland and the whole time I kept thinking that I wanted to capture this moment.

I had just recently watched a great little piece by Sean Tucker (Why I choose a Slower Pace for my youtube videos). His message really resonated with me and this was perfect opportunity to put what he taught into practice.


So here's 4 minutes of me walking the dog in some really fantastic sunlight.
Sean Tucker: Why I choose a Slower Pace for Youtube Videos "Being" by Roary: Being (Youtube)

Shot on my Samsung S10 (it's all i had on me at the time - you gotta use what you got!) Edited in Cyberlink Power Director Graded in Davinci Resolve