Why a slow day of fishing is just as important as the days you catch your limit?

I’m sure you have all had days where you don’t even get a nibble, or slow days where you only catch one or two fish. I also know you have had days where the fishing couldn’t have been any better - what’s important about those days is they provide you with a great opportunity to learn. The slow days of fishing, or the days when you keep missing the hook set and landing your fish, provide you with a great learning experience if you allow yourself to do so.

If you’re interested in becoming a better fly fisherman, or just a better fisherman in general, its important to keep a journal of all of the variables and important details about your day. The things you need to include are:
- Date
- Time (including how long you fished for)
- Air Temperature
- Water Temperature
- Weather Patterns (Cloud Cover, Wind, Low/High Pressure)
- Wind (Speed and Direction)
- Fish Activity
- Insect/Bait Activity
- Number of Strikes
- Number of Hook-up
- Number of Fish Landed (if you want you can keep information about your fish, size, weight, etc.)

Many of you may think this is way too much information to keep track of. That may be true, but I can promise you that you will start to see a pattern year after year, even within the seasons that will help you improve your odds and help you catch more fish. If you don’t believe me here is a personal example.

I have been fishing the Big Head River, in Ontario, for a few years. Luckily, I’ve been fishing with a world class guide who has helped me learn along the way. He challenged me to take note of the conditions and learn when the best fishing is. I noted the water height specifically. Days where the water was low, I barely hooked any fish even though I could see them moving from pool to pool. As the water level rose, I could no longer see the fish, but the number of strikes increased. I was able to identify a pattern, which helped me catch more fish. Over time, I found the ideal range and when the water is within that range the question is not IF, but HOW MANY fish can be caught. I continue to keep track and update my notes to improve my odds.



Even if you don’t get an opportunity to fish often its still important to keep track of your findings, it will help you be a better fisherman. Regardless of how your day on the water goes, its true that its better than any day in an office!

Tight Lines




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Get those trail camera's ready...here's some Curios Deer!

I've been setting up my trail camera's to scout my favorite properties and it reminded me of the video I had from last year. This curious group of deer amazed me. I still see them coming back to the same spot year after year. ENJOY!

If you need a good trail camera, I'd suggest the one below, it a great price and produces great pictures!






I'll post some more videos later this week, until then, tight lines and shoot straight!

Slow day on the Credit...

This is just a quick update...I fished most of Saturday and saw some of the most beautiful wild brown trout I've ever seen. The water was gin clear and I could see to the bottom of a 9' deep pool. There were 5 well fed browns who had me outsmarted. I switched to a 12' - 7x leader and watch a variety of presentations swing right by. It looks like sometimes you just have to accept that a day on the water is better than a day in the office.



Tight Lines!

DJF

How to catch migratory salmon and steelhead in the Great Lakes tributaries

Ontario's Great Lakes tributaries offer some of the world's best fishing for salmon, steelhead and a variety of other species that will be sure to provide an acrobatic fight. For the purpose of today's article we will focus mainly on the salmonoid species, more specifically salmon and trout.

There are a few of the tributaries that offer year-round fishing, but be sure to check your regulations to make sure you are fishing within law. Catching migratory species can actually be relatively simple; all you have to do is UNDERSTAND their patterns. They are called migratory fish for a reason; they travel “from one place to another at regular times of year, often over long distances (1).”

To catch this species that’s the one thing you have to remember, they travel at a similar time of year on the same route - all you have to do is get between them. There are a number of variables to consider such as water level, temperature, cloud covert, etc. The two things to remember are which direction are the fish headed; upstream or downstream, and where are they stopping when they are not moving?

Once you have identified the the direction look for pools, boulders or even cut banks as these places will often provide protection from prey, especially fishermen. Think of your approach logically, if you were trying to get from point A to point B without getting caught, where would you hide? How would you avoid your predator? Fish are no different, but they are limited to where they can swim. Quite often the biggest fish can be intercepted between pools hiding behind boulders, in rapids or against a cut bank.

Using a logical approach to fishing for migratory fish will help you produce more hook ups, now landing those monsters is a different story. In future articles we will explore various tactics for landing athletic fish.

(1) The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 

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Tight Lines

Salmon are here...

Salmon season is here! Its time to get the gear ready. I recently wrote an article for Examiner.com discussing the 3 things you must do before going fishing. To read that article, click here.