Flyfisher

Yes I had a bad year last year with some health issues that kept me from fishing but this year I’m hoping to make up for it. I haven’t been out fly fishing for quite a few years and I got an invitation to join some friends for bone fish. Never been before. So it will be a first for me. I did a bit of saltwater fly fishing in Florida for snook which was fun but am looking forward to getting back into it. I bought a boat when I retired and have been really into trolling for salmon trout and walleye. Time to dust off the fly gear and practice some casting.

I’ll be getting my boat out of storage in early April. I’ll starting off with some early season trolling for browns and salmon fromJordan and the Niagara Bar. Heading over to Roatan for some warm weather and to try bonefishing and tarpon with fly rod. Looking forward to salmon and walleye on Lake Ontario and Erie also some bass fishing on Erie and a great spot I know in Lake Ontario. Heading to Abaco Bahamas in late fall with some fly fishing friends to fish for bonefish and enjoy some beach time. Going to be a great year.

I am currently thinning out my fly tying book collection. I have some signed copies of fly tying books from some of the most legendary fly tyers known. The Dette’s by Eric Leiser documents the Catskills style flies developed by the Dette family who were known best for their dry flies.This book is signed by Walt, Winnie and Mary as well as Eric. The Fly tyer’s Almanac by Robert Boyle and Dave Whitlock is signed by Whitlock. This book covers trout. Bass and saltwater patterns. Modern Fly Dressings by Poul Jorgensen is a great book for trout flies and is signed by poul . I have had the pleasure of tying alongside these legendary tyers, most of who are no longer with us but have been huge ambassadors to the sport. These books are all in excellent condition and difficult to find first editions. They are difficult to part with but I need to thin out my collection as I do not do much trout fishing anymore and would like to see them go to someone who will appreciate them. I would like to sell them for $75 each which I think is very reasonable

I concentrated mostly around port Maitland this year. Did well around the reefs and some out deeper. Most were caught on worm harnesses off dipseys and jets behind boards. Area 51 Wackem harnesses was the best colour along with cherry bomb and watermelon taking some fish. Ripplin Redfins in blue and silver and black and gold also produced. July through September was great fishing on Erie. May and June was excellent for trout and salmon between Jordan and Niagara river bar.

Why not attach a rod holder to a folding lawn chair. Buy one with a flip out side table and mount a Scotty rod holder to it. Grab a seat and have your rod beside you as you fish. Light weight and portable.

They took the docks out early last year so they wouldn’t get damaged again during the autumn storms. Lots of perch fishermen complained about them coming out too soon.

Sorry my bad. Yes it’s in port Colborne.

There are ones called true trip and trip Z that have a release on them. Erie Tracker in Fort Erie had them.

Great show and lots of good deals to be had. Looking forward to next year. A big thank you to all the great people who put in a lot of hard work to make this a great event

When using jet divers make sure you connect to the right end. My buddy had one connected backwards and it wouldn’t dive. I showed him the proper way and he had no issues. Also if you use a dropper as some have mentioned, then the diver stops diving when a fish is on. They work great

Working for me now

Grimsby tackle has a great sale on this week. Lots of good deals on lures and fishing tackle. Peter’s tackle has their annual spring sale coming up soon too. Support the local shops not the box stores.

Well that sucks. Another shore fishing spot taken away. I used to fish in the glen when my knees were in better shape.

I’ve used Lyrette Machine and marine in fort Erie. Mike Lyrette worked at Nichol’s. does great work and is honest

Try Cast Adventures. Paul Castellano is the best guide on the river and knows the river better than anyone I know.

Peter’s Tackle in St.Catharines is a great shop to buy your tackle. They cater to the local anglers and know what tackle works best for the local waters. Canadian tire would be good for boots and other outdoor gear you may want. Good luck this season

I do a fair bit of fly fishing and mostly catch and release. I always pinch the barbs on my hooks which leaves a little bump on the hook. I do lose a few more fish but I can release fish without taking them out of the water.

The type of line you are using depends on what style of fishing you are doing. Bait casting, spinning, trolling etc, and the type of bait you are using all benefit from the right choice of line. For most of my fishing I like to use monofilament or braid for my main line and add a few feet of fluorocarbon leader.

As the population in Niagara is quickly growing, we will see more people using our public areas. More people more pollution. Look at port Dalhousie. Those condos will be filled with wealthy people from the cities. They won’t want people fishing along the piers or near the marinas. If we are not careful we will be losing more shore fishing spots. I agree that the local government needs to hire more people to maintain the parks and waterfront areas. It’s not just fishermen leaving trash behind. Often times it’s picnicers or tourists leaving trash behind. If we want to be able to keep our shore fishing areas then we need to pick up after ourselves and keep those areas clean. Fishermen shouldn’t shoulder the blame for other peoples messes.

Many ramps are opening this weekend. However you are only allowed to have people from the same household on your boat. Bertie boat club had sent out notices to season ramp pass holders that they are open now.

The Jackson’s flat area up to the power glen had some nice brown trout and Smallmouth. Not sure what’s in there now. Ticks are real bad in there now so I haven’t fished it in a few years.

That sounds like a nice setup. Salmon on a Kayak would be fun. A big one would tow you around. There are a couple posts from guys fishing the bar, and it sounds like the fishing is great out there right now. Some coho are being caught near the surface so fly fishing with some streamers on full sink lines or heavy shooting heads might get you into some fish. Cheers

They are stocked in there for people to catch and keep. They are safe to eat. Not as tasty as wild trout because they are raised in a hatchery and fed fish pellets. It’s a great place to take the kids and bring a few fish home for a meal.

I’m not sure if a kayak would be very practical out there. The current is pretty strong in some areas and you could get pushed out into the lake. Are you referring to fly fishing when you mention a full sink line? If so I’m sure you could try it as long as you can get down to say 15 or 20 ft. I know a guide named Paul Castellano who guides flyfishers on the Niagara river and gets them into some nice fish. I’ve gone fly fishing with him on Lake Erie bass and had a great experience. Just google Cast Adventures. Good luck and let us know how you make out

Jigging is productive at the Niagara bar. I’ve caught lots of lakers browns and even some big walleye there. I use 4 and 5 inch white or chartreuse paddle tail swim jigs with half oz heads or drop shot.