For those of you who use Fire Fox as your browser, I have  a present for you.  If you like to dress up your screen, I’ve made some skins for the Fire Fox browser, especially for those who love trout, fly fishing etc.. 

You need a Fire Fox Add On called “Personas” .   It’s free and I’ve been using it for over a year now with no problems.  Click the photo link below to get the download.

  Once you’ve downloaded it, you can go find thousands of skins that will customize the look of your browser (FREE) or you can make your own.  You can even post them there for others to download if you like, which is what I’ve been doing.  You won’t get mailings or or other nuisance ads.  This is a Mozilla add on.  

Here is a sample of what I’ve made …and there are more coming soon. 

Brook Trout 2

Brown Trout

Brown Trout Watercolor

These are all from real photographs of trout I caught this past summer on the AuSable .  They seem to beautiful to be natural living skins but the are.

Here is a sample shot of my own computer screen with “Brook Trout Kaleidoscope”  To be available tomorrow.

This one is Brown Trout 3

Let me know what you think! 

I loved this story.  It gives me hope  for many good fishing years to come.

For the complete story click the link below.

Casting at 100 | Dixie Monkhouse still flings flies on the McKenzie River

I've been frothing the water with flies, most of the summer. We took another impromptu trip over to Michigan's AuSable River.  It has become my "home water" since the rivers here on Ontario have been taking a real beating with all the rain we've had this season.  It's not that the rivers rage in height here...but with all the agriculture and the way farmers are tiling their fields these days, the river just turn to chocolate milk after every rainfall...even small ones.  The cooler weather and organics in the run off has also promoted a fair amount of algae growth.  It's frustrating to say the least.  I’ve become very spoiled by  stable flows and the gin clear waters of the Michigan streams. 

So we were on the AuSable from June 20 - July 10...then again from Aug 3 - 13.  I have another run up there in September for two weeks or so. 

It's Trico time up there and the fishing has been spectacular.

Fishing the Trico hatch was very productive.  This has to be my favorite hatch.  I have a passion for fishing small flies…and these are small. 

They are getting used to seeing the usual patterns so try to come up with something a little more unique.  Mine shall remain secret for the time being…but it was very productive. 

The Trico hatch is usually over by about 10:30 AM but it all depends on when the mist leaves the water and the sun starts to warm the cool morning air.  Some mornings the spinners didn’t fall  until  close to 11 AM.  Oh…and you don’t really have to get out there until around 8 AM…even later if the mist is still heavy.

Other productive flies for me, after the Tricos were over for the day were BWO’s on the cloudier periods and the low light of evening and ants on the clear sky days. 

I've also been experimenting more with the night fishing.  What an adrenaline rush that has been.   It’s a bit creepy wading in the pitch dark but it has certainly been productive.   I wish I could show you the photos of those night time fish but I have a new camera and still fumbling with how to use it.  I had been setting up the photo  on three very nice browns when they charged out of my hand or net just as I was ready to hit the shutter.   I finally gave up even trying.  Oh well…that’s fishing I guess.    But suffice it to say that none were under 16 inches and two were over 18.  I even had a 15 inch brook trout in the mix.  Anything that will put a big wake in the water worked well.  I used G.Harvey’s Pusher, Gartside Gurglers and a Morrish Mouse.  All had solid takes.   A big black streamer also produced well. 

Twice in day light, I had a big brown come and strip the brookie I was bringing in, off my line.  Thrilling but that also should tell you that streamers will produce if you want to find the big guys. 

Daytime has it’s challenges for the angler…

…but it can also be productive.   Just leave your expectations for peace and quiet at home.

I pulled this little “trout slam” out of the same small pool in about ten minutes time…between canoe flotillas.   The fish here have seen so many go by, they just don’t care and they no longer put the fish down . 

   From top to bottom: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout.

This summer…until this week (August 17) has pretty much been the summer that wasn’t in this part of the country with unseasonably cool weather.  It has not been a good summer if you like to be getting wet.  The lakes and rivers haven’t warmed to a comfortable level…but this has been very good for the angler and fish, indeed. The hatches have been later, slower and more prolific.  The fish are also more eager.  This has been the best summer of fly fishing  on the AuSable I’ve  seen.   I suggest you get out there and enjoy it.

Until next time…. Tight Lines!

Imagine my surprise when I opened up an email from Wilson’s Fly Fishing Store in Toronto, to learn that I had won a trip to a classic Canadian fishing resort in Quebec, near the town of Tamiskaming.    La Reserve Beauchene  is an anglers paradise, spread over 50’000 acres of pure Canadian wilderness.   With more than three dozen accessible lakes to explore and seven species of sport fish to choose from you have just found yourself in the perfect anglers heaven.    

You have the choice to stay in the main lodge aka the White House,  on the American plan or you can stay in the  various cabins or even camp.  Cabins range from big and extravagant to small efficiency  cabins.   All are very clean and very well equipped.

  I stayed in the White House.  Very nice indeed!     Another guest up there during my stay was Bob Izumi and his family.  I  believe they stayed at the Eagle cabin but the came for meals at the White House.  The dinning room sounded like Saturday morning TV at my house.   Be sure to look for his program about this destination in the new TV season. 

It has a nice relaxing lounge area with fireplace , games, a pool table, TV, CD/VCR, Computer with high speed internet and an honour bar with some very nice choices.   Next to the lounge is the dinning room, which overlooks the water.  The food, presentation and service is spectacular.   I can’t say enough about the staff at Le Reserve Beauchene.  They were very helpful and bent over backwards to make my stay memorable.

If I was thinking properly I would have taken photos of the plates served to me…but who’s thinking when the food looks and tastes as good as it does here. 

The boats are included in  the package.   I hadn’t played around in a power boat since I was a youngster.  It didn’t take to long to orient myself and get out there…though I’m sure I looked like  I didn’t have a clue.   I managed to get where I wanted to go and back without any problems and without crashing into anything.  That’s not bad considering the only boat I’ve used in the past 40+ years only needs a paddle.   It was fun , for sure.  I decided to venture out into the big lake “Beauchene” on the first day.  My goal was to try and catch a Lake Trout on a fly rod.  It took me the better part of three hours but I finally found some in  water where I thought my sinking fly line could get to.    With a little luck and a stupid mistake, I hooked into a nice Lac Beauchene Lake Trout.

If numbers count to you, I would suggest bringing a variety of tackle options.  You’ll have the best chance at all species in a short amount of time.  There are a lot of fish in these waters.   This was May and the lakes were COLD.   Being a fly angler I was not concerned with numbers so much.  I kept my goals reasonable and was able to get what I came for.    This reserve is very well known for its large small mouth bass.  I decided not to spend a lot of time looking for them because the weather conditions were unsettled as we just had a cold front slide in…. and I can fish for some big ones on my home turf so I really wanted to concentrate on  the other fish this area is famous for…brook trout…BIG ones. 

To get to the Brook Trout I was hoping for,  requires some back road driving to the smaller lakes on the reserve.   My first morning out I was lead down this road for over three kilometres by this young moose.

Each lake is marked with a number and a small parking access.  Some require short walks…others, longer walks.    Each lake also has a john boat available for your use.  You just need to bring the electric motor, which they provide.  I’m more than happy in my FishCat4 as this gives me the control I want, goes on my back like a back pack and weighs all of 12 lbs. 

The really neat thing was that the lakes I fished were probably fished for the first time  this year by me.   It was the later half of May and the black flies were active.  I’ve always believed if you wanted to get still water brookies on a fly rod, black fly season was the time to go.  I had a bug jacket with me…. and yes they do work quite well.  I strongly recommend it.

After trying a few different tactics with the fly rod, I finally fell into one that  worked.  I used a sink tip line and streamers, fished not to quickly, seemed to be the ticket this time of year.   I won’t say it was easy.  It isn’t.  It will test all your skills.  If catching is important and you’re not confident with your skills, I would highly recommend you hire a guide who knows this reserve,  if you want the best chance at getting into some truly spectacular fish.  It’s just a wise investment when you’ve already invested so much. 

I apologize for the quality of the photos below.  I was fishing alone , in a float tube …and my camera has seen the bottom of rivers just one too many times.   I missed more shots than you see here.  It’s tough holding on to these strong slippery guys without doing damage.  All fish were released unharmed.  

These are magnificent fish in the spring but they would be truly spectacular in their deep fall mating colors.  I’d love a chance to get up there to catch fish for the biologists doing their fish studies some year. 

There are also Walleye, Pike, Splake, Lake Trout, SM Bass and White Fish.  ALL of these species can be caught on a fly rod…and if that is your game, this is a grand place to play.  Is this place designed specifically for fly fishing?  No… but don’t let that stop you.  This is what the real game of fly fishing is really about.    It’s also about beautiful places and this on one of those too.

I think these photos just about say it all. 

***By the way…if you book this trip (or any other trip) through Wilson’s, it costs the same as booking directly, however you receive a gift certificate  worth 10% of the trip cost that you can put towards any item in Wilson’s Fly Fishing Store. 

I had a very busy month of May, with three wonderful fishing adventures.  Two, with the Flygirls of Michigan, and one through Wilson’s  Fly Shop, where I was the lucky winner of a draw at the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Forum in Burlington, Ontario in April.  That trip was to La Reserve Beauchene.

Before going into the details, I’d also like to say that while I was away, two Fly fishing friends passed away.  Jim Birkholm, known to many as James Castwell, was half of the founding team of Fly Anglers Online.  If you are into fly fishing and gathering info off the web, you will know what a great source of information Fly Anglers Online has been over the years.  It was the first fly fishing site I found online when I started this adventure. They have endured thought the years and stuck firm with a formula that worked as the site continues to thrive and has a healthy following.   I’ve met many fine people though this site, too…including Jim and Deanne Birkholm.     The Michigan “Fish In” became an annual event where a number of the FAOL gang would gather, including myself, “Mato Kuwapi”, “James Castwell” and “LadyFisher”.   Tight Lines Jim. 

David Prothero also passed away.  He was a fascinating  icon at the local shows in Ontario and a member of Winter Hatches Fly Tying Club.   Dave was an inspiration to all who met him.  I borrowed this photo from  Haveflywillfish

Dave , an avid fly angler and fly tier, suffered a stroke that left him totally paralyzed on his right side, at the age of 68.   He worked thought this hardship by teaching himself how to tie flies with his left hand and creating tools to assist him.  He inspired many to never give up.  He not only tied beautiful flies but he was known for tying very small patterns, down to 32. (the smallest hooks made) I was fortunate enough to take a couple of tying classes from Dave over the last few years. 

Trout Season opened for me with a Flygirls trip for Steelhead on the Manistee River in Michigan.  Our home base was Schmidt’s Outfitters.       See Last years post.       

     This year the fishing was outstanding.  All the tumblers clicked together.  I knew it was going to be good when the morning started with that perfect Steelhead Green water and  a perfect send off with a bald eagle flying alone with our boat as it moved up river towards our starting point.  I’d like to say I have lots of photos of steelhead.  I don’t.  I got my butt kicked royal.  I hooked about a dozen or so…I stopped counting.   Got some close to the boat, but that’s as good as it got.  I had on some of the biggest steelhead of my life, too.  I was expecting fish like our usual spring steelhead…around the 5-9 lb range…but these were behemoths.  Many in the 13-16 lb range.   Hopefully I'll get to get a photo of one of these beauties NEXT YEAR!!!  In the mean time, I had a ball. 

  Our Guide, Larry Raney from Schmidt's Outfitters.  Top notch all the way!!!

   Kelly with a big steelhead putting a band in her fly rod.  Larry was ready with the net…but the steelie wouldn’t have it.

  When the steelhead action slowed, it was time to streamer fish for the browns.   

  Shore Lunch.  Larry fed us very well. 

   More Flygirls drift on by. 

The next day we hit a  section  up river for some cute little trout. 

Kris lays out some line.

A typical early season, Manistee rainbow.

About ten days later it was back up to Camp Wa Wa Sum on the AuSable. (See Last year)

This has to be my favourite Flygirls outing.   No…it’s just my favourite outing, period.   I wouldn’t care if it rained all week.   Just the atmosphere of the place is worth it, but this year, the weather and fishing conditions were spectacular.  Certainly not what I was expecting when I packed up the car to head over there.  The weather report was calling for sub freezing temps at night, rain and cloud though the week. It’s one time I was glad the weatherman called it wrong.  WAY WRONG!  The sun was out every day, temps were in the 70s and it was so nice at night, three of us decided to sleep out on the porch, listening to the river below, the birds at dawn , fish rising  and watch the eagle fly by while enjoying our morning cuppa.

When we weren’t fishing we were exchanging information, tying flies, talking about rod building and just taking in the atmosphere.

The weather and the fishing couldn’t have been better. 

The nice thing about Photoshop is you can save photos that would have hit the trash heap, because they weren’t focused properly.  A nice afternoon on the South Branch AuSable. 

A favourite Michigan Delicacy .  Morels

When approaching the elusive Holy Water trout, be stealthy!   Sylvia DiAmilio  shows her form. 

To Be Continued….because the power is about to be shut off for the day, due to work being done on the house….