I have been putting this off. Trout season ended September 30th. I had made every effort to get out throughout the final month, and managed to spend a good bit of time on the water (in one case far too long, fill you in later), with good success, at least in terms of numbers. But I knew that this post would be the one to cover season’s end, and I didn’t want to call it a wrap just yet.
Although there are areas where you can fish until year’s end, or in some areas even year round, the upper reaches of all the major rivers where the resident brook and brown trout live are off reaches after September. When you factor in the hot months of July and August, when it is too warm for brook and brown trout, forcing them to migrate to cooler waters, it really means anglers only have a few months to get out and have their fun.
Spring is always a busy time, with everyone trying to get out while the fish are lively and hungry, and September traditionally cools off and brings the fish back to the usual habitats, so it is traditionally a busy time as well, with everyone trying to get out as often as possible before they start to pack up for the year.
This year was a very different one, though. The spring rains were very frequent, with higher water levels than usual, which created unfavourable conditions throughout most of May, and at the other end of the season, September temperatures were hotter than normal, so the fish didn’t return as quickly as usual.
Still, these conditions weren’t going to deter me from getting out whenever I could, and as previously mentioned, I managed to fit in several outings in the month of September, including trips to the upper reaches of the Credit River, Saugeen River and Bronte Creek. Even with the warmer temperatures the results were good, and I caught several nice brook and rainbow trout.
I started the month up on the Saugeen River, on September 3, a significant date. That is the date my father passed away, and while some people would have spent it in a more somber way, I thought it was a perfect day to go out and enjoy a day of solitude.
I think he’d have understood and agreed.
I drove for two hours to get there, spent 5 hours in the river (one of which was pouring rain), punctured the boot of my waders, caught zero fish and had a damp two hour drive home. Yet despite all of this, I had more fun and got more enjoyment fishing that day than any other time on the water.
The stretch of river was beautiful, with a lot of challenges, but it was a perfect setting to enjoy the exercise of casting a fly line. I had unrestricted room with which to back cast freely, lots of space to shoot the line and a multitude of bonafide targets of pocket waters to aim for. I felt that with every cast there was a good chance that a 2 pound brown would viciously attack my fly. Eventually I realized that the browns thought otherwise, and with my foot getting a little wetter each minute (thankfully it was a small, slow leak), I decided to head home. I couldn’t feel too discouraged, as the temperatures were still high and I knew the odds of catching anything weren’t great before I even decided to go out.
Next day I went out to a smaller branch of the Credit River that is typically cooler, where I caught about 8 brook trout, and one extremely wily rainbow that took more than 10 minutes to wrangle out of the sunken logs that it fled to when hooked. When I let it go it was with admiration because it put up a really good fight. Maybe next year I’ll go find it again 😉
There were other outings that followed with varying success, but the last trip of the season stood out for a number of reasons.
I headed back to the Credit River to try a new location just north of the city. I was trying out a new set of waders on this trip. I had repaired the small leak in my usual waders, but I saw these new ones on sale and they are a little lighter, so I picked them up as they’re better for the summer months than my heavy neoprene waders.
I fished the new location for about four hours, even through a cold rain that lasted for about 90 minutes. Although there were a few strikes I didn’t manage even one hook set, so I thought I would go up to another location that I have fished many times with success since it was only a five minute drive. It took less than ten minutes for me to be back in the river trying my luck again, and very shortly afterward I caught a small rainbow, much to the delight of the family that were having a picnic on the banks of the river.
I moved gradually upstream, and caught another small rainbow, and as I was reeling it in I noticed that I was being filmed by someone from the bank of the river. I had seen them walk upstream a few minutes before, but payed little attention to what they were doing. After I released the fish, I decided to give them some footage of shadow casting and played the line back and forth in the air through several casts for their benefit (it doesn’t do much for your fishing success; if the line’s in the air it won’t catch a fish). I think they enjoyed it, as they were filming throughout the process.
I moved further upstream, and I saw a number of other anglers fishing from the bank. As I approached the area I asked if they minded me fishing the pool as well (it is a large pool) and they didn’t mind at all, in fact three of them came over to stand and speak with me while I fished.
They had been fishing the area for more than three hours, and hadn’t caught anything between them (there were six anglers in total). We spoke about how the season was, and discussed various locations (vaguely of course) where each of us had some success, when we noticed a fish rise about 40 feet away. I pointed it out, and then dropped a cast right on the nose. Two minutes later I was releasing a nice brook trout, a little more than 1 lb. Everyone was pretty impressed, as I had been there less than 20 minutes and already caught more than them 🙂
We continued our conversation, and about ten minutes later we saw another rise, about the same distance away in another spot. I placed a cast right on top of it again, and two minutes later I was releasing a nice rainbow, same size as the brook trout before it. It was my crowning moment. In the eyes of half a dozen fishermen, I had become Poseidon. I chose that moment to wrap up the season.
It didn’t take long for me to come down to earth. By the time I got home, about a 30 minute drive, I had started to feel a little stiff. I had been out on the river for more than 7 hours, and those new summer waders, although double lined, didn’t provide a lot of warmth. If I had worn my neoprene waders (successfully repaired, by the way) it would have been like I was sitting on my couch, wrapped in a blanket. I’ve worn them for hours in 55 – 60 degree water and found myself sweating, even though I only have on shorts and a shirt. As it turned out, I got quite chilled from the excursion, and it took about two days before all of the stiffness worked itself out. Live and learn.
So that was it, the first season of fly fishing has now come to an end, and honestly I cannot express how much fun it was being out there. I’m already itching to get out next season, and the wait for April will be interminable I’m sure. However, I do have a plan to keep me occupied until then. Today I’m going out to my local supplier and buying the tools and materials required to start tying my own flies! I think this is the logical progression of the sport, and I can’t wait to get started. It should also provide me with something to talk about over winter, until I can get back in the water and share the fun again.
Have fun, stay warm, until next time. Winter is coming.
Come Fly With Me 