Photos by Catherine Laflamme.
We took the show to New Brunswick to try and gain a better understanding of fly fishing’s tradition and history. In the 1800’s, Scottish loyalists and Englishmen brought their knowledge of Atlantic salmon fishing with them to the maritimes. They were shocked at what they found and proceeded to shape the sport as we know it today in Canada.
VP Media House came along to film the event.
As expected, one of our stops was the Atlantic Salmon museum in Miramichi.
Art… gets me every time.
Books… my second passion. It was so cool to see my reading list here – only in all first edition prints! Eee!
Old school cleats (why do they look so scary!? 50 Shades of… salmon? Lol!
More frightening stuff. 😉
Poacher’s corner.
Poachers corner, gardeners corner – same thing?
Guiding here is different than many of the places on the west coast. Guiding is a prided profession and is passed on through the generations… check out these guiding badges.
Sigh…
Hoooooge!!!!
Explaining the otolith and scale analysis to museum staff.
The native people of the Miramichi (the Micmacs) used torches and canoes to find and harvest fish. They taught the non-indiginous people much about the fishery.
A classic pattern’s proper proportions.
Then it was off to visit with Mark Hambrook at the fish hatchery. Being a west coaster, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t biased about wild fishery based hatcheries, but it was important to hear what Mark had to say.
Needless to say, I had endless questions.
Then (finally) it was back to fishing. Victor Cooper of VP Media House kept the bug dope on lockdown as these poor guys stayed still in the bushes and basically served as brilliant cameramen… and delicious bug buffet.
Well, almost fishing anyway – we take our jobs very seriously, you know!?
OK, down to the river.
Salmon flies.
Compared to steelhead flies.
All river commuting is done in beautiful canoes with small motors and poles.
Rigging up the Hardy.
Guide Gary Colford and I established an incredible bond… I truly love this man.
Guides take a lunch break and allow us to eat! Whoop!
Interviewing long-time guide and New Brunswick veteran, EJ Long from Wilson’s Camp on the Miramichi. EJ is in his 80’s and still going strong!
And, of course, Karl Wilson…
‘Greased Line Fishing for Salmon (and Steelhead)’ really helped to open my eyes towards light-line fishing and presentations.
I was kindly gifted an authentic 1930’s silk fly line and I simply had to use it!
I stretched it across the lawn and then greased it with Mucilin and applied it with the cotton, felt, paper and leather. It was quite a process but it cast beautifully when it was all said and done!
No fish and the next day it was back to graphite and Rio lines.
Fishing was really tough this year but it did happen!
Ok, so maybe it was a grilse, but it was a gorgeous grilse!
I finally put together my bamboo for the first time and I haven’t put it down since. It was ironic that I had to watch a YouTube clip while on the river to figure out how to tape the splices – yesterday meets today…
Yoshi on camera and puppy duty.
Pretty much sums it up.
You’ll have to tune in to the series to hear the story! Thanks for taking a peek!
~April V.
