Fall Brook Trout

I headed out to one of my favorite bass spots yesterday evening with my son and a couple of friends. We arrived at Long Lake (just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia) about one hour before sunset, which has always been prime-time for bass this summer, but this time things were very different. Instead of the usual bass, we found ourselves hooking into trout. The first was caught on a number five Mepps Black Fury, which needless to say, cause some pretty severe damage to this beautiful fish so she was kept for the frying pan. We all started using smaller spinnerbaits and hooked into a few more but only landed one more.

As you can see from the photos, the two trout had very different colouration.

Mini Fury!

The only thing I love more then fishing, is fishing with my son Ash. Sure I don’t get to catch as many fish. I still have to bait his hooks, tie his knots, and cast for him. But when his eyes light up when he sees a fish its all worth it. No matter how small a fish he catches, its always huge to him. Teaching my son about fishing and instilling what will hopefully be a lifetime love of the outdoors is just about the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

Ash hooked his first fish when he was a year and a half, and was slightly scared by the event (he didn’t know what was going on when the line started pulling back!). Catching his second fish was a pretty similar experience, and he wanted me to reel the fish in for him. He had always been pretty shy about touching the fish until our most recent trip when he grabbed a small trout right from my hands!

My First Fish of 2010!

I’ve been out fishing a few times this year testing out some new lures at a local lake that is open all year. The first official day of the 2010 fishing season in Nova Scotia started yesterday, and I was excited to get back to my favorite trout hole. When I say hole, I mean just that. This spot is a little ditch off one of our main highways. Luckily for me, its only a five minute five from where I work. I spent my lunch hour at the ditch and did a little bit of underwater filming while catching a small trout. After lunch I realized I didn’t get a photo of a fish to post, so during my last break I snuck out again. My coworkers laughed and said I wouldn’t be able to get there, catch a fish and return in 15 minutes, but I decided to try anyway.

The plan was five minutes to get there, five minutes to catch a fish and take a photo, then five minutes to get back. The first part of the plan didn’t go to well. I hit just about every red light on the way and the trip took eight minutes. I rushed to the ditch and luckily I caught a trout on the first cast. One fish caught and picture taken in three minutes, leaving only 3 minutes to spare. The drive back to work took exactly five minutes putting my total time at 17 minutes.

If you had fifteen minutes to catch a fish from where you are sitting right now, could you do it?

I’m Ready For My Close-up

I’ve been fishing as much as possible this year, generally 4-5 times a week. I’ve been rotating between different lakes, rods, reels, lures and fish. I mostly target bass on my baitcaster but switch it up to spinning and fly-fishing on occasion for trout. I’ve done quite well so far this season, catching and photographing some beautiful little fish. I miss catching big fish, but there is really something special about these colourful little brook tout.

I’m amazed how different they look despite being the same species.

I also have been getting into some chain pickerel recently on small spinner biats. They are very similar to pike, but rarely get over 30 inches around here.