April 25, 2015

After lots of anticipation this year, I have managed to wet the line a few times. The winter has run late this year, with ice on most of the lakes until last week. The birth of my son, John Kenneth, has kept me busy at home too. However, I still had time to tie over a 100 flies, rig reels and lines, getting ready for the season. I have had two failed attempts on a local river, in search of the browns I caught last fall. Good casting practice though the second outing cost me 5 woolly buggers! Not good, back to the vise after that episode…..

Now its high water, as the snow and ice is leaving the hills, so in need of a tug, I headed to Winnipesaukee with my brother to troll some streamers. I tied on a jacked up Governor Aiken (purple ice dub shimmer fringe wing), and shortly hooked up with a nice 20” salmon, around 3 lbs., that fought well, jumping a few times at the boat before finding the net. I hooked anther smaller fish another ¾ mile down the lake, just as we were in some heavy wind and choppy conditions. Released him and were thankful it wasn’t a big fish as I didn’t dare stop the boat. The weather varied from cloudy, windy as hell, to sunny and tolerable, then right back again. Typical spring conditions, but good to get out and fish. Although more like fishing with a fly rod that actually fly fishing, the results of trolling streamers in Winni has seldom disappointed.

Rivers are dropping and drift boat is coming out soon! See you on the river!