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Almost three months...

In the online world, that's like forever...

So, what's been happening with the ol' Wooly Bugger - fishing wise.

Here in Canada, the ice is on the lakes. Fish are dormant, and so are most fishermen. Except for those crazy souls who want to walk around a hole in the ice all day trying to stay warm.

Ice fishing. Total insanity.

A bottle of your favorite "belly warmer", a skidoo suit, an ice auger and a cold afternoon.

Can't say I'm very fond of the idea. Cold toes just don't make my day happy.

But...

Fishing is fishing. And I've stood in the middle of a river dodging ice in February to chase a whitefish run.

So, who am I to judge the ice fishers?

I finally get to go fishing in September!
Buddy told me he hasn't had his u-boat in the water since spring. We agreed that tomorrow the trout are in trouble.

Which brings me to preparing for a day on the water....

Check your equipment.
It only happened once, but I got to the lake with my uncle and he realized he hadn't loaded the boat motor. There was no way he was going back down to tell his wife, so we ended up renting a boat for the day. Not cheap, but a great shared adventure with my uncle.

So now, I go through EVERY piece of gear before I leave.

Check the rod to make sure the guides are still smooth. The reels (I always carry three, a floating line, a sink tip and a full sink line on separate cartridges.) I make sure my line is in good shape and carry plenty of extra tippet. The last thing I want is to not be able to fish because I ran out of tippet!

The belly boat gets blown up before I leave town. Just to make sure there are no leaks. I double check my flippers, the pump, waders and everything else I need to get "on the water."

And I always go through my fly box. I have a few "go-to" flies that never fail (more on this after tomorrow's trip) and make sure they're in good shape and the barbs are pinched.

Can't wait to hit the water!

Trout beware.

September starts.

The trout are getting ready for winter. That means it's an ideal time to head up into the hills with your fly rod and a box of your favorite flies.

When it's sunny, I like to use yellow wooly worms with a red-tipped tail. I had one fantastic day last year in September - with my uncle - where we landed 15 fish in less than 3 hours. Each.

He, being of a different generation, kept most of his. Mine all went back into the lake to fight another day.

Fly fishing in September.

This is a great time to fish. Especially if you're a beginner. The fish are hungry and aggressive. You have less competition on the lake, and some of the best weather of the year. Usually!

Another favorite fly this time of year is the maroon leech. Or any dark color. The maroon works in the tea colored lakes around here really well. From the shore or from some sort of floating device like a boat.

Fishing boats, belly boats, pontoon boats - they all serve one purpose... to get you on the water. So, if you're looking for some spectacular action, go fish in September.

That's where I'm going!

Wooly Bugger

There's ways to catch fish and then there's ways to catch fish...

Simply the best way in my opinion is spending a lazy afternoon kicking around a high elevation lake tossing flies at rising trout.

Fly fishing...

So much romantic crap has been written about the eternal battle between man and the tiny brained trout it makes me ill. The real reason men - and now women - fish is for sheer fun! Oh sure there's some visceral pleasure in actually outsmarting a 2 or 3 pound trout, but the real pleasure is when your rod tip dips, dances and the feeling is transmitted to your hands.

Fly fishing...

There's no better way to get in touch with your place in the universe.

There's a certain Zen appeal to rhythmically casting to a rise, or mastering the right retrieve for whatever imitation insect you have on the end of your line, or for even matching what the fish are taking that particular trip to the lake, stream, river or wherever your favorite fishing hole happens to be.

I prefer the challenge of still water fishing from a belly boat. (Or more correctly, a pontoon boat, since I really sit on the thing and not in it.)

An early morning drive up to a hidden lake rewards me with all sorts of wilderness experiences. The black bear cub that watches me from behind a stand of spruce... the deer at water's edge... the loons and their mating dance...

Speaking of loons...

They're cagey buggers. And not above stealing your fish. I'd heard stories about how they actually take trout right off your hook while you're desperately trying to land the little guys. I laughed at these stories.

Then it happened to me one day.

Picture this:

Me and best fishing buddy on a tiny little walk in lake known to house some of the most prized lunkers in the area. Buddy gets down the lake before I do; I stop to fish a deep spot. No action, but I see he's getting some hits so I kick hard to where he is.

On the way down the lake, I get a HUGE strike. Almost takes the rod right out of my hands. This is a serious fish. I abandon the reel in favor of just stripping in line to keep this monster from taking off when out of the corner of my eye I spot the loon diving.

The memory of fish-stealing loon stories comes immediately to mind. And sure enough the bird is after my fish. Now I'm horsing the line in, dragging the fish (which I'd normally play with a certain flair and delicacy) so the damn loon doesn't get him first. I'm more worried about losing line, backing and maybe even rod, and the loon keeps on coming.

The clear water lets me watch as the loon approaches the fish, I can see him getting closer. Finally he's close enough that I can kick at him with my big flipper, all the time yelling, "F*** off loon, this one's mine!"

Buddy is laughing so hard he's practically falling out of his pontoons.

I get the fish landed, a nice two and a half pound rainbow, and release him. But not until after the loon has surfaced and watches to see what I do with "his" catch.

It's a great story and usually worth at least one beer around the campfire or in the local watering hole.