Canadian Sal-mon

The timing is never right for this trip. It usually falls during my busiest time of the year for work and at a time when the winter shack nasties are still very much a part of one's personality. I've often thought of quitting my job in the month of April so things that get you excited, like sal-mon, rarely help.

We have been invited on this trip by a senior honorary Solidhookups brother so we wait for his call.
It's hard to bring more people in to the fold as it is not our trip but come spring we wait for the phone to ring.

High water and cold temperatures were what we were planning on and we were not dissappointed.

Old Wik had been battling a stomach bug ( one which I have ingested as well, as I sit home from work today to type this for you)

But first a stop for gas. $52.00 for two tins of dip and the Canadian toilet paper was divided into appropriate sizes for me already.

A quick stop to admire hand tied flies at the fly shop.

Soon we were right where we wanted to be. Fishing off an ice shelf.

Think winter steelheading with a floating coyote corpse down stream.

We got a few that first day and hoped things would look up.

I've recently started fishing old Hardy Perfects, 1950's and 60's vintage. They are cool and loud and make me think of the fisherman from yesteryear and all the encounters they have been a part of. I like them.
But, the Brit's were all left handed ( joking of course) the reels work very well if spooled for right hand retrieve. If you hook a semi hot fish and have it spooled for left hand wind, the fish can pull line out quickly and will eventually "unspool" the spool from the winding plate. When this happens, one friend should help, one friend should take photos and you, the angler, should just hand line that puppy to shore.

 

I tried to fish some classics, flies a friend had tied for me with blind eye hooks and cat gut.

But the fish wanted the old Wilkie Special.

These "black" sal-mon will put a bend in a 6wt that's for certain.

Boo yah,
Thank you Canada.