#FrederictonHasA(Fishing)Scene

This article originally appeared as the Faces Outdoors column in the May 2012 issue of Faces Fredericton, a local lifestyle & entertainment magazine that features those who partake in the city’s nightlife, dining, shopping and entertainment events in and about Fredericton.

Saint John River smallmouth, caught in Fredericton

Click to visit Faces Fredericton

Something that seems to regularly surprise people I speak with about fly fishing is when I tell them where my favourite spot in New Brunswick to chase fish is: Fredericton

The reactions are varied, ranging from mild shock (“Fredericton?!?”) to receiving a look one might get if they had just sprouted a second head from their neck. Once I explain myself, however, they’re usually asking me to take them fishing.

Sadly, it seems some people here in Fredericton view the Saint John River only as an obstacle to get across during rush hour, but unbeknownst to many residents of our fair city, the waters of the Saint John River hold big fish. Trophy fish, such as four-pound smallmouth bass, muskie over a meter long, and the powerful striped bass, some weighing over forty pounds.

Of these three piscatorial local residents, my favourite is the smallmouth. While the number of people chasing ‘smallies’ or ‘bronzebacks’ on a fly rod here might be on the small side; throughout North America, smallmouth fly fishing fans number in the tens of thousands. Kirk Deeter, an editor at Field & Stream magazine, called them “the ultimate fly rod fish” in an online article in June, 2011.

Smallmouth had big fans way back in the day, too: “Inch for inch, pound for pound, (they are) the gamest fish that swims,” wrote Dr. James Henshaw. Back in the day in this case means 1881, that is.

I can say not much has changed in how much fun can be had chasing smallies on the fly rod. And I must not be alone, for even super-high-end rod manufacturer Sage makes a $550 rod for them...and it’s on its second, updated version!

Smallmouth bass are native to the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and the upper Mississippi River, but due to stocking programs in the late 1800s, they are found in all ten provinces and every state except Alaska & Florida in the USA.

New Brunswick was first stocked with smallmouth in about 1870, and they have since thrived here. In fact, prolific smallmouth angler, guide and author Tim Holschlag consistently puts the Saint John River in his list of top 100 smallmouth locations in North America, and we’re regularly featured in Outdoor Canada’s annual list of top fishing spots in Canada.

If you’re a new to fly fishing, or attempting to help someone get started in fly fishing, smallmouth bass are the answer, for two main reasons:
1. they are (usually) very willing to eat.
2. they fight like green demons once they’re hooked, with multiple jumps and rod-bending runs for cover.

Besides, if you only have 4 hours to fish after dinner, do you really want to spend two of those hours driving to & from Boiestown or Doaktown?

Save the gas money & give fly fishing for smallmouth in Fredericton a chance; once you’re hooked up with a couple pounds of bronze fury, you won’t regret it.

Fishing, writing, and writing about fishing

Time/Date: 1330, 07-May-12

Location: Latitude 67°, Nunavut

I don't know how exactly to put this without looking like I'm bragging, but here goes: my first article in print has just been published.

No, it's not in The Drake, The Flyfish Journal or Fly Rod & Reel...yet.

It's in our local monthly entertainment magazine called Faces Fredericton. It's published by my very good friends, and when they asked me to write a column on fishing in and around Fredericton, I gladly accepted. 

I just hope the arts & entertainment crowd of the Fredericton scene welcome the column as much as the regular readers I get visiting here seemingly approve of my usual fly fishing dribble.

As most people know, I do like writing and I consider myself somewhat competent at it. This is more due to my background writing technical reports in my past life more than any natural ability at writing. 

And that's the thing: as much as I enjoy writing, I'm fairly reluctant to venture outside my typical comfort zones of writing about fly fishing, travel, gear reviews, or fishing-related issues. In fact, I still catch myself proofreading (and re-reading again & again) every post to make sure I don't sound 'too technical' in my writing, like some nameless drone in a cubicle, spewing out tech reports.

Back in 2010, when I conceived this whole thing, I figured my writing topics be split evenly between fishing & travel tales, stories & drink recipes from my time behind the bar at Lava Vodka Lounge and the music shows I attend & artists I listen to. And let's not forget the forays into photography, too.

(There was also that whole minimalism phase; while I still practice & preach simple living in order to do the things you love, it's not brought up very much here on this site. You want minimalism stuff? Go visit Leo at Zen Habits.)

So let's review where this has gone since that fateful evening in Ouagadougou when I first hit 'publish:'

• While I still maintain Lava was the most fun I've ever had on a "project," I haven't bartended regularly since early January of 2011, so the drink recipes have dropped off the map.
• I gave up the photography and gave my D-SLR to my dad after seeing too much of Brian O'Keefe & Bryan Gregson. I just focus on Instagram on my iPod/Android, now (you can see that stuff here).
• With withdrawing from the bar scene, my visits to music venues has dropped considerably, too; though I still frequently post what I'm listening to in the form of youtube vids.
• Most of my travel is work-related, so while I might snap quite a few pics (or grumble about -33°C temps in May or brag about +35°C temps in February), I really don't think my readers would enjoy me writing about the fascinating world of geotechnical drilling programs and Intact Rock Strength.
• My pursuit of trout on a 3wt has given way to smallmouth bass and saltwater pursuits, but my current home address in New Brunswick leaves me with the better part of six months as fish-less during the winter.
• I have started fly tying and I do like sharing the products of the new fishing side-hobby. But I am currently an amateur and I'm occasionally reluctant to share the monstrosities that leave my vise. 

I someday wish to explore new challenges for both fishing and writing, but I find myself more willing to take on the new fishing challenges and translate them into words. That seems to be my 'winning' formula, but does it get stale?

The kicker is, if I try new writing directions, will the current readers stick around? Will new readers show up?

One thing for sure: I plan on fishing A LOT in 2012 in multiple locales for numerous species, and I will continue to write about that here. That format seems to work well enough for everybody.

I think right now the most important question is this:

Will Fredericton's arts & entertainment community skewer my ode to smallmouth bass on the fly rod?

Thanks for reading.

Mat

You can click the image below to view the digital version of Faces Fredericton. My column is on page 10.

Faces Fredericton April Issue is now live!

My friends at Faces Fredericton just released Issue #2. 

Click the image below to view a digital version of the magazine.