Strategy & Tactics

I changed day jobs last week. The transition for me was pretty easy, even though it was a major shift in thinking. I’m not working in operations any more. My new job is pretty well involved in strategy and tactics. While doing the rounds to pre-wire my place in the new position, I was getting some pretty weird looks from the executive committee because I kept using fly fishing analogies to explain my vision for the future.

(Now this is just my opinion, so if you don’t think it makes any sense, drop me a line)

Over the past while, I’ve run into some very proficient fly casters. Tournament casters, precision casters, highly technical casters and some real magicians who are able to reach, mend and just plain lay down a presentation as if they were spiriting the fly out onto the pool and placing it as if on Angel’s breath.

In my humble opinion, the cast and presentation is the logical conclusion of a well thought out strategy. Sure, practicing and honing our casting and fishing skills is an essential and pleasant part of our passion, but honestly, it is a heck of a lot of fun now and again to be connected to 20-25 lbs of quick silver.

After a morning of ironing out technique and casting skills,
we re-evaluated our strategy, changed zones and promptly connected André to a first ever Atlantic.

Salmo salar has a bad reputation for being the fish of 10,000 casts (and we don’t count the false casts). On many occasions, this is simply not true. Why do you think that so many anglers and Guides alike wake up hours before dawn, just to be on the river at the crack of dawn?

Well, (again, IMHO) it isn’t because the salmon are necessarily more prone to taking a fly in the early light. Often, it’s a case of “startling” a salmon into reacting to the fly. To do this, you only get one shot! This also goes for the sea run Brook trout that we are blessed with up here.

So take your time. The day will be plenty long and plenty tiring without wildly double hauling over a pod of fish that aren’t even oriented to react to your fly.

We like to approach the morning at a slow and measured pace:

• Where would the salmon be holding given the day’s water levels and temperatures?
• What type of fishing are WE looking for (dries, wets, streamers etc)
• Are we tired or anxious? Do we really want to double haul #2 dries all morning long into a breeze? Would we rather swing wets on a short tight line off of the bar?

Once we get some of this strategy set out, we start looking for possible targets. If we are on wets, we might just look for a nice run to explore on a methodical down stream swing. If we really want to go to dries, we’ll usually try to actually spot salmon and trout which really appear to be interested in taking a fly.

If it’s deeply overcast, long stripping mice might be a nice option.

Then again, we might just decide to stick to dries, settle down with a nice breakfast and wait for the sky to lift

Renee has decided that she doesn’t want to go hauling off to the bay. The “V” sitting between the point and the run is a much more pleasant presentation to lie down.

On occasion, a good tactic is to rest the pool as well as the angler!

As the sun starts swinging into the river valley, some of the very best quality time we can have together is while we’re sipping a steaming cup of coffee on the gallery over looking a pool or lounging around on a beach. We also take the time to talk strategy and possible tactics.

Christopher Chin – St-Severin Quebec

The Fly fishing partner.

We all (do/should) drag our “significant other” along on fishing excursions. Do you ever wonder if they do it to please us or if they are truly as enthusiastic about our passion as we are?

I’ve been with my Renee for quite some time now. Very shortly after we met, she started fishing with me. She always said that she enjoyed our time together on the river, even when I Guide and she double duties as cook/naturalist/tactician/assistant. I always wondered deep down if she wasn’t really doing it to make sure that I went fishing to get away from the daily rat race (and in today’s forest industry, … the Race is a marathon!)

Perspectives change.

This past Christmas we learned that Renee was ill. A long stint in the hospital and an initially poor prognosis. Sitting up at night at her bedside, we would talk about the things that she missed while she was cooped up in the hospital. We also parleyed at length on the things she wanted to do (in the event that plans turned south).

#1 on the list for Renee was getting back to the River and then, if possible, connecting to her very first Atlantic salmon. Quite a revelation!

She doesn’t want to

• Visit Spain, nor;
• Spend a week in a push hotel, nor;
• Goto DisneyWorld.

I believe that going back to the River together is our goal because it is There that we are really and truly together. The cell phones don’t reach into the valley; there is no electricity, internet, or Blackberry service. We concentrate pretty hard on fishing, but we’re together. Even when we’re amongst friends and visitors, our time together is “quality time”

I’m preparing for the coming season.

We usually camp out in 14’x18’ Prospector’s tent next to the old Warden’s Camp. I’ll look around this summer for a heater to keep the chill off through the night (as the wood stove usually dies around 4 AM). We’ll also shop around for a bigger canoe. One that is more stable with enough room to fish from. Some special flies are already tied up for her and I already spoke at length about the pool she’ll fish (in a previous article).

Having a goal has helped Renee enormously in her daily grind (as have all the kind words and prayers that we have received from the wonderful community here).

The snow banks have melted about halfway and the grass has started to peak out from the snow covered grounds. The season opens in early June. We still don’t know what the future holds in store for us, but we’re wading along one run at a time.

Gibbs Levert

A wonderful three days with Gibbs and his girlfriend.

After a day trip last year, Gibbs came up for three days this season, hoping for some salmon. As the run is late this year, we only got into a few salmon.

On day two, a suicidal salmon came back to his dry fly 3-4 times. Actually taking the fly once but not by the hook.

A third day in the open rods zone proved uneventfull, so we signed in for the last 3 hours back in the #4 zone. First cast, a refusal by the a salmon. On th same cast, as the fly is swinging out, a nice trout jumps the same fly!

hanks Boris for your helpful comments when we crossed paths on the river.

A quick afternoon

Killing time between groups, I stayed over on the river thursday night. Down to the office friday morning, I borrowed a desk to get some office work out of the way (yes, even on vacation time).



Friday afternoon, I just can,t resist and sign in for a half a day in the unlimited rods zone.



As I'm string ing up, Marcel Gendron arrives. He's planning to do the same zone, so I invite him to come out to the 37 for the pointers he's been asking for for the past 3 years.



It is a pleasant suprise to be fishing with Marcel this afternoon. Instead of exploring the pools alone, I find myself sharing the runs with a friend.



Marcel is quite accomplished at catching trout. He's maybe a it too anxious to catch his first salmon though. A few pointers as to drifts and speed of the swing and he's all set.



I explore a few more pools downstream and Marcel moves upstream. A fine afternoon with an unexpected but welcome Guest.

Friends

Carl, Louis, Dave, Debbie and Luc came down for a day of fishing.

Unfortunately, torrential rains the night before pretty well blew out the river. In the #2 zone we did some exploring and finally got Carl's son, Kevin into a big trout. This bruuiser seemed to be heading West so hi really wasn't interested in our offerings.

It was an insightful lesson for the gang as they saw just how difficult these sea run brook trout can be.

Dave bags a nice 1 lb trout in the #23, but with the river 3 feet highr than the day before, that's all the action we see.

First trout - Eric

Day two and we're in the #4 zone.

A few lookers in Glass pool, but they won't move for a while. We prospect the 43 then the 48.

Eric gets a nice 2-3 lb trout in the 48 and is quite happy "Well, my day is complete".

Over for lunch on Glass pool and some serious fishing.

A few salmon are holding and one or two of them are serious about taking a fly.

With help from Boris, we get a few rises and one take. The jury is still out, but it appears as if Pierre may have taken the fly out of the salmon's mouth!

A fine time was had by all.

Eric Paradis and friends.

After months of exchanging e-mails and a few phone calls, I finally met Eric, Jean-Yves and Pierre Dion (Riviera) this past weekend.

I met up with our visitors at 05h00 saturday morning at the motel. Quick introductions and we're off to the #2 zone. Working our way down from the top of the zone, we explore some favourite pools.

We see some salmon in the 25, but they don't seem interested in our offerings, prefering to move constantly upstream.

Tomorrow - the #4 Zone