Good place to start?

[Rybren]

I was thinking of blowing the dust off of the old fly rod and hitting the water tonight. I've seen lots of posts about local spots, but I've never been to any of them (or know where they are, for that matter)

Does anyone have any suggestions for someplace fairly wide open (it's been a long time since I used a fly rod and I was never any good to begin with) and where there's potential to catch something (anything would be okay - it's more fun practicing when you get the occasional hit)

I live in Orleans and would like to stay within an hour's drive.

Thanks in advance

Rybren

[beachburger]

Grab a few woolly buggers and go visit the smallies on the Rideau @ Strathcona Park. Go below the rapids and stand in the water close to the shore. It's not very deep. You can also go upstream a bit from the parking lot and go just in front of the rock ledge that spans the wiidth of the river. This rock ledge is easy to find because you will see people walking or riding their bikes across it.

HTH,
Doug

[Rybren]

Doug,

Thanks for the tip. I think that I'll give it a try.

Cheers,

Jerry

[Rybren]

Took your advice and headed off to the park tonight. Tried the Woolly Bugger. Had a couple of fish tap it, one hook up, and none landed.

Came to realize that I'm a much better fly fisherman in my imagination than I am in reel life. (pun intended) I definitely need lots of practice.

Saw a few other flyfishermen (and fisherwoman) working the opposite (east) side of the river, but it didn't look like they were having any more success than me.

Thanks again. One of these days I'll make it out for the Tuesday night gathering.

Cheers,

Jerry

[Rybren]

Well, I had so much fun last night that I decided to give it another go this morning. Hit the east side of the river at about 6:45 and started with the Woolly Bugger, it wasn't working for me. Switched to a sparklie Chartruse something or other and picked up a smallie on the first cast. Second cast brought in another smallie. All told, in 2 hours, I managed to hook into 6 or 7 bass, none of which were bigger than 9 or 10 inches and all were caught on the green thingie.

What a way to start the day.

Thanks again. Any other suggested spots to try?

[Salar]

You can try the Rideau upstream of the Bank street bridge across from the Billings Bridge Mall. Best to park on Warrington drive on the North side of the river. There's a set of stairs there to the river.

[Rybren]

Salar,

Thanks. If I can get another pass from my wife, maybe I'll give it a try tonight. Cheers.

[beachburger]

Glad you were able to get out and find a few fish. Smallies of any size are great fun on the fly.

What weight fly rod did you dust off?

[Rybren]

Got the pass. Went out with my son for about 1 1/2 hrs. Me with a fly and son drifting a Gulp worm (we only have 1 fly rod). The bass liked the Gulp worms a lot more than my selection of flies; however, sonny boy was having more trouble keeping them hooked. Final score was 6 - 6 for landed smallies, but it's a good thing that junior was having bringing them in or it would have been a rather lopsided competition.

Thanks again for the tip.

[Rybren]

I have a 5 wt. I had an 8wt as well, but it lost the battle with the car's trunk lid.

The 5wt seems about right for these bass. I had only fished trout and salmon before, but these acrobatic bass sure are a lot of fun.

Thanks for the help. I hope to get out a lot more before the year is out.

[beachburger]

I use a 5 wt for smallies as well and bump up to an 8wt for pike and largies. The 5 wt could handle most of the fish I catch on the 8 wt but it can't cast the bigger/heavier flies I like to use.

[Rybren]

I'd like to be able to blame my poor casts on the rod, but unfortunately, anyone who saw me fishing could see through that lie.