Hell’s Gate.

Note And Photos From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Hell’s Gate.

The mighty Hell’s Gate in British Columbia, Canada. It’s on the Fraser river and is a most spectacular sight. As you stand in the car park you have no idea of the scale of what you are about to explore. The tourists leave the buses and step onto the tarmac, chattering in groups and posing for pictures. The entrance to the ticket booth is very un-assuming, as all entrances should be. The gift shop should never take emotion from the spectacle to be seen.

Tickets purchased and through the turn style you start to get a sense of what awaits you as you look across at the mountain opposite. Logic and a lighter wallet tells you there is a magnificant sight to be seen below. Gradually the line shortens and your approach is monitored as you get into the cable car, which is going to descend and cross the river, taking you to the viewing platforms on the other side of the gorge.

Doors are closed, the guide pushes the button and you’re off. Down you go, looking at the safety of the booth you have just left and suddenly there’s a view of the river.

 It’s a lot wider upstream of where you are and there seems to be a great deal of turbulence below.

 Looking away downstream, you know the river is much wider, but here at the Gate the river is squeezed and the Fraser is constrained to a narrow channel.

The statistics of Hell’s Gate are somewhat staggering in themselves. At this point the river is only 35m (110 ft ) wide and the river flows at a rate of between 350 to 15,000 cubic metres per second. What we see now resulted from an accident in 1913 when the Canadian railway blasted it’s way through the Fraser Canyon.

There was a rock slide and the spectacular result is history.  There have been huge floods since that time, with the largest in the late 1940’s, giving depths of several hundred feet and destroying the bridge and airtram.

While you stand on the bridge and look down at the river give some thought to the salmon that negotiate this passage. They leave the sea at Vancouver and start a journey which may cover 1100 km in their search for their spawning grounds. The lower Fraser may not be easy, but  this spot?. When the landslip occurred it did substantial damage to the annual return of salmon. Some say salmon runs are still only 90 % successful, even today, but that’s a topic for another time. To be fair, there is constant monitoring and work is in progress to mitigate the damage. There is a fish pass, which dramatically reduces the river speed and enables the salmon a safer passage past the spot.

 Many words have been written about the Fraser river and the Fraser Canyon and I can do little more than direct the reader to books on the history of the area. It makes challenging reading and gives great insight to both nature and to human endeavour.

Since writing this article I have met a small group of kayakers who have actually paddled down this part of the Fraser river.  I think they’re crazy !!!  I’m also led to believe that you can try and run the river on an inflatable raft.

Tags: Canada, Hell’s Gate, Fraser River, Vancouver, Fraser Canyon, Salmon, Salmon Ladder.

Avons.

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Avons.

The old name of Avon has been used across the spectrum, ie a boy’s name, cars, tyres, cosmetics and UK counties.  For me the name Avon is associated with rivers, fishing rods and floats.

 This is not to be a history or open discussion of rods only a few ramblings. I say this because the web is littered with heated debate about one thing or another and this is not the place – only gentle musings of what was, is and perhaps may be.

There have been some notable Avon rods in the past and they start with split cane.

There was the Wallis Wizard, a rod made famous by F.W.K. Wallis. I believe he was the Mayor of Nottingham at one time.  His name has been synonymous with the rod, a particular style of casting, the Hampshire Avon and one time record holder for the barbel. A fish caught from the Royalty fishery at Christchurch, Hampshire, England.

Any discussion of cane rods will usually bring in the Wallis rod and the debate may become heated. There is a spectrum of opinion from the devotees who almost feel that they have discovered the ‘Holy Grail’ of coarse fishing rods. There wil be those who use a glass fibre equivalent of the rod and then there is the efficient, computer designed carbon rod.

Where you sit at the table will be determined by your sensibilities. The old cane avon is a beautiful piece of cane to behold and to use. It feels right as you sit in the reeds on a mild summer evening waiting for the float to disappear. I don’t believe it to be as efficient as some would have you believe. There you go – controversy already.

I have had the pleasure of using the Wallis Wizard rods from both Hardy’s and Allcocks and those used by some noteable anglers, but for me the magic ends when I put the rod down. It is not the thing I seek. Many years ago I enjoyed many fishing trips with an angler that used to fish with Wallis on the Hampshire Avon.

The late Claude Taylor wanted his Wallis rod renovated and I was honoured with the task. He always said he would try the rod again and use his old Hardy Wallis reel. There is a picture of Claude in an excellent book by Peter Wheat, and he gets a mention in John Bailey’s book. Claude, however, was a good technical angler for all species and he gave me many insights into the minds of barbel anglers of the period, in particular, his days with Wallis and tea on the banks of the Avon.

 However, Claude wanted me to use the newer Hardy glass Avon which he regarded as a much better rod for all types of fishing. Often we would sit under some old trees and float fish together for carp using the Hardy Avon and goose quill floats. At that time Claude’s sight was good, but as it failed I modified his floats with big sight bobs so we could still fish.

I digress, such is the tide of memory. Claude taught me the Wallis Cast using the centre-pin reel on the Avon rod and to this day I still use the centre-pin and Avon rod ( albeit in carbon ).

The Wallis Avon was a good rod to use at the time, but in many ways the efficiency improved with the Richard Walker Avon rods. Again they were split cane. The Avon rods were the softer rods of the MK IV stable which gave us a set of serious specimen rods covering carp down to tench, roach and chub etc. The Avon styles heralded the birth of the generation of specimen angling. You can argue whether you agree or disagree, but this is not a forum, only a light hearted mention. The historical perspective can be sort elsewhere, although I welcome anyone who has knowledge that may be put on the site with any pictures that they might like to share. As with all cane rods there were different companies producing the rods, or you could buy the blanks and make up the rod to your style. There was also that breed of skilled artisans who would follow the writings and make their own rods in their sheds. I tried many of these home made rods and the attempts were always a joy to behold.

I think the coming of glass rods spelled the end of an era, although cane is not totally dead, only in the mass market. Maybe that’s a pity. Glass Avon rods were produced at 10′ and 11′ lengths and endorsed by many celebrities. I still have a fondness for both my cane and glass Avons. Mainly because I recall days spent in good company on silent pools or meandering streams in search of fish. Each rod has an associated fish which lingers in the mind.

Fibre glass went through the solid and hollow phase with varying degrees of success, but there was the talk of lighter materials having been developed. Carbon, boron, kevlar etc., were all names in the air.

Carbon fibre finally came and we moved into an emotive age of rod manufacture and use. It seems the old skills had gone and been replaced with the "easily" made carbon rods. This was to deny the great skill and knowledge of the scientists and mathematicians who develop such rods and the engineers who design the actual machines for testing and mass production. There were and are, some excellent rods made with many of these companies engaged in space or tube technologies, even car racing.

As you can see there is great scope for emotive debate on the merits of all these rods. Not here. We only seek to peek through the door. There are sites where the debate rages and you can air your view point. Me, I’ll go fishing and be by the waters edge, sometimes using a rod from each of the stables, and I will be transported back to some English water where I sought a particular fish and the emotion of that time, place and moment will be enough.

Tags: Avons, Avon Rods, Avon Floats, FWK Wallis, Wallis Wizard Rods, Hardy’s, Glass Fibre Rods, Carbon Fibre Rods, Richard Walker, Richard Walker MK IV, Split Cane Rods.

A Seaside Town.

Note And Photo :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

A Seaside Town.

I make no apologies for showing pictures of the seaside. It’s a topic that I love. It’s the smell of the sea, the noise of the waves upon the shore and that raw power which always enthralls me.

Standing at the watersedge thinking of far away places and trying to imagine what it would be like to sail for a new life on some distant continent or fishing from a small boat in a large sea. All challenges which I doubt I will ever tackle.

 Bognor, West Sussex, England.

I know the sky is over cast and I do not intend to be critical of Bognor, I love it.

Those of you who know the area will have a mixture of feelings. Some may find the area depressing and others love the place. For me it has everything the seaside town has to offer and more in the surrounding area. A good place to stay and use as a base for the exploration of Sussex.

The picture shows a sign in the distance for bathers and although I have chosen a cold and dour day, come here when the sun shines and the weather is warm. You will begin to understand why people live near the sea and once it’s in your blood you can never live far away from it’s sights and sounds.

Tags: Seaside, Bognor, West Sussex, England.

Devonian Gardens Calgary.

Note And Photos From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Devonian Gardens, Calgary,Alberta.

On a trip to Calgary I was beset with a certain amount of unease. Imagine a large  shopping complex and, as you walk along the street, you look up at the huge buildings which enclose the area you are traversing on the ground. However, there is something odd. Above the second and third floors there seems to be a surprisng amount of glass roofing. You are forgiven for thinking how hot it must be on those areas under that glass and for the waste of energy that must be needed to keep the area cool.

Shopping was never my thing and in the UK there is always a well placed pub for the members of the ‘escape shopping committee’. Here there seemed to be something different as the shopping precinct seemed to be strangely welcoming. Something like this should always be treated with a slight amount of concern when you have been asked to go shopping with your wife and you ‘want’ to climb the stairs and go through a shopping mall.

All would be revealed as we climbed the stairs and entered through a large glass door to the sound of birdsong on the air. It had to be ‘piped’ bird music. But the shock of seeing a garden centre above a shopping mall required a double take. I was gripped with the desire to go back out of the glass door and come in again. Where were the racks of clothes or the endless displays of items to purchase and why were those flying things real ? They were birds. This was impossible.

It seems the people of Calgary have been blessed with a planner with forsight. The huge shopping complex has a garden area above, which boasts all the quiet sights and sounds you might expect from any suburban garden.

The sight which greets you as the door opens.

Just one of the many arches.

You walk along the paths and pass little scenic areas which beckon you to stay a while and relax. It’s so appealing you actually want to stay. You get left and your wife road tests the credit card while you drift away with a coffee and light lunch, purchased on a lower floor. The ambience of the place is lifted by the waterfalls, little streams, the fish and the wildlife.

Waterfall with stream and fish.

Large fish are in all the pools.

You can stroll at leisure through the displays and throw some of your sandwich to the giant carp that you would love to catch at any other venue. Along each side of the level there is a series of walk ways, which go down the out side of the building and give that strange feeling that you had at ground level. The walk ways have more trees and plants with areas for seating. The birds fly past and you realise thay are nesting in the trees. Rising up a stairway and into another area you come across a pool with turtles resting in the sun.

Turtles resting.

All a surreal experience – it’s like Kew Gardens in the air.

Tags: Devonian Gardens, Calgary, Alberta, Gardens, Birds, Fish, Turtles.

Bewl Water.

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Bewl Water.

Bewl Water has the distinction of being in "two" places. If you listen to the news from BBC  Kent, the newsreaders  claim Bewl belongs to them. I suppose the confusion arises because it has a post code which is for Lamberhurst, Kent. However, the reservoir is physically in East Sussex.

It’s a great place to fish for trout, either from a boat or from the bank. I always hoped that one day they might allow fishing for roach. Perhaps a record might be caught there. Once I had the opportunity to see the huge roach which lie under the trout tanks found out on the water. As the feed was thrown in for the trout, huge shapes would appear from out of the gloom – big roach. They were ‘monsters’. I offered to buy a ticket there and then, but my guide around the water way appologised and told me the ticket was only valid for trout. What a shame. I stood looking at a potential record holder only a short distance away. They might just as well have been miles and an eternity away, they would never be mine. Oh how I wish I had worked for Southern Water in Fisheries, still one can always dream.

Tags: Bewl Water, Sussex, Kent, Trout, Roach, Fishing. Record.

A Lake In West Sussex

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

A Lake In West Sussex.

Whilst in England in April, I was invited to fish a small, day-ticket water in West Sussex. It was a pleasent experience to drive through the lanes of my youth and I was surprised at the lack of traffic. Perhaps it was to early or maybe the threat of a shower had made everyone stay indoors.

I had to stop off at a tackle shop in Pulborough as I didn’t have any floats. Somewhat strange considering the amount of tackle purchased over the years. However it was a simple matter to choose a few bodied wagglers and a small tube to protect the purchase. I even bought some maggots, haven’t done that for years. It was to be a relaxing day with an old friend ( not age wise in case he reads this ). We had planned to fish elsewhere, but the day had taken another direction and for two committed game anglers this was to be different.

There was a breeze which had an uncomfortable side in that the air was damp, but it made a change from 3 months  of temperatures down to -30C so there were no complaints. It is always strange to arrive at a new lake or complex and not know where to start. Worse for me as I’m not used to pay as you go fisheries. In British Columbia & Alberta there are probably over 100,000 lakes of over 10 ha and they are all free. Never mind, a fishing trip is always to be enjoyed.

We chose the pool to fish and settled down. T fished in the next swim to me, pitched at the corner of the lake. I’m sure we made the choice through some deep angling knowledge gained from years of experience, but older bones suggest we may have opted for comfort. T lit his customary cigarette and I tackled up the old John Wilson rod.( that dates me ).

Using a 4lb line and one of the new wagglers, the depth was checked. It was like going back years and memories flooded back of early mornings, tackle assembly, grounbait smells and all those essentials that are hard for the non angler to understand. When all was ready I put on the bait, maggot to start with, and cast out to await the action. For some time nothing grabbed the bait so I changed to corn. A few grains were put out for feed, but still no interest. I  must be losing my touch was an obvious remark from T. You must be getting soft with all that fishing on your door step. Two fingers seemed an appropriate gesture.  T came back with the suggestion that I might have more luck if I embraced the past and changed the JW rod for an old cane Kennet Perfection from B James of Ealing. From his bag he pulled an old rod sock which contained just such a rod.

Now, all cane users will understand that this was a definite improvement and the fish would now come dashing to my bait Couldn’t fail. Not quite that easy. I had to get used to slower action and the weight of the rod, but T needed humouring and he was catching fish. In fact the result was strangely positive. The float sailed gracefully out and settled purposefully onto the water, the bait was corn and a few grains were thrown in as encouragement. Disbelief, the float shot under and I had my first fish a Crucian carp. Haven’t seen one of those for years. Throughout the day I continued to catch fish, crucians, bream, roach and even a carp of about 4lb. It seemed like magic, especially when I tried to use my old JW rod and the fish just shunned the bait.

The Kennet Perfection

And here’s the little crucian carp.

By lunch time I had amassed a good tally of fish. They were all released as I don’t own a keep net. I travel as light as possible.

Whilst we chatted over tea and sandwiches an angler on the other side of the lake suffered a slight loss. Actually it was possibly expensive. The chap had been fishing with two rods, one leger rod, but the other was a pole. Now all went well for a while, but he hooked a fish on the leger gear and when he went to net the fish he had a bite on the pole tackle. Unfortuneately the pole was sitting loose on the top of his tackle box and balanced on what looked like a large paint roller. We heard the slithering noise as the fish towed a few quids worth of gear into the lake. I expect the fish took it down to show other members of the shoal saying " look what I found lads "

I’m always amazed when this happens and often wonder why we bother to fish with more than one rod. Many old and talented UK anglers have raised such concerns down the years. Some have suggested that we fish better if all concentration and effort are bestowed on one set of gear.  Over the years I tend to lean toward this reasoning.

Well, we fished on into the early afternoon, but the weather became damper and the day started to lose some of it’s urgency so we decided enough was enough, time to head off. As we drove  away we reflected upon the day and compared the experience with days spent on other waters.

I do miss the English countryside and the rivers and lakes of my youth. Anglers understand that there is a distinctive smell and character which greets you as you pass through a gate to get to your fishery and there is an expectation which often fails to be fulfilled but never wains.  Perhaps it dies at the end of the day, but it will resurrect itself tommorrow for the next trip somewhere.

I hope to have a few more trips with T and others in the UK and perhaps I can show them the sturgeon and our fishing over here.

Tags: Kennet Perfection, B James of Ealing, Uk, Pulborough, Crucian Carp, John Wilson Rod.

Fishing….

As with all fishing, it requires a little patience….

Video Submitted by JesusBoom, TheBoomerverse

Tags: Cat, Fishing

Tired Wings

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

 Tired Wings.

Not strictly at the watersedge, because this character landed in the garden. It stayed for some time and then some inner sense must have kicked in and it realised it had landed on concrete. It took off and headed  for a pond somewhere or, perhaps, the main lake about 2 miles away.

I always find the Dragonfly an ugly but spectacular creature. When it’s in the water it’s a fearsome predator. The dragonfly nymph will have a go at all small bugs and fish. It has a voracious appetite. Then comes the day of departure when the nymph changes to the flying creature we see beside ponds.

Just look at the face -  those eyes and the body colours. The most astonsihing thing for me are the wings. They seem to be of gossamer thickness, yet when they beat they do so at such speed that they produce a humming sound and flight. What must the muscles be like that have to move the wings for lift off and for changes of angle so that the creature has manouverabilty.

Tags: Dragonfly, Lakes, ponds.

Bar Fishing For Chinook

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Bar Fishing For Chinook.

The mighty Fraser river in British Columbia is an extraordinary place to follow a style of fishing which the UK angler would see as beach fishing.

You use a boat to get to most of the marks and those shingle bars, as a result of deposits from the river and the level dropping for the summer, are usually out in mid stream. Obviously there are spots that can be reached from the road, but there is something special about a boat trip to your own little fishing island. The tackle I have seen being used tends to be long rods 11′ to 12′ with level wind reels holding 50 lb braid. The paternoster style lead attachment holds leads which go from 8 oz to 20 oz plus. It’s like throwing a brick out into the water. The leader may be 25 lb fluorocarbon with a large "spin-glow" lure attached.

Once you have cast out and the splash subsides, you can watch the ripples drift on the current and the rod is placed in the beach rod rest. Now you can sit back and watch the world hurry about it’s business, snooze, have a cup of tea, but always keep an eye on the rod top or listen for the little bell.

There will be the constant passage of guide boats up or down the river, helicopters and small planes. Across the river from this spot there is a log launch with a little boat keeping order, a sight to see. All these  things are part of BC life and a must see experience. However, we all fish for as much as we can get out of the day, so we must not forget the rich wildlfe. There will be ospreys, bald eagles, sometimes a bear or even an inquisitive seal that always seems to surface near your lure.

Tags: Fraser River, BC, Canada, Chinook, Beach Fishing, Spin-Glow.

Spawning Kokanee

Note And Photo From :- Kelowna Trout Angler.

Kokanee Spawning.

Many of us are familiar with the spawning salmon. We’ve seen, on TV, those spectacular leaps made by the salmon as they run up the river to spawn and die. The Atlantic salmon in Scotland are always shown, along with glimpses of spectacular scenery and enchanting music. We wish we could be there.

In Canada it is the Pacific salmon and David Attenborough gives us a dialogue exploring the drama as the salmon run the rivers and sometimes leap into the mouths of waiting grizzlies. It is all very atmospheric and creates the picture of the epic struggle for these fish. They may travel hundreds of miles from the sea to spawn. Once the job is done they die. They are, however, dying as soon as they hit fresh water. Do they know this ?. Perhaps that’s why they are so driven.

There are the stars such as the big Atlantic salmon and the Pacific Chinook salmon. There are also the fish we know of in cans, the Sockeye. From the Pacific there is also the aggresssive Chum salmon which seem to make shorter runs up river, the numerous Pinks and the beautiful Coho.

Now spare a thought for the little guys, the Kokanee. A land locked salmon, related to the Sockeye. Kokanee are small, about 1lb on average, and their struggle is every bit as great as the "lords" of the sea. Some Kokanee are driven by the urge to climb rivers and small streams which enter a large lake, while others will spawn along the lake shore.

The picture shows Kokanee waiting for the moment when they will "jump" the little weir. Migratory salmon in miniature.

It’s a wonderful spectacle to watch and is every bit as dramatic as the performance of larger salmon. The Kokanee wait and slip up into the next section to find a spot to lay eggs, but the end result is always the same. Death comes to these little fish as their bodies change from the beautiful silver of lake life to a bright orange and then the decay after breeding.

The cycle is inevitable as much of the stream life needs the nutrients that the fish provide. " Dust to dust "  that is really seen in action here. The ducks dig up the redds and get the eggs, the bears sit in the pools and eat the fish, while out in the lake, ospreys, bald eagles, sea gulls, otters and any other fish eating creatures wait their turn.

Some fish may grow bigger. I have seen a kokanee of 4lb and the record I think is about 9 lb. I have never seen fish of that size in the stream, perhaps they come from the lake shore variety and perhaps they have an easier life than their stream relatives.

Tags: Kokanee, Chinook, Chum, Coho, Atlantic Salmon, Redds