Thursday, October 27, 2011

fishing post #2 - a trip upstream

on one of the last days of the fishing season, i decided to try a little adventure and travel up one of the streams that feeds our river - it was a stunning afternoon to do so. i got the bob's special all loaded up and ready to launch (note the high water, this is when the river was blocked from entering the ocean - you can read all about it in kymber's post "take a walk down the beach with us and why the river was so backed up!".



and out into the framboise river i go!



my destination is marked in red "here" - you'll have to look at the pic full size!


time to do a little trolling on the way... in a canoe you ask?


yep, in a canoe! i paddle on the right side the whole time with a steady j-stroke and anchor the rod under my right foot and above the left rim of the boot on my waders so that the rod won't bang off the gunwale and chip the carbon fibre shaft. waders will be coming in handy later ;-)



okay now i am close to my destination so i have fun peeling in around a reed bed that is covered by the high water, foot and a half deep, no problem for a canoe!!



stunning pic of the entry pint to the stream!


and further up the stream i go, around the bend comes the first challenge..



but before that, here is a pic from behind, not the river anymore to be sure!


ahhh, the first challenge, ripply rapids, very rocky and shallow so i disembark and pull the canoe along..


now i am back in the water, but you can see that there are more disembarks ahead.. i'm having a blast!

trees overhanging and land i'm sure most people never see..


this shot is blurry but i had to show y'all the maple that makes a complete arch over the stream, had to duck for this one!


paused at the gravel bar to soak in the beauty of it all, this is not a well traveled area at all, no paths to the stream and the only way to get here would be to canoe up the stream... there aren't a lot of canoes in cape breton! (oh yeah, caught a few trout in the pool to the right)


more gorgeous stream to traverse, i'm a famous coureur des bois! (well, in my own head anyway)



just past that rock is where i turned around, it was starting to get dark..

i caught a LOT of these tiny brown trout. i kept this one as he was badly hooked. i thought they were all parr (yearlings) because of the markings, but when i cleaned him he was full of sperm. i think they are all stunted or a weird midget type of trout. i have research to do.


on the way back i let the canoe go first in the shallow sections, holding on with a rope and letting the current do it's thing.

back on the river - a nice shot of where i had just been, was nearly pitch black by the time i got back to fm!!



hope you enjoyed a trip up a little-known stream. i will be scouting it for deer tracks next summer before hunting season!

cheers!

21 comments:

  1. what kind of crazy is he, you ask? well, if he had have lived in the 1600 to the 1800's, he really would have been a coureur des bois (woodland runners) - look it up if you are at all interested. basically, these were the frenchmen who traversed most of Canada's lakes and rivers in canoes trapping, trading, moving goods and were some of the first people to meet the majority of our Native People's - with whom they maintained a cordial and trusting relationship at all times.

    although most people think of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Canada's heroes - our first heroes were the coureur des bois!

    i hope that you enjoyed this Canadian history lesson. we love our Canadian history.

    the mere fact that he can go out in that canoe, traverse areas that no one has ever gone to, catch us some breakfast and make his way home - makes me a very proud helpmate!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so envious! If it wasn't for the winters and my wife's distaste of them, I'd change our plans in a heartbeat.

    You done good guys!

    Rgds.
    SC

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear SC - don't you owe me an email? nice of you stop in here though...and thanks - we really love it here!

    your friend,
    kymber

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Guys,

    There's that fantastic blue sky again ! I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon ... raw beauty, peace and quiet, and even fish for dinner !

    Take Care :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. thanks Helga - honest to goodness - neither of us are professional photogs so we don't do the sky justice AT ALL with our sad little pics! the sky here is to die for and i really mean that!

    we spend our days together doing our household chores, caring for the garden, taking care of vehicles and equipment and cooking, sometimes we read together, sometimes we watch movies, or play boggle and scrabble (very embarrassed to admit that) - but his is a very, quiet, old soul and he needs time out on the river with no other sound than the paddling of his canoe. i have gone fishing with him many times over the years and as he casts - he goes into a trance...something about the sound of a whip, whoosh, sploosh, wait, roll, roll, roll and then repeat that brings him peace of mind. this year was a hard year for him to get out exploring as much as he may have liked - but next spring we will hit the ground running and he'll be able to go out for a few hours a day minimum. and then in the summer - he hits the lobster and crab boats. he's never been on either. and he is sooo excited. and i am excited for him!

    thanks for always stopping in Helga!

    your friends,
    kymber and jambaloney

    ReplyDelete
  6. The photos are just amazing. You are in such a wonderful place.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ..hehe..CB is full of tiny trout..you need to head over to the other side of the island for some Salmon on the Margaree!..but don't fish out of season just cause I said so!! Many summers for me in Margaree fishing but mostly snorkelling in the deep pools and cutting the shit of my knees as I would not bother to get out of the water as I traversed the rapids to plop into a new pool..I would drive the fishermen crazy when I dropped into a pool people were fishing out of..hehe

    ReplyDelete
  8. So beautiful and amazing. Loved the little brown, bet they taste great. You are so lucky, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just can't imagine j-stroking the whole time. I would have to rig something on the back for holding the troll rod (ha, that made me laugh).
    Very excellent time alone, thanks for the great pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice is all I can say. I think I would forget the trolling and trade the divorce boat in for a kayak then you wouldn't need to portage over the riffles.

    I may have to convince the wife that I need a fishing trip to Canada next Summer. I so enjoy kayaking trout fishing trips.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A nice and relaxing post to read on this Friday afternoon, and i hope Mr jambaloney is still mending up and healing-up. We are getting some early snow over my way this weekend, and its coming from one of my favorite places which is Canada. The tree's are pretty much at peek color's, and im just enjoying everything and taking all of this in. Richard from Amish Stories

    ReplyDelete
  12. If I had that river out my back door, I would call it my DBOL or Dream Bug Out Location.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree with Ed! Great story, great day you had...thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. SC:

    i would love to take you out on the river here – it’s magical! thanks for the two thumbs up!
    your friend,
    jambaloney

    Helga:

    we are blessed for certain – we get to see that sky all the time! and it was a wonderful afternoon – thanks for stopping by!

    Rob:

    thank you, the pics don’t even do it justice, it is a wonderful place – thanks!

    eagergridlessbeaver:

    the trout are tiny here, but plentiful and so healthy. oh yeah VERY tasty!! there are salmon in the framboise river, but the population took a hit about 10 years ago when the river mouth got blocked at the beach during the june run . apparently the salmon all congregated at the spot where they were supposed to go upstream and the seals had a field day. i have caught a few salmon parr so it’s possible there are a few runs left or they are developing a landlocked population. you must have been popular with the salmon fishermen for sure, especially considering the price of a salmon charter ;-)

    Stephen:

    my friend; thank you for your kind words of support and encouragement as always. we sure feel lucky! it was an awesome excursion! and yes, the trout are yummy!

    Max:

    I come from Ottawa in eastern Ontario. the coureur des bois and voyageurs (canadian pioneers) travelled all around the area for centuries. canoeing is second nature there. every cottage has a canoe. i’ve been canoeing since 6 or 7 so the j stroke is second nature for me, left or right. i will be rigging a trolling holder next year though, my method is a little ghetto! it was a nice solo trip, the kind you seem to enjoy running – i am glad you liked the pictures – thanks!

    PioneerPreppy:

    i’ve done my fair share of kayaking and they are faster, but i prefer the canoe, just more room for storage and greater freedom of movement, plus i am up higher above the water. the stream is really flat and some of the riffles cover the rocks by just an inch of water bank to bank so regardless, you would have to portage sometimes. no worries on the divorce boat, i take kymber for rides too and she isn’t worried ;-) come in season , i’ll take you out for some primo fishing!

    Richard:

    Thanks for the well wishes, i am on the mend, record sized bruise on my elbow ;-) i am glad you found the post relaxing – that was the point – cheers!

    Ed:

    thanks for adding a letter that sums it up – this really is a DBOL!

    Kris:

    i am glad you liked the post – you are so welcome!

    Practical Parsimony:

    i am happy that you find the pictures to your liking. it is so beautiful here, thanks for stopping by!

    i would add for everyone that if you are near enough water, a canoe would be a valuable alternative as a bug out vehicle. my canoe is a bob’s special originally built by the Chestnut Canoe Company -good overview here:

    https://canoeguybc.wordpress.com/tag/chestnut-bob-special/

    a design that is about 100 years old – it is an amazingly versatile canoe. it can go anywhere! if kymber and i needed to flee, one option would be to load up the canoe (tent, supplies, cats) and take the exact route i just showed you . no-one could find us.

    ReplyDelete
  15. JUGM - thanks. it really is pretty amazing here. and we love it!

    your friend,
    kymber

    ReplyDelete
  16. A perfect ending to a work day. I come home, fix a bite to eat and a cup of tea. Then sit and relax and read about your canoe trip down the river. Thanks for sharing and I love the photos. :) Hope that you are mending well! Hugs to both of you :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. JUGM:

    thanks - our place is amazing for sure!

    Beate:

    i am really glad you enjoyed a trip down the river, i am mending better than could be expected - i am sure kymber has something to do with it ;-)

    hugs back to you!

    ReplyDelete
  18. wow, what great way to spend a beautiful afternoon, i super enjoyed the guided tour, thanks jamb

    ReplyDelete
  19. GoodBagGirl:

    I am glad you enjoyed it! It really was a special day!

    cheers!

    ReplyDelete