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[chris gadsden]

Welcome to The Journal on Fishing With Rod your top fishing web site in the North West for fishing information, tall tails, instructional video's, fishing tips, discussion of environmental issues and much more.

Well finally I found the time to get away for some fishing as too many meetings made it almost impossible to get away for a few days. I planned to leave Sunday night but the continuing unseasonable weather saw heavy rain belting down most of the day so I decided to leave early Monday morning.

I was so restless in looking forward to getting away to fish I hardly slept that night. I even got up in the early morning to continue packing until my wife came down and complained about the noise I was making.

Anyway I was on my way bright and early with the Leaf  Mobile packed with enough stuff for a month's stay, no wonder it takes me so long to get ready. There was hardly any room for the Leaf Craft #2 who was grinning from ear to ear knowing she would once again be on the water. She as I mentioned before is as old as me, my dad bought her in the 1940's. Many fish have met their end on her floor boards. My dad used to say it was because of him fish stocks were in trouble now. He took 49 winter Chinooks out of the boat in Chemainus harbor one winter, he said he was trying for 50, that was in the 1950's.

I decide to first stop and see my son who was just coming off his night shift job as the rain was still pelting down, no rush to reach the Coq. it was so cold I thought it could be snowing on the summit that is 1,244 meters high.

As I turn into his work place I see my turn signal is not working, as my son has a screw driver and I a bulb he is gracious enough to change it, in the pouring rain. However something is wrong as it still does not work, wiring, bad bulb or what.

So I am delayed further as I have to wait to get the right bulb from Fortins that open at 8, I buy 2 and then off to Dr. Chad at the garage, they open at 8:30. This time the signals works fine and I am finally on my way, lake here I come, fish watch out. Just outside of Hope I see a net on the side of the road, it is a bit worse for wear but repairable. It is the second I have found in the last while. A lot of stuff seems to blow out of boats, I know I have lost a life jacket and a top to my battery case, always see lots of them along the roads.

The rain finally stops as I reach the summit of the Coq and I decide to go for a stretch, pick up some bottles and tins as well as breath the fresh mountain air. I get 2 bags of recyclables and stash them to pick up on the way home, that is if I can find the room. I stop at Britton Creek rest stop, pick up a few more tins and get a coffee, the vendor says he will not be charging HST, OK

I finally reach the turnoff to the lake, I see a sign saying active logging, most be pine beetle wood they are bringing out. I am watching for trucks and was thankful for the sign as I round a turn a big logging truck is bearing down, I accelerate quickly to reach a wider spot so the truck barely gets by me, my heart beats a little faster, what a way to start the trip, I was close to heaven or hopefully not the other place.

Finally I reach the lake safely, another couple of guys are just settling in, I ask them what site they want, I take the other, both close to the lake shore. Boy the bugs are bad, the cool weather does not seem to bother them.

I set up camp and get the Leaf Craft in the water and have a late lunch and out the lake I go, excited too to be fishing once again The eclectic motor is acting up, maybe the battery did not take a charge, out comes the oars a few hours of fly fishing sees two very slight takes, I do not even strike. It getting cool as the strong wind does not help so I decide to put a #6 silver flatfish on and get warmed up by rowing some more. I also have a leach on the sinking line. It is not long as the flatfish temps a small fish around 12 inches on, feels good to feel a fish again but the joy does not last long as it sheds the hook.

A little later the flatfish again is a tasty looking morsel to a rainbow as line peels from the reel as the rainbow does a few jumps to add the the thrill. I decide to keep it for a meal if I run out of food, its close to 2 pounds..

I fish a bit longer with no success but keep interested seeing some fish jumping. The loons are interested too keeping a eye on us, glad they were not close when I had the 2 fish on. A few anglers have no luck at all. I had seen no Chironomids coming to the surface either, too cold?

Back to camp, cook supper and to bed by 9, tired after a full day and only a couple hours of sleep the night before. I am getting tired tonight too, The Journal continues tomorrow.

[chris gadsden]

As I got to bed early in the Leaf Mobile Hilton I was up early Tuesday morning, at the crack of dawn. The cool weather of the last while was still with us so a fire was quickly made. The sound of the coffee pot brewing on the Coleman camp stove was only challenged by the coffee smell drifting through the crisp morning air. A old coffee pot sure beats a modern one, simple and efficient. I find I had lost my Maple Leaf mug somewhere on the trip, most likely when at Dr Ernie's and Chad garage. I had a used McDonalds cup on the floor of the LM so I hope it was not offended to have Tim Horton's coffee poured in it.

As sit, coffee in hand warming by the fire the first birds start to welcome the day, a rabbit bounces by checking me out. I tie up some gear as I sip the coffee, two other groups of campers have not stirred, not early risers like me but I like to see the sun rise when out fishing and camping. I go for a short walk to work up an appetite for the hot cakes and bacon that will be on the menu this morning. When I have the cakes and bacon cooking on the stove their aroma challenges the coffee smell. With breakfast done I load up the boat once again and as I got the electric motor going yesterday it goes back on the boat. I never did figure out why it had not worked but when I hooked it up to the truck battery it hummed like a baby.


Sure nice to use a electric motor one on a lake as it preserves the stillness of any small lake. I fish chironomids from 9 until and 1 with only have two small take downs of the red indicator that I donot even strike, I only see one boat fishing a gang troll land on nice sized one. I may fish a flat fish but not a long trill but on course northing wrong with doing so but I must try to master fly fishing, it is a steep learning curve it seems. The wind is blowing and it remains cool so I decide to head back to camp for lunch.

On the way back, I stop at another campsite down the lake. The campers beside me said 2 fishers had a bit of a party there. Maybe some tins are left behind. I am not disappointed as they litter the now vacant campsite. They have been strewn around the bushes as a bear has ripped the bag open as they were in with the garbage in the bag, large teeth marks are visible on the bag. I gather the $3.70 worth of tins quickly, should have picked up the garbage too but I was wary the bear might return to check me out.

I reach my campsite safely and after lunch I go for a walk, a KM down the road, picking up some more tins and get some pictures.
As I loop back to camp my cell phone rings, should really leave it off as one reason I get away is to away from the computer and the phone but I feel more comfortable with the phone on encase there is an emergency at home.

It is Ted Field a reporter from Global TV, he is returning my call from Friday as I want to brief him on the proposed gravel mine in the Chilliwack River Valley as I feel there is a story there, I give him some contacts names who are involved, he seems interested in covering it. Of course this generates a few more calls for me but I feel it is important to do every thing we can to save our environment. My mind has changed gears for a short period but it is not long I am back in a fishing mood.

The wind is still bad so I decide to head to Merritt for some shopping and to get away from the mosquitoes. On the way out on the gravel road , near the Coquihalla Highway I stop to pick up a tin and find a wallet with a driver's license etc. in it but empty of cash, most likely stolen by someone, will take to the police station in Merritt later.

On arrival in Merritt that is about 20 minutes from the campsite I do some shopping as well as some window shopping. Its cool in town too, feels like Fall. I head back to camp after a hour or so in Merritt where I have a nap before heading back for some more fishing but not even a bite. I visit with the neighbors, they have not had a bite in two days now, I feel smug with one fish landed and one loss and the two take downs of the indicator. I leave them to their camp fire and their fishing woes, at least they are enjoying what ever they had in their cups, some thing to warm them up I guess.

Sleep comes easily once again as day two ends quietly.

Day 3 later.

[chris gadsden]

Boy the admids are busy changing my subject title once again.

Day 3 later today.

[chris gadsden]

Supper is ready but a messy camping table.

Breakfast looks better.

A nice sunrise to start the day.

Success but caught on a F6 Silver flat fish.

This is what the stomack said, blood worms and fresh water shrimp

[chris gadsden]

Darn lost some pictures will have to work on it later.

[troutbreath]

" However something is wrong as it still does not work, wiring, bad bulb or what."

Your truck might be on recall. Contact your dealer.

Also your photobucket account might be hacked.


I just came back from the Cariboo and Saturday was nice. Also the bugs are way down this time of year which was really strange.

[chris gadsden]

" However something is wrong as it still does not work, wiring, bad bulb or what."

Your truck might be on recall. Contact your dealer.

Also your photobucket account might be hacked.


I just came back from the Cariboo and Saturday was nice. Also the bugs are way down this time of year which was really strange.

I just did something wrong in trying to add captions, thats why some pictures are still up as I stopped when I saw what happened. Trying to finish the journal before I pack to leave early this am, no time to work on it. I have sent them to Rodney in the hope he has the time to add them again.

[chris gadsden]

Day 3

I once again was up early and it was still cold so I decided to try to keep warm by rowing around the lake, the lake is quiet and I am the only one out, boy is it nice to be away from the bustle of the Valley that has grown so much since I first moved there, is bigger better, not in my books.

I am part way around the lake and line starts going off the reel as a fish clears the water. I bring it in fairly quickly to a net as I see the friendly loons headed my way, looking for an early breakfast.

The lovely looking rainbow is a little over one pound. I pump its stomach and it is full of fresh water shrimp and blood worms that were in the picture above until I deleted it in trying to add a caption.

As I want to finish the journal tonight as I am heading away on another trip I have asked Rodney or my son to fix the pictures up, I cannot figure it out.

I continue fishing for a while but the cold, the constant wind gets to me and I head to shore for breakfast of bacon and eggs. After that I decide to go into Merritt again and buy some things before the HST kicks in.

I stop at a camp on the way out to show some other anglers what was in the fish and they thank me, "we are just going out so we will be fishing blood worms" the gentleman and his wife say.

I continue onto Merritt and buy my hunting license to save the HST and also a Musso brother's map book, no HST saves me a bit on each item. On the way back to the lake I stop for a walk and come upon a dead moose, a cow, that had been hit I presumed by a car on the highway, it was getting a bit high.

Back at the Lake the couple I had talked to said the blood worms worked and were into 4 or 5  fish after being fish less the day before. It shows to check out what the fish have been feeding on, gives you a leg up.

They also related to me that they had released a 1 to 2 pound fish and when they did the two loons got it and started to eat it but the eagle, see my photo of it above swooped down and stole the fish from the birds, 2 unhappy loons, one happy eagle. This would have made a good video.

The chap had given me a blood worm on my first stop at their camp and he tells me that was the one they had got the fish on. Feeling confident about this I headed out for a couple of hours but it proved fruitless.
Feeling disgusted I headed back to shore for supper and an early bedtime once again. Hopefully day 4 will be better and The Master will be coming so maybe he can provide me with some hints to help me out of my Maple Leaf like slump.

Day 4 Canada Day and the first day of the GST

Another early rising sees it colder than the day before and I see why. I go down to check the boat and low and behold there is frost on my life jacket, see the photo. I have never seen frost in July, have you?.

Back to the fire to warm up as the sight of this makes me shiver I may be in paradise just like heaven but its colder than Hell today. (hence my topic header) ;-)

After a while sitting around the camp fire sipping piping hot coffee and enjoying the breaking of another day, and another month, I think, will we ever get Summer, no wonder the fishing is slow. I saw very few chronimids on the surface all the past 3 days.

I decide once again decide to fish the flat fish that has given me some excitement, I will do one circuit of the lake and then go in for breakfast and wait for The Master and company to arrive, maybe he can help.

At least the wind has died down some and the circuit is very rewarding once again in some ways, watching the bird life and there beautiful voices, the ever present 3 loons, they must be getting hungry as few fish for them to steal from us anglers and a odd beaver cutting down some willows bushes to nibble on as well as adding to their dam, at one end of the lake.

I am not back at camp very long when in comes Nick, Deb Sneddon the FOC Fisheries Manager, Recreational Fisheries and friend Graham. They are still excited from their trip yesterday, at another lake as they got some fish up to 5 pounds and Nick said " I lost Albert too, broke me off he chuckles.  (by the way Nick is taking me to this lake Tuesday, maybe I can find Albert brother or at least his cousin)

The guys and gal unload Nick's boat and the other two's float tubes and set off across the lake. I say "I am making pancakes and bacon, you go find the fish and I will join you later."

I take my time having breakfast and join up with Nick in about an hour he has found nothing yet but Deb has one small one, its about noon.

I am talking to Nick when I see a fish jump by the Leaf Craft, then my fly line is zipping off my reel. "I shout got one Nick" but the thrill is short lived as the fish falls off the barbless blood worm hook I tell Nick " my first fish on the fly gear in 4 days I feel confident but that is all I could muster. I will now keep the report brief as I have to get ready for another trip or is it because Nick now puts on a fishing clinic as he is into 12 fish over the next couple of hours while my indicators stay above the now calm lake. Nick even give me a mayfly nymph that he is having all the action on but it does not help a bit. I leave him to his fun as I row back to camp and head for home dejected some but still it was a great 4 days in Paradise and the good news is I return to it in about 5 hours from now. The journal will resume in about 4 days and I hope I have a picture to show you of a big rainbow, the silver kind. If I donot I am sure The Master will provide one for you to see..