Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout Angling
Photos from Newfoundland, Canada - Harry's River
Lower Humber Photo
Album
Upper Humber River
Photo Album
Harry's River Photo
Album
Serpentine River
Photo Album
South West River Photo Album
Main River Photo Album
Lomond River Photo Album
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The full length of SW Brook is easily accessed via a very remote "highway" that was built to access a small fishing village of 800 people that is 250km across the wilderness of the Newfoundland interior. Warning signs at the turn off for this highway tell of the isolation (eg no gas...or anything else for the next 250km) Short hikes off this paved road provides access to over 100 tightly spaced pools. Two types of fishing strategies are used: 1) wandering and fishing a few kilometers of the river totally alone and then walking the road back to the vehicle and 2) hopping in and out of a vehicle along 30 km of river hitting hot spots for short intervales each. Here we are pulled off on to a dirt side road and getting ready for a morning of exploration. |
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Some sections and pools are easy to wade along and others require some stamina, but there are river sections for all likes and dislikes. Runs, free stone pools, ledges, large deep pools, boulder field pocket pools, and every other type of structure you can think of is available. Both dry flies and wet flies work very well all season long. |
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SW Brook provides miles of angler free water and is easily accessibly due to a very remote road that follows the river valley. A waterfalls 40 km up river from the ocean ends the angling length of the river and the pools below are usually stocked with fish that can be easily seen in the pools. Wildlife we very commonly seen are: moose, caribou, black bears, fox, birds of prey, mink, and beaver. Infrequently we will see otter, coyote, muskrats, and if the rabbit cycle is up lynx. |
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The fish in this system are mainly small grilse of 3 to 4 pounds and small salmon of 10 to 12 pound but fight extremely hard. Brook trout abound in some stretch of the river, but are generally small at 10-14 inches; unless sea run in which case they will be 3/4 pound to 3 pounds. A tributary (called Bottom Brook) nearly as large as the main river joins near the river mouth and produces large grilse of 4 to 6 pounds and short fat salmon generally of 10 to 15 pounds. |
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SW Brook is a very turbulent, boulder ridden, steep pitched, river with many heavy rapids and ledges. The salmon tend to be agressive and fearless when presented a fly. This may be due to the rivers structure. Many of our fast turbulent rivers produce "no nonsense" agressive fish. This may be due to the nature of food gathering by the parr, they have as split second to make up their mind as to whether or not to eat something before the river carries it down stream. Coupled to this is the fact that it is a fairly shallow and long river with a very fast run off rate. Thus the fish tend to run very quickly. Our guides can often time where fresh liced fish will be after the change in tides. Its actually amazing how fast they travel some stretches of river. No point in wasting time though, lets just move to a stretch of river we figure some will be running through 3 hours after the tide and then after that head upstream to cast flies to the "taking" lays holding fresh "just settled in". |
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"Hmmm, 11 o'clock...lets stop and try the pools down over the bank here and have a few casts." "Try the left side of that rock right over there....might be a fresh fish there..." |
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In many places of the river anglers can wade and fish the small pools right down the center of the river. |
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Voila. Fish on! |
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The fish travel fast and this is one of our very early river with fish running long before the season opens on June 1st. So, even though many local rivers are only starting to produce some fish, we decide to travel far into the headwaters of SW Brook to find the spring salmon from the full Moon of late May that are mixing with the brand new and freight train running grilse. |
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SW brook provides tightly spaced pools and miles of angler free water! |
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Now this Lady might be new to salmon fishing but she is certainly getting the casting part under control! Hmmm....ok.....there are taking fish in that secret little hole we drove all the way in here for (34 Km upstream)... but can you at least wait until I get the fly tied on for your husband before you hook fish #3? |
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These pools have not been fished yet this year save but by one rod...and that was a week ago! A smart brother has his "brand new to fly fishing" brother experience "beginner luck" during the first minutes of salmon fishing. This pool almost never fails in June. |
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Zing goes the drag! |
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Ready for tailing....but we rose two others and see 8 more fish in the same 3 pocket pools. |
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Voila! A salmon angler is born! (poor bugger) |
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