Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
|
The Red
Jun 11, 2009 7:24:57 GMT -6
Post by Robert Burton on Jun 11, 2009 7:24:57 GMT -6
Is anyone fishing there? Or are the reports top secret
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 11, 2009 8:29:00 GMT -6
Post by kilgortrout on Jun 11, 2009 8:29:00 GMT -6
I was checking this thread in hopes that you were going to tell us. I thought you had gone off the red, , well never say never. I was just repairing my river rod with dreams of giving it a good bend ;D. I guess Stu was somewhere river like catching Goldeye. Cheers Ron
|
|
Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
|
The Red
Jun 11, 2009 9:36:40 GMT -6
Post by Robert Burton on Jun 11, 2009 9:36:40 GMT -6
I am not 'off' the Red per say but I fished it heavily for a while but then looked around and thought 'did I get into fly fishing to walk around this debris, breath this stank, witness all that poaching and snag all those triple catfish rigs?' So I have limited myself to once per year I didn't fish it last year because of the construction but am thinking of putting in 1 day this season (like i have before) just to feel that pull
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 11, 2009 22:07:40 GMT -6
Post by flyfisheranonymous on Jun 11, 2009 22:07:40 GMT -6
Haven't had the opportunity yet. Been fishing a small river south of here to see what it is like. Plan on getting out there sgortly.
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 11, 2009 23:14:54 GMT -6
Post by kilgortrout on Jun 11, 2009 23:14:54 GMT -6
Yah I hear you, it is a love hate thing for me. Yes a while back i could not go their without a few people asking me if I was you. Maybe the floodway outllet will be free of junk for a while it being new, or maybe not. Now that I have a couple of nine and ten weights and one eleven weight I have to go to get something big on them and that seems to be the place for big. Their was a good article about urban fly fishing taking off despite the purists po-poing it. Cheers Ron.
|
|
stephenjay
Moderator
"Fish are too valuable to only catch once" - Lee Wulff
Posts: 677
|
The Red
Jun 12, 2009 8:45:44 GMT -6
Post by stephenjay on Jun 12, 2009 8:45:44 GMT -6
I've been out three times this year so far. Once to the point, where I got my first carp of the year, and twice into the floodway itself. About a week ago, I was up against the spillway, and got three carp. Last night, a few of us from the club went out, and were into everything. I was fishing 10lb fluro tippit, so I lost two pike. I fowl hooked a small cat. Shane hooked and LDR'd a carp, and hooked a 21 inch walleye right by the spillway. I think he also got some sauger as well. I landed a couple of goldeye, and everyone was into lots of drum - so many we stopped counting. Many in the 21 inch range. We saw a big pike, silver bass, and a 40 inch cat caught as well by the bait and gear crowd. Woolies and cray patterns seemed to work the best.
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 12, 2009 9:03:15 GMT -6
Post by flyfisheranonymous on Jun 12, 2009 9:03:15 GMT -6
Hopefully I'll be able to get there next week. The little stream I have been fishing is just south of where I live so I've been going out there for a couple of hours here and there. With the way work is going I am really up in the air about days off. Oh well got to pay the bills somehow. This is what I caught this morning. Only landed two of them.
|
|
Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
|
The Red
Jun 13, 2009 10:01:21 GMT -6
Post by Robert Burton on Jun 13, 2009 10:01:21 GMT -6
Their was a good article about urban fly fishing taking off despite the purists po-poing it. Clearly I am no purist in the broad sense of the word as it applies to fly rodders & I have never shied away from urban fishing. I cut my teeth fishing those types of water. But I never saw these levels of abuse in the forms of refuse, poaching nor high concentration of fishers or complete lack of fishing etiquette on my old streams and THAT is what I am avoiding. Having said that the internet may have ruined those spots I used to tramp (then again a lot of those rivers have dedicated associations with the mission of preventing the aforementioned situation.) I guess in the bigger picture, places like Southern Ontario where wild places for the public are somewhat rare (and getting rarer) they may be valued more but here, with our wondrous abundance of open wild space, it may not be valued as much. Ok I am off the 'puter and on to chasing pike!
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 16, 2009 10:51:32 GMT -6
Post by flyfisheranonymous on Jun 16, 2009 10:51:32 GMT -6
OK guys get out to the Red now!! Caught a ton of fish last night , 36 inch Carp, 39 7/8 inch Cat and a 29 1/8 inch Drum. Landed approx 60 fish last night and had I don't know how many hits. Lost some monster fish and the huge Carp were feeding like crazy. Mix that in with a school of gigantic Cats slashing minnows in the shallows and you have a night of fishing beyond belief. A couple of pics. A great night overall with line burns, sore arms, and shaking hands.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 16, 2009 11:40:34 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2009 11:40:34 GMT -6
Wow! That's great Stu! Might have to give it a whirl.
Nick
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 16, 2009 18:10:23 GMT -6
Post by sedgehammer on Jun 16, 2009 18:10:23 GMT -6
I went to the spillway for the first time on Sunday and caught my first cat on the fly and my first MA cat, a hefty 35 incher. Thanks to Steven for telling me where to fish for some nice fish. I also went out last night and met Stu, who shared some of his knowledge with me. I caught about 20 fish, mostly drum, and caught my second MA cat on the fly. Thanks for all the advice Steven and Stu, I really appreciate help from fellow fly fishers.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 16, 2009 23:48:13 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2009 23:48:13 GMT -6
Agree with Stu. Caught 3 cats this evening, didn't have a measuring tape though. Nice fish tho.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 17, 2009 0:02:33 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2009 0:02:33 GMT -6
Some scandalous neoprenes you have there Shaneo. Nice fish!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 17, 2009 14:40:13 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2009 14:40:13 GMT -6
Sounds like a blast. But does one need a large outfit for them cats? The largest outfit I have is an 8WT. Seems like it maybe too small for a fish that large. What say you?
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 17, 2009 19:11:44 GMT -6
Post by sedgehammer on Jun 17, 2009 19:11:44 GMT -6
I see that Shaneo's cat has a red mark near its mouth, all the catfish that I caught also had that mark. Is that from leeches, or lampreys of some sort?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 17, 2009 20:55:46 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2009 20:55:46 GMT -6
The waders, yes....saving to replace. ;D
8wt... Just fine. I know people who have landed BIG cats fast and effectivly with 7wts.
The marks, Weird... all cats had those. Some more than others. All close to the mouth. My thought was leeches, snack gone wrong, but I have nothing to back that up other than a lot of the fish I caught in MJ Res. on the weekend had leeches on the outside of their face.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 18, 2009 10:26:15 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2009 10:26:15 GMT -6
Gonna try and get out tomorrow on the red. What flies are people chucking?
|
|
|
The Red
Jun 18, 2009 12:52:32 GMT -6
Post by flyfisheranonymous on Jun 18, 2009 12:52:32 GMT -6
A brown DDH Leech or small clousers.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 18, 2009 12:55:09 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2009 12:55:09 GMT -6
My #1 was a bead headed olive woolly bugger... which is good, cause they are as easy to tie as to lose.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 19, 2009 10:16:27 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2009 10:16:27 GMT -6
The Red was a meany today for ol' Didgeridoo. I caught a measly little goldeye and a few snags, one which claimed my furled leader and nylon loop connector. I decided to walk to the floodway and it was chalked full of minnows. After a volley of casts I tried off the point between the floodway and the red. First cast. Get a strike, set the hook, SNAP! My heart sank as I watched the tip of my Sage slide down the line into the water. I missed the fish and I already miss my Sage. So all in all, I'm going back to bed to pout.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 19, 2009 14:48:29 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2009 14:48:29 GMT -6
Fishes of Manitoba talks about male, post-spawn cats getting open sores causeD by Columnaris infection which, I presume, is bacterial. They get it on the head, back and sides. Now, these are not post-spawn fish, which makes it interesting to speculate. You'd think that if any fish are vulnerable to lampreys, it would be cats, which have no scales.
Science aside, I can't stand it any more! I'm taking the early morning shift on Saturday!.....TIM
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 21, 2009 22:31:17 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2009 22:31:17 GMT -6
Red fished amazing tonight. Caught around 50 drum and 7 cats. 3 MAs plus a few just under. 36",35" 35" 34" 30" 24" 24". Wasn't more than three casts without landing a fish. Will be getting some photos sent to me, will post then.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 21, 2009 22:38:20 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2009 22:38:20 GMT -6
Wow great job! What time approx were you fishing?
Has anyone caught cats from a float tube? Did that the other day and wow is that fun! Wasn't on the Red of course. =P The floodway spillway you could. It's not moving and full of minnows.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 22, 2009 9:18:53 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2009 9:18:53 GMT -6
Not much to add to all the posts about the great fishing at the Floodway outlet, but I thought I'd talk a bit about the dam.
I got out early Saturday morning (4:30 or so) and noticed that they had finally closed the dam. with the water down somewhat, I thought I'd try my fortunes there.
I could not wade out to the main reef, but I was able to get a little ways out on the rocky point further downstream. Didn't see any evidence of cat activity, other than in the main channel. Lots of carp around, however.
After a good hour of fishing, I had one drum and a couple of hits to show for my efforts. I'm looking forward to getting out there when the river drops another 6 - 12".
At that point I packed up and joined the crowd at the Floodway. Three other ffers were there, including an interesting young man who arrived in Canada from France a few years ago. In addition to being an accomplished ffer, he practices falconry! (Ahh, the joys of wide open spaces and outdoor opportunities that this county has to offer.)
We all caught an abundance of drum and a few cats as well. Carp were in abundance around the Pelican Reef (there, an official name!) but they were in the "just-swimming-around,-not really-feeding" mode. I left by 11:00 am and the fishing was still going strong. It was also good to catch up with Stephen Jay, who caught way too many fish for a morning's outing - every time I turned around, he was fighting or landing something!
Interesting observation: I would say that the ffers were probably catching 5 - 10 fish for every one that the nearby bait crowd was. Who says that ffing is pretty, but ineffective?!
I did try the main river along the outlet, as the odd cat was surfacing, but I was unsuccessful.
All in all, it's hard to believe that such a small stretch of water could hold so many fish. I have a feeling that with the river dropping significantly, with the dam closed, and the outlet getting more stagnant and shallow, that this little piece of ffing heaven is coming to a close for the season. It would be great to be proved wrong...TIM
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 22, 2009 15:27:11 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2009 15:27:11 GMT -6
floodway outlet today from 9-12, pretty slow i caught 5 fish, all drum. Fish were surfacing everywhere, but i couldnt catch them haha
|
|
stephenjay
Moderator
"Fish are too valuable to only catch once" - Lee Wulff
Posts: 677
|
The Red
Jun 22, 2009 19:57:11 GMT -6
Post by stephenjay on Jun 22, 2009 19:57:11 GMT -6
Saturday was a good day. I usually don't count my fish in detail after it gets above a dozen or so, but I wanted to bug my bait fishing friends who were there with me. By the end of the day, I had caught 51 drum and 3 catfish. I tried a number of flies (of course, just to see what didn't work), and the only fly that failed me was a simple squirrel tail hair wing over golden ribbed tinsel body with a red wool tag. I think maybe it was too small to generate the necessary disturbance to draw the drum's attention. In the past, it has been very effective for goldeye.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 22, 2009 20:05:44 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2009 20:05:44 GMT -6
Good haul Tim and Stephen. ;D
I think your right about the 'pushin' of water and bulk of the fly. Thick collar hackle on the fly deff. increased the no. of hits.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
The Red
Jun 27, 2009 22:30:27 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2009 22:30:27 GMT -6
Red still fishing well, photo report from last week. 38" 33" 35" Goldeye also got into full swing this past week. Looking for some great dry fly fun? get down to the spillway now... just remember to use light tippet in the off chance you hook into a BIG cat on your 5wt dry fly set up.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2009 8:27:22 GMT -6
After the BIG rain, I wonder how the floodway outlet will fish? I drove over the floodway (didn't get to Lockport) on Wednesday and there is a river of water going through the floodway now. Anybody try in the last couple of days?
I'm also thinking that we're getting awfully close to spawning time for cats. Anyone fish Lockport regularly in mid July? Still get cats at that time? Enquiring minds want to know! ;D ....TIM
|
|
|
Post by flyfisheranonymous on Jul 7, 2009 8:56:39 GMT -6
Cats will be caught throughout the summer. I do take lots in July and August.
|
|