The Joy of Fly Fishing in New Brunswick

I was looking through some old fly fishing magazines today and was reminded of how many hours of fun I had fly fishing for brook trout in all the brooks around Moncton, New Brunswick. Back then I was only working part time and had plenty of time to fish, just not much money to spend.

Back then gas we a whole lot cheaper but still I managed to fly fish about 5 days a week. We ate a lot of trout back then. Today I do more catch and release although I still like a feed of brookies in the early spring and I love Atlantic salmon steaks, so I keep my limit.

I bought a vice along with some fly tying supplies and started tying my own trout and salmon flies at the same time I started fly fishing. Fly tying is a great hobby. I have tied a lot of trout flies that allowed me to keep fishing when I wasn’t making much money.

A lot of the fly patterns I tied were dry flies. I was pretty hooked on top water fishing for a long time. Some great memories.

There is one brook I want to take my fishing buddy Jamie with the fly rods. It could take us all day to go what would take 20 minutes to walk the way the crow flies.

You can find excellent spots for fly fishing in most states, but some are just better than others. Allow me to introduce you to heaven on earth for anglers.

Fly Fishing Heaven In Montana

Montana is an incredibly beautiful state. It is located on the Canadian border between Wyoming and the Dakotas. It is the fourth largest state with over 145,000 square miles. The central and eastern sections of the state are plains, while the west contains the northern Rocky Mountains. Major rivers include the Yellowstone, Madison, Missouri and Flathead.

Montana also has the shortest river in the world, the Roe, which is 201 feet long. Just a bit of trivia for you to throw around on your trip!

The Yellowstone is a tributary of the Missouri River. It is an excellent fly fishing river. The longest undimmed river in the continental United States, the Yellowstone drains the Rocky Mountains in the park of the same name. The river offers excellent trout fishing up and down practically every area. Cutthroat and brown trout are plentiful and active. Rainbows are less so, but still common. The Yellowstone is mostly a no-kill river, so don’t plan on dinner. I never mind putting fish back for my kids and their kids.

When it comes to fly fishing in the states, no river is more legendary than the Madison. For years, nearly every Montana trip started and stopped with a visit to the Madison. In the early 90s, however, the fish in the river were devastated by whirling disease. The disease was accidentally created in fish hatcheries in Europe and spread across the globe. The criminal element is a parasite that infects fish and causes neurological disease.

The fish tend to swim in circles, thus giving the disease its name. Fortunately, the fish in the Madison have been on the rebound for the last five years or so.

Good News: The last three years have seen a major rebound, which means the legendary Madison should be a high on your list. The Madison is a round rock bottom river and can be slippery. The current isn’t excessive and you can wade most of it without problem. Browns, Cutthroats, Rainbows and Graylings are the prominent fish.

The area below Holter Dam is highly recommended by many, but you need to be an accomplished caster to have a good time. Hatches start in April and run through the middle of September. The Salmon Fly hatch in late June is the best, but you really can’t go wrong.