According to the Grand River website, the water flow is low enough. The wind was predicted to be only 5km/h. The conditions were definitely in my favour.
The driving though wasn't cooperating. I left Toronto at 4pm and got to the parking lot on the Grand River at 6:30pm...2.5 hours drive! I know...it didn't help that it was rush hour...but I gotta finish up my work this afternoon and it took a little longer than I had hoped.
A little story during my drive. I stopped in Mississauga for gas. I exited Dixie Rd. and just missed the lights. While I was waiting, there was a homeless man with a sign "Homeless and hungry". There are a lot of homeless people in downtown Toronto. I will sometimes give them some food or what little change that I have...but if I see them sitting there everyday, it just encourage them to keep sitting at the same corner if I keep helping them (or that's my theory). But this guy was begging for a bite in today's hot, humid weather. I had grabbed two granola bars (one for pre-fishing...one post-fishing) and a bottle of water for today's fishing. Seeing him stand there just aches my heart. So I waved him over and gave him a granola bar and my water. I figure I could always go and buy water later. He was so grateful and his smile said it all. It almost made me cry seeing him. That little moment made me reflect how extremely fortunate I am to have a roof over my head, have dinner waiting for me at home, and have a family who cares. Simple things in life sometimes are not so simple.
I'm always hesitant giving homeless people change, but I encourage everyone to share a sandwich, a bottle of water on a hot day or a cup of hot chocolate to those in need. It is such a small sacrifice in our lives but it means a lot to those who has very little. I won't judge whether the person who I gave my charity is a potential drug addict, a person with mental problems or homeless because of family abuse. I cannot determine if they are telling me the truth or not (or looked the part). I'll let God by the final judge...but at least I should help when help is needed (and that's my theory).
Anyways, I got to Caledonia and there was already a fly angler on the water...fishing the best area. I took a look at the river and didn't see a rise. Oh boy...it's going to be a tough one today.
The water wasn't as low as I though. Actually, it was even higher than last time! The current was slower though, as the website reported. The clarity was also a bit murkier than last time. So I took extra, extra care wading. Don't want to fall in again
I made my way to a seam that held a few fish last time. After 20min of working the area, I didn't even see a rise.
Meanwhile, the fly angler in the prime spot landed one just as I started fishing
Another 10 min and about 20 feet upstream, I saw a rise that was about 50 feet away, a little downstream from me. "This is going to be a tough one" I though. There was a bit of faster water in between me and the rise. I actually made a great cast on the first try and landed it spot on! The problem was...I wasn't ready for the rise
The fish came up about 5 seconds after the fly landed, as I was pulling in some slack and trying to flip a mend At that point, I hated the though that it may be my one and only chance tonight
Another 10 casts to the area were totally ignored. I guess I spooked it already
I kept working upstream slowly and casting and covering all areas since there were little indication as to where the fish were holding.
While I was casting back toward shore, I heard a splash behind me. I turned my head around and saw a wake dissipating about 5 feet from me. I guess I stood there long enough that the fish was using me as cover
That is a big mistake for the fish
I stripped in my line and flipped a cast into the feeding lane. Like the previous fish, I wasn't ready for the quick hit...and missed it again . Darnit!
I flipped another cast again and the fly was ignored. I wasn't about to give up on the fish yet...so another cast went out. This time, I had only a little bit of line out and basically "high-stick" the drift. I saw the mooneye came up and smashed the fly. I lifted the rod up like I was taught last time. There was no weight when I lifted the rod...and I was just thinking "Darn! Missed it"
Just then, the line tightened and my rod bent! Oh gosh! Fish on!!!
I had quite a bit of line that was stripped in previously and they were lying downstream from me. That was where the fish was heading as well. As I kept my line tight with my right hand, my left hand reeled frantically to remove all the fly line on the water. The mooneye stayed deep as I was tending to the reel. Finally, I could pay attention to the fish. The fish was still fighting quite well and as I stripped some line in to bring the fish close, the fish came to the surface and jumped! Just like a tarpon! No wonder they are nicknamed freshwater tarpon
Another 20 seconds later, the fish was done. I was just lying on the surface. A trick I learned about netting fish in a river was to bring the fish upstream and let it drift downstream into the waiting net. I missed the fish on the first try as the current forked around my legs and the fish was pushed behind me. I was scared it would lose it right there and then. Luckily, I got myself sorted out and tried netting it again...and my 100th species was in the net! :applaude: :OK2: :applaude: :OK2: :applaude: :OK2:
There are little words to describe the sense of accomplishment on this catch. I've been trying for 4 years to catch the mooneye. I was always too early or too late, or I fished in the morning and afternoon but never the evening. Finally, I have figured them out with a little help
I took over 10 pictures on this guy since I had the camera in the underwater housing and sometimes, the camera doesn't focus properly when it is in the housing.
After releasing this fish, I went back to fishing. However, the adrenline rush made my casting very wacky and I got my lines all tangled up on a backcast
It took a good 10 minutes sorting it out!
Back into business, I spotted another riser a little further upstream. It was a 30-foot cast and I made a perfect cast. The fish rose to my caddis...and I missed it. What's new?
By 9pm, I tried casting to another riser but that fish wouldn't entertain.
The action was not consistent...but I didn't care. I caught my mooneye. So I pay a little more attention to my camera and just enjoyed the sunset.
I took a look to the far bank and spotted a deer.
By 9:30pm, I had a great evening already and called it a trip. On my way out, I chatted with a couple of guys who was scouting the river and I gave them some info and show them what a caddis looks like. I was trying to catch one that was on the river surface when I was just covered with them. How silly of me?
One of the guys own this beauty! What a great condition Sting Ray!
Now I gotta figure out what, where and when to find the 101 species