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Rain, rain and more rain would be the best way to describe the bass opener around here.  My client rescheduled because of it. I fished a bit and caught and released a limit of little bass. Nothing too exciting.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

This Saturday is the bass opener throughout Ontario. I’ll be out with a client on a nearby lake and I’m excited.

Traditionally, bass season marks the best fly fishing of the year for us. We just have so many options available and they are so cooperative to most fly fishing presentations. I’m really looking forward to it.

Though it’s hard to believe, the ice is out on most lakes in this area. Record temperatures — at times up to 27 C — and a constant wind have given us open water. If everything stays as it is, the canoe will be in this week.

Ice out is coming very early this year. In fact, I’m thinking I’ll be dropping a canoe in my favourite rainbow lake sometime this week. On most of our shallower lakes the ice is almost out already. On the deeper ones, it’s going quickly too.The weather forecasters are calling for record warm temperature in the next few days and an unseasonably warm spring.  Saw a few mosquitoes yesterday and today.

Having said all that, water temperature is still a concern. Falling in is not a good idea.

I love spring, especially this part of it. The black flies aren’t out, warm temperatures become the norm, there’s lots of daylight and moose, deer and turkey sign is virtually everywhere. Tonight, I went out for a bit of a walk at dusk and was happy to count the peenting of five different woodcock.  Just as exciting, a moose crossed in front of me on the road. I never saw it but the tracks were crisp and there was still drops of water on the road that dripped off of it from a nearby pond that it visited. Three sets of tracks also revealed that a group of deer slipped into our fields.

I’ll be headed into Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve in early may to fish for trout and write a travel piece for Ontario Out of Doors. That was confirmed today. Between trout, pike and turkey season, I’m thinking this is going to be one awesome season.

The other day,  I received a call from another local fly fisher and we began planning an expedition to a backwoods brook trout lake at, or soon after, ice out.

Doug has asked me to tie some Brassie’s (shown below).  He thinks they ought to be the ticket.  I’m not much of a chironomid fisher, but I’ll give it a try — after all it’s his secret  lake and he invited me. Having said that, I’ll also have my tried and true beadhead buggers and a slew of other old favourites on hand, just in case.

We had a bit of snow yesterday but it’ll be gone soon. Spring is progressing nicely. Woodcock arrived a couple of days ago.