B6

Doug Underhill
On the water

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MIRAMICHI - With the fishing season over and equipment taken care of, I'll wrap up another season with my annual Christmas shopping suggestions for the angler.

I've checked with my friends in the tackle shops and have an estimated price range for many items mentioned. This column is the "clip and paste" on the fridge with certain items highlighted, as a sort of a hint.

With more and more ladies getting "on the water", this might help the gentleman angler solve his Christmas shopping as well.

Check with W.W. Doak and Sons (365-7828) in the Doaktown area, Curtis Miramichi River Outfitting (843-2481) in Blackville, Herb's Fly Shop (843-6354) in Blackville, George's Fly Shop in Renous (622-8226), Miramichi Hunting and Fishing (622-3071) in Miramichi and Trout Brook Fly Shop (622-0676) on the Northwest for more detailed prices. And a visit to Bryant Freeman's Eskape Anglers (386-6269) on Wentworth Street in Riverview is always fun.

First the big items. Maybe a new rod may be in order. These could run anywhere from $100 to $1,000. I like the Emery Streamside Rods. They offer a very good product at a reasonable price range ($125 to $200). Streamside has a four-piece rod with its own case, which is ideal to carry on an ATV, walking a trail to a favourite pool, or packing to travel. They also have a very nice Streamside Elite, my favourite rod, that is a 10-footer, priced between $125-150 and throws a very nice line. A good 9-foot Streamside is the SS909 graphite with a five-year warranty.

Next look at waders (George Routledge has some nice Emery Streamside Compac at $70 for hip, $95 for chest and $185 for the breathable.

There are also the stocking-foot waders with the wading shoe, some with felt and studs, for both men and women, and neoprenes.

For reels, Emery Streamside puts out a nice affordable Classic Cast Deluxe at $50 to $100, along with the LA 3000 Legacy models.

I like the large arbor for quick reeling. This series will cost from $250-$300).

There are also rain suits ($100), rain jackets ($35), rod cases where the reel stays attached ($35-60), vests ($30-$100; Emery has a beautiful new vest with detachable sleeves and more pockets than you can count in its Streamside wear, as well as an adjustable Lady's vest), landing nets ($20-$50; try to get one that will not scratch the eyes of the fish), bug jackets ($25-$40), and inflatable fishing vests with a pull cord to inflate immediately in case the water gets too deep unexpectedly or the angler slips in fast water ($150). As for new fly lines, I recommend an Emery Streamside ($25-$40). These are the big and very necessary items.

Now for the "also" category. A new hat ($5-$20), polarized sunglasses ($15-$25), pliers for removing the hook from the fish quickly and efficiently, not to mention protecting your own hands on from the fall hook bills ($10-$15), a new set of braces for the waders ($15), a good knife ($6-$10), or a really good one ($60-70), tape measure preferable attachable to the vest ($5), thermometer and depth gauge (for the lake angler) ($10-$20), fly boxes (plastic $10, aluminum $15-25) and a box with a dozen flies ($30).

Then there are the stocking stuffers. These include retractable clippers ($5), landing gloves ($8-$10), Gink and Xink for making the flies float or sink ($5), dry fly spray ($5), scents ($5-$10), glasses holders ($3), hook sharpeners ($3), leather man micro tools ($30-$75), new felts for the waders (I recommend The County Cobbler in Miramichi for installation) ($40-$50).

For the reader, there are angling books such as Wayne Curtis' Fly Fishing The Miramichi or River Guides of the Miramichi, David Adams Richards' Lines On The Water, George Frederick Clarke's Song of The Reel and Six Salmon Rivers and Another, Lee Wulff's many books especially on dry fly fishing, Michael Brislain's Bugging The Atlantic Salmon, The Main Southwest Miramichi River book of coloured maps marking pools and open water ($25) to the coffee table books such as Gary Anderson's Atlantic Salmon: Fact and Fantasy or The Atlantic Salmon and The Fly Fisherman, and Timothy Frew's Salmon: The Angler's Guide ($30-$40).

There are The St. Mary's and Other Waters by Charles Widgery ($13.95), Recollections by Clayton Stanley Stewart, Stillwater Fly Fishing by Paul C. Marriner, A Little Thing I Tied Myself by Don MacLean ($19.95) and Rivers of Yesterday by Mike Parker.

I must add that I have a book titled Miramichi Fishing Stories: All True of Course! which sells for $8.95.

There are also angling videos ($20-$40), fly patches to hold flies ($4), and line cleaners ($3-5). Don't forget a measuring tape.

For the builder and tyer there are the rod building kits ($100-$150), salmon fly tying kit ($100-150), scissors, ($12-$30), bobbins (steel $6-$10, ceramic $15-$20), vices ($15-$200), and any number of fly tying materials from feathers, hackle, deer hair, capes, threads, yarns, head cement in a variety of colours, flash, from $2 to whatever, and boxes of 100 hooks ($6-$10, and doubles a bit more).

Syd Matchett has a line of fishing gear called "Snobee" which features everything from clothing for angling to actual fishing equipment. It's worth a look.

For the trout fishermen there are the lures ($2-$5), spinners ($1-$2), reels ($15-$20) and rods ($40-$100) and maybe a new creel ($10-$20).

A subscription to "Eastern Woods and Waters", FlyFusion (based in Calgary) ($24.95) or The Canadian Fly Fisher ($18; 613-966-8017 are also excellent choices.

Now for the angler who has everything, try a salmon fly broach pin with a classic pattern. These are good for hats, vests, or jacket/shirt for both the male and female angler.

There are memberships in the Atlantic Salmon Federation which gives several glossy-coloured magazines a year with excellent stories, not to mention that you are helping salmon conservation, memberships in one of the local salmon associations such as The Northumberland Salmon Protection Association, the Miramichi Salmon Association, The NB Guides Association, the Bartibogue River Fish and Game, the N.B. Wildlife Federation which has been in existence since 1924, the Moncton Fish & Game Club, the Dieppe Fly-Tyers or other clubs in your area.

The Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown has memberships ($25 or cheaper if one belongs to a local association) which includes visiting rights to the museum and its Hall of Fame as well as eight newsletters throughout the year which give the news and counts from the rivers.

You might consider pampering yourself and your wife by booking a vacation on the river at a salmon club or lodge such as Ledges Inn (Doaktown), Black Rapids Lodge, Wades Fishing Camps, Wilson's, Ponds, Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures, Red Rock Lodge, or any numbers of others. A day to a week might be out of this world in your own back yard. We book elsewhere, so why not at home!

Some of the fly-tyers such as Dewey Gillespie, Jack Kitchen, Father Lynch, or Marc Madore will make up beautifully framed and mounted classic salmon flies, which are very classy in any room or office. As well, many of the angling shops mentioned above will put together Christmas Fly packages for you. They make a nice gift.

I hope this makes your Christmas shopping a little easier. I would like to thank all of you who have helped make this column the fun it has been.

Until next season, plan to be "on the water", and don't forget to attend the fifth annual Dieppe Fly Fishing Forum at the NBCC in Dieppe (usually a Saturday and Sunday at the very end of March and start of April) 2009. Check out the program at www.flyfishingforum.ca (and then click on either the English or French "Welcome/Bienvenue). It is a great way to get into the mood for getting back "on the water."

n Doug Underhill is a Miramichi-based writer and avid salmon fisherman. His column appears each Thursday throughout the season.