Fly Fishing in Guysborough County

Guysborough County is home to many sportfish species, both in fresh and saltwater. Our angling experts have discovered over many years that most of these species can be fished effectively with fly gear, and they have developed specialized techniques of doing that.

Let’s look at a popular example. Around mid-May the first mayfly hatch of the trout season occurs in southern Guysborough County. Warming water temperatures trigger the hatch and also cause our speckled trout to become active (and very hungry) after the long cold winter. Trout fishers dig out their fly-fishing gear and play a role in this wonderful and exciting spring phenomenon, which typically lasts 1 - 2 weeks.

These mayflies are hatching from their aquatic form (larva or nymph) into a dull coloured flying insect. (Dun or sub imago) and settle in the bushes. Here they transform into brilliant, glossy-winged spinners (imagoes) ready to swarm over the water, mate, and lay their eggs on the water, creating another generation next spring.

The fly fisher must understand and become a part of the ritual, knowing how to successfully imitate all mayfly stages. Timing is of great importance because spring weather is so variable, making fishing conditions very difficult to predict. We may have to miss a more than a few days work in order to experience a magic hour of mayfly fishing each season. The more we learn about insect life cycles, the more enjoyable and successful our pursuit becomes.

Future columns will examine the mayfly cycle in more detail. Actually, mayfly fishing is not limited to the month of May. Various types of mayflies of different sizes, shapes, and colours hatch in our waters throughout the trout season, so knowledge of our mayflies is very important to the angler.

We’ll consider other aquatic insects like caddis, stoneflies, dragonflies, midges and damsel flies, each important to the fly fisher. So are grasshoppers, ants, beetles, crickets and other terrestrial (non-aquatic) insects. Trout like shrimp, minnows, and even mice, so we’ll suggest fly imitations of these also.

We’ll also cover our other sportfish such as Atlantic salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, sea-run trout, bass, shad, perch, and mackerel, all of which can be fished effectively with a fly in Guysborough County.

Please stay on the line ...