The Oswegatchie Swap

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While waiting for Peter and Kit to shuttle the cars into position at our eventual destination downstream, Anita, the children, and I packed the canoes and snacked in the shade. The shuttle took about three hours, so after lunch I decided to break out my rod and fish. Rods for fly-fishing vary in length, material of construction, and weight, which refers to the weight of the line they can cast. Weights range from 2 to 13, with 13 being the heaviest.

Rod, line, and reel should be matched. A good starter rod is a five- or six-weight of eight and a half or nine feet. With this rod you can fish for a wide spectrum of species, including bluegill, bass, pickerel, and trout. You can get a good factory rod for $80-$200. Manufacturers in this reasonable range include: Cortland, Fenwick, Lamiglas, Loomis, Powell, Redington, and St. Croix.

In setting up Peter, I decided upon a nine-foot six-weight Cortland rod for about $100. I am confident that this rod will, if he takes care of it properly, last him for his lifetime.

Fishing from the dam, Patrick and I worked as a team. I cast 40 or 50 feet from my platform toward the bank. I fished subsurface with one of my six favorite flies, the Olive Bead Headed Wooly Bugger. Patrick, acting as my spotter, sang out each time he saw a fish near my fly. In the hour or so that we fished, we caught something on nearly every cast. We hauled in bluegill, perch, and largemouth and smallmouth bass. I use barbless hooks, so all our fish were released not much worse for the experience. I also showed Patrick how to unhook a fish without taking it out of the water, wetting your hand before touching it, thereby minimizing any trauma to the delicate mucous membrane that coats its skin.

When Peter and Kit returned, we were behind schedule, so aside from taking time for a quick photo, we headed out. Cruising through the narrow and stony length of the pond, we took a channel into the upper Bog River. Portaging around its upper dam, we followed the Bog into Low's Lake, and by sundown we were halfway across its eastern length. We camped on an island sheltered by huge pines whose lower branches were 20-30 feet off the ground.

Day Two:

Low's Lake/Big Deer Pond/The Oswegatchie

Peter, Patrick, and I were up with what little sun could push through a sky now marbled with gathering clouds. The still water on the lake reflected the emerging grayness like polished glass. I again broke out the rod and, peeling some line off my reel, I explained to them the basics of reel and line dynamics. I also showed them the few knots that they would need in order to rig for themselves: the Arbor, the Nail Knot, the Surgeon's Knot, the Perfection ion Loop, and the Improved Clinch.

You can get a solid fly-fishing reel for $35-$70. Names to look for are Pfleuger, Cortland, Scientific Anglers (System 1), or Redington. Like rods, reels are rated by the line weight they are intended to hold plus backing. Freshwater backing is usually 20 pound test Micron. You'll want about 100 yards of it put on your reel spool. I got Peter a Pfleuger model 1494 and 100 yards of backing for $40.00.

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