r chest waders absolutely required in Forks of the Credit Prov Park?

[wantbrowns]

Hi, everyone.

Hope I am not violating the rule as to naming a river, but am not asking for "hot spots"; my query is more of a "safety" issue ... would just like to know if most or just some of the river that runs thru the aforementioned park is so deep that chest waders are required?

Only have have hip waders (furthermore, am only 5' 6-7", so my legs aren't very long either lol) and with all my responsibilities and expenses, don't want to shell out for chest waders and boots if not absolutely necessary, esp since I don't get the chance to fly fish often.

Also, have heard there are quite a few sinkholes in the upper Humber ... is this also the case as to the section of the Credit that runs thru the park?

Thank you.

 

[IR4Jflyfishing]

Hip waders will suffice

 

[rich_ace_G]

Hip waders are ok, as long as you don't venture into the deeper pools. or just put some speedos on....

 

[wantbrowns]

Tks IR4J & DILLIGAF?! Good to know.

Mostly wearing waders cuz I don't wanna waste time peeling off leeches when I could be fishing (not that I'll see a lot of action in this heat, anyway) and to keep ticks from "Liming" me when walking thru the bush to/from river.

Just in case, will bring along a makeshift walking staff. Cheers

 

[rich_ace_G]

good luck...i'm betting some resis might show up for that ample amount of raindrops. Haven't been on the rivers lately.

 

[wantbrowns]

Tks.

Caledon got a lot of rain recently?!?
Lol my lawn in Toronto has been brown for weeks

 

[[email protected]]

brown grass all over the horseshoe region, lack of rain is not good

 

[wantbrowns]

Went to the Forks of the Credit park today. Walked upstream all the way from Dominion Bridge to an area with huge white stone cliffs beside a very high wall of red clay (went so far upstream that it took me close to 40 min 2x timing it to walk the Bruce/Dominion Trail and then Dom Rd to get back to the bridge). At no point was the water above my mid thigh (even in the pools).

Caught four browns (two on a foam ant and two on this weird grasshopper like Orvis fly) but this was the only photo worthy one.

River more or less the same from bridge to the aforementioned spot, though best fishing spots within a km of the bridge.

Btw, if anyone interested, used an old 8', 5wt Martin Trophy med action rod, Cortland 444 DT5F line, 7.5' 7.5 lb leader, 3' 6lb tippet, and an old Scientific Anglers System 1 456 click pawl reel/line holder.

Can anyone please tell me what the river just south of the falls is like? Tks

 

[Bow Man]

Well the next time you go there should be lots of people there to join you.

 

[tombo]

First cpl hundred yards below falls is beauty water! Turbulent pocket water. Heck of a hike though!!

 

[wantbrowns]

Tks, tombo. Wanna try it maybe next time out. Also may scout around for promising creeks.

Area below the bridge was nice, too (shallow but wide, so one can actually "fly cast" - river was so narrow with so many trees along shore and bent down over water in the spots I fished that all I was doing was flipping 25' of line upriver, kinda highsticking it down, and then flipping it up again) but a son and father were already there and were talking loudly and splashing a lot when they walked around, so I thought "no fish here!" and headed for the bridge lol



Dont mind the company, Caddis Freak: always nice to talk to other fishers on the water ... unless they speak really loudly and walk around in a roughshod manner ha ha

Cheers

 

[wantbrowns]

Posting the following for the benefit of ppl who've never been there &/or have never fished "pocket water".

Tried the west (south) fork of the Forks of the Credit yesterday just upstream of Dominion Bridge for some "pocket water" fishing practice. Pocket water is found in fast flowing streams/small rivers that flow down a relatively steep grade where there are lots of large, close set boulders sticking out of the water, forming little "pockets" where fish lie.

Not my preferred type of fly fishing as the casts are necessarily short (just the tippet, leader, and less that 5 feet of fly line outside the rod tip) with the line not even touching the water. Basically, you just toss your fly in front of, to the side of, or right behind a boulder, let it move naturally with the flow for a second or two and then pull it out and cast it into another pocket. One tends to catch smaller fish in pocket water, but the upside is that, since the water is flowing pretty fast and makes a lot of noise, etc, one doesnt have to be super stealthy, presentations dont have to be perfect (since the fish have little time to make up their minds when an insect comes their way), and one can use either a dry fly, a wet, an emerger, or a nymph. Also, hook sets are made easier by the fact that one's line is relatively taut and one just has to raise the rod tip to set.

Fished the first 300- 400 m or so upstream of the forks to the small bridge on Forks of the Credit Rd, just beyond the little waterfall. Typical pocket water fishing, tho the river is only about 6-7 m wide there, relatively steep, there are lots of overhanging trees, and lots of vegetation on boulders/rocks and bits of branches in the water to snag on. Hooked but then lost a small trout, had a couple other hits, and had many stabs from very small food fish. Gave up at that point as my shins were getting sore (the front inside of my boots had rubbed my shins raw on Wed cuz I wore my hip waders with shorts and walked at least 3 km upstream) and made the trudge back to the east (north) fork. May try the west fork again closer to Belfountain some time where I hear there are lots of brookies.

Luck was not better on the east fork: lost a decent brown, missed setting the hook a couple other times, and saw a naked, pasty skinned old man crossing the river (yuck).

It, too, has pocket water, but isnt as steep as the west fork, is a lot wider (the first 2 km or so), and there are some decent size pools and plenty of long "troughs"/valleys where larger fish hold, esp under overhanging trees. There is also a small waterfall around 2 km upstream of the bridge where private property backs onto the river (tho the entire river within the park is public land).

Will try just below the Cataract Falls about 4-5 km upstream (where there is fast pocket water below the pool at the foot of the falls) one of these days.