Fly Fishing on the River

Submitted by Chari Cohen.

If the Beaver River waterhshed is a gem, then the Beaver River is the crown jewel.

As a fly fisher I have had the privilege of getting to know the river from a unique perspective.

I have fly fished in its waters for over 20 years.

When I came to Ontario in 1984 from the West I was delighted to find familiar aquatic friends who also had been transplanted here. The Chinook salmon and the steelhead trout were brought to our waters around the turn of the century and have thrived in our Beaver River. Along with the resident brown, rainbow and native brook trout, there is almost year round opportunities for trout and salmon fisher folk.

The art of fly fishing offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in the mysteries and beauty of the valley in all its seasons.

The river starts off as a small bubbly stream deep in the cedar forests at it’s headwaters up the Lower Valley Road and has many personalities as it flows down the valley to Thornbury and out into Georgian Bay.

Fishing and walking the river, you notice details like a fawn’s footprint in the mud, a beaver swimming in the river, spring irises, and fall colours.