My Fishing Log

April 18th-November 2nd 2003

By: R Burton

 

1. April 18th, Whiteshell River.

Water very low, see no sign of fish but did meet 2 other fly fishers.

 

2. April 26th, Kingfisher Lake.

Went there for the trout but the pike kept biting me off. Until I got the hint. (Not pike season yet)

 

3. May 3rd, Whiteshell River.

Same deal as last time.

Go to Hunt Lake (without tube) and it was crowded. Went to Lyon’s Lake and fished from shore. Lots of hits and landed a few on

un-weighted nymphs. My fishing partner and some worm dunkers, that were already there, reported getting skunked. Not a nice day weather wise.

 

4. May 11th, Hunt Lake about 2:00 pm. Couple of nice fish but the wind blows me off the lake. Off to Lyon’s Lake where the wind was not as much of a factor. A steady wind from the south made for some nice fishing on the north shore of the lake.

 

5. May 17th, Nopiming Park.

First stop the Black River. 2 big suckers for me and a decent pike for my spin fishing brother. Next stop Managatogan River. Pike after pike for the rest of the day and mostly on deer hair poppers. Got to tie more of them as even the small ones tear them up. No monsters but good action and one real nice jumbo perch. Not bad for pulling off the side of the road and fishing but that is Manitoba for ya.

 

6. May 25th, West Hawk Lake.

The basic idea was to fly fish for shallow Lake Trout but we started the day casting for smallies.

 Had some good luck and caught quite a few nice ones. Picked up the odd pike here and there. But when it came for the lake trout I was skunked! To be fair my host was trolling a gang troll w/salted minnow and even with my lead core shooting head I still could not get down deep enough or long enough to get a fish. He got one and we ate it for lunch. Went out after and did poorly for all species. But all in all a nice day with a nice fella on a very nice boat.

 

7. June 1st, Dorothy Lake Trout Pond.

Family fishing trip! Get the wife and 2 year old son out for a little pond fishing. Got to show my son mom and or dad getting fish. Between us we got 10 but the kid was more interested in throwing rocks in the water which is why we only got 10.

 

8. June 7th, Whiteshell River.

Water levels back where they should be. Only hooked 3 fish all big landed one that was a little over 20”. Rain all day but who cares?

 

9. June 14th, Hunt Lake.

Not much action on top so I try out my new full sink line. Lots of hits but with so much line in the water it was very hard to set the hook. Maybe I should be using a sink tip or just go back to a long leader on a floating line. I know I missed a nice one down in the east bay.

 

10. June 22nd, Stephenfield Reservoir.

River bed looks real shallow but the back bay looks nice and I saw a decent fish jump well out of casting range. Looks good for camping except for all the water skiers and on such a small lake???

 

11. June 29th, King Fisher Lake.

I decided to target the pike here since I had so much luck with them in the spring. J

Of course there was a hail storm the day before so the fishing was going to be bad but 3 hits only. But hey it was worth it to see the bizarre looks from the sunbathers at my attire.

 

12. June 12th, Birds Hill Town/Silver fox Lake.

Another family fishing outing. Again the boy was more interested in throwing rocks than fishing…we got skunked.

 

13. July 1st, Hunt Lake.

10” brookie and a bunch of hits and one that broke me off.

Whiteshell River no fish and no fish sign.

Lyon’s Lake 2 perch.

 

14. July 6th, St. Malo Lake.

Thunder and lightning preceded my arrival and so the fishing was predictably bad. I perch and one bite off from a pike.

 

15. July 12th, LaSalle River.

I small Black Carp might be better earlier in the season with the water a little higher or more current.

 

16. July 19th, Boyne River below the reservoir.

On pike hooked and lost in the gunk.

 

17. July 25th, Sandbar Lake, Ignace Ontario.

Fish the beach at sunset. For some reason I couldn’t cast well that night. But I got one perch.

 

18. July 27th, Burnfield Lake @ Obatanga Provincial Park, Ontario.

Waded the shore line but all the fish sign (pike swirls) were well out of my casting range.

 

19. August 3rd, Pine River, Ontario.

Some dry fly fishing for wild stream trout. I thought having not done this for a long time and being spoiled by the relatively easy fishing in Manitoba that I would do poorly. But did quite well but gosh the fish were smaller.

 

20. August 5th, Aux Sable River, Massey, Ontario.

At the general store the owner gave me two choices for fishing down stream at a fork for almost anything or up stream for wild brookies. I made the wrong choice and went up stream. Beautiful country though.

 

21. Rabbit Blanket Lake, Lake Superior Lake Provincial Park, Ontario.

Lots of rises and I got a few brookies from the dock. But the best thing was this guy coming to shore with a real nice “Water Skeeter” pontoon boat. But instead of a fly rod he had one of those “Zebco” push button combos.

 

22. August 7th, some large unknown River near Thunder Bay.

Lots of water but I can’t figure out what the name is. But no fish for me and not a lot of sign fishing in general so who knows the story? But some kids tried to hoax me into believing that the air mattress and shoe half submerged was a body. Their parents thought that was funny till I didn’t bite but they told some other guy and when he walked by his imagination got the better of him and he thought the twisted air mattress and shoe was a body so when I finally got back to the van the place was crawling with cops and ambulance! I tried to tell them about the fat kids and there parents attempt at a hoax but they had to waste there time. Of course when I told them the easiest way down they ignored that too.

 

23. August 9th, Garson/Lockport.

I find out I am stuck with my brother in laws beater! Can’t go far and there is no room foe the tube. On a whim I hit Garson sport fishing park. Mostly I was interested in the pike pond but the BP was dropping and it was stinking hot and humid so, not surprisingly, I didn’t get a fishL. Hit his trout ponds and did well.

At closing I left and headed west on #44 to go home but the sign for Lockport reminded me of all the raving Stu Thompson at the Fishin’ Hole (and a few others) about the fishing below the dam.

Pulled up to the lot and had a peek. I figured I had the time what could it hurt? Well the ephoron hatch was on and I did well with bright nymphs. Sauger and Goldeye.

 

24. August 11th, Lockport dam.

Lots of goldeye and a few sauger. One guy beside me landed 3 big cats on bait but must have been using 20lb test as he didn’t play the fish just kinda hauled it in. Gotta get me one of those cats!

 

25. August 14th, Lockport dam. (Are you sensing a trend here?)

Real good evening as at one point it was like a fish a cast and some at MA size (if I went for that kind of thing) Good mix of sauger and goldeye.

 

26. August 17th, Pinawa channel.

Looked ok to fish at the park but it closed at 9 pm and looked a bit like “party central”. Where ever I entered the river it was hard to fish, impossible to wade. Might be good in the cooler weather with a canoe.

 

 27. August 18th, Lockport dam (the trend continues).

Slow bite, water levels down and current locations different. Got my first drum on the fly and some sauger and small walleyes. Richard Swandell and Darrell Myskiw dropped down (Richard fished for awhile)

 

28. August 21st, Lockport Dam.

Second cast first fish a 30” cat! What a fight! Some sauger and walleye. Landed an 18” cat and one a heck of a lot stronger then the other 2 that broke me off!

 

29. August 25th, Lockport Dam.

Slow, some goldeye, sauger and one drum.

 

30. August 28th, Lockport Dam.

First fish a carp but the battle didn’t last long. One sauger after that but the smell was bad and it turned out the there was another sewage spill.

 

31. August 30th, William Lake.

Tube springs leak but not before getting one brown trout, a few nice bass and way too many perch. Although some of them were a nice size and relatively grub free.

 

32. September 1st, Lockport dam.

No bite till sunset and then it was a few sauger and 1 30” cat, in the dark and out a bit…not for the faint of heart.

 

33. September 9th, Lockport Dam.

Goldeye, walleye and sauger. 2 cats hooked one 30” landed.

 

34. September 13th, Lockport Dam.

Using some new flys I created for the river I lost a lot due to snags but still landed the walleye, sauger and goldeye crowd.

 

35. September 14th, McHugh Lake.

RAIN! RAIN! RAIN!

4 hits 2 fish 17 and 18”s.

 

36. September 16th, Lockport dam.

Usual routine with a 20” cat that fought very strangely indeed.

 

37. September 21st, William Lake.

Rained all the way there, wind and fog on the lake. No fish till the weather clears and then the perch start. Followed by some bass and one large/strong fish broke me off at the dock. Tried using a 6wt line on the 5 wt rod with mixed results.

 

38. September 30th Lockport dam, 8:30-10:30.

Cold that night, the water was high and ice in the guides.

One sauger.

 

39. October 3rd, Lockport dam, 6-10:30.

No fish then a flurry of hits a few walleyes landed then nothing. None too big the best being 20” walleye and a 16” sauger.

 

40. October 5th, McHugh Lake.

4  fish all nice and only where the sun and wind met (north east shore)

 

41. October 11th, St. Malo Lake.

Went there for the rock bass but all I got was pike…J very strange hits though. Hit… brief struggle…release. Didn’t know what I was fishing for till I landed a 22 inch fella with no wire leader.

 

42. October 12th, Lyons Lake then Hunt Lake.

I perch and one fingerling rainbow from Lyons and a few perch and a few brookies from Hunt…floating/twitching nymphs the ticket there.

 

43. October 18th, St. Malo Lake.

Same water less fish but it is getting cccccccold out there!

 

44. October 26th, Whiteshell River.

My annual trip to the river on the last weekend for trout as the river season closes. This river ahs been a bit of a bust this year but I thought what the heck I’d give it a shot. Mostly specks in full exquisite fall spawning colours (don’t get that from the lake fish). Mostly fingerlings (a perfect size for those predators) some brown and a tiger trout! Two bows that had a strange fat shape.

If they have solved the predator problem then this river will be awesome in the next few years, if not then well it is still a nice place even if the fishing goes down hill.

 

45. November 2nd, Aaron Weibe’s pond.

Ccccccccccccold and windy. -7 no fish! A nice lad and so is his family. Imagine if you were growing up down the road from a river and had a pond to fly fish. What kind of fly fisher would you be now??

 

 

In Summation

I would say that although the fishing overall was tough for me that this was the best year I have had since moving here. More spots more new species and a few rediscovered ones and some of those new on the fly rod. I hope that next spring is not tough and late as I can hardly wait to get back out there!

 

 

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