Fly Fishing Manitoba

Fairford River Freeze Off

Manitoba is covered by 6 months of winter most years. Spring is this ethereal thing that looks and feels more like well more winter. Nonetheless afew of us hardy souls head out to the only open water in the province…the Fairford River!

The water is clear, clean and wade-able. So why don’t I fish it more ofte? Because it is 2-3 hours of the most boring and somewhat dangerous driving in the province.

We hit it the last Sunday in March which coincides with the end of the regular fishing season, Spring Break and the warmest part of the late winter.

Fairford River Freeze Off

Now leading up to this day we had temps in the high 20’s but any other year fishing at the end of March and having a day time high of -1 with no wind would be considered a blessing.

So the Fairford River Freeze Off was on even if only 2 participants from Fly Fishing Manitoba were there.

It was -5 on the wake up in the ‘Peg and 5 degrees cooler at our destination.

At Ashern there was icicles on the trees and signs.