Rivers Finally Become Fishable
The month of May at us going to the same secret trout stream that well I don’t keep it a state secret I don’t post it on the Internet because we know what Internet does to fishing spots. So we went on the 9th and the 25th. On the 9th when I caught 19 fish. The fish were stacked up in the pools and not in the rapids. The water was quite cool and there would be 20 to 60 fish in each pool. Which was amazing that we only managed 19 for the day but was really good to see is a lot of fish in a lot of places as opposed to the main spots as usual. Travelling from spot to spot, we probably scared as many fish as we saw.
The next time
The second time we went it was fished till sunset and and drove out in the dark. The air temperature was 21 to 12 and we got so many on rolled muddlers and nymphs and a few on drive flies just for the fun of it! and he has you know it’s late at night but you got fish until sunset more often that’s for sure!
And Again
We were going to fish a different area and then we saw so many birds of prey that we decided to fish the main trout section. Now you may say what does that have to do with anything but, over the years we have found that when the solunar cycle is at a certain way the birds of the prey and the animal activity of predators goes up and it does seem to correlate to fish activity and it turned out to be the right idea. We went straight to our favorite pool got fish but we found fish in all sorts of places and were able to catch them in pools that haven’t had fish in for quite a number of years. Hard to fish pools and in some pools that we only find available and active later season so it was actually very hard to leave the fishing was so good we caught like 60 fish between us.
Oh Heck Why Not Go Again and Make a Weekend of It?
Left straight from work on Saturday and got to start fishing around 4 in the afternoon until sunset. Stayed overnight in a motel in the area and went back on the river by eight in the next morning got off about 11 to drive home as I had a gig that evening. We found a Beaver Dam down way downstream and it was full of fish. We really only got to look at a little bit because of the long walk back And it looks like there’s more of a below that and so we’ll be looking at that later on this year. Both look extremely fishable as opposed to you know Beaver dams where it’s so mushy on the outsides of it that you can’t get at it except by standing on the dam and tangling your line up in all the sticks! When we went back the next day we just basically fished some of the closer spots to where we park.
The winning fly for that day though was a tie that I had made over the winter that I thought might be good for a bass and it’s basically a rolled muddler done in all white so white rolled feathers, crystal flash and white deer hair for a body and based on the way the fish hit it it has been named Rage Bait.
Having Too Much Fun Fishing to Take too Many Photos
I promise, the next installment will not be brook trout from a Creek I can’t tell you about.
A Fly Fishing Season Start Unlike Other Places
Well most places have their seasons start early like ours does the target species is usually trout. Now our trout season, at least in streams, doesn’t start until the middle of April. But it might as well be April Fool’s Day because most of our trout are stocked fish in lakes and this far north, are still ice covered The middle of April most of our rivers are unfishable. If we’re lucky it’s thawed but they’re just running high and brown but typically they’re still very very low with lots of water locked in the in the hills and valleys around the handful of trout rivers we do have.
So our start of the season tends to be the Fairford River in Fairford Manitoba
Because of the drop, from the control structure, it is water that is open all year round but it’s pretty hard to stand in when it’s minus anything. Sometimes we get up there earlier in the year, if we have a mild spell that gets it close to above or below freezing. So spring break is our official start to our fly fishing season and we are just waiting for the ice come to come off of lakes from that point forward.
Back in the old days
We used to find giant schools of Tulabi, better known as Lake Cisco, in recent years those numbers have dropped way down but our experience of fishing this water has enabled us to find other target species that happened to be there feeding on the tulabi, like pike and walleye. But on really warm years, as the climate is circular, we’ve been able to get carp as well! This year was mostly just the Lake Cisco but I did catch like my biggest one ever close to 14 inches. We were there for 4 hours ’cause we still don’t have the good light and it’s still bloody cold but it was a good time.
We got lucky with a high of +4° C that day The fish were caught on a Bucktail streamer with holographic black collar. Only three fish caught but they were good ones. and by good I mean these fish actually put a bend in a 10′ 8 weight.
After that much fishing that much cold, it was time for a high calorie high protein meal before the trip home.
July Fly Fishing North/Central Manitoba
July has us doing a second (annual?) trip to Cranberry Portage Manitoba. Like last year, first stop is the Pine River, just north of Dauphin Manitoba.
I am pretty good with the bugs in the province, but it was a record year and I was ill prepared. One, no amount of bug spray or pipe smoking stopped the onslaught and two, the road was in too rough a shape to hazard bottoming out the SUV again!
Next year I am definitely bring a bug net to wear and possibly renting a more robust vehicle!
Barbe Lake Manitoba
The next day we only ventured to the 1st crossing on the Pine. it has been good in some years but the last 2 no fish to even scare.
the next day we made our way up to Cranberry Portage and our first day fishing was good old Barbe Lake.
Webster Lake Manitoba
The next day I went and got skunked at Webster Lake I actually got one small fish near the end the lake was quite weedy and hard to fish The other guys went to Amphipod Lake and did quite well actually.
Amphipod Lake
At the insistence of the other guys in the party, I went to Amphipod Lake. The always generous Stu lent me his float tube because my fish cat is just too much boat to try and drag into a portage so that’s what we did and I had a great day and got a bunch of really big fish here are the video and photos.
Language Warning
Sorry, but the first two fish got off way too easily and a little frustrating so I admit to possibly swearing.
Webster Lake Manitoba
A lovely lake that reportedly was stocked with a rainbow trout and has fished fairly well but by the time I got to it was very very weedy had a large populations of loons working the shallows. I got like one small trout kind of in the middle of the day
Beautiful lake probably better there to get earlier in the season or maybe not in the middle of a heat wave.
Scotty Lake
Another gem of a lake in the middle of all this beauty. Again, another lake that was supposedly stocked with two or three kinds of trout. All we managed was perch but being far away from everything it was actually quite nice there.
Dauphin Manitoba
Since the Pine River was such a bust we decided to fish the Vermilion River. It’s a shorter drive easier on the car.
Nice catching some chunky small mouth bass in a river .
Halfway through it I did switch over to my fishing partner’s Stephen Jay 7wt bamboo, that was made by Marcel Duval, and caught a few fish that way.
Summary
This will be the second time going up north and stopping off in Dauphin to go up to Cranberry Portage and hit some of those lakes up there. Overall it wasn’t as good I got skunked on some of the trout lakes, Goose was unfishable Pine was a disaster. I definitely going to be prepared for bugs next time but it was nice to finish off with Vermilion and some bass
Some big fish were caught and some lessons learned.
May Fly Fishing Manitoba and Ontario
My true opener
I did go to Ontario for the Victoria Day Weekend but the fishing areas and opportunities were poor
Back home to fish the Lac Du Bonnet Ponds
Robert Burton
info@flyfishingmanitoba.com
204-770-0846 (Texting only)
Big Creek Manitoba
I need to make better notes on these trips if I am going to wait so long to post them.
I remember thinking it was a bonus trip as we no longer have a closed season but no one told the fish
I am guessing it was too early and too cold.
Robert Burton
info@flyfishingmanitoba.com
204-770-0846 (Texting only)
Stonfo Razor Blade holder
It is not news that trimming and shaping materials like spun deer hair and sculpin wool, is best don with a razor blade. But, as a professional musician and educator, I can’t take a chance of slicing my fingers for the sake of a fly.
I have just trimmed with scissors and accepted the results.
Enter the Razor Stonfo tool. The grip spins to allow trimming with the razor flat or a semi circle. For me, who’s been tying for years, it is a game changer. Ya my scissor trimmed muddlers still caught fish, but now I can show them in public.
Overall, I tie to ‘throw not to show’ so I am not looking to win an tying contest but, this tool makes trimming spun deer hair fun and fast.
Here’s a short video.
January 2024 Fly Fishing Florida
Fishing the last few days of our annual Florida Christmas Trip.
Last day in the Destin area
Then 2 days later I fishing the pond in the parking lot of Coronado Springs in Disney
I only Got one bass and that was while trying to avoid a small gator
No More fishy until March at the earliest
Robert Burton
info@flyfishingmanitoba.com
204-770-0846 (Texting only)
Getting the Province’s Longest Running Fishing Forum Going Again!
As you may all be aware, the forum has been tapering off as each person decides social media (Facebook in particular) is their better option.
I get it, a one stop to have your own page and visit all your hobbies in one fell swoop.
I even tried to start a FB version of the forum but I didn’t want it to become like all the previous MB fishing forums and current FB groups (ruining spots with over sharing and spam) so I made it private with admission restricted to members there, only 17 have joined.
Since we have so much excellent info archived there and many are becoming disenfranchised with (or never liked) FB I am taking a shot at bringing the longest standing fishing forum in the province off of life support.
The first step is with you.
You need to participate.
An easy step to remind yourself to go there is to change your email notifications settings.
If you go to Profile -> Edit Profile -> Notifications (tab), you can set forum and/or email notifications there. The checkboxes are for on-forum notifications while the dropdowns are for email notifications.
You can also email or PM if you have thoughts or questions
Tight Lines!
Robert
Whiteshell Manitoba Sept 2022
I will do a round up of our fishing year later but I thought I’d generate a report about a recent trip to the Whiteshell Provincial Park
What makes this different is using my DIJI MIni 2 Drone and my GoPro 10 to document the fun.
I used both previously but have not posted yet. One problem is the GoPro produces files that are not compatible with most editing software. As well, with the larger card I can produce 20 hours of video and that’s a lot to edit. The drone is great for scenery but fishing with it is problematic.
First, here’s some drone footage of two of the 3 spots we hit. The 3rd place is more popular and populated so I didn’t bother.
The first stop was the Dorothy Lake Trout Pond.
Not a Sniff. No jumps rises hits. Now they kept stocking it even though years of drought reduced it to a puddle and they didn’t stock it (or report it at least) this year. But as you will see from the video, it is at peak levels between the rain and the snow melt and the spring at its bottom. The fish might have died in the low water. Hopefully the water levels remain the same and the stocking continues. As far as ponds in the province go, this is a very quiet and pleasant place to fish.
We spent the next bit on the Whiteshell River near Pine Point. Some bass and pike were caught. It was real nice to see the river at a good strong flow. Last year is was shockingly low!
We finished up at the popular Rainbow falls (were I did not fly the drone) and caught small bass and pike.
We had visions of hitting one more spot but, a stop at the Night Hawk Cafe for a burger and the earlier sunset, made that a no go!
Here’s the GoPro 10 footage. My two complaints about this camera is 1) the already stated incompatibility of the files (I have to run them all through conversion software to work in any editing program) and 2) it shuts off if ‘it’ gets too hot. It shut off a few times (and missed capturing a couple of fish). It was only 23 but I am guess it runs hot and the direct sunlight exacerbates that. I think I need a bigger hat!
2021 Round Up
For what ever reason I didn’t do one fishing report or blog update. So I’ll do a slam on the whole season
Drought Drought Drought
As you can imagine the 5-7 year decrease in rain and snow had an awful effect on water levels and the fishing. Places that were good went to being good only in the spring and eventually, not even then. So off my list was any local streams.
The Warm early in March Fairford Trip
A skunking no fish even seen.
Middle of March To the Whiteshell. Low but open water and little snow
Again no fish seen
Mid April Trouting
Not a lot of fish but a few chubs and small brookies
Early May Same Place
More and better fishing
Lyon’s Lake
A few Small ones
Back to the secret location
The next Weekend we were off to the Manigatogan Falls as they enter the Winnipeg River System. Lots of male smallies and a breed of sucker (Silver Red Horse) that were not only feeding but took flies!
Well that was so much fun I decided to go again the next week armed with my 4wt switch!
Then back for more brookies with the Tenkara (reel-less fly fishing).
Then back to Manigatogan the next two weekends
You Guessed it! What can I say I love the place.
Haven’t been to the Red in years and I picked the wrong year to try again…drought
Next two trips had us back chasing brookies.
Hit one of my favourite spots on the Whiteshell…again the drought has taken its toll.
And then my oasis in walleye lake fishing desert
Another of my Haunts is MacArthur Falls. Here we see Stephen with a fly reel he 3d printed (and a small bass. I caught a real nice pike on a switch rod that I am still waiting for a picture of.
Staying at a friends cottage in the Whiteshell had me looking at the river by the hatchery. I have real issues with how this place is run. They can stock little ponds down the road that summer kill fish but can’t put fish in the river RIGHT BESIDE the facility because the levels are too low. While this is a drought year the levels are always too low because they are constantly raising the dam on the river to placate cottage owners.
3 weeks in a row, small stream fishing.
To finish our year we end where we began. Fairford. The greenback run was on and the fishing was good. It was depressing because of the family/crowd on the bank there all day taking everything.
As I write this, we have had a very good snowy winter followed by a very wet April. This bodes well for the coming season!