Trout Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing for Manitoba Trout!
Since the 60’s Manitoba has been stocking trout in lakes. What started out as a few lakes in the eastern part of the province to take the pressure off the walleye and bass, has grown into a huge deal. Everything from ponds to huge lakes is now getting stocked with hatchery made fish. Some of the ponds and lakes are aerated to keep them alive during the winter and some are either put and die fisheries or in a few lakes that can sustain them.
The fish can range in size from newly planted fingerlings to 26″ monsters. The big fish can either be brood stock released after service or they can be fish that grew to that size (particular to the western aerated lakes)
For years they stocked rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout in these lakes. Usually just one kind in each lake. As of late this has expanded to include hybrids. Splake (Brook Trout/Lake Trout cross) and Tiger Trout (a Brook Trout/Brown Trout cross). They used to plant Spar (a Brook Trout/Arctic Char cross) but these beautiful fish didn’t make it past the bureaucrats’ preference for other hybrids.
More recently they have seen fit to stock lakes with albino trout.
As well there is a bit of a dogs breakfast with the stocking with 2-3 and even sometime 4 kinds of trout put in one lake.
Almost all of our trout (and certainly ones available within a reasonable driving distance of Winnipeg) are in lakes. These lakes do have some shore access but, in general, not a lot. You could drive a long way only to have all the access points occupied. As fly rodders we need more space so we just can’t sidle up to someone and start casting.
So, if you want a trip to fly fish for some trout you have 2 options
- Float a lake. At this point I do not supply float tubes so you’d have to arrange your own conveyance.
- Wade a stream. Most of the listed trout stream in Manitoba are either stocking based or travel intensive. Luckily for you I do have a few options.
write today and go fly fishing for Manitoba trout tomorrow! info@flyfishingmanitoba.com
