Thanksgiving Fishing

I am thankful for the opportunities I have to fish.

Its Canadian thanksgiving this weekend. We start early because winter comes much sooner than it does for those of you south of the board. But aside from the fact that the leaves are turning color and falling off the trees, today seemed more like a summer day. So I jumped at the opportunity to go fishing for a few hours.

With limited time, I headed to a nearby pond that is stocked annually with rainbow trout. It is pretty accessible so I wasn’t sure what to expect since I hadn’t been there for a year.

I rigged up with a clear intermediate line and a small streamer and after an initial run of rock bass, I was able to confirm there were still trout in the pond. I always find it interesting how different species and even strains within a species behave so differently. The rock bass hoover the fly in and then leave their mouths wide open while one hauls them in – like a small wind sock, giving the impression they are bigger than they are. The rainbow trout were not particularly aggressive in their take but once hooked they shook their heads mightily and were frequently successful in slipping the barbless hook.

Most of the trout were in the 12 inch range although a couple taped out at 15 inches.

At one point I decided to try a few underwater shots. This is not particularly easy when one is in a float tube, is working the fish to the tube with one hand and is trying to keep from dropping the camera with the other. This is the best of a bad bunch. If you look, you can see a trout in the distance. Clearly I need more practice!

Through the afternoon the takes came frequently until about 4 in the afternoon when things died down. Nothing big was caught but it was still a fine afternoon of fishing.

Back on the Water

A week has passed since returning from three days fishing. No wonder the season goes by so fast.

Our early season trip to Quebec for trout has to be considered a success. Four lakes fished, catching plenty of rainbows and brook trout, good food and good friends.

It was particularly good to have Brian back with us after almost three years in Japan. Here he is less than ten minutes in with a nice rainbow. Obviously he never lost his touch! And it was one of many that first morning.

Fishing At Last!

Monday marked the first day of fishing for 2011. Nothing whatsoever through January, February, March and half of April. A sad state of affairs!

The Bing Retreat is a private resort about an hour and a half from home. The owner Chris Fisher does a great job managing the lake, stocking it with rainbows and brook trout. The day rate for fishing it is quite reasonable and given that it was one of the first good trout lakes open in our area, it was an obvious destination of choice.

So the anticipation leading up to today was substantial. Ice out was confirmed over a week ago. The weather has been nasty this spring but it looked like we would have a window of good weather this Monday. Depending on the weather forecast one was following it would be sunny or sunny with clouds and temperatures up to 10C. And the wind – hopefully not as strong as it has been the last few days.

As it turned out the sun never really arrived until after we finished up. The wind never left and the the temperature never hit 10C. But it was still the first day of the season.

Wade, Roger, George and I arranged to meet between 8:30 and 9. Roger was first on the water but I wasn’t far behind. It felt good to be out on the water again – despite the fact it the water temperature was only 42F and the wind was blowing. I started with the brown krystal hackle bugger I had so much success with up at Kenauk at the end of last season but it wasn’t producing the same results today. Rounding the point it was clear that midges were hatching. There were lots of new insects on the surface and pupae just under the film. No fish were rising so I switched to a chironomid pattern for a while but with a clear intermediate line it wasn’t the best set up so that didn’t last too long.

By this time I had kicked far enough that I was along the south shore of the lake. I decided to change flies and switched to one of Denny Rickards’ AP Emergers I had tied up on the weekend. That seemed to be the ticket. I cast, let it sink with the intermediate line and then slowly stripped the fly back in. Almost immediately I had a hit. After a good fight I landed a 16 inch rainbow. About the same time George hooked into a fish not far from me but after a bit of a fight it slipped the hook.

My change in fortune continued with another hit. This time it was a slightly larger fish – approximately 18 inches. I tried for a photo but it is just too awkward trying to manage a fish and take its picture at the same time. So it was quickly dispatched. Between fighting the fish, kicking and the wind, I was now almost at the southeast corner of the lake. I had a couple more hits and eventually hooked into another fish. This one proved to be small, about 10 inches so it was played quickly and released.

My toes were starting to get cold and my bladder was telling me a trip to shore was in order so I decided to kick back to the launch spot. With the launch in sight I had a hit and immediately it was clear that this was a large fish. It took line for a good run and then bulldogged at depth. The ensuing fight lasted about 15 minutes as we exchanged line in and out. Eventually I managed to get him to the surface confirming it was a very big fish. When I finally got him to the net it out he wasn’t that long – maybe 18 inches but very fat. After a quick look he was released. I estimate he was somewhere between 4 and 5 pounds.

The fight over I was reminded of the reason for my trip ashore so no more distractions. Out of the tube and flippers off to deal with pressing matters. I also decided to apply a couple heat patches to my feet in an effort to fight off the cold. Given I was on shore and it was past noon, I grabbed a sandwich but decided to pass on liquids for the time being and was back on the water, waiting for the heat patches to kick in.

I headed back to the south shore and managed a couple more fish in the 16-18 inch range and then a couple more in the 10 inch range. All were caught on an AP Emerger using the same slow stripping approach. The wind continued to blow so I decided to move on around the lake as much in search of calmer conditions as anything. By this time my first AP Emerger was pretty beat up and the only other one I had looked so pathetic in the water (did I say I can’t tie soft hackles very well) so I decided to switch up to one of my Palmered Chenille Buggers. Casting close to shore and slowly stripping I was greeted by a solid hit and after a bit of a battle, brought to net another good sized rainbow.

By this time it had been almost 6 hours of continuous tubing so i started heading back towards the launch. There wasn’t much action so I switched to a Montreal wet fly for no particular reason but it proved successful as I was rewarded by another hit from a solid fish. After a good fight I landed and released another rainbow in the 16 inch range.

I was cold again and quite aware I had been on the water for over six hours. And since Roger and Wade were already ashore, it seemed like a good time to pack it in. George followed shortly behind me.

Other than the three smaller trout, all the rainbows were easily in the 16 to 18 inch range with the one closer to 20 – a good start to the season.

Late Season Stillwater

Winter is approaching quickly. Days are short and temperatures are beginning to fall. Fall colours are long gone and as each day passes, the opportunities for stillwater fishing lessen.

Earlier this week a few of us had a chance to get out for a bit of trout fishing – a full day and the morning of the next. We were hoping to encounter rainbow trout bent on fattening up for the winter months. Depending on how you look at it, the weather conditions were going to be good or bad. Sunny and warm was inviting from the perspective of being out on the water with legs immersed in 43F water but maybe overcast would be preferable for the fish. What we got was sunny and warm and mostly no wind which made for very pleasant float tubing.

We arrived reasonably early Monday morning and wasted no time getting on the water. Fishing proved to be steady. By lunch time most had managed to coax several trout into dining on whatever was at the end of the line. In my case the menu du jour consisted mainly of the rusty brown bugger concoction I had come up with a couple months back. I admit it looks somewhat strange when dry but in the water the Krystal Hackle flattens back nicely to match the shape of a minnow body. Under the bright sun conditions the subtle sparkle seemed to be an added attraction for the fish. Who knows what goes through a fish’s brain but whatever it is, they seemed to like it.

Most of the fish caught were in the 12-14 inch range with a few approaching 16 inches. I was fishing a clear intermediate sink line. Fish were caught at various depths, generally while stripping in the line. Dusk comes early these days and by 5 o’clock the sun had set and everyone was ready for a warm cabin and dinner.

We were up the next morning, greeted by near flat calm conditions. As the sun rose over the hills, the temperature warmed and the wind stayed away. I headed to a shallow bay where I had had some success the day before. Same thing this morning as landed three rainbows in quick order and lost three more.

Somewhere I have heard or read – don’t leave fish to find fish, but not heeding that advice I decided to move on, thinking I would finish up the morning in another favourite bay. That proved to be an unsuccessful idea as the fish seemed to either have left the area or decided they weren’t hungry. At any rate after an hour with no activity, it was time to head in for a cup of coffee and to warm up.

With the toes feeling better I decided to hit the water for a bit before we had to pack up and leave. Based on experience from earlier in the morning, I headed back to the bay I had started at and was rewarded with action once again. It seemed the fish were active along the edge of the flats. Several fish and an equal number of misses it was time to call it quits and head for home.

The rusty brown bugger proved to be my most successful pattern on this trip. Who knows if that will be the case in the future but it will be one on the list for winter tying.

November Float Tubing

Today was a great day to be out on the water. November 1 and still in the float tubes. The forecast was for temperatures of 5C, sun and cloud and only a bit of wind. When we arrived at the lake it was full sun and barely a breath of wind. The weekend snowfall had not been huge but the temperatures remained cool and so the trees were still covered in snow.

The crisp air was fine but the clear sky and no wind were a bit concerning. We were hoping for large rainbows that were know to be way at the best of times. The question was how would the fishing be with such bright, calm conditions?

Both Wade and I were thinking the fish were still well below the surface so Wade went with a type 3 sinking line while I decided to rig my RIO clear intermediate sink line. This is easily my favourite line for lake fishing and is my default when conditions clearly point to surface action. I tied on a Mrs. Simpson streamer which apparently had worked well on the weekend.

It didn’t take long for the fish to respond. Within ten minutes of Wade and I launching I had a hit from an energetic young rainbow. After several jumps I brought him to the float tube and quickly released a 12-14 inch silver sided rainbow. Wade followed not long after with a couple brothers or sisters to the one I caught. This was a good start. The smaller fish were active but what about the larger rainbows?

Things slowed from there as we worked our way around the edge of the lake towards an area where fishing was usually good. Another hit but nothing to show for it.

I decided to kick down to the far end of the lake. It is a bit of a float and puts one at the east end of the lake which is not much fun with the wind picks up as it typically blows west to east. However I had lost a large fish at that end the last time I fished the laked so wanted to find out whether there were more to be had. Slowly I moved further away from the launch. The wind picked up. Nothing serious but still a reminder that it was going to be a bit of work to get back.

The end of the lake is fairly narrow with flats and sharp drop offs along the shore I hugged. As I approached the end, I had a sharp hit. It held and I could tell this was a larger fish. No jumping but lots of head shaking and several long runs. At one point I worked him to the surface and confirmed that should this be successful it would be the largest rainbow trout I caught in this lake. The fight lasted about 10 minutes before I managed to net a very nice male rainbow. Based on the 18 inch measure in float tube stripping basket, this one must have been around 24 inches. My guess was close to 5 pounds.

It was only after releasing this guy, that I remembered the wind had picked up. I decided not to stick around but to head back towards Wade, Bob and Doug (who had joined up with us). Since the last fish was caught close to the drop off, I decided to focus on working the edge. A short time later, a second big hit vibrated through my rod. Judging from the feel, this was another big fish. And he decided to run, stripping line from my reel. Several times I worked him close to the float tube only to have him sound and tear off with more line. However better this than forcing the issue and losing him, as I have a habit of doing. Eventually he too came to the net and was released after a couple pictures.

I was now closer to the others and since it was getting close to noon, decided to head over to a convenient rock outcrop that made a good lunch spot. Wade was there by the time I got there and eventually the others followed.

Fed, warmed, relieved – anticipation was high for more fish in the afternoon. However that was not to be the case – at least for me. Other than one 12 inch rainbow – nothing. Wade did slightly better and Doug lost a large fish but otherwise it was quite enough that by 3pm we decided to pack it in.

Although the fish weren’t many, it was a great day. The two large ones definitely helped!

Thanksgiving Fly Fishing

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving – a spectacular autumn day. i have lots to be thankful for including the fact we celebrated on Saturday so today is post celebration time and conveniently a good day to go fishing. While Donna is not interested in fishing she was up for a trip to a local pond so long as she could sit by the shore, read a book and take a few photos. So off we went with previously acquired directions since I had never been to this spot before.

We arrived shortly after 10 in the morning. Although the pond is very accessible, there was only one other couple fishing and they left shortly after we arrived.

The fish were clearly active with several surfacing near us. There was no hatch going on but the fish seemed to be feeding on something relatively close to the surface. Impatiently inflated the float tube, strung my rod and generally tried to get organized as quickly as possible. Despite the surfacing fish, I decided to go with a clear intermediate sink line and a small streamer. And within minutes I was rewarded with a hit. First fish to the tube was a small but energetic rainbow which was quickly released. The hits continued at a fairly regular pace throughout the morning. Most fish caught were in the 11-12 inch range. I’m not sure if they are the product of late fall stocking but whatever the case, they seemed hungry.

Just before noon I hooked into a much larger fish. Immediately airborne, it showed bright red along the side and was clearly larger than any of the fish caught to this point. Sadly after working it fairly close to the tube, I was a little over enthusiastic and he slipped the hook without me getting another look. However, it was good to know the pond also has some larger fish.

This was confirmed after a lunch break when I hooked into a very nice 15 inch fish which was quickly followed by a fat 14 incher.

The pond is not large, the product of an old quarry but it must be fed by cold water springs to support trout. The water is clear and in many spots it was possible to see to the bottom which was in excess of 20 feet.

I packed it in around mid afternoon, thankful for the time on the water and cooperative fish!

Monday Morning Fishing

There is a group of us that fish together – seldom en mass but frequently in bunches of two or three. Bob is usually the organizer and also the aggregator of news about everyone’s fishing activities (at least of those who share it with him).

The teaser was embedded in Bob’s Sunday evening email updating everyone on various fishing successes (or lack thereof) over the past few days. “I’m planning on returning to ****** tomorrow morning early and quit at noon…..” Up to that point, I was planning on working all day but with the subtle presentation – start early and quit by noon, the hook was set. Forget return email. A quick phone call verified times and plans were set.

The weather called for overcast and showers which seemed like just the ticket. Early indications driving up were that it might actually be more like rain rather than showers but such was not the case when we arrived at the lake. It was partly overcast (but sometimes sunny) and other than the rain to and from the lake, it was dry all morning.

The lake has a deserved reputation for large rainbows. I haven’t fished it a lot but it seems most times I hear of either a few big fish being caught or nothing at all. Hopefully today would be the former. As it turns out, the big guys eluded us. Water temperatures were still quite warm and we guessed the larger fish were holding deep. However, my black palmer chenille bugger came through, producing several fish in the 12-14 inch range – not big for this lake but not a skunk either.

And yes – we packed it in by noon. Home in time to get a bit of work in too. The best way to start the week.

Summer Fishing for Trout

Fly fishing for trout that reside in lakes can be challenging. With warm summer days comes warm water temperatures. And, most fly fisherman know that means trout go deep – not ideal from a fishing perspective.

I came across an interesting article that discusses the physical reasons for why trout go deep as water temperatures warm. The challenge for trout is really one of lack of oxygen – the warmer the water, the less capacity it has to hold dissolved oxygen. At the same time, as water temperatures warm, the fish’s metabolism rises. A trout must balance its metabolic rate against availability of oxygen so it tends to move to water temperatures where the two are in balance.

While trout have varying tolerances for water temperature, typical surface water temperatures in the 70s F (21-26C) are uncomfortable for them and they will typically seek cooler locations – meaning deep down. At 75F (24C) the maximum dissolved oxygen capacity of undisturbed water is 3ppm (parts per million). This is the limit below which trout will not survive.

In general trout metabolism and access to oxygen (and hence predisposition to feed) peaks when water temperatures are between 55 and 65F. Having said that not all species are equal in this regard. For instance brook trout and lake trout have a lower tolerance for warm water than rainbow trout which have a lower tolerance than brown trout.

That’s my rough interpretation of the biology. So how does this play out for a fisherman? It seems to me, the issue is more relevant to catch and release fishing. Obviously if you plan to keep the fish, its mortality is greatly at risk anyway. Assuming catch and release, here are a couple general rules that I try to follow.

Avoid fishing for less tolerant species when water temperatures are high. Even if they have moved deep and you manage to catch them, excessive play may be harmful to them.
For more temperature tolerant species, play and release them quickly – preferable without a lot of out of water time.

So after all that – what did I do?

Bob Jurmain and I decided to head out in search of lake rainbows yesterday. Air temperatures had cooled somewhat the last little while so that was encouraging. We also picked a lake where we know subsurface water temperatures are consistently cold through the sumer.

Our start was pretty leisurely getting out on the water by 9:30am. It was a calm, sunny day with cool air temperatures. Surface water temperatures were around 22C (72F) and down around 25 feet the water temperature was close to 15C (60F) and that’s were the fish were located.

Rigging of choice (or necessity) was full sinking lines, short leaders and streamers. We let the line sink until we estimated we were close to the 20-25 foot depth and then began stripping in. And the fish were pretty cooperative. Both of us were on to fish within a few minutes of putting in. None were huge, consisting of this year’s stockers and some hold overs but they were energetic. When caught they were quickly released. As the morning wore on the fishing slowed so we stopped for lunch which was a combination of sandwiches and a couple kept rainbows Bob smoked over his travel stove. They tasted pretty good too.

Fishing was even slower after lunch although we did manage a few more fish just before we packed it in around 4pm.

In the interest of quick release the tin foil trout were the only ones photographed. It was a good to get out. A couple more weeks and the fishing should be in fine form.

Quebec Fishing

Got out earlier this week in search of larger than average rainbow trout on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River. I was being treated to a lake with limited public access with promise of rainbow trout to 6 plus pounds so how could one refuse. Its always hard to know how to measure the weather. The forecast called for warm temperatures and sunny skies – a pleasant way to spend a day in a float tube but maybe not the most productive weather for fishing. We sided on the pleasant tubing weather and headed out.

We arrived just after 8 in the morning to blue skies and relatively calm winds. After stringing up the rods and getting our tubes organized we were on the water. I had barely pushed back from shore when Wade shouted he had a fish on. It wasn’t one of the big ones but it was definately a promising start to the day. As it turns out, the first one was a teaser with the fish slow to come after that – at least as far as trout were concerned.

We decided to work our way around the lake in opposite directions and meet up somewhere along the way (I guess if you keep to the plan it should work that way). Not too long after we made the split I floated over a section of shoreline with some really rocky structure. Looking down through the clear water, this looked like such a fishy spot and I wasn’t disappointed when I felt a sharp hit. There we go I thought, first trout on my line. However I was somewhat surprised when I worked the fish into sight to see a bassy looking mouth. No one told me there were bass in the lake but sure enough it was a smallmouth bass. Since they were still out of season, it was a quick flip of the hook to release him. But at least there were fish in this spot so I decided to stick around to see what else I could coax onto my line. Sure enough, another hit. This time a lot harder. With some heavy duty head shaking, it seemed this might be the trout I was looking for. It was definitely a big fish and eventually I worked it to the surface only to see another smallmouth. And talk about mixed feelings – it was easily the biggest smallmouth I have hooked into. Without picking him up or measuring him before a quick release, I guess 4-5 pounds. Too bad it wasn’t bass season.

From there things slowed for a while. Despite trying every sort of fly imaginable, fishing shallow and deep, fast and slow retrieve there didn’t seem to be anything the fish were interested in. Lunch and a bathroom break was a welcome break from kicking around the lake.

With the store bought ham sandwich and apple gone, it was time to solve the trout problem so back into the float tubes. Wade indicated he had caught fish further along so we decided to push into the wind for a bit more before beginning the drift back to our put in spot. And a good thing we did. A short time later I had a hit on a brown wooly bugger. After a nice fight, a healthy, silver-sided rainbow trout came alongside the tube and was quickly released. That was more like it and hopefully an indication of things to come. But sadly, no more trout felt in a cooperative mood. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the anticipated drift with the wind didn’t exactly work out when the wind shifted so it was a bit more work getting back than expected.

Despite the slow fishing, it was a great day. We packed it in around 3 which was probably a bit early. With the expectation of better fishing this is certainly a lake I would return to for another try.

First Trout Fishing of the Season

We got out with the float tubes on Tuesday to check out a couple lakes in the area. It was my first day in search of trout this year and it was a great to be out. On one hand, the weather was great – clear sky, little wind and warm temperatures. But I am not sure that was the greatest weather for fishing. At least that is my excuse. Other than a couple hits I was shut out on this trip.

Three of us headed up to a lake that has a history of tough fishing but also of large rainbow trout. We had the tubes on the water by mid morning which would be kind of late normally but the water temperature was still pretty low so we figured the fish would have been pretty sluggish earlier anyway. It was my first trip to this lake so I was really feeling my way around and looking for all the advice I could get.

It took a while but eventually a couple willing participants were located. This one was the first and largest. Not much energy just yet but looking in great shape.

After the brief flurry of activity things slowed down again and after stopping for lunch we decided to head to a second much smaller lake not too far away. This lake is a brook trout lake and can be fun particularly if there is any kind of hatch going on. The fish are generally small but they look great. On the water we found lots of shucks which looked promising but we tried everything and other than a couple hits, could not entice a fish to cooperate.

Not a lot of fish this time out but it was good to get out after too many months of winter.

Leader to Tippet to Fly

One thing connects to another….

Tag Archives: rainbow trout