End of season brook trout trip report
End of season brook trout trip report
Fall brook trout
For the third year in a row I fished the closing weekend of trout season in Algonquin park. All three years I have gone to the same area and done the same 3 day trip. My usual paddling partner had work obligations and couldn't join me. Not wanting to miss out on a good trip, I headed out on my own. I have done lots of solo paddling, but this is the first overnight trip I have ever done.
I packed light and brought my Swift Kipawa. I was able (just) to single trip all the portages, saving a significant amount of time. I left Richmond early Friday morning and arrived at the park permit office at 8:00am. Too bad they open at 9:00am this time of year. Doh! I got my permit and was on my way. I was able to put on quite a few kilometers before the strong winds on Friday started.
Along my route I passed a set of rapids that has produced well in the past. I casted a Panther Martin in firetiger and immediately started catching fish. They were definitely turned on. Every 2nd or 3rd cast resulted in a nice brook trout. Average size was about 12-14". In total I landed about 10, keeping one that was gill hooked. Even though the fish were still biting, I decided to move on before the wind got even worse.
Typical fish:
I was only able to make it a few more kilometers before the wind made forward progress impossible. I made camp about 4km from my intended destination. The site was nice, but a little exposed for this weather. It would be home for the next two nights. I had to use ear plugs to sleep that night because of the wind. I guess if a bear were to try to eat me I wouldn't hear it coming? Maybe that is for the best....
I woke up to rain the next morning and decided to stay in bed. I read for about an hour in the tent until the rain stopped. I made a quick oatmeal and instant coffee breakfast and was on my way by 9:00am. A little over an hour later I reached a set of rapids that has been hit and miss in the past. I fished it for about a half hour and only landed two trout, so I moved on.
The next set of rapids has a very large deep pool below it, with a steep weedy drop off all the way around it. The fish were present, and biting, but I did have to search for them. Having this large fishable area to myself I took my time and worked the drop offs, current breaks and back eddies. In a small weedy bay next to the main current I landed a PB at 17.5". Unfortunately the camera wasn't readily accessible, so there is no picture. I caught it on a small EGB spoon, like this guy:
Another fish:
Lunch time rolled around so made something my friend and I invented this spring, the Snickers Taco. Ingredients are: Taco shell, large quantity of peanut butter, Snickers bar, garnish with trailmix M&Ms, etc. Total calories: About a million.
I casually made my way back to camp, casting at any locations that looked good. I found some large boulders in a slow moving current that held several nice brook trout. It was difficult to stay in the right location because I was fighting the wind and current at the same time. But I did land 3 or 4 healthy brook trout in the 15"-16" range. Total fish for the day was 12+. All were released.
Fat fish:
Great colours on this male:
I made my way back to camp and settled in for the night. I sipped on some 18 year old rum and read my book. Sleep came early that night.
The next morning was cold. I had another oatmeal and instant coffee breakfast and broke camp. By 9:00 I was on my way home.
I stopped at the same rapid I pasted on the first day. I started casting a small EGB spoon.
Cast 1 - 3 hits, no hook sets
Cast 2 - Landed a nice brookie
Cast 3 - Landed a nice brookie
Casts 4-9: no hits. hmm....time for a wardrobe change. I put the fire tiger Panther Martin back on.
Cast 10: Landed another nice brookie
Here are the first three I caught. They all came home with me. The largest was 15". They were still alive at this point and weren't too keen on holding still for a photo. I guess they were a bit camera shy:
Despite the quick start, the fish were more finicky today than Friday. I had to keep changing the colour, presentation and profile of the lures to get them to keep hitting. In total I think I caught 6, and missed several more.
After about an hour I slammed back another Snickers Taco and went on my way.
This otter kept an eye on me as I paddle past him and his mate.
A few hours later I was back at my Jeep and heading home. I made it back to Richmond for 6:45pm. This was a fun trip, but every year I say the same thing: 3 days just isn't enough time. I think I will continue to do solo trips in the future. It was a great experience.
Rob
For the third year in a row I fished the closing weekend of trout season in Algonquin park. All three years I have gone to the same area and done the same 3 day trip. My usual paddling partner had work obligations and couldn't join me. Not wanting to miss out on a good trip, I headed out on my own. I have done lots of solo paddling, but this is the first overnight trip I have ever done.
I packed light and brought my Swift Kipawa. I was able (just) to single trip all the portages, saving a significant amount of time. I left Richmond early Friday morning and arrived at the park permit office at 8:00am. Too bad they open at 9:00am this time of year. Doh! I got my permit and was on my way. I was able to put on quite a few kilometers before the strong winds on Friday started.
Along my route I passed a set of rapids that has produced well in the past. I casted a Panther Martin in firetiger and immediately started catching fish. They were definitely turned on. Every 2nd or 3rd cast resulted in a nice brook trout. Average size was about 12-14". In total I landed about 10, keeping one that was gill hooked. Even though the fish were still biting, I decided to move on before the wind got even worse.
Typical fish:
I was only able to make it a few more kilometers before the wind made forward progress impossible. I made camp about 4km from my intended destination. The site was nice, but a little exposed for this weather. It would be home for the next two nights. I had to use ear plugs to sleep that night because of the wind. I guess if a bear were to try to eat me I wouldn't hear it coming? Maybe that is for the best....
I woke up to rain the next morning and decided to stay in bed. I read for about an hour in the tent until the rain stopped. I made a quick oatmeal and instant coffee breakfast and was on my way by 9:00am. A little over an hour later I reached a set of rapids that has been hit and miss in the past. I fished it for about a half hour and only landed two trout, so I moved on.
The next set of rapids has a very large deep pool below it, with a steep weedy drop off all the way around it. The fish were present, and biting, but I did have to search for them. Having this large fishable area to myself I took my time and worked the drop offs, current breaks and back eddies. In a small weedy bay next to the main current I landed a PB at 17.5". Unfortunately the camera wasn't readily accessible, so there is no picture. I caught it on a small EGB spoon, like this guy:
Another fish:
Lunch time rolled around so made something my friend and I invented this spring, the Snickers Taco. Ingredients are: Taco shell, large quantity of peanut butter, Snickers bar, garnish with trailmix M&Ms, etc. Total calories: About a million.
I casually made my way back to camp, casting at any locations that looked good. I found some large boulders in a slow moving current that held several nice brook trout. It was difficult to stay in the right location because I was fighting the wind and current at the same time. But I did land 3 or 4 healthy brook trout in the 15"-16" range. Total fish for the day was 12+. All were released.
Fat fish:
Great colours on this male:
I made my way back to camp and settled in for the night. I sipped on some 18 year old rum and read my book. Sleep came early that night.
The next morning was cold. I had another oatmeal and instant coffee breakfast and broke camp. By 9:00 I was on my way home.
I stopped at the same rapid I pasted on the first day. I started casting a small EGB spoon.
Cast 1 - 3 hits, no hook sets
Cast 2 - Landed a nice brookie
Cast 3 - Landed a nice brookie
Casts 4-9: no hits. hmm....time for a wardrobe change. I put the fire tiger Panther Martin back on.
Cast 10: Landed another nice brookie
Here are the first three I caught. They all came home with me. The largest was 15". They were still alive at this point and weren't too keen on holding still for a photo. I guess they were a bit camera shy:
Despite the quick start, the fish were more finicky today than Friday. I had to keep changing the colour, presentation and profile of the lures to get them to keep hitting. In total I think I caught 6, and missed several more.
After about an hour I slammed back another Snickers Taco and went on my way.
This otter kept an eye on me as I paddle past him and his mate.
A few hours later I was back at my Jeep and heading home. I made it back to Richmond for 6:45pm. This was a fun trip, but every year I say the same thing: 3 days just isn't enough time. I think I will continue to do solo trips in the future. It was a great experience.
Rob
Last edited by RobM on Wed Sep 29, 2010 10:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hi Rob .. really liked reading this post .. i like the ones that have lots of pics and reads like a story ... I haven't caught a brookie since 2005 and that was in NS not here ... but growing up thats almost all we caught so this post reminds me of that time ... I'm curious .. did you see the brookies feeding on the surface much or were they pretty much down in a feet feet of water all the time? Also I didn't see you mention worms ... did you try them ?
Thanks
Thanks
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Glad you liked the report.dead_weight wrote:Hi Rob .. really liked reading this post .. i like the ones that have lots of pics and reads like a story ... I haven't caught a brookie since 2005 and that was in NS not here ... but growing up thats almost all we caught so this post reminds me of that time ... I'm curious .. did you see the brookies feeding on the surface much or were they pretty much down in a feet feet of water all the time? Also I didn't see you mention worms ... did you try them ?
Thanks
The trout weren't surface feeding. They were generally in deeper holes along the river or right in the rapids.
I had wanted to try worms, but I was really really low on space in my pack and worms didn't make the cut.
You know, I can't decide when the brook trout fishing is better, spring or fall.
I wanted to troll for lakers, but I lost my dipsey diver 5 minutes into my first troll. I must have wedged it badly under a rock, because no amount of yanking would undo the snag. I flat lined a heavy spoon for a while on the last day, but didn't get any bites. I imagine the lakers would be down deeper.