With the weather getting so hot & humid, I'm going to give the trout the summer off and turn my attention to bass. While I prefer taking trout on or near the surface of our local lakes, I feel that the heat puts too much added stress on them.
Yesterday, for example, I visited a trout lake and took several fish on the surface and in the film. Despite the natural bug action, there were few fish rising and leaping as they have been this spring. Surface temps appeared to be a little warm for their comfort, too. I'll wait for September before targeting them again.
Does anyone else give the trout a break in the summer?
Time for a change
Time for a change
Time's fun when you're having flies.
I've focused entirely on still water trout. The browns we stock in the Ottawa move to water that requires a boat to reach. Stream fishing is something of a rarity here in the Otawa Valley....but I think you've already figured that one out, ganman. 
I'm going to try to get a handle on what few cold water streams we have in the area and see what can be done to make them habitable for trout. I'm part of the local TU chapter and it's my hope we can get something positive done.
I'm going to try to get a handle on what few cold water streams we have in the area and see what can be done to make them habitable for trout. I'm part of the local TU chapter and it's my hope we can get something positive done.
Time's fun when you're having flies.
I'm already starting on bass but I will continue on those lakes which stay cold such as Limestone where the bows are at the bottom all the time anyway. At least that is what everyone tells me since I have yet to catch one at that lake. If the water is too warm, you might as well keep the fish as they will die if you release them. Unfortunately the same thing is true of bass only they have a higher tolerance. Does anyone here know the safe temperature for them. By about the end of July, my favorite bass place seems too warm.
I was at my newly discovered speckle lake today and caught several small ones, the largest being 10 inches on a fur nymph. I got a few on chironomids but the action was down from Friday. The rain storm may have affected them.
Fishboy, if you want to go after browns you could try Darling Long Lake. It stays pretty cool for awhile yet and you have to go deep for them too. Inbox me for directions. I wonder if the Bonnechere will develop into a brown stream/river? I note that they are releasing some browns in the Clyde but who knows where and there are not too many access points.
bobfly
I was at my newly discovered speckle lake today and caught several small ones, the largest being 10 inches on a fur nymph. I got a few on chironomids but the action was down from Friday. The rain storm may have affected them.
Fishboy, if you want to go after browns you could try Darling Long Lake. It stays pretty cool for awhile yet and you have to go deep for them too. Inbox me for directions. I wonder if the Bonnechere will develop into a brown stream/river? I note that they are releasing some browns in the Clyde but who knows where and there are not too many access points.
bobfly
I would like to check out some rivers. Drive around in summer with a thermometer and take temps.
I know they have tried browns in the Clyde River, Bonnechere, Bolton Creek a tributary of the Mississppi, Lyn Creek near Brockville all to my knowledge have been failures. We do have a few tiny springs that have brookies but they are very small and quickly run into warm water streams.
When I compare Eastern Ontario to Northern NY and why we have no coldwater streams three things come to mind......one is very apparent when looking at a map is the disparitiy in altitudes and gradient. The other is more apparent when you visit NNY streams. When you walk the banks you see places where springs enter the stream. These are very common. The last is soil types.
I once fished a section of the Mississippi that looked quite like the Ausable but it lacked those coldwater springs. Plus that section of the Miss was polluted with bass. You do catch the odd bass but only in bigger NNY trout streams and their black as hell, stunted and seem completely out of place. I suspect the rivers are more acidic than here.
I know they have tried browns in the Clyde River, Bonnechere, Bolton Creek a tributary of the Mississppi, Lyn Creek near Brockville all to my knowledge have been failures. We do have a few tiny springs that have brookies but they are very small and quickly run into warm water streams.
When I compare Eastern Ontario to Northern NY and why we have no coldwater streams three things come to mind......one is very apparent when looking at a map is the disparitiy in altitudes and gradient. The other is more apparent when you visit NNY streams. When you walk the banks you see places where springs enter the stream. These are very common. The last is soil types.
I once fished a section of the Mississippi that looked quite like the Ausable but it lacked those coldwater springs. Plus that section of the Miss was polluted with bass. You do catch the odd bass but only in bigger NNY trout streams and their black as hell, stunted and seem completely out of place. I suspect the rivers are more acidic than here.
Guys, I'm going to attend the Trout Unlimited Symposium on the Grand River this August after which our local TU chapter will put a call out for a September meeting. On the agenda will be choosing appropriate cold water loations for study and possible restoration.
If anyone is interested in doing some preliminary study in the area, please go ahead. I should point out that the focus of our study will be the Ottawa Carleton and Gatineau regions.
Anyone who wants to participate in TU activities can PM me.
If anyone is interested in doing some preliminary study in the area, please go ahead. I should point out that the focus of our study will be the Ottawa Carleton and Gatineau regions.
Anyone who wants to participate in TU activities can PM me.
Time's fun when you're having flies.
Bob, the Grand below Shand dam stays much cooler and more oxygenated than any river here. It only gets above 70f for a short period each summer and that is well downstream from the dam. It is fed by cold water from the base of the dam plus it has several cold water tribs and steeper gradient and totally different character than a typical river here.
For that matter the Black River I fish in NY gets well over 70f in summer but there are plenty of thermal areas and the trout ride out the hot spells no problem...even the brookies.
More trout are killed in winter than any other season from anchor ice and the "acidic punch" from a quick snowmelt.
For that matter the Black River I fish in NY gets well over 70f in summer but there are plenty of thermal areas and the trout ride out the hot spells no problem...even the brookies.
More trout are killed in winter than any other season from anchor ice and the "acidic punch" from a quick snowmelt.
Bob anchor ice is ice that forms on the bottom in swift water stream sections. If the water gets to 32F it will freeze first on bottom where the water is slowest. If the bottom freezes than trout have no place to hide from the current. That is why it's important that the streams have no sand or silt between boulders where trout can find refuge.
You're guessed right about the acidic punch and yes it would effect brookie lakes on the Canadian shield. I suspect that may be the reason why they don't stock the lakes right away.
You're guessed right about the acidic punch and yes it would effect brookie lakes on the Canadian shield. I suspect that may be the reason why they don't stock the lakes right away.