Guidofisherman

Always one of my favourite reads. Enjoyed the family trip, fishing adventures and boat pimp. By the way...the fish'n trip with your mentor is now set. Hope to make it a success for him.

What an excellent read. While most of us can't wait for winter to pass, you shared the beauty of life in the True North. This is a sense of "Arctic community life" most of us will never visit, but now appreciate. With heart-wrenching stories of some northern communities in the news lately, your tribute is a testament to the fact that, "the glass is neither half full nor half empty", rather it can be refilled with wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing this positive attitude.

Alternatives for the North

Wow, that was a two coffee read. Very interesting story about a guide's life. Your medical skills sure came in handy. I'll tell you my similar experience on a canoe trip sometime over a "wobbly pop". It never fails to disappoint me how bullies are allowed to operate. My compliments for taking the high road. Great photos by the way. Any explanation on how the round circles on the rocks were formed?

With the Brook Trout fishing over, I finally put together a short video trailer for 2015 season. It includes some funny video and release shots that normally don't make the cut. All the fish were caught and released while fly fishing. Most of the fly fishing on the Nipigon is done using streamers with heavy sink tips to get down in the current, but this year we had some success with dry flies. Can't beat a take on the surface. Got my personal best brook trout this year also. Measured just over 25" with a 17" girth and weighed 8.5 lbs. This fall I ran into Moosbunk at one of the popular spots and the fish were colouring up for their spawning as shown in the photo below. Also had to post one of my signature "pop-out" photos. 2015 Video Trailer

I have been waiting for this report and wasn't disappointed. You were right saying, "Speckers here, speckers there, bloody speckers out fishing everywhere." It seems to be getting more crowded each year. At one favourite spot, a boat pulled up near mine and shouted, "Hey Al, I've never seen your boat so dirty". For an O.C.D. person like me, I got a real laugh out of your comment. I think the windy weather had a part in grouping up the anglers also. At that time of the year you can expect a few days of wind that might drive you off the lake or at least reposition, but this year was especially rough. Makes it tough to fly fish. Really nice photos!!! Especially like the BT closeups and the sunset shots. Great selfie. Already looking forward to next year and maybe then my boat will be just as dirty but with fish slime.

WoW...you sure have some epic trips. I can appreciate the time, energy and cost of experiencing such an adventure. The story shows your passion for the north and respect for the beauty it has to offer. But I must say I'm disappointed...only one speck photo? I know, you can't share everything. Thanks for the great read. Alan

What an enjoyable read. Loved how you turn the cold north winter into a a positive experience to be celebrated. While I'm a little one dimensional, I appreciate your diversity of out door experiences. Thanks for sharing.

You are absolutly right that the key is proper fish handling and that includes the amount of time you play the fish, time out of the water, grip and revival. It even includes equipment choice like trebles vs singles, and line weight so you are not just haul'n them in'. About the 9 dumb fish...as Craig questioned, "just how many times are these fish actually caught?" I have often wondered that myself given that my recapture data is only for 2 'taggers' and doesn't include the times that fish is caught and released by other anglers. We do need to make a point of getting together next year for a sit down chat rather than just pass each other in our boats whispering, "look at that, he just caught another one!" I also agree it is as bit disappointing to catch a fish with recap damage or even a tag in it, thinking we are in pristine waters, but at least we seem to be catching more and bigger average fish. Now if I could only find that world record fish???

Opps....forgot to hit the multquote button. The state of the MNR has degraded significantly over the years. We have allowed politicians to reduce budgets and change priorities from sustainability issues based on data to an organization forced to justify those political decisions. It is up to the fishing clubs and organizations to influence change and hold those in charge accountable. Volunteers like myself can be helpful, but we are not biologists. As for the brook trout fishery in the Sault area...I can only agree that there once was a significant popultion there at the turn of the century. Regretably, I suspect we can only hope for a minimal improvement if we address the anthroprogenic issues that got us into the decline.

The recapture rate that I posted is for fish caught over multiple years, sometimes over 3 or 4 years. This has often shown a growth of up to 3 inches per year, but it tapers off as the fish matures and puts more energy into bulk rather than length. The MNR biologists however, determine recapture rate from within the same year. I am told this provides a better determination for population estimates. Yes, I think angling samples most year classes equally, although I doubt for the smolt or younger fish. In this habitat, it is rare to catch a fish under 8 inches. Basically, the baits and techniques have remained constant over the years, but if you look at the graphs, you can see the average size changes from year to year in a cycle of growth. Most fishermen don't purposely target smaller fish with their baits or techniques but, it is beneficial to tag the younger fish in the hopes of recapture to determine population estimates of size, numbers etc. The one thing I have noticed that is not in the MNR report is that my data clearly shows that the larger fish get the better feeding locations. Because I record the specific locations of each fish caught, when it is caught again, I can track its movements. Generally, as a fish grows, it moves to the better spots ...a real pecking order. It just proves something that most fishermen already know. I'm talking over multiple years, not just seasonal shifts or water temperture changes. Is a recaptured fish a tagged fish?, from that same year, or from the length of the study? Do you think angling samples all year classes equally? Baits and techniques might be more appealing to certain sizes of fish.

I finnally got around to tabulating the tagging results for the past year and will likely be the last such report. It ended up being a bit of a frustrated rant, but I decided to post anyway. Brook Trout in the Nipigon system have gone through significant changes over the past 100+ years. Since the glory days of the “Gentlemen Anglers”, populations reached an all-time low in the 80’s due to anthropogenic factors like increased fishing pressure, habitat destruction, and introduction of exotic species. While it would be great to return to the pristine brook trout fishing of the past, we must work together as fishermen and biologists to establish practices and conditions to ensure the future of this marvelous fishery for all to enjoy. Whether we like it or not, these fish are managed by the MNR and regulation changes need to be based on facts and data to protect the species from us. Regulations went from 15 fish or 10 pounds prior to 1979, to 2 over 18” , then 1 over 20” in 1997 and eventually to 1 at 22” in 2005. I chose to be a part of the solution and gather the raw data through the tagging program (formally known as ‘The Co-operative Angler Program’) to see if the regulation changes made a positive impact. Although the program started in 1997, for the past 11 years, I and a few other brook trout enthusiasts have been gathering data about the fish we catch and forwarding it to the MNR biologists for analysis. Recaptured tagged brook trout allowed for the calculation of growth, movement, recapture rate, and population size. Generally, the data gathered included if possible: fish length, girth, weight, date, general location, sex, and fish health. Here are the combined results of the 2014 year for several of us only and does not represent the total data gathered by other anglers or the MNR. 2014 data: (red graph) 120 fish tagged 20% of the population measured 20" (highest spike) 43% of the population measured 19-21 " (3" range spike) 18.8” is the average length 27 recaptures or 22.5% of the annual population 9 fish recaptured multiple times within this year 8% of tagged fish were 22" or greater 5% fish had mouth damage,hooks removed or lost maxilla plates My tagging results of all 11 years are located here: http://members.shaw.ca/amuir/catchcharts.html Thanks to the MNR biologists and staff that compiled this comprehensive 74 page document called, “Update on Brook Trout Rehabilitation in the Ontario waters of Lake Superior, Lake Nipigon, and the Nipigon River: Public Workshop Proceedings http://www.thegreaterlakesuperiorfoundation.org/pdf/2011CoasterWorkshopProceedingsFINAL.pdf These are a few of my personal highlights and interpretations of this data for South Bay in Lake Nipigon and the upper stretches of the Nipigon River since the 2005 regulation change to 22": 87% of the spawning population is now protected catch rate has improved in certain areas the number of spawning fish has doubled yet remains at 25% of the management levels from the 1930’s 95% of all fishermen now use some form of “catch and release” high recapture rates show brook trout in these areas are vulnerable to angling, but also indicates that these fish respond well to catch and release when performed properly. an increase in the number of fish caught that have mouth damage, hooks removed or lost maxilla plates generally, there are more fish and they are bigger There are still a lot of unanswered questions and challenges for the Nipigon brook trout without even getting into the plight of Lake Superior Coasters. History has shown over fishing, environmental abuse and decline, and while the species is still fragile, there are signs of improvement. Here are a few recommendations from the report: participants expressed concern over limited information available for Lake Superior brook trout collect more information on both brook trout populations (abundance, size, & distribution), and their associated sport fisheries (angler catch & harvest) brook trout in the upper reaches of the river and Lake Nipigon are a separate population and therefore, should have its own management plan a formal research plan should be developed that includes a brook trout life history study and sustainability goals goals should be prioritized for monitoring, assessment, research and management actions for long term preservation of the species refine and expand programs like the Co-operative Angler Program, Creel Survey studies and Education programs These can’t be answered without planned actions, research and programs to ensure brook trout sustainability. Since the 74 page report was released in 2011, to my knowledge, no additional information has been released by the MNR or communicated actions taken on the recommendations. The MNR continues to experience cut backs to programs and personnel and I want input as part of the fishing public. With the retirement of Nipigon biologist Rob Swainson after 30+ years, The Co-operative Angler Program seems to have run its course and is now in limbo. It has been a lot of work for me and others, but I felt it was necessary to contribute rather than just sit back and complain about the condition of our fishery. After all, what is the alternative for making sustainability decisions? The program was about gathering data to make informed decisions and educate, not about personal glory or bragging any more than someone who publishes a “grin” shot, as we all do from time to time. I tried to do my part and contribute, but now it is time to just enjoy the fishing. …and what are you doing?

Nice winter fishing trip. My compliments on their release.

Those framed photos were created with "Photoshop Elements". Just a series of steps that the program guides you through. Sort of my signature style as Drew noticed. The third picture was taken the day after I didn't get any fish with Travis. I was still wearing the Patagonia gear from the "shoot" and using the new Fishpond carbon fibre net which is amazingly light. Glad you and the others liked the stories. My nephew must have enjoyed the experience as he now uses several of the photos as his Facepage home page. About "Finding Fontinalis", Travis is going back to film more in Padagona this winter (their summer). He sent me a few clips from his previous trip and they are very well done. I'll try to let you know when it comes out next year, even though the Nipigon is only a very small part of the documentarty. I can now check one more thing off my "bucket list". The drone set-up was very interesting. The image from the drone camera was displayed on his tablet on the tripod. For one scene, he positioned the drone about 5 feet in front of my boat and about 5 feet above the water, then asked me accelerate upstream while he tracked my movement and elevated to about 400 feet. He then sent it up river, almost out of sight filming the river canyon. When I asked what happens if it flys out of remote control range, he said it has an auto return mode, but was afraid to try it for fear of loosing $2gs.

Winter has set in, the lakes are frozen, snow on the ground and the Brook Trout season is just a pleasant memory. My 2014 season was punctuated with several interesting events so here is the story, a few pics and video trailer. If you live in Thunder Bay, it is almost obligatory to own a truck. Not that we are all red-necks but most of us hunt or fish the back roads, pull a boat or trailer and therefore need a truck. Every coffee shop, sporting goods store and fishing forum has endless conversation around the best truck for the job promoting brand loyalty, engine size and body style. For the past few years, I have been searching for that “right” truck to pull my boat and trailer in search of the mighty brook trout. Time will tell if I made the right choice, but I went with a new 2014 F150 (FX4). Since I bought it in late September, my fishing season was over so I have to wait till next season to pronounce judgement. My youngest daughter eloped and was married in Santorini, Greece last summer. Great! No lost fishing weekend. They didn't want a big, traditional wedding like my oldest daughter, but just a small reception at our Trout Lake camp, this August. My newest son-in-law is an avid fisherman and when they announced their plans, I jokingly said, "You can have my daughter, but you can't have my fishing spots”. He just finished building me a Sage 7wt. rod. Good trade I thought!!! For his 17th birthday, I took my nephew to Lake Nipigon for his first big brookie experience. I thought this was better than buying him a sweater or video game since he loves to fish. Just the two of us for three days enjoying the luxury of my trailer in pristine brook trout country. I knew he was a big eater, so I packed enough food for 3 people expecting my friend to arrive for one of the days. When my buddy cancelled due to flying weather, my nephew devoured two t-bone steaks with all the ‘fixins', then complained he was full. In the morning, his 4 egg omelette filled his appetite which had miraculously returned. As we were going to fish for several hours that morning, I made 3 sandwiches to take in the boat to tide us over till lunch. He ate all three. The good news is that he caught his first brook Nipigon brook trout measuring 23 inches. Not a bad start and “yes”, he out-fished me. If you are into fly fishing on the Nipigon, I would guess that 90% of it is of the streamer variety, as the area has limited opportunity or conditions favourable for traditional dry fly fishing. The trout of the Nipigon are notorious for not being willing to rise to the fly, preferring to dine on larger food items like sculpins and bait fish. That’s how they get so big. Every year I try a bit of surface fishing for them anyway and this year was no exception, with a few hits, but after the usual streamers were not working and other anglers had hit the area hard, I tried a different technique…Nymphing. Certainly not a new technique for steelhead or other trout species, but for those big Nipigon brookies? To my surprise, it worked drawing several fish from the same runs previously hit by streamers. Add one more technique to the arsenal. I’m sure every fly fisherman has seen “A River Runs Through It” and dreamt of being a part of that experience. Now I don’t claim to be Brad Pitt or Tom Skerritt for that matter, but my passion and commitment to make a difference by contributing to brook trout survival for future generations is much like the movie we all enjoyed. This summer I got to be a small part of a new documentary called “Finding Fontinalis”. It all started last winter when I received several emails from a guy wanting to know if I would be interested in being an unpaid advisor to a film, by sharing my experience of the Nipigon and the story of Dr. Cook’s world record catch. I was sceptical at first, thinking it was just another fisherman wanting me to take him to the Nipigon... but it was ‘legit’. Travis Lowe is the independent film maker, with Patagonia being the main sponsor. He said that "Finding Fontinalis” is a documentary about, “Three seasoned anglers who descend upon Argentina, in search of the next World Record Brook Trout, but what they find becomes the impetus, to create the world’s first National Fly Fishing Park”. The history of the Nipigon and Dr. Cook is only a small part of the back story, but it peaked my interest after viewing some of his other films. (springcreekfilm.com/travis-lowe/) http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fspringcreekfilm.com%2Ftravis-lowe%2F&ei=ybt4VIytDKjHsQTvl4KYBw&usg=AFQjCNEiUz4IhetRl54rSCQGB1_1RGjOAA&sig2=pKNyIVkCxCknPDMy87VQWQ&bvm=bv.80642063,d.cGU I agreed to take him on the river and do an “on-camera” interview, narrating the story of Dr Cook’s catch. Just a few days before Travis was to arrive, we texted several times to finalize details. Keep in mind, these series of texts all happened within a few minutes, except for the last one. Alan: “When do you arrive?” Travis: “Flight arrives at 4 your time. I will get my rental and call you.” Alan: “I only live a few minutes from the airport. I’ll come meet you.” Travis: “Where do you want to meet to discuss the shoot?” Alan: “At my house…we can have supper and talk.” Travis: “Ok. As far as what to wear for the entire shoot. I need you to be wearing the new Patagonia gear. Do you have any on-camera experience?” Always looking for a quick witted come-back, and knowing he had a significant commitment and responsibility to maintain the high integrity of his chief sponsor, I fired back, Alan: “while I don’t have a lot of “on-camera” experience, other than a few pornos, I am accustomed to talking in front of people.” There was a long pause before his next text as I am sure he was wondering, “Who have I got myself tied up with?” I let him sweat a little then replied, Alan: “Just joking about the pornos.” I met Travis at the airport with his numerous Pelican cases of high-end video equipment, including a drone. We spent the evening at my house discussing the different scenes he needed to shoot, then set off early the next morning in my boat on the mighty Nipigon. Great weather, high spirits and the river in its full glory. After numerous filming stops throughout the day, Travis wanted some footage of an actual Nipigon Brook Trout. The pressure was on. Fishing the previous day had been good, yet was rainy and not conducive to great photography. My day on the water was sunny and bright blue sky, but as luck would have it, the fish were uncooperative. I flogged my usual spots trying to get a hit, often saying, “there are actually fish here”. To no avail… I struck out and felt rather embarrassed that my reputation as ‘a catcher of big brook trout’ was in jeopardy. In my defence, a brochure printed in 1895, by the Canadian Pacific Railway stated, “…for even Nepigon has its “off days” and occasionally gets the sulks…” I have yet to figure out how or why they ‘turn on’ and ‘turn off’ so readily. Just a side note: the following day, at exactly the same spots I had flogged on the ‘shoot’ day, my first 3 casts landed 2 fish. Later that afternoon, Travis said the light was right for my interview. We pulled into a back bay and set up on a rock pile of the Nipigon gorge. I was prepared, having memorized several significant quotes of the past and confident in sharing knowledge of that historic day 100 years ago. As I perched on the rocks with the scenic Nipigon behind me, the monstrous camera lens was just inches from my face illuminated by a silver umbrella reflector, I instantly gained a new respect for Brad Pitt’s acting skills. It was intimidating! “Click… camera rolling… action… tell me about the world record catch and make it look natural”, Travis said. I began babbling incoherently, my mind racing, often forgetting the story and needing numerous retakes to shoot a simple task. Any thought of how easy it is to be an actor went completely out the window. 45 minutes later, the interview was over, Travis had his material and I could go back to being just a fisherman with a passion. The 12 hour ordeal turned out to be a positive, but humbling experience. The aerial shots of the river by the drone were cool! I look forward to viewing the final product some time next year on the fly fishing film festival circuit and seeing how skillful Travis is at editing my inconsistent interview.

Grrat season. Especially loved the "baby-in-the-bucket" photo. There's the future!!!

Thanks for posting such a detailed trip report. You sure fish a variety of species and locations in this great country. Hats off to your passion and committment. While those are some dandy lakers, the greyling caught my eye since I haven't fished for them...yet. I also appreciated you take on the various fish holding methods. Well done.

I knew you couldn't do it...you couldn't stay away. 'Nepigon' just draws you in for more. Another great adventure with some awesome miles put on that Rebel...way to go. I also have a healthy respect for the lake conditions on Forgan and Lake Nip. Before the dams, Forgan was actually made out of 3 small lakes joined by the mighty Nipigon River and that is why you go from deep water to shallows in an instant. My rebuilt prop will tell you that. F.W.I. the tagged fish is not mine (I only tag on the right side). I did very little tagging in that area, choosing to leave it alone over the years. However the MNR went in there last fall and "sampled" the area by netting and tagging. I haven't heard the results of that study as my biologist contact who ran the tagging program has retired. Hopefully someone in the MNR will take over responsibility, but I suspect the tagging program has run its course and I'm done this year anyway. I really enjoyed the read and the determination to take on such a solo adventure. My compliments. So I won't see you again next year??? Yea, right.

Now that's a teaser alright. Surface flies for brookies...WoW. Looking forward to the full article and loved the video, especially the transition to the underwater releases. I have the Kelly Gallop Zoo Couger pattern, but that mouse pattern looks interesting. Do you have a link to the tying instructions?

I enjoyed reading your about your trip to the Asheweig River, combined with great photos and videos. I felt like I was there and shared the excitement. I'm a bit of a brook trout nut and that river system or the Sutton really appeals to me with its rapids, pockets and swirling pools obviously loaded with brookies. The chance to wade for them appeals to me. Loved the underwater shots with the GoPro. A trip like that is on my bucket list and until then, I will live vicariously though your adventures. Thanks for sharing.

The tagging data confirms that the move to the 22" catch limit for the Ni[pigon system about 7 years ago has had a positive impact on the sustainability of the brook trout population. This move has protected a significant portion of the breeding population, combined with the fact that now 95% of all fishermen practice "C&R". I will be interested in seeing the results of the MNR netting/sampling survey that was conducted this past fall in the South Bay spawning area. It was last conducted in 2003. Dan is right...there is a lot of food in the system and catch rate varies as some days they are "on" and other days they have lock jaw. The published MNR goals states, "one brook trout 22" and over for every 8 hours of fishing", and "one fish of any size for every two hours of fishing." Their creel surveys indicate "catch rates of the average brook trout angler on Lake Nipigon in 2009 remain below the management objective of one brook trout for every two hours of fishing". The bottom line is that it is a great fishery and we are lucky to have it.

I finally got around to entering the 2013 brook trout data, creating a summary and chart. This is the combined tagging of two individuals and the data is forwarded to the MNR as part of a long term brook trout study for the Nipigon. A more detailed analysis is located here: http://members.shaw.ca/amuir/catchcharts.html What is your take on the data?

This morning, it was -42c, with the windchill and time to reminisce about the 2013 fishing season. There were ups and downs but, “a bad day of fishing is still better than...”, well you know the rest.
 On the “up” side, I finally got to go to Europe in the spring with my bride of 40 years. We toured Italy and took a Mediterranean cruise. It was our first time for both but during the planning stages, I said, “not during fishing season”. Well... we had a “once in a lifetime” trip but, on the “down” side, I missed the entire steelhead season.
 However, we were back in time for the start of the Brook Trout season and that obviously is an “up”. The first few weeks were promising till the rain and flooding caused the rivers to become almost unfishable. It was a downer, but still managed to tag a good number of brook trout for the MNR study. I’ll post the results later.
 Summer had several “ups”. My youngest daughter eloped and got married in the Greek island of Santorini. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go, but on the plus side of it, she married an avid fisherman. She gave a half-hearted smile when I presented her with an early Christmas tree ornament that said, “We interrupt this marriage to bring you fishing season”.
 The ups and downs continued into the fall fishing. I got to share the lake with Drew (Moosebunk) for a few days and that is always a plus. Also, I purchased a newer trailer to make the fishing trips more comfortable but on the down side, I didn’t get to use it much as I got sick with a severe inner ear infection and nerve damage that resulted in a dozen trips to emergency, numerous antibiotics, including IVs and only a few days of fall fishing for brookies. I even lost my hearing for a month. There is a difference of opinion between my wife and I if that is considered an “up” or a “down”.
 Overall, if the “pluses” outweigh the “minuses”, you had a good year. Here are a few photos and a short video trailer to highlight the 2013 season. Enjoy.