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Brook Trout for Brian


Guidofisherman

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I thank my lucky stars every day that I get to fish for these beautiful creatures. This trip actually took place in the beginning of July. The weather in the N.W. Ontario had been very wet and delayed by about 3 weeks. This meant cold water and fast flows. June was an all-time record month for rain and the water was still only 51 degrees. That’s right….the first week of July!

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This trip to the famed Nipigon would be a long time coming. For years now, I have been trying to arrange for my buddy (Brian) to experience the phenomenal fishing of the Nipigon for big Brookies. He is an ardent walleye fisherman, has his own float plane and fishes in lakes that no one ever fishes. Each year I have the opportunity to go to his camp near the top end of Lake Nipigon for a few days of “fly-in” fishing. It is rather ironical that I want him to experience fishing the Nipigon on a “catch and release” basis when he is consistently able to fish lakes that virtually no on ever gets to fish.

The opportunity arrived. I would meet him at my trailer on the river as he would fly down for a few days of fishing in “my area”. For me, it was a two hour drive from my home to the trailer and for him; it was a 40 minute float plane ride down the shores of Lake Nipigon. Timing is everything, and as I drove my boat to the trailer, he circled and landed about a minute after I arrived at the trailer.

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The morning fishing produced several nice ones for each of us before we returned to the trailer for a late lunch. In the afternoon, Brian took me for a short flight up the river over the cliffs, rapids and pools that one usually sees from water level. The aerial shot shows a burnt-over area from a lightning strike several years ago.

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After supper, the fishing picked up as Brian caught a couple of Brook Trout almost 6lbs and I picked up this 25” beauty. We tagged and released all the fish then headed back to the trailer for the night.

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About 2 in the morning, I woke up because the trailer was shaking. I thought, at first, it was my buddy rolling over in his bunk at the other end of the trailer. Then I felt the trailer shudder again and I sat right up. I asked Brian if that was him. He casually said it was just a bear banging on the trailer walls. Thank goodness it wasn't a tent. Eventually I went back to a nervous sleep but woke up early in the morning when I remembered not taking a wet towel out of the boat that had fish smell on it. Sure enough, the bear had jumped into the front of the boat leaving a few scratches on the fiberglass. It didn't go through the windshield opening as I had a cover on it. The bear had jumped out the front and went into the water then jumped into the back of the boat leaving a mess of mud and dirt on the floor and back seats where I had left the towel. No other damage, so I was lucky. Lesson learned!

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We fished another half day, enjoying the scenery, a few more fish and a great time on the river. This last shot is a Photoshop composite just for fun. I can’t wait to do it all over again in Brook Trout Heaven.

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Incredible Al. Absolutely incredible. Mid August and on is magic. I can feel it in the air already. Cool crisp mornings with dew on the truck windshield. It's time to go.... Probably see you at the bay sometime soon. Thanks for sharing.

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