A fun day up north & a few Brookies report

[ckewley]

Like a lot of folks I've scoured over the stocking lists for Ontario lakes, & like a lot of folks my main target is Brook Trout. I recently bought myself a used ultra light canoe so I could enjoy the backwoods without borrowing someone else's stuff. A Nova Craft 15' Bob Special, Kevlar/Spectra blend & the spec sheet tells me 43lbs...I don't know but its hella light. Now I have a list of lakes that are calling but the first one is one I've had my eye on for a bit. Brock has fished it before & has gave me some pointers for the lake but high summer is a big gamble. Plus for my new canoes first trek I wanted something not to challenging in terms of portage to feel her out.

A 3hr drive up + a long slug into the first puddle we go. Portage our way to the first lake we come across a snarling dog, don't know the type but all teeth. The owner catches up about 1/2 a minute later & the hair & teeth becomes Lassie, not quite the start I was looking for. Not a big lake buy any account but a really picturesque puddle all the same

 

This was the main body, a small shoot off to my left put us into a fairly narrow part of the lake where the trail to the next lake is. After installing the horse blinders we paddled around for abit looking for the opening, Finally found it after trekking through frog water, quite a nice & not to challenging of a trail.

 

it is roughly 1/2-3/4 km to the next lake & although you know you have a canoe on your shoulders, man I really didn't feel it, super light! Skeeters were out but not to bad, horse/deer or whatever you want to call them sumabitches, thick as thieves.

 

The sight that meets us on the other end. Fantastic place!, I've put away my camera at this point when Ed was about to take a step into the lake & shuddered, "look at the size of these freaking leeches" , there were about a half dozen or so 6" leeches just begging him to stick his sandled foot in there. They buggered off pretty quickly, but it wouldn't be the last we see of them. Launch the canoe & start to pick apart this lake. Come fall or spring this place will no doubt produce numbers in some areas but today they were on island time.

 

A beautiful rocky shoal that went from about 20" up to 12' or so then back down to 20 (see that orange/white thing under the seat, kinda a sonar, doesn't work to good) but it did produce our only fish we would catch this day, small guys but fun times.

 

 

 

Not the lunkers we were hoping to (but know full well we wouldn't) catch, but a awesome day away from the city for some beers/whiskey good friends & laughs & a dunk of the canoe to end it off, brilliant stuff !!!

 

[Joeytier]

Cool trip. The smaller fish will tolerate warmer temps a lot more than large fish. I've had some great luck on summer specks trolling in 20-30 feet on main lake shorelines and 2 oz weights. On those small lakes maybe try bouncing a jig and worm on some mainlake points. They will also push in shallow all summer for quick periods at low light.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Joeytier

[smitty55]

I enjoyed that, tks. Good pics too. Just hafta love rocky outcroppings on a back lake eh.

 

With that many leeches in the lake I'd bet the trout feed on them. Did you consider trying them as bait. With split shot and hook you could cover a good water column, or troll with harnesses. You could have got Ed to volunteer his toe lol.

 

Cheers

[ckewley]

Cool trip. The smaller fish will tolerate warmer temps a lot more than large fish. I've had some great luck on summer specks trolling in 20-30 feet on main lake shorelines and 2 oz weights. On those small lakes maybe try bouncing a jig and worm on some mainlake points. They will also push in shallow all summer for quick periods at low light.

The few small guy's came on BB rigs with inflated worms, everything else didn't produce, I also have to learn the art of trolling in a canoe & should bring a better sonar just to map the lake. On dead flat water it worked ok, give a slight breeze & what was 20' is now between 5-10'.

 

 

I enjoyed that, tks. Good pics too. Just hafta love rocky outcroppings on a back lake eh.

 

With that many leeches in the lake I'd bet the trout feed on them. Did you consider trying them as bait. With split shot and hook you could cover a good water column, or troll with harnesses. You could have got Ed to volunteer his toe lol.

 

Cheers

 

We were thinking about giving them a go but the blood loss from the dear flies alone don't think we could have spared any for the leeches. Next time though we will come prepared .

[Jds63]

Nice little adventure Chris !

Thanks for the write up. Searching for Specks midsummer can be tough ...

[can u fish]

Even though you did not get into to many fish it is always nice to get out and enjoy a paddle on a back lake thanks for the report and photos.

 

Cheers Mitch

[Rod Caster]

Cool report. Sounds like most of my summer brookie attempts.

[adempsey]

Looks like a nice day on the water. Now you know that you should never listen to Brock!

[chris.brock]

Now you know that you should never listen to Brock!

I'm secretive, misleading bastage

 

 

I had a dog scare me in the same area, was it 2 females camping (the owners)? just curious

 

Nice boat. That canoe will serve you well and hold it's value. It's good solo or tandem.

Edited July 18, 2016 by chris.brock

[Moosebunk]

Carrying a canoe tires me out. Reading about someone carrying a canoe tires me out too. lol

 

Adventure that leads to specks.. you'll go back to find more.

[Freshtrax]

Nice , let's get out for some brookies this fall. I got a cool spot.

[Joeytier]

The few small guy's came on BB rigs with inflated worms, everything else didn't produce, I also have to learn the art of trolling in a canoe & should bring a better sonar just to map the lake. On dead flat water it worked ok, give a slight breeze & what was 20' is now between 5-10'.

 

YA! You know your stuff, you did well all things considered. Save that one for that precious last week before the season closes!

[ckewley]

Nice , let's get out for some brookies this fall. I got a cool spot.

Absolutely man, just say when

[Crackerjack]

Ah! the elusive summer brookies. Sounds like a good time trying and you got to test your new canoe, what could be better. Nice report

[MJL]

Can't wait till September till I get into some brookies around my neck of the woods. 15' 43lbs, that canoe sounds like a dream to portage. I'm in the market for a lightweight kayak or canoe at the moment.

 

Great report

[Dabluz]

Summer brook trout is my specialty. This is the best time of the year to fish for them because they all concentrate in the best part of the body of water. In small lakes like in the photos, the first place to fish is where there is something special in the scenery. When I go exploring for brookies, and looking for that special place in a small lake does the trick. An ordinary roundish lake that has a big rock somewhere on the edge....this is where I start. A small island, something off coloured in the scenery, a stream, different vegetation etc. During the summer, the oxygen in the top layers of water can be too low for larger fish. You will usually have to fish in more than 20 feet of water. If there is a small stream flowing into the lake (there usually is) fish this area far out from shore. Don't anchor in the flow of water but off to the side. You don't want to scare away the trout by lowering an anchor on them. Start deep at 40 to 50 feet deep. Next thing is to use finesse gear. No line should be above 4 lb test. If you have a good reel, use 2 lb test clear mono. If you can find 4 lb test fluorocarbon.....leave it at the store.....the stuff is crap. Next....add a high quality extra sharp size 8 hook to the end of the line. I like the Gamakatsu octopus hook. Hook on the head part of a large nightcrawler and let the end of the hook stick out of the worm. Sharp pointy objects are not part of the trout's vocabulary. That's it.....nothing else. Cast out to where you think there are trout, leave the bail on your reel open and watch the line flow out over the water as the bait slowly sinks to the bottom. When the line quits moving....your bait is on bottom. Close the bail, recuperate the slack line and slowly but deliberately lift up the rod tip to lift the bait off the bottom about 12 inches. Lower rod tip and watch the line flow out till the bait is on bottom again. Don't worry, you will rarely hang up because the bait lifts up off the bottom. When you see your line flowing out on the surface, you have a fish. Not for those who want to release fish because the bait and hook will be deep.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Dabluz

[Dabluz]

Can't wait till September till I get into some brookies around my neck of the woods. 15' 43lbs, that canoe sounds like a dream to portage. I'm in the market for a lightweight kayak or canoe at the moment.

 

Great report

Get a Sportspal canoe.

[ckewley]

Can't wait till September till I get into some brookies around my neck of the woods. 15' 43lbs, that canoe sounds like a dream to portage. I'm in the market for a lightweight kayak or canoe at the moment.

 

Great report

 

I'm sure you've done or are doing tons of research & if I didn't get lucky on kijiji I was looking at one from Beach Marine, well worth the drive to Hamilton.

 

Not sure what the folks were doing in the Sportspal canoes I've seen abandoned on the Maitland & Notty rivers but they were twisted to hell & looked like shotty build quality, but haven't seen a new one.

Thanks for the info Dabluz