OC Online - Hot Spots 2006

text by Tom Adamchick, Mark Anderson, Ken Bailey
Patrick Campeau, Brad Fenson, George Gruenefeld
Jake MacDonald, Paul Marriner, Jim McLennan
Wayne Phillips, Gord Pyzer

Simply the Best
(Splake, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Tiger Trout)

SPLAKE
Piprell Lake, Saskatchewan In August, fish close to shore at night for unbelievable action. Troll Woolly Buggers just below the surface by adding splitshot to your line. More info: Tourism Saskatchewan, 1-877-237-2273. –W.P.

STEELHEAD
Bulkley River, B.C. Work the water near Smithers using wet flies, skating dry flies or Len Thompson spoons. The best runs can be found between early September and late October. More info: Oscar’s Source for Sports, (250) 847-2136. –Jim M.

Dean River, B.C. This remote river is blessed with August runs of hungry steelhead. Black General Practitioners fished down and across the river anywhere above the canyon get action. Check the regs for special rules. More info: Tourism B.C., 1-800-435-5622. –W.P.

Steelhead hot spot: Dean River, B.C. (Keith Douglas).

Gold River, B.C. The prime summer runs are in August, while the winter runs are best in March, mostly in the lower waters. Fish at first light using purple Bunny Leeches on Hi-D lines, or Spin-N-Glos. More info: River Sportsman, (250) 286-1017. –G.G.

Lake Ontario, Ontario March through May offers the finest fly fishing in the Northumberland County rivers flowing into the lake. Drag-free drifts, light tippets and single-egg patterns produce fish. More info: Bluetree Flyfishing, (705) 768 7573. –G.P.

Niagara River, Ontario In the spring and fall, thread your leader two-thirds of the way through a pink-, orange- or lime-coloured, six-inch, soft-plastic worm and bounce it along the bottom near the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge. More info: Niagara Sportfishing, (905) 788-9384. –G.P.

STURGEON
Fraser River, B.C. From March to June, and again from September to December, use slip sinkers, bait such as nightcrawlers or roe, and the services of one of the river’s many experienced guides. More info: Fish B.C. –Jake M.

TIGER TROUT
Piprell Lake, Saskatchewan These brook and brown trout hybrids devour small, dark nymphs during late-June afternoons. Suspending the flies under slip bobbers allows anglers to work them from shallow to deeper water, and vice versa. More info: Tourism Saskatchewan, 1-877-237-2273. –W.P.

Twin Lakes, Manitoba A beaver leech fly retrieved slowly near shore is especially deadly in the spring on these voracious trout. More info: Bob Sheedy, (204) 564-2447. –M.A.

MORE HOT SPOTS