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
(Expert opinions)

EXPERT OPINIONS
First they shared their favourite fishing holes and secret tactics. And if that weren’t enough, here’s yet more valuable angling advice from our hot spots contributors.

Veteran Outdoor Canada field editor and fly-fishing specialist Tom Adamchick lives in Eganville, Ontario. TIP: Lake water pushed by a hard-blowing wind can create river-like currents, with seams, undertows and back eddies along bays, points and submerged structures. Look in these areas for holding or feeding fish.

Ottawa-based writer Mark Anderson is a competitive fly fisherman, a veteran of both the National Fly Fishing Championships and the World Championship of Fly Fishing. TIP: Many anglers tend to switch their terminal tackle too quickly, and too often. Once you select a lure, give it a reasonable amount of time—at least a half-hour—to produce.

Our Edmonton-based hunting editor, Ken Bailey, rarely passes up an opportunity to do some casting along with his blasting. TIP: Go smaller with your line weights and lure sizes. Far too many anglers use gear that’s too heavy for the species and waters they’re fishing—and that only reduces the number of strikes and hook-ups they can expect.

Patrick Campeau.

Pro angler Patrick Campeau of Laval, Quebec, is well known in Quebec thanks to his numerous TV and radio appearances, as well as his many articles in French-language publications. TIP: Do what you have to do to become a better angler. Be willing to learn, because the more you know, the better you’ll become.

Edmonton’s Brad Fenson is a well-known outdoor writer who has fished extensively across much of the country. TIP: Always make sure you’re fishing with a sharp hook. Run the hook against your thumbnail; it should grab if it’s sharp enough. Keep a file or sharpener handy and check your hook regularly.

Based in North Vancouver, well-known outdoor journalist George Gruenefeld pursues various sportfish along the West Coast. TIP: Fish the beginning and the end of the season, when the fish tend to feed aggressively—and angling pressure is virtually non-existent.

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