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
(Hot spots hits)

An author, freelance journalist and former fishing guide, Winnipegger Jake MacDonald has written about fishing for everything from bonefish to sturgeon. TIP: Never quit too early. In angling, as in football and movies, most of the action comes in the last 10 minutes.

While veteran scribe Paul Marriner has fished pretty much all over the world, he still counts his hometown of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, as one of his favourite hot spots. TIP: Search for areas that are less travelled. Even on local waters, some neglected parts may harbour undisturbed trophies.

Jim McLennan

Jim McLennan of Okotoks, Alberta, is the author of three books on fly fishing and is a frequent speaker at fishing shows and clubs. TIP: Remember, once you’ve frightened a trout, it’s no longer hungry. Trout in streams face into the current, so stay downstream of them and they won’t see you.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s Wayne Phillips has fished extensively across much of Canada and the U.S. TIP: Fish into the wee hours of the morning during the summer; that’s when trout and walleye feed aggressively all night long.

Outdoor Canada’s Kenora, Ontario-based fishing editor, Gord Pyzer, has been sharing hot spots—as well as angling tips, tactics and tricks—in these pages for more than 20 years. TIP: After you’ve learned the basics, fishing success boils down to two things: a free mind and imagination. Don’t be afraid to change. Alter your boat position, change the angle of your lure, fish up current and down current, and try different baits and presentations.

Hot spots hits
You may have noticed that a number of water bodies appear more than once in this roundup. That’s because they were chosen as hot spots for more than one species of fish. For ease of reference, we’ve list them here (complete with the number of mentions in brackets).

Lake Laberge, Yukon (3); Little Atlin Lake, Yukon (2); Great Slave Lake, N.W.T. (2); Stark River, N.W.T. (2); Kazan River, Nunavut (2); Kootenay Lake, B.C. (2); Andrew Lake, Alberta (2); Bow River, Alberta (2); Colin Lake, Alberta (2); Figure Eight Lake, Alberta (2); Gull Lake, Alberta (2); Island Lake, Alberta (2); Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta (3); Little Smoky River, Alberta (2); Oldman River, Alberta (3); Devil Lake, Saskatchewan (2); Jan Lake, Saskatchewan (2); Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan (3); Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan (3); Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan (2); Otter Lake, Saskatchewan (2); Piprell Lake, Saskatchewan (5); Reindeer Lake, Saskatchewan (3); Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan (2); Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan (3); Childs Lake, Manitoba (2); Dauphin Lake, Manitoba (2); Gull Lake, Manitoba (2); Lake of the Prairies, Manitoba (2); Red River, Manitoba (3); Winnipeg River, Manitoba (2); Lake Ontario, Ontario (2); Lake Simcoe, Ontario (2); Niagara River, Ontario (2); Rainy Lake, Ontario (2); Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec (3); Lac Aumond, Quebec (2); Lac McGillivray, Quebec (2); Mistassini Lake, Quebec (3); St. Lawrence River, Quebec (2).

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