15 Canadian fishing hot spots—and the stories you just might bring home from each one

Fishing is all about promise. The promise of time with family and friends. The promise of crystalline lakes, tumbling creeks and remote wilderness rivers. The promise of a personal resetting, clearing the mind of its troubles and cares. And, of course, the promise of the fish of your dreams.

Fishing has been a big part of my life since my early childhood, when I would spent countless hours dunking worms in the local river. Throughout the intervening years, I’ve fished all across our great country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Oceans.

Not surprisingly, my memory bank of angling experiences is chock-full, but I do have some favourite waters. Some I’ve fished only once, while others I visit nearly every year. Ironically, I’ve come to realize that actually catching fish is down the list of reasons I go fishing, and that’s reflected in why the following 15 destinations are my top hot spots.