Canada’s 11 all-time top lures for brookies, browns, cutthroats, lakers and rainbows

Acme Tackle Little Cleo

The Little Cleo is the mac and cheese of trout lures, the angling comfort food you keep on hand and turn to whenever more exotic fare just isn’t producing the desired results. Every experienced trout angler has a selection of Little Cleos in his or her tacklebox, and rightly so—they’ve been reliably catching trout for more than 30 years. Wider than most spoons, and with an unusual humped back, they produce a slow, wobbling action unlike any other. And with 36 colour options and sizes ranging from 1/16 to 1¼ ounces, there’s a Little Cleo for every application.

Catch: Brook, brown, lake and rainbow trout

When: Throughout the open-water season

Where: Best suited to ponds and lakes of all sizes

How: Cast or troll, then retrieve slowly; add weight as necessary to get it close to the bottom

Williams Wabler

Way back in 1920, Nova Scotia’s Williams brothers, who accumulated a modest fortune in the Yukon gold rush, first patented the fishing spoon design that would forever be known as the Williams Wabler. The original was the Wabler W50, measuring in at 2⅝ inches long and weighing a half-ounce. And so it remains today after a century of catching fish, making it the  company’s most popular model. Originally conceived and proven as a lake trout lure, the Wabler has since demonstrated its effectiveness on brookies, browns and rainbows. Today, the venerable spoon comes in seven sizes and over two-dozen colours, with genuine gold and silver remaining the most popular choices.

Catch: Brook, brown, lake and rainbow trout

Where: Lakes of all sizes

When: Throughout the open-water season

How: Most effective when trolled slowly, even at canoe speed, it can be weighted to take it deeper. It’s also effective when used as a flasher, with a trailing foot-long snell and single hook baited with half a nightcrawler.