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