Ibeski wrote:
...By the way we are bringing fishing tackle and are looking forward to fresh fish.
Are we too hopeful ??
You're joking right? While you may not be here at peak fishing season, you'll still have no troubles catching enough for your meals. Throw you're line in the water at every rapid and you'll likely have fish. Walleye (aka pickerel) & jack (aka pike) will abound. From those cool waters the jack will taste great even though they are considered substandard in other areas. Walleye tend to be the target while pike are the fall-back species to go for when the walleye aren't biting. Walleye like lower light conditions so you'll have better luck when overcast or in the shade, or in the early morning/late evening. Use a spinner, or jigs with rubber tails or anything smallish (small spoons) for the walleye. Pike will go for
anything, including other fish you're reeling in. Pike can be found below the rapids, and in any weedy bay, and almost anywhere else (but they typically hang out in the weeds waiting for unsuspecting prey to pass by and the lunge out after it). I often like to clean a pike and leave it whole, fill the cavity with spices with some butter, wrap it in foil and bake it in the fire. When cooked, you can basically just pull all the bones out, much easier than filleting a pike which can be a bit tricky especially for smaller fish. On the other hand, there's nothing better than pan fried pike, except for pan fried walleye, and pan-fried trout. Troll way down in the deep cool water and you'll
probably {edit: that should read maybe since actually finding them in deep water is tricky} find some big lake trout in a couple of the lakes along your route (I've never really had success at this but my attempts have been very limited). Try the fishing forum for more advice from folks who may be more successful than I (or at least will claim to be). A couple of spots where I've had good success for walleye are below Clark Falls on Hayman Lake, and below Corner Rapids, on the river section between Hayman & Barker Lakes. Talk to Ric, he'll probably share a few more "secret" spots with you. Ric knows more about the conditions of the area than just about anyone by the way.
By the way stop for gas and a fishing licence at the Mowhawk in Air Ronge on your way north and get free sunglasses with your fill!
Wave at Phil, my former supervisor who retired last month, as you pass his cabin on Nemeiben.
I haven't done the trip you are doing, but I've been on the Churchill portion from Stack Lake to Missinipe. See
my web page for some trip reports and links to some photos from the area.
Cheers & enjoy your time in my neck of the woods.
Bryan
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