Annual trout trip a BIG success!

May 29, 2014 12d Comments

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Jeff2

My annual trout fishing trip to Temiscaming, Quebec, is a time I look forward to all year long..regardless whether we catch a lot fish or none at all. This spring marked the 25th anniversary for my father and brother-in-laws on our annual may trout trip.

Of course with this late spring, water was the coldest we’d seen in years. Mid – Low 50’s I’d estimate on most lakes and the fish were up high and hitting like crazy!! The most big fish actions we’d seen in years!

Here’s a nice photo of my 82-year old father with a decent-sized eater trout, this fish was probably a bit smaller than our average size. Most brookies we caught were in the 17″ – 20″ range or around 2.5 – 3 pounds. Certainly not your average ‘spec’.

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We boated a total of 45 trout over the 4.5 days we fished, and released an incredible 30 of those fish. The real joy for me now is catching these monster specs and having a couple of meals of smaller fish. We each took home two trout apiece; far from our limit of 7.

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Here’s Steve with nicely-coloured fish from our other ‘eater lake’. 

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Learning how to quickly and efficiently release brook trout is an art in itself. Smaller trout were actually more difficult to release so we ended up keeping small ones for eating.

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The place we’ve been camping for the past 15 years has become like a familiar friend, on the shores of a scenic but non-trout lake.

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Here is one of the big brookies I caught slow-trolling a Williams W55 Lite…incidentally, we caught ALL 45 trout on the same exact spoon if you can believe that. Why didn’t we change lures? Well, when you find something that works it only makes sense to stick with it!

Although I’ve tried different tackle over the past few years, I always come back to Williams and Mooselook as my standby spoons!

 

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This big guy Bruce caught in a nearby lake ended-up as part of our meal that evening (for obvious reasons) This was the largest trout we’ve ever caught on the other not-so-secret lake we fish, and a great looking 22″ specimen it was!

This year we really took the time up north to smell the roses. We didn’t need to spend 12 hours a day on the water and ended-up fishing maybe 6 hours per day – followed by a horse-shoe tourney(won by Steve & I), some great musical entertainment by Bruce and euchre inside the tent after the sun went down. Lots of laughs and a few frosties were had by all. (NONE whilst fishing of course..laughes yes, beer no!)

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Without a single black fly or mosquito to be had, it truly was the best time to be in the great north woods! We even saw snow in the bush in many spots and along the roads on the way up. I predict ice hadn’t been off these lakes for more than a week; which is terrific timing for brookies if you can plan it that way, or simply luck-out as we did.

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Upon closer inspection, this behomoth 24.5″ trout (the largest we’ve ever caught in the region) may have actually been one of our ‘mystery’ or Aurora trout. This was the only photo we snapped before it was released since I wanted this huge spawner back in the water as quickly as possible! I would estimate this girl (a female) to be easily 5 pounds and possibly more. Without any speckles or halos…it does have the appearance of an Aurora trout. I look forward to the chance of catching it again next year!

Well, after 25 years of spring trout fishing I’d say my Dad, brother-in-law’s and I, have things down to a fine science. With some of the best fishing we’ve had in over two decades, it was a fine way to celebrate our silver anniversay!

Hey…25 years together is pretty damn good I’d say, some marriages don’t even last that long!

For more information on trout fishing in La Belle Province, please contact Tourism Quebec: 1 (888) 883-8801 or online at: www.tourisme.gouv.qc.ca

Outdoorsguy

12 thoughts on “Annual trout trip a BIG success!”

  2. What an amazing trip that was! I’m very envious. I’ve never caught a trout in my life. We tried to get some pickerel this weekend, but were unsuccessful

  3. hey jeff nice pics went to the big rideau on monday after the opening weekend and only managed 1 trout about 3lbs they were not biting we were using downriggers and they were all out near the narrows by the park water temp was 60.2f cold lots of debris in the water but the best thing was i wasn’t at work but on the water ,peace tranquility and my dad and his buddy bruce the best of times , have a great day jeff and good luck to all of the fishermen and women on this site

    1. Thanks so much to Rick, Hunting Mom and mike jones! These are times I will cherish for a lifetime and I look forward to every year…and it’s certainly not all about the fishing, far from it.

      Family, friends and tradition in the Great Outdoors is what its about for me.

      Outdoorsguy

  4. you too jeff my father in his 75fh year still manages to go trout fishing 2 to 3 times a week and he still takes people on for the ride his fee is split the gas bring your lunch and enjoy the fishing and knowledge that he has over 60 years of fishing, and wisdom on how and where to fish them at different times of the season but it all comes down to nature and enjoying life at its purest form , have a great day and keep a paddle in the water

    1. Hey mike, awesome that your Dad still gets out every chance he gets! For my father its down to this one trip a year but he puts everything he has into this one!

      My father is no stranger to giant trout..back in 1981 he caught a 7.5 pound brook trout in QC’s massive Mistassini Lake!

      I caught a 6.5 pounder that same year and lost one bigger than his 7.5 pound monster!! My line got hooked up in the prop and my father watched in horror as the biggest most massive trout he’d ever seen just swam off.

      Sniff….

      Outdoorsguy

    1. Sorry johan, can’t help it man. It’s certainly isn’t about bragging..just to share the excitement! As an avid brookie guy, as good as our special lake is, there are still other areas of central and eastern Canada that would blow this out of the water!

      As far as ON goes..lake Nipigon(world record holder at one time) produces some huge brook trout each year, in QC Lake Mistassini and the Rupert River…and NF and Labrador are the brook trout Meccas’ – especially Labrador.

      Man, still kick myself. About 10 years ago I was invited to Flower’s River Lodge in Labrador to go fish brookies and do a feature article on my experiences. I just couldn’t get it worked out…..dammit! One day though!!!

      (See, years ago I’d be going on and on about trout and Muskie..not much time for muskie anymore tho)

      Outdoorsguy

  6. Hi Rick, nice hearing from you!

    Good trip Jeff, thanks for sharing man, even though I missed my trip this year it’s still nice to hear about other sucsesses

    1. Tks Iggs..perhaps you’ll head back up for trout next spring! I can’t imagine missing a year and really one trip per year isn’t nearly enough for me.

      Outdoorsguy

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