Autumn Fishing

Bob and I met up at the usual spot amid a hoard of pickup trucks either loaded with or towing ATVs.  Bob was late so it was a good excuse for a coffee and homemade raspberry turnover.Even though the calendar says it ain’t so just yet, fall has definitely arrived around here.  Yesterday was a spectacular fall day – great for fishing among other things I’ sure judging from the regular roar of ATVs and cracking of guns.It wasn’t always the peaceful wilderness that one imagines but it was still a great day to be on the water.  The plan was to try our luck at one or two lakes but in the end we stopped at three relatively small lakes.  One is home to brook trout and the other two rainbow trout.Since the season for brook trout closes at the end of the month, the first lake was our priority.  This was my first visit this year although Bob had been several times through the summer.   In the past there has been little activity when we have been there but now there are two boats permanently stashed at the lake so there is clearly more activity.  Because it is a small lake, we weren’t sure what we would find.We arrived mid morning and almost immediately I had a hit on a Seal Possie Bugger (check out Grand River Troutfitters step by step fly-tying instructions).  I don’t think the fly was designed for lake fishing but it has worked well for me in Ontario and Quebec lakes this year.  That first fish was small (read very small) but it was followed up in short order by another larger brook trout decked out in its fall spawning colours.The fishing slowed so we decided to move on to the next lake and after fishing there for a bit with limited success (one rainbow) moved on to the third lake of the day – Minnow Lake.  Like the first, it is small enough that two people can be heard at opposite ends of the lake so it was nice that we were the only ones there.  It was after 3pm before we hit the water.You start to notice how the daylight hours are diminishing.  By 4 the sun was already dipping below the trees at the west end of the lake creating shadows on the water.However as the sun dropped, the fishing seemed to pick up.  It may have helped that both Bob and I switched to Mrs. Simpson flies (a classic minnow imitation) as the interest definitely improved.

I had several strikes before deciding that the tail was too long.  Almost immediately after trimming it back I hooking and landing a nice 16 inch rainbow.  Soon after Bob hooked into an energetic rainbow that measured a full 18 inches before being release.  Its great to land fish this size but even better to know that they are surviving despite their small confines.

Neither of us could stay late so we quit around 5 and as we were packing up our gear, I looked back at the launch spot and was struck by the spectacular colour of the water and the sun shining in the trees.  The days may be getting shorter but they are always a thing to appreciate.