Troutlet
Early season trout in Québec ’ s Pontiac region
BUT REMEMBER SNOW CAN STILL HAPPEN
GRANT BAILEY
Spring is in the air , and just as fall is for deer hunting , spring is for trout fishing . If you want to be stoked and ready , here ’ s how to cope with the countdown blues , and get you onto them right off the bat .
In Eastern Ontario , brook trout is largely open all year , but the Québec season in nearby Zone 10 opens April 22 , so , depending on weather , this could mean either sketchy ice fishing or sketchy trolling . The wise choice would be to wait for ice-off , expected late April to early May .
How will you know for sure if your destination is ice free ? Text a local resident , phone the general store , or go see for yourself with gear in hand . Any excuse for a road trip into the back country is a good one .
If you are planning a trip to La Belle Provence , be aware of some trout irregularities – that “ char ” in the regulations includes both brook trout and omble chevalier , ( actually Québec red trout , which are landlocked arctic char ). In Zone 10 , the other category of “ trout ” ( limit of five ) is for brown and cutthroat trout combined .
In addition , you can keep up to 10 rainbows to boot , and add to that two lakers or splake . That ’ s a whole lot of potential trout , so don ’ t feel like you have to catch them all in one day . Prolong the pleasure . Go fishing again the next week .
A couple of hours north or west of Ottawa , and you are on top of ample opportunity for more remote expeditions . Algonquin Park for instance , where trout starts May 1 , ZEC Pontiac , and onward all the way to the mystical Winisk River watershed in Ontario ’ s far north , where naive native trout await your lure with mouths agape .
Many times have I portaged and paddled deep into Algonquin Park for the opener to find the snow falling and the speckles hungry . Really hungry . Some days we ’ d be shaking off two-pounders at the side of the canoe hoping for a four-pounder on the next cast . Other days , we couldn ’ t coax a nibble , but that ’ s the
gamble of trout fishing . As an unwanted adventure , I ’ ve also been snowed in there for days but at least it was before blackfly season – so on early fishing trips be prepared with ample weatherproof gear and a good back-up plan .
A conservation officer once told me most people don ’ t like to walk far , so the best spots are off the beaten track . True to that fact , I ’ ve found some hidden glory holes over the years . Check out Google maps for pot-hole lakes just beyond the logging roads , and the rewards may be what you don ’ t tell even your best friends about .
Then again , staying close to the beaten track is as far as one needs to go to find trout . Explore this website for Québec lakes and access points : www . carte . allonspecher . com . Check out this one for Ontario lakes and info : www . web2 . mnr . gov . on . ca / fish _ online / fishing / fishingExplorer _ en . html . Lake trout , or “ lakers ” as they are often called , are another popular early season quarry with more restrictive catch limits , but these fish can get really big , bigger than you can eat all at once . Taken early in cold water , lakers can fight like demons-under-the-influence on light tackle . As usual , double check all your knots and leaders .
“ Soaking ” for lakers involves laying dead bait in the shallows and waiting for cruising fish seeking winterkilled minnows . It is a popular Ontario shore fishing technique after ice-off . Otherwise , troll the drop off , with your bow partner casting a small spoon right close to shore , which is where these cold water critters might well be hiding shortly after the ice is gone . I ’ ve fished some lakes where they don ’ t start biting in the foot-deep fringes until almost dark .
If stream fishing is your calling , wait until the spring freshet ( the fast , high murky water from the thaw ) has diminished before wading in . It could sweep you off your feet , and the fish will be more willing to bite as the high water and strong currents decrease . If you ’ re not a fly fisherman , small spinners or worms are eagerly accepted offerings .
Stream fish may not be as big as lake dwellers , but nothing beats a butter fried sweet fleshed nine-inch trout as table fare . Except maybe two of them .
Troutlet
A poem by Grant Bailey
Speckled troutlet on my hook How bright and beautiful you look Tugged so rudely from the stream As if awakened from a dream Let me touch you , let me feel If all those jewels on you are real I ’ m sorry for the point of steel But I was looking for a meal I see you flip , I sense your plight So let me help you if I might I ’ ll let you go , don ’ t tell a friend ’ Cause I might eat him , in the end .
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