Author: Don Lamont

This summer I wrote a story about Mary Jane Reservoir and the work local conservation groups were doing to save this unique fishery. Four years ago a number of area residents from Pilot Mound, Manitoba decided they needed to do something in their neck of the woods to revive local fisheries. Not a big group with 15 key volunteers and 40 members, the Mound Wildlife group gets after it! Pembina Valley Conservation District Award! Travis Saban is one of those key individuals. He recently dropped me a note to talk about the work the group has done over the last…

It was a gorgeous fall day, the grain fields shimmering in a warm September sun, the leaves just starting to turn colour.  Friend John Toone and I were heading west to the Parkland region of Manitoba. We had been invited by owner Paul Conchatre to visit Birdtail Waterfowl the third week of September.  Both John and I had been hunting with Paul two years previous for sandhill crane. This time we were targeting the abundant ducks and geese that roam the Parkland region of Manitoba. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE It really is incredible the number and variety of…

Fall is here and that only means one thing, time to go hunt GREEN-BACK WALLEYES!  Anglers come from all over North America at this time of year to  Selkirk, Manitoba for a chance to land a huge green-back walleye on the world famous Red River. What is a green-back Walleye you may ask? It’s only the most awesome looking freshwater fish in Canada. Because of the limestone base on the big lake, the walleye are brilliant emerald green in color. SHINERS MOVE INTO THE RIVERS IN FALL The walleye will instinctively start to school up at the mouth of the…

Working out of one’s home has certain advantages. Probably the one I like most is missing out on rush hour. Since I live close to downtown Winnipeg this is a huge deal. It also means I can turn on the Sportsman Channel when I want to check out some of my favourite shows. Most involve bass fishing, which happens to be a passion of mine. While I still spend more time walleye fishing, my favourite fish to catch is a smallmouth. When I first broke into this business as a guide on the Winnipeg River, I was lucky enough to…

Every second year the Lamont clan and their relatives head to Clear Lake in Manitoba’s Riding Mountain National Park, to enjoy a week of companionship.  One of my responsibilities is to bring along the boat for daily fishing excursions. Over the last twenty some years I have almost always spent at least one day on the water here every year. This past December I had a spectacular day ice fishing for Whitefish. It was the second week in July when we visited this year. CLEAR LAKE IS GREAT PIKE WATER This time we were after the abundant pike that swim…

The fever has hit! A number of years ago as editor of the Manitoba Fly Fishers Association (MFFA) I wrote an article on the evolution of the fly fisher. Really, it was about how the addiction to fly fishing drives you to more and different species, locations, and opportunities. Your addiction to fly tying also gets dragged along for good measure!  Moving to Manitoba in 2014 has really opened my world to the sheer number of species that we can target locally for our “fix”. With the move also came a whole other need to upgrade some of my equipment,…

Muskie Mecca! Two follows and a swirl, a good day muskie fishing? That’s what I was told the first time I went to chase these elusive creatures. Muskie fishing is a bit of a special pursuit; you torment yourself for hours, days or years on end, for the chance at even putting eyes on one of these beasts.  But when you do, the thrill of that encounter is worth it all. Northwestern Ontario boasts a mecca of trophy muskie water, with plenty of opportunity for anglers looking to chase these creatures.  Whether you’re from Ontario, Manitoba, or beyond, there are plenty…

The 6th annual Falcon Lake Walleye Masters, second stop on the Central Walleye Trail, took place on Saturday June 1st on Falcon Lake in Manitoba. This catch and release walleye tournament has been around since 2014 with this year being the first with new Tournament Director Jason Woychuk and family. A whopping eighty teams registered for the 2019 event, all vying to take home the top prize of $7000 cash and an Agassiz Outdoor prize package. The later than normal spring didn’t leave much time for the water to warm up which was evidenced by a relatively tough walleye bite…

Channel cat season is upon us. I must be crazy because I’m giving away some of my best secrets to help you crush more cats in 2019! Tip #1 Location! With your fish electronics, look for hard bottom and targets which can mean fish. Boulders, drop offs, and deep holes can all hold big cats. Channel Cats like to hang around near fast water but will hide behind rocks to get out of the current. Cats will also ambush their prey as other fish will try to get out of the current as well. If the current is super strong,…

“There ain’t nothin’ in that creek boy!” and “You alright? Better places than that to catch a fish!” are comments I have heard more than once. I must admit the sight of someone holding an ice fishing rod, standing ankle deep in a creek bent over staring down into less than a foot of water is a little strange. My first foray into the micro-fishing cosmos was more of an accident than anything, I had 30 minutes to kill with an ultra-light fishing pole and the only body of water nearby a lowly creek. Dipping the tiny hook baited with…