Author: Don Lamont

There I was, sitting in the dentist’s chair waiting for the freezing to kick in. The day had come for my tooth to be pulled and I hadn’t been looking forward to it. Not long into the procedure it became quite unbearable and I needed to go to that “happy place”. I had never had to do this before, I didn’t know if I even had one, but a few calming breaths and I was there. Out of all the places I had been, I was surprised this was the one that had become that “happy place”, trout fishing in…

By John Toone   One of my favourite pursuits is to cast for northern pike in shallow weed beds. There’s no mistaking their bite and fight, and as table fare, they are among the best. The northern pike trophy appears prehistoric-strong and often rather perturbed. Yet in spite of their majesty, the northern pike is of a mixed reputation. Guides favour walleye to pike, because pike lures have multiple treble hooks and clients have multiple issues with coordination. Also, the Y-bones along the back of a pike can challenge the average filleter. And despite their larger size, too many people mistake…

Muskie are notorious for following baits only to turn away at the boat without striking. Known as ‘raising’ a fish in the muskie world, it is a significant event in itself. Raising fish means knowing their location, which is half the battle. The other half is getting them to commit and take your bait. There are some things you can do to increase the odds of catching fish once you’ve located them. PERSISTENCE PAYS Muskie are territorial by nature and often return to the same hiding place after they follow a bait. Returning to spots where you’ve raised fish is…

Its official, fall has arrived! This time of year brings anglers in this part of the world out in droves, hoping to catch a trophy walleye. On a recent adventure to the Whitemud River, I pulled out my first Berkley Flicker Minnow. My friend Jim Price was using the # 7 Flicker Shad in a custom painted perch patter. By the end of the day he had out fished me about 20-14, so I would have to say that crank proved a little more effective on this day. It was also diving a bit deeper on less line than my…

Brilliant sunshine met Kevin Stobbe and I as we headed east to the Whiteshell Provincial Park this week.This was to be my annual pilgrimage to Crowduck Lake Camp. Kevin, who is the publisher of Hooked Magazine had signed up for this Charity Fishing Event with Boston Pizza owner Denis Paulhus. As editor of the magazine I got to go along.It seems I make at least one trip to this great walleye lake every year and this day did not disappoint.In fact, it was one of the better days I have on the lake as far as size of fish caught.…

Kenna with one of her many fish caught!Six Lac du Bonnet students enjoy a great day on the water!By Don LamontNestled on a small bay at the start of the Winnipeg River at Pointe du Bois, Trail End Camp is a favourite destination by anglers in the know. This was the destination on a beautiful August day this past month for some lucky students from Lac du Bonnet and area. Vance and Maureen Hrechkosy were outside the main lodge to greet the six students from Lac du Bonnet that had been offered a dream fishing trip. It was to be…

Saturday  Our last full day, we decide to head down the foothills to the Oldman River,  in a section near Highway 22. I have one of my most enjoyable days using two different presentations. I start with a Terranasty along with a Prince nymph dropper. Six fish later the action slows…then on the last pool of the day fish start to rise and I catch two beautiful trout on a Royal Coachman on what was a great day for me. All in all a great trip with some real nice guys, something I sure would consider doing again.

   Part Two of our Adventure to southern Alberta Now headquartered out of the Racehorse Creek campground the next three days are spent fishing the Livingstone River. There are many roads that lead to the riverside, but this river is also very popular among fly fisherman. The first two days we don’t have too much trouble finding a stretch of river to fish, but come Friday things are crowded. On our first day on the Livingstone, Len Penner has a great day, landing nearly 20 fish. Lime Sally was the fly of the day. Phil and I catch some fish…

DAY FOUR: Castle Falls holds some big bull trout! The next day we try and access the south Castle River but are stopped by some washed out sections of the access road. Instead we stay relatively close to home and fish the forks of the south and west Castle. Some beautiful pools make this short section attractive but Phil hooks the only rainbow of the trip on a big brown Wooly Bugger fished in a straight section of the river. Meantime in the pool below I land two cutthroat back to back before we call it a day. That’s because…

Often overlooked and similarly undervalued, rough fish are some of the best fighting, interesting looking and sometimes challenging fish to catch. A good portion of my shore angling is spent targeting carp, different species of suckers and catfish just to name a few. Many different types of water bodies hold rough fish and each requires its own plan of attack, what works one week may not the next and as with any fishing, seasonal patterns are very important. The saying “here today, gone tomorrow” often applies and when the bite is hot and the weather nice, it’s time to go…