Author: Don Lamont

STREAM FLY FISHING THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS  PART ONE It was five thirty in the morning when the moving house that was to be our home for the next ten days pulled up to the driveway. Soon we were on the road for our fly fishing adventure to southern Alberta. Four of us were planning to explore the rivers and streams that dot the landscape near the Crowsnest Pass region. FIRST STOP Later that evening we pulled into the Castle Falls Campground, located on the shores of the Castle River. This glacial feed stream holds cutthroat trout, whitefish and a few…

C It had been about year since I had caught my last channel catfish but when Travel Manitoba extended the invite to fish for a morning as part of their media event titled “Fish Tales” how could I refuse. I picked up publisher Kevin Stobbe at seven in the morning last week and we headed from Winnipeg to Selkirk Park were the guides had their boats ready to go. We were teamed up with Brad Melnyk, who is know more for his smallmouth exploits. He had caught plenty of catfish over the years and in no time flat he had…

FLY IN FISHING!Have you decided this is the year you your buddies have always dreamed about, a fly in fishing trip? Now unless you are going the five star route, here are some things you should consider, especially if you are going to an outpost camp.Check to see the size of the motors on the boat and if they have electronics on them. At an outpost camp, the chances are not good.On a recent trip to Harrop Lake Outpost, I made sure to bring my Humminbird depthfinder with a battery and charger, the same one I use for ice fishing.…

It was cold and rainy as we headed through the Whiteshell on our way to Lake of the Woods on Monday of this week. Friend Phil Brake was making sure I had a pair of rain paints for him tucked away in the boat. Little did he know that he would still end up very wet and cold by the end of the day. After getting our rain gear on and launching the boat, I trolled out slowly from shore, checking to see what the water temperature was on my Humminbird 897. For me at this time of the year,…

I must apologize to my readers for falling down on the job with my fishing exploits.I have taken a position as editor of Hooked Magazine and it has been very busy but extremely rewarding. I am currently working on the summer edition which will be out the first week in July. We have a special person on the front cover and I get the pleasure of interviewing this famous person! As a hint he loves to fish and hunt, plus play a bit of football.I haven’t forgotten to get out and fish though and have been on a couple of…

It was one of the most miserable weather days I have ever fished in. And believe me in 31 years as a professional angler I have seen my share of bad weather including a case of hypothermia after getting soaked in three degree weather in the middle of a huge lake in northern Alberta. This time I was fishing in early June on one of the best walleye lakes in the world. Gunisao Lake produces more master angler walleye than any other place probably on earth. Located in north eastern Manitoba this body of water is a trophy factory and…

The trail into the small lake was a mess. Dead trees were everywhere, and there was a smattering of snow to deal with. Yet expectations were high as we got closer to the small jewel sitting on the very top of the hill. When my partner got his first look, he said “uh oh.” The reflection of the grey skies made the alpine lake look ice covered, and we knew that it was an unusually late spring. On closer inspection, however, the lake proved to be ice free. “False alarm,” said my relieved friend. “It’s wide open.” We had no…

After the worst winter in 116 years anglers in this part of the world in 2014 we are ready for it all to end so they can get out on the water. Do you want to hear the good news? With another late ice out, just like last year, the fishing should be just crazy when the season opens. All species will have to make up for lost time as the water finally warms. This was certainly the case last year on the two spring trips that I took. A number of lakes in southern Manitoba were still frozen when…

If you love to bass fish, chances are that love affair started with a topwater bait! I can personally recall numerous violent and awesome topwater strikes that happened more than a decade ago. Day dreaming of such events can often evoke goofy ear to ear grins, try not to do that at work, people will think you are weird. I have two go to topwater baits over the course of a fishing season: a Rockpile Lures popper, and a walking bait, something like a Heddon Zara Spook or Lucky Craft Sammy. I have a few general rules of thumb about…

The weeks following ice-out provide some of the best lake trout fishing of the season. Simple trolling tactics like long-lining and using planer boards are all that’s necessary to catch fish. Lake trout are a cold-water species, preferring water temperatures of less then 55-degrees. During the summer months they spend most of their time in cool, deep water, where it’s more challenging to target them. However, in the weeks following ice-out, water temperatures in the upper portion of the water column are within lake trout’s comfort zone. This creates a unique window of opportunity from an angling perspective. First, lake…