Author: Don Lamont

Mike Asher has spent the last eighteen summers of his life guiding fisherman at different lodges in northern Canada. Before that he fished bass tournaments and guided for muskies in Ontario. Dave Mercer has called him the best northern pike and muskie guide in Canada. For the last three years I ‘ve been trying to get together for a day on the water with Mike but between his busy days as the fishing store manager at Cabelas and my travels we never connected until this week.It was a cool overcast day as we headed out to the Lake of the…

The float tube was loaded and ready to go, three fly rods packed and the open highway in front of me. It was time to head to the Parkland region for some world class trout fishing. In the last three weeks, the weather has been absolutely ideal for those who like drift around on a lake in a small craft, either a float tube or small pontoon float boat. I can remember just such a trip ten years ago to West Goose Lake in the town of Roblin. I was fishing with trout master Bob Sheedy, who was introducing me…

Late Ice in Northern Manitoba It was day three of our ice fishing adventure to northern Manitoba and on this particular day we were headed to Barbe Lake, one of the more famous of the stocked trout lakes in the province. Located north of The Pas on the Sturgeon Landing turnoff, this lake has been making headlines since the world record brook trout was caught there in 2006. Tim Matheson of Sherridon (northeast of Flin Flon) and a friend had launched their boat on October 21st in search of a trophy trout. Little did he realize at the time that…

The sun was shining as we headed north on Highway Six on our way to The Pas, Manitoba. It was the first week in April, and we had three and a half days of trout fishing planned and according to the weather channel we were to be blessed with some mighty fine conditions to catch fish in. Arriving at the house of friend Rick Hubbs on the shore of Clearwater Lake later that afternoon we could see the water shimmering on the surface of the lake in the bright sunshine. It was wet, said Rick, but the ice was still…

There is something about big water that attracts me. Maybe it’s the challenge of trying to find fish over a large area. Certainly it’s common knowledge that large bodies of water like Lake of the Woods and Lake Winnipeg grow big fish, another part of the equation. Still when you are trying to find fish on these lakes, whether it’s in a boat or on a snowmobile when fishing these huge areas, mobility becomes key. Recently on Lake Winnipeg many anglers have been having a tough locating the fish in areas that they have been the last three years. The…

Anglers in Northwestern Ontario have been taking advantage of the warmer weather to chase down some lake trout. While not as much snow as last winter there is still enough to get around on snow machines. On Lake of the Woods, the winter roads have been plowed but venturing off the beaten track in a vehicle is always risky. On the smaller lakes in the region, ice is good and the slush is manageable. I take at least one trip every year either in January and then again in late March for lake trout, a worthy adversary below the ice.…

It was around one o’clock in the afternoon when we packed up our gear and made the short walk across Tokaruk Lake to our vehicle. It had been a successful morning of angling but with a slowdown in action we figured it was time to change lakes. The weather was starting to clear up, the low hanging clouds and ice fog finally dissipating. Heading west we jogged one kilometer west and half kilometer south to Patterson Lake on Provincial Road # 577. As we pulled into the parking lot which doubles as a picnic area/campground, one other vehicle was…

Want to try your hand at ice fishing this year but need some answers?Many people I talk to over the course of year ask me what I do in the winter time. Ice fish of course, I tell them. Some give a look of amazement like that could possibly be fun!Not only is it fun but it is a recreational pursuit that anyone can afford. That would explain why over the last ten years this segment of the sport fishing industry has seen the largest growth. In fact, there is so much new equipment out there for the hard water…

Did you know that if you can get a young person to try fishing before he or she is eleven years of age the chances are pretty good they will do it for the rest of their lives. It’s no surprise then that Ryan Suffron turned a boyhood dream into reality. Ryan grew up in Alberta and had a father that loved to fly fish. He got his first fly rod when he was eight years old, accompanying his dad on many a fishing adventure. After moving to Manitoba, Ryan decided to guide up north at a couple of fly-in…

There is no substitute for spending time on the water, especially if you can work the same body of water for the same species. Accomplished anglers and guides can then pattern and increase success rates for both themselves and clients.On a recent trip to Tobin Lake for walleye I decided to head up with an open mind, a number of presentation options thought through and accounted for. I was also fishing with two other accomplished anglers, anglers who had thousands of hours on the water and who also liked to try different techniques that might improve success. Now Tobin is…