SPECTACULAR VIEWS AND BIG FISH
The last two years has not been kind to northern outfitters and lodges. First there were travel restrictions to the north because of the pandemic, then last year fires affected many areas of the province.
Now with a war in the Ukraine, gas prices have jumped through the roof. I had a chance to talk to a number of lodge operators recently about their challenges.
THE GOOD NEWS
Many of the remote lodges had already hauled in their supply of fuel over winter roads for their needs this open water season. This before the dramatic price increases. The best news though, was the dropping the test requirement for entry into Canada from another country. While their guests will still require proof of vaccination, the test requirement was a major hurdle. Last year Paul Conchatre from Birdtail Waterfowl, spent his whole season lining up tests for his U.S clientele so when they showed up at the border they could gain entry. He also told his guests to fly to Bismarck, North Dakota and he would have a limousine service drive them to the border where his staff would pick them up. You can hear the story from Paul himself on my podcast https://www.hookedmagazine.ca/podcast/the-complete-angler-podcast-episode-26-paul-conchatre-part-two/
Many of the lodges are experiencing decent return bookings from their America clientele. The one hurdle for some are the proof of vaccination requirement. Still, many have missed their trips north of the border and are making every effort to get here.
DEALING WITH INFLATION
While I still go on two or three big fishing adventures a year, all are carefully planned. Gone are the days of jumping in the truck by yourself and heading out for a couple of days. Shared cost of travel really helps plus the company of another couple of people along is great to have. I am also lucky enough to have a boat and vehicle that are very fuel efficient. If I head north this year I will make sure to go for a week. This reduces the travel cost of there and back on a daily basis.
DRIVE-TO NORTHERN EXPERIENCES
We have some of the best lodge operators in the world and many have drive-to operations. At one time or another I have been to most of them. Some of the more popular ones are centred around Lake Athapapaskow and Cranberry Portage. The fishing opportunities are almost endless.
Clearwater Lake is another favourite. A few years back I spent a week there with friend Rick Hubbs and we fished a number of different bodies of water close by his home there. First stop was Bradley Lake, a small body of water located just south of Clearwater.
Bradley Lake, is one of a number of lakes in this part of the world that has seen the introduction of smallmouth by Manitoba Fisheries over the last few years. While not all of the lakes have been success stories, this one definitely has established a reputation as one of the top smallmouth lakes in Manitoba. Originally overrun by stunted northern pike, Bradley was stocked in the early 1980’s. Soon after the smallmouth introduction, the pike population stabilized with a reduction in the smaller fish, a balance that has remained over the years with a nice ratio of adult fish in this small lake.
Located on the west side of the road at Mile Nineteen on the Moose Lake Provincial Rd # 384, Bradley Lake is a bass anglers dream. There is no name sign on the access road, so zeroing your trip odometer at the start of the Moose Lake Road is a good thing.
Rocky Lake, which is located to the west of Clearwater also has some really good smallmouth bass in the lake. While the walleye fishing is good for average size fish, more and more anglers are heading there for the smallies. There are a number of places to stay on the lake including Kumbac Cabins. https://www.kumbackabins.com/cabin-rentals
You can watch this video put out last fall by Clayton Schick and HuntFish Manitoba
STOCKED TROUT WATER
Barbe Lake is about seventy kilometres north of The Pas, up Highway 10, past Rocky Lake then left at the Sturgeon Landing road for about five kilometres. There if you look really hard you see a small sign peaking out of the bush on the right side of the road “Barbe Lake”. As Rick and I entered the boat launch area, we were amazed to find that we had the lake to ourselves, considering this particular lake now holds the record for the biggest catch and release brook trout ever recorded. The fish measured (seventy three point six six) centimetres with a weight estimated between (six point six two) and (seven point seven one) kilograms. Now that is a big brook trout!
After spending a day on this lake I can well imagine the growth rate of these stocked brookies and rainbows. While the length is only about three kilometres , there is a incredible diversity of habitat with huge weed flats at one end, deep water and rocks at the other. With my polarized sunglasses and excellent water clarity I could spot huge schools of small minnows hiding in the shallow rocks at the north end of Barbe Lake. Rick Hubbs says this is only part of the equation. He says the incredible volume of scuds and hellgrammites and other small aquatic creatures exist in the weed clumps and mud bottom areas in almost every section of the lake really are the food source that allows these fish to get big fast.
A HIDDEN GEM
One of the most pleasant surprises and a lake that flies under the radar is Cormorant Lake located to the east of Clearwater. You do have to travel on forty-five kilometres of gravel road but when you arrive you will find one the prettiest and most productive walleye and pike fisheries in northwest Manitoba.
The campground and boat launch were situated near the middle of the lake just before the single-lane timber bridge and causeway that connects the community of Cormorant, a village of four hundred people.
Cormorant’s physical location is in a relatively marshy region, which is part of the Paleozoic geological zone of Manitoba, a factor in the economic base of the community. To the west and surrounding Cormorant Lake, is the Cormorant Forest Reserve, a major Manitoba logging area. The Hudson Bay Railway line also passes through this community, providing another source of access to northern Manitoba.
As Rick and I boated through the area called “The Narrows”, past the mouth of the small river that connects Cormorant Lake proper to Little Cormorant Lake, we could see the rustic cabins of Cormorant Lake Lodge. The only lodge on the lake, it was originally constructed back in the early 1920’s. According to the lodges website it is currently closed as it undergoes some renovations caused by fire. So I am not sure what the current status is. There are a some nice lodges on Clearwater Lake that you can stay at as you explore the area.
SUMMARY
This open water season, choose a part of the province to explore. There are many campgrounds and lodges to stay at and the fishing diversity is incredible. Make sure to give yourself at least a week to check out this wonderful bounty that this province has to offer. For more information on the different regions make sure you visit http://huntfishmanitoba.ca