Trophy Fly Fishing in Saskatchewan

Photo: David Smallwood

An expert's take on the best fly-fishing spots in northern Saskatchewan, which happen to be some of the best in Canada.

BY DAVID SMALLWOOD

When autumn arrives in Saskatchewan, it brings with it some of the top trophy fly-fishing Canada has to offer, for this is a province where lake trout, rainbow trout, walleye and northern pike grow to world-class proportions.

One of the great trophy destinations in the province is Tobin Lake, 275 kilometres east of Saskatoon. Formed in the 1960s with the construction of the EB Campbell hydroelectric dam, the lake has developed into a renowned walleye fishery. It holds the current walleye record of 8.2 kilos and the pike record of 17.1 kilos, and fly fishers have a good chance of hooking into a five-kilo-plus walleye at the lake. A few suggested flies are Clouser Minnows, Crayfish imitations and Grey Ghosts.

If the walleye fishing is slow, consider the Nipawin Great Northern Pike Festival. It runs at Tobin Lake until Oct. 4, letting anglers try their luck at catching and releasing one of the tagged northern pike with a total prize pool of around $70,000.

Or you could head for the hills - the Pasquia Hills, to the south of Tobin Lake. One of the best ways to explore this unique wilderness region, a kaleidoscope of colours in autumn, is on horseback. Check out the Eastview Wilderness Guest Ranch, which provides trail rides into the backcountry.

At Narrow Hills Provincial Park, meanwhile, you might wish you had brought your horse, or at least your hiking boots! Located about 170 kilometres northwest of the Pasquia Hills by road, the park offers a wealth of lakes and species to tantalize with a fly, including kokanee salmon. The waters are not readily accessible, but if you take along a small canoe or a fisherman's float tube, you can have these isolated lakes all to yourself. My favourite fly for these waters is a G.R. Hare's Ear nymph size 14 to 16.

Rainbow Lodge, a must-stop for any fly fisher seeking local flies, equipment or up-to-the-minute fishing conditions, is located just outside the park's northwest boundary on Piprell Lake, home of the provincial record rainbow and brown trout. The lodge boasts of 45 lakes within a 24-kilometre radius, with 15 different species of fish.

At the park's south entrance is Esker Road, a meandering gravel trail that weaves hikers upwards through jack pine. And the 9.5-kilometre Island Lake Trail leads to the Gem Lakes, a beautiful setting for backcountry camping in autumn. As an added enticement, the Gem Lakes - Jade, Opal, Sapphire, Diamond and Pearl - are stocked with trout.

For trophy lake trout, however, head for Lac La Ronge Provincial Park further north, via Clarence-Steepbank Lakes Provincial Park, Saskatchewan's newest park, where more fishing and hiking opportunities abound in an undulating landscape. This area denotes the "approximate geographic centre of Saskatchewan," which provides an idea of the province's immense wilderness (some 326,000 square kilometres). The drive to Lac La Ronge also offers examples of some of the startling contrasts in the Saskatchewan landscape, like the Nipekamew Sand Cliffs, sandstone cliffs that soar roughly 25 metres.

An hour northwest of the cliffs, immense Lac La Ronge Provincial Park encompasses more than 3,300 square kilometres of beautiful forests dotted with 100 freshwater lakes and portions of the Churchill River. Lac La Ronge itself has been a trophy lake-trout destination for decades. As cold-water fish, lake trout normally prefer the depths, but move to the shallows in autumn when the temperatures drop and the water cools.

Hunter Bay on the eastern shore has produced more trophy lake trout than any other part of Lac La Ronge. The gravel shoreline and boulder-strewn bottom are trout magnets when the conditions are right. Large minnow-imitating flies (five to 12 centimetres long) and heavy sinking fly lines are excellent choices here.

For those who want to stay awhile, there are outfitters on Hunter Bay and houseboat rentals at Eagle Point Resort at McGibbon Bay on the lake's west side. Houseboating is a great way to explore the lake, with a small boat or canoe towed behind for secluded excursions among the shoreline.

Hikers and cyclists can head to Nut Point on the east side of McGibbon Bay, where a beautiful 15-kilometre trail runs out to the Nut Point Peninsula. This is a wilderness route, so pack accordingly. Twenty kilometres north of La Ronge, the Don Allen Nordic Ski Area is another excellent hiking and mountain-biking area, offering two five-kilometre loops over steep outcroppings, streams, muskeg and many other oddities.

With its fishing, hiking, cycling, boating and beautiful wilderness, Saskatchewan's north country pleases so many because it offers so much.

For more information on this or other Canadian destinations, visit the Canadian Tourism Commission's website at www.travelcanada.ca

source: Canadian Tourism Commision

This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.