Welcome to Week CCI of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
If you are like me you never pass a magazine rack without perusing it at least a little.
On the weekend it was off to Saskatoon to take in a Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse game. As an aside, if you are a sports fan and haven’t checked out the new pro team in the province, only our second, you really should. The game Saturday against the Toronto Rock was piles of fun. The atmosphere at a National Lacrosse League game is non-stop, from rock and roll tunes pumped loud when the Rush are on offence, to Rush cheerleaders on game breaks, and of course 21 combined goals. I have been to a handful of National Hockey League games and Toronto Blue Jays game over the years, and the atmosphere at the Rush games is simply more fun.
So what has a Rush trip to do with fishing.
Well Sunday before heading home we stopped at Indigo (Books) in Saskatoon. I actually prefer McNally Robinson but it was closed which was actually an inconvenience I had not expected in our modern world. But Indigo’s doors were invitingly open, so in we went.
The first impulse purchase was the hardcover edition of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Vol.1’, which reprints the first seven comics of the original series which launched back in May 1984 from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, which really takes me back to my early roots as a comic book reader and fan.
And then the magazine room drew me in.
When amid a myriad of magazine choices I naturally gravitate to sports, and yes you have probably guessed it, fishing.
The one that caught my eye immediately was ‘Barry Mitchell’s Alberta Fishing Guide 21016’.
Stuck over on the east side of Saskatchewan, a rather short cast from Manitoba, we don’t naturally think of fishing Alberta. But summer holidays are not so far away, and in terms of travel neither is Alberta, so I grabbed the magazine for a look.
The publication includes a rather hefty section of maps, and some 1400 location listings, so it is a definite reference book for anyone headed west in search of big fish.
There are also a number of very good articles in the publication.
For example; ‘Understanding Southern Alberta’s Reservoir Walleyes’. This is one I really dug into because Lake of the Prairies is a reservoir, so hopefully some of the hints will transfer.
“In contrast to the cold, clear glacier lakes of the mountains and foothills, the southern prairie region of Alberta has relatively small, shallow lakes. What is unique about the prairies, however, is its system of irrigation reservoirs. There are 12 major reservoirs distributed across southern Alberta, many of them tied together through a series of canals and waterways,” begins the article penned by Wes David.
“Beginning in 1990, through to 1993, the province stocked those southern reservoirs with walleye, including the three largest of Alberta’s southern reservoirs, St. Mary’s, Chin and Milk River Ridge.”
The inclusion of some of the spots is a bonus as a guide for anyone locally planning a trip.
So what does David seek out in a reservoir situation?
“My favourite walleye structure is rocks. The bulk of Alberta’s southern reservoirs have sand or mud bottoms and when the majority of the structure within a reservoir is homogenous, the first thing walleye look for is a variance. To target walleye I look for what the walleye are looking for – something different. My go-to structure in reservoirs is rock points, rocky inside corners and, my all-time favourite, underwater rock humps, eight to 25 feet beneath the surface.
“Walleye relate to rocks in both lakes and reservoirs throughout their lives. Their preferred spawning habitat is rocky bottoms, with rocks ranging from as large as softballs down to gravel-sized. As walleye don’t guard their eggs after they spawn, the only protection from predators the eggs have is to fall into the crevasses between the rocks. Right from birth walleye have a connection to the rocks within their home waterbody.
“As walleye grow they continue to use rocks, where they feed on smaller aquatic life and seek cover from predator fish. After they’ve matured, grown larger and become apex predators themselves, walleye learn that rocks are important to minnows and other baitfish, including perch and small pike. This plays right into an angler’s hand.”
Now that is but a taste of the article, but based on this one alone, the magazine is worth seeking out.
The magazine does cover the range of fish species. Jim McLennan, a writer with an impressive resume of books related to trout fishing contributes ‘Great Trout Houses’.
“Where fish are often depends on what’s going on in the stream,” he writes. “When food is especially abundant for short periods of time, trout move to “feeding water” to take advantage of it. Often these are places where trout food is active, available and concentrated into a small area by the current and morphometry of the stream. One typical place is a gravelly riffle when nymphs are preparing to emerge. Trout will feed in riffles and surprisingly shallow water at times, temporarily forgoing their need for safety if food is especially abundant.”
While this is probably more critical in terms of trout fishing, it is in general rather sound advice for any fish.
Later McLennan even notes, “a fundamental suggestion (okay call it a rule) for fishing trout in their holding water, and indeed for all fishing situations, is to make it easy for the fish to eat your fly. If you have a good idea where the fish are, present your fly in such a way that the fish can expend the least energy possible to take it. A fish is more likely to move a few inches than a few feet, so it’s important to be able to recognize the places they live.”
And one final article of note is by T.J. Schwanky; ’Top-10: Alberta’s Must-Have Lures’.
I always think it’s interesting to get inside someone else’s tackle box to see what they use.
As fisherfolk we all have more lures than we can ever toss on a trip, but over time there are those we turn to over, and over. The beat up, paint chipped Len Thompson Hammered Perch, and that can’t miss (usually) lime green lead head, while other lures sit in their tray nearly pristine, never having caught a fish.
Two of Schwanky’s lures I’ll note here, the rest you can learn when you grab the magazine.
“Selecting just one spoon is a challenge, but if forced to I’ll pick the Mepps Syclops,” he writes. “I’ve caught fish around the world on this versatile lure and there have been days when it worked so well that I had to share it with the other anglers in my boat. It comes in sizes from 1/16 to one-ounce and is deadly on fish from perch to pike. Of course, the Len Thompson spoon has been catching fish in Alberta since 1929 and I own a box full of them. I particularly like the classic yellow and red version, referred to as the Five of Diamonds by most anglers.”
See I like the guy ‘cause I too am a Len Thomson fan. Don’t fish in Saskatchewan without LT lures in your tackle box, and on your leaders.
And he also writes; “no list of top lures is complete without an in-line spinner and my choice is the Mepps Aglia. Rare is the pond or river trout that won’t succumb to a well-presented spinner. Spinners are especially deadly in flowing water, as the combination of flash and vibration produced by the rotating blade really gets a fish’s attention. The wide blade on the Aglia works well with a slow retrieve, producing a thumping vibration that makes it easy for fish to locate, even in stained water. In addition to trout, spinners are productive for pike, perch, walleye and in rivers, even goldeye.”
So if you come across ‘Barry Mitchell’s Alberta Fishing Guide 21016’ on a magazine rack, do like I did, grab a copy and enjoy the insights and tips. It just might be the tipping point to head west to check out some spots one day.
