On the complete other side of Andre Lake here in Labrador, the lake McKenzie River Lodge is based on, is the Come Back River. It’s a long 1 hour and 15 minute crossing and can only be done when the wind allows. After yesterdays gales, today calmed enough for Norm and I to go for it with guide Alex. I was hoping for the opportunity to fish here this week because Granny and I had a slammer brook trout day here in 2015.
The drive across the big lake wasn’t bad. It indeed was cold but the waves weren’t big. When we arrived the sun was out and I felt warm for the first time in a few days. We anchored our boat and grabbed our dry fly rods only.
The hike was stunning as each have been this week. This particular area has more white lichen then anywhere I’ve seen here. Jagged rocks and shrubs poke through the carpet but the hot pink Fireweed stands out.
The first hike was only 15 minutes and when we stopped we strolled upstream and caught about four nice brookies. They weren’t the toads of the McKenzie but as I keep saying, they’re bigger than brookies anywhere else.
After a few pools was another small lake and we crossed it in a stashed tin boat. We beached the leaky craft where the Come Back entered and it was a great looking spot for a few casts before even starting up the river. Norm hit the run with a size 12 Stimulator and his trout fly was gulped by an unexpected landlocked salmon. The salmon leaped several times and dashed downstream into the lake.
I wrote about how intense the fight with these salmon can be yesterday and Norms fish didn’t disappoint. After a few raging leaps his fish not only ran so far out into the lake that Norm was into his backing, but then it dove deep. There was a point where his salmon was about 120 ft away and 20 feet down!
Five minutes later Norm got his fish all the way back and inches from Alex and his net. Being cautious, rather than lunge, Alex waited hoping Norm could turn his fish for a headfirst entry to the net. That didn’t work and instead the fish bolted once more and again went all the way into the backing with a couple more jumps on the way.
Norm had hard luck with salmon yesterday on the McKenzie and he saw how beautiful the one I caught was. He really wanted this fish. Patiently he worked his salmon all the way back to our gravel bar. This time Alex got him in the net!
This is another studly size landlocked. I remember some nice one’s last trip but yesterday’s fish and now Norms, let’s just say the salmon are running big this year. After admiring this beauty and a few photos, Alex slid the fish back and Norm has a new species for his list.
We’d go further up the Come Back from there and even up a tributary called the Marion. I got one hefty brook trout from its first pool then we returned to a lower section of the Come Back and I picked up two more solid fish. Our brook trout fishing was definitely tougher than what Granny and I experienced here ten years ago but that’s likely due to the low water.
It’s a shorter fishing day on the Come Back because of the long boat ride and we headed home around 3:30. But not without a stop at a northern pike spot. Tuesday night is fish fry night at the lodge and it happened to be our duty to bring home four pike.
The cool thing about the pike spot is that it’s a wading spot. We casted from a rocky gravel bar off a drop with acres of weed beds. Our goal was four pike around 28-30”. Anything bigger we released. Let’s just say the hardest part about harvesting four pike was finding ones small enough.
It’s been another epic day here in Labrador. Today we enjoyed a full variety of fish and I’m happy to say the other guests here are having great fishing as well. This wonderful day ended with our chef Alex Cannesan treating us to his fabulous fish fry recipe.
That’s all for today. I’m toast. There’s nothing better than exhaustion by fishing. Stay tuned for tomorrow!
For more pics from this amazing adventure tune in to my IG – @jeffcurrier65