On my first blog for this adventure I mentioned that lake trout on fly would be a major focus of this trip to Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge here in the north of Manitoba. We aimed for lakers on our 2023 trip but the stars didn’t align. But this year I could feel that things would pan out. And even though the lake trout fishing started slow this week, the last two days have showed signs its heating up. At 8 am sharp we flew with pilot Jeremy and our guide Marcus for nearby Blackfish Lake. And we were after lakers.
The weather was iffy to say the least. We were lucky we were able to fly. Very fortunate. We learned tonight that the other anglers flew for ten minutes for another lake but had to turn back. The “iffy” weather consisted of drizzle, thick clouds and fog. It was dang cold too.
Despite the weather, and especially after yesterday, it never crossed Granny’s mind to bag out on today. She doubled up her layers and hopped on the de Havilland Beaver. I will say however, once we got in the boat she announced that she would be kicking back with her winter hat and gloves on and would be spectating until things warmed up.
My body can get cold but luckily my hands were hardened by being a serious ice fisherman the first 40 years of my life. I took the bow as Marcus drove us from one reef to another. “Reefs” on a northern Manitoba lake are shallow rocky protrusions surrounded by deep water. Ideal places to attract deep dwelling lake trout on cold fall days. It’s not fall yet most places but in the far north – its fall.
Fishing was by no means fast and furious this morning but action was steady. At each reef I managed to catch one lake trout. Usually it came on the first five or so casts then we’d go another 45 minutes with nothing and need to move on. The fish were falling for my friend Jerry Darkes chartreuse and white jig/Clouser flies. I mentioned about fishing only a couple pike flies all week; well it’s been the same with my laker fly scene. Granny and I have literally fished the same fly for lakers since day one. I finally replaced it this morning after it caught our shore lunch pike. There was hardly anything left of it. The new one should be ready for about another 100!
By lunch time I landed a total of five. Granny had made about ten casts all together and landed one. All the lakers were nice fish. Each was in the 22-26 inch range. No doubt, lake trout get huge and I have my heart set on a 38 incher but these fish were very special, all colored up from their recent spawn. And boy do they fight.
I’ll mention something about a lake trout. There’s a rumor out there that lake trout don’t fight. After a lifetime of catching thousands of lakers, I have an opinion. Anyone who tells you lake trout don’t fight, has either never caught one, or the one they caught came trolling on downriggers. Lake trout kick your butt. When you sting one in the shallows they bolt for safety. That’s the deep. It’s a surge you can’t stop. They smoke you like a freight train and then it’s hard to get them back up to the boat. They run, they spin, they twist and they are professionals at spitting a barbless fly during headshakes near the net. Lake trout have broken a lot of hearts.
I don’t need to tell you our shore lunch was delicious. We’ve had it every day this week but one. I never get sick of fresh fried pike at lake side. Today during my lunch wander I turned back early. Not only were there plenty of moose tracks, but I saw bear tracks. A large adult with at least one cub. And there was a lot more than just tracks.
After lunch we were right back at it. The plane wasn’t fetching us until 5 today and it’s a good thing. Marcus had a few more places to try and then we backtracked to the five reefs that we caught fish at this morning. It remained chilly so Granny took only the rare cast. I went two solid hours after lunch without a single strike.
But at 3 pm the action gradually began. One of the reefs where I caught one fish in the morning, I caught three. The next I caught three more. And then I stuck a good one. It was an explosive grab the second my fly touched down in literally only three feet deep of water.
Getting a nice laker to the net truly can be a fiasco. While lakers don’t jump, the amazing twisting, hard pulling and random dives they make by the net is unnerving when you have a good one. After a few scares, I was able to hold the laker at the surface long enough for Marcus to get the net under. This isn’t my 38” dream fish, but he’s 36”. Not bad. And if only this fish hadn’t already spawned. A week ago this fish would be much much heavier.
Yesterday Marcus mentioned that when you find one good lake trout, often there’s another nearby. Just like Granny on her two big pike yesterday, after I let the beautiful laker go I tossed another cast to the same area. Wham! I got another on my next cast. This one a tad shorter and less colorful but a great laker on the fly nonetheless.
I wanted Granny to get a big laker more than me so I told her to suck up the cold and get to work. Unfortunately the schools of bigger lakers have far smaller numbers and this spot was done. But at our next spot we found plenty more of the 22-26 inchers again. Granny no longer felt the cold.
At this last location, we caught over 20 of these amazing fish. We tried a new reef near to where the plane was coming to collect us. It was more of an island with ten feet of shallow gravel off its edge and then it plummeted to 25 feet deep. The fish were there and it was an absolute hoot for the last hour.
At 5 sharp the de Havilland Beaver returned and we packed it up and made the short flight back to the lodge. That’s when we learned how lucky we were to fly out today. And the weather is still shaky so there will be no Northern Lights tonight.
Tomorrow is our last fishing day here at Gangler’s. Boy how time flies when you’re having a good time. I’m not sure there’s any last day magic that can be had that hasn’t already been had. But stay tuned. This has been an absolutely incredible trip!
A special thanks goes out to our buddy Ken Gangler. Ken makes this adventure to Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge possible for Granny and I. Every angler should try to make a point to fish trophy pike and lake trout on the fly at least once.