DIY Nipigon, Ontario

[geebee]

I've been digging around it seems the shore fishing on the lower river can be pretty good up there in June, for both 3-5lb brookies and Steelhead.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/canada/can67.php

Has anyone DIY fished up there ? - guide operations for bed board and brookies are about US$320 a day. whereas a motel is around US$80

Porter Airways btw does Newark to Thunder bay for $280 direct in June.

i'm kind of thinking about a 5 day trip with two days guided, which with a rental could be around $1000 for this :

Quebec Lodge and Rivers Edge in Thunder Bay offer guides (though i can't see their website at worked due the firewall..)

 

[turkey]

Damn. Looks awesome.

 

[dryflyguy]

One hawg of a brookie for sure!
Last I knew, the world record brook trout came from that river - in the early 1900's if I remember correctly. But then - like so may other fisheries - things declined.
But I've still always thought that would be a neat area to explore. The closest I've got to it though, is Michigan's upper peninsula.

Good luck if you go. And keep us posted!

 

[Chaz]

I'm hoping to go there this year, we may get a guide for a day, or 2, but we'll probably do DIY otherwise.

 

[geebee]

Chaz wrote:
I'm hoping to go there this year, we may get a guide for a day, or 2, but we'll probably do DIY otherwise.

Did you book yet ? - when are you going ?

the entire area looks amazing. i had no idea there were direct flights or that they are so cheap.

I was thinking first week of June - are you going for the brookies, or steelhead ?

 

[troutbert]

How common are big lake run brookies in the Nipigon?

What are you are odds of catching one? Or several?

 

[allan_s]

Well since the river has multiple dams on it, most fisherman go on the lakes and use sinking line and attack the banks. I have heard you can be very successful doing this and have seen some real pigs come out that way. I am not too familiar with the river though, but I do know the famous stretch with the world record and some not to far behind it is now part of a lake, so its no longer your granddaddy's fishery.

I read an interesting article about it sometime ago that theorized the dams have probably saved the native brook trout fishing there though because the amount of invasive species that now live in the river and they have yet to get through the series of dams.

Maybe a case where a dam has actually saved a natural fishery, sounds kinda weird to hear that.

I wish I could find the article now, it was very interesting. The riffle where the biggest Brook Trout came out of had its own name as well.

 

[geebee]

troutbert wrote:
How common are big lake run brookies in the Nipigon?

What are you are odds of catching one? Or several?

based on reports and this show, i'd say very common and 8-10 over 3lbs is an average day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP0CKJBSqko

if you look on youtube and google image there are literally hundreds if not thousands of pics out there.

a specimen is not considered until 8lbs.

the rivers and dam lakes are fed from a glacial lake which runs ice cold all summer. hence the forage is exceptional.

 

[krayfish]

Watched the vid. Fishing in a motor boat 100 yds below hydro dam....not very appealing setting. There's quite a few places where you can catch 17"-22" trout in prettier surroundings. Might do it once but it would be way down on the 'to do' list. Good luck if you go.

 

[geebee]

Yeah I kind of agree, but there are walk and wade areas in the lower river with the same fish.

There's also the steel, jackpine, wolf and Mckenzie rivers nearby for steelhead and big bows respectively.

Plus the scenery up there is stunning.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=egaN5ZCEzzc

 

[Chaz]

Brookies, I think the first week of June, haven't booked a flight yet, Did you? If so where? You can pm me.

 

[krayfish]

Go to Minipi River Lodge instead. That's a sweet set up.

 

[SBecker]

Kray, you and I should go. It might only take 1 of those brookies to feed the racoons, instead of the 30 you have to throw on the banks now.

 

[Mike]

OK, I'll bite: What is DIY?

 

[JackM]

Commonly used to abbreviate Do It Yourself. In this context, without a guide, I suppose.

 

[geebee]

Yeah - DIY is travelling somewhere and hiring a rental car, booking a motel or camping and walking and wading using the Internet and local fly shops to find your own fish on a budget.

It's normally about half the cost of staying at a full service lodge with gourmet meals and wine, plus guides that most lodges or camps are geared towards now.

You're not going to catch as many fish but you can go more often - and where it's public water you're fishing the same waters as the lodge jockeys.

I'd rather eat burgers and pizza and do three trips a year.

At the moment I'm weighing up this versus the steelhead jam - I already have the 4 day spring jam and 9 day Ireland salmon trip on the calendar this year.

 

[Chaz]

geebee wrote:
At the moment I'm weighing up this versus the steelhead jam - I already have the 4 day spring jam and 9 day Ireland salmon trip on the calendar this year.

And wouldn't it be great to catch a broke the size of a steelhead.
Just curious what are you call invasive?

 

[geebee]

Chaz wrote:

Just curious what are you call invasive?

me ? yes. I am non-native. LOL

otherwise known as a "washashore" on Cape Cod.

 

[geebee]

Chaz. i'm in. has to be June 11-15 though due to work.

sent ya a PM.

 

[geebee]

If anyone else is interested in coming drop me a pm - chaz has work commits so right now I'm on my lonesome.

Total cost should be around $900 I reckon .