Lake Maligne

[choad]

I thought I'd post some pics and a brief report about a recent fishing trip overseas.

The location was Lake Maligne (French for malignant / wicked). It's about an hour drive from the sleepy country town of Jasper in the Canadian Rocky mountains. The lake is only open to non-petrol powered watercraft and about 22km long (a lot of distance to cover with an electric motor - i think we went through 7 or 8 deep cycle batteries for the day.

The day started with a thick fog which rose quickly as we prepared the canoe.

The target species was brook trout. The lake holds the record for the largest rainbow trout in Alberta Canada (about 20pds) and some solid brook trout. It was early autumn and the brookies were coming up to spawning mode and were hanging around the creek and river mouths in preparation.

This was the guide. He hooked the first two fish and gave me the rod to pull them in. I declined his offer to photograph myself with the fish (it felt degrading - like photoing yourself holding a fish you just bought from Glebe fish market) Nevertheless, there were plenty more opportunities for photographs.

The technique used was a combination of slow trolling flies with weighted line and casting towards the river / creek mouths. The result was multiple brook trout all around the 35 to 45cm mark, each one a different colour. We would have caught and released at least ten fish for the day.

A great day overall. Great fishing and spectacular scenery. It was also the day I popped my "trout on fly" cherry.

Edited November 4, 2008 by choad

[tide'n'knots]

congats choad on your first fly caught trout! what a beautiful place, catching a fish is a bonus in a place like that! Top photos by the way.

t'n'k

[gregg.michael]

Great catch! And such a picturesque location. some of those shots would make great postcards.

Thanks for an interesting read. I would love to visit a lake that size with exclusively non powered craft.

[robeebee]

beautiful pics mate

congrats on your first fish on fly

[Hodgey]

Fantastic report mate. That scenery is bloody awesome!

The water looks incredible. That canoe looks like something out of Last of the Mohicans (except for the leccy of course) Well done on snaring a few fish mate. What a memorable day's fishing

Cheers

Hodgey

[slinkymalinky]

Awesome report Choad. Love reading about far flung fishing destinations. What an experience and what amazing shots.

Cheers, Slinky

[mitch]

great reprt and some absoloutly awesome photos as well

Mitch

[taloyoak]

makes me want to go back there ( home) now. I've done lots of skiing, climbing and hiking there, but actually no fishing...lol. We are definately spoilt there in Alberta for scenery and fishing. Did you get to go anywhere else on your trip?

[craigtempo]

aaaaaahhhhhhhh the things that dreams are made of .

craig

[pustayo]

Mate Even if i caught nothing that day id still be happy from the sceneryt mate that bloody beautiful so jelous

[choad]

makes me want to go back there ( home) now. I've done lots of skiing, climbing and hiking there, but actually no fishing...lol. We are definately spoilt there in Alberta for scenery and fishing. Did you get to go anywhere else on your trip?

I did a tour of the rockies from vancouver. it was a package thing because we were travelling with a 9 month old baby. This was the only fishing trip for those two weeks in canada. It was an awesome experience. Just to be there felt like such a privilige but to catch trout on fly was phenomenal. The fight of the brookies was amazing... they'd stay deep like a brown but fight to the death like a rainbow.

Those fish were estimated to be at least ten years old. Slow growing because of the the icy cold glacier fed lake water. The lake is covered in ice for about 6 months a year. It amazes me how anything survives such extreme conditions.

[taloyoak]

I did a tour of the rockies from vancouver. it was a package thing because we were travelling with a 9 month old baby. This was the only fishing trip for those two weeks in canada. It was an awesome experience. Just to be there felt like such a privilige but to catch trout on fly was phenomenal. The fight of the brookies was amazing... they'd stay deep like a brown but fight to the death like a rainbow.

Those fish were estimated to be at least ten years old. Slow growing because of the the icy cold glacier fed lake water. The lake is covered in ice for about 6 months a year. It amazes me how anything survives such extreme conditions.

i know...thats is what i think about the arctic. frozen 10 months, and still teeming with life. Brookies are like a small Arctic Char-some i have caught look like that.

see- these are not my pics though!

Edited November 5, 2008 by Nanook

[choad]

it makes you wonder how teaming with life more comfortable places in the world used to be like before we "succeeded" as a race.

[beachwormer]

Those photos are very moving. I have just finished an 18 hour work day, including travel, and your post reminds me the world is a jaw-droppingly beautiful place. How I'd love to be there.

[taloyoak]

it makes you wonder how teaming with life more comfortable places in the world used to be like before we "succeeded" as a race.

Choad,

Look at where I have been living for the last 8 years ( Nunavut). There is only 30,000 people living in the entire province 1994000 square kilometers!!!

Every lake is so full of fish it is truly unbelievable. Imagine Sydney Harbour when Cook came?

[andrew399]

wow those are some seriously good looking photos! sounds like you had an awesome trip!

[choad]

wow those are some seriously good looking photos! sounds like you had an awesome trip!

Yeah I wish I was back there right now. Damn cold though. I was in full ski gear and still feeling it. The guide was a freak... only wearing a thin jacket, ripped jeans and thin thermals underneath. He looked at me and laughed. I guess we're pretty spoiled for weather here.