Time of Year/Water Temps
Our season opens beginning of June and closes in September. General fish movement patterns happen during the coarse of the year and happen fairly rapidly. At the beginning of June, after the ice on the lakes breaks up, the big and small fish (Pike and Lake Trout) are ravenous and are sunning in the cold shallow water. Mid to late June, weeds start growing in the shallow areas, the water begins to warm and pike move to the shallow weeds. Lake trout move into deeper water. Early July, the bigger pike start moving to slightly deeper weeds (approx 4'-8' depth) and drop-offs around rocky areas, shallow weeds, island drop-offs and points, channels in rivers and in lakes, sheltered bays with drops or darker water. End of July to beginning of August the water warms and the bigger fish sit in deep weeds at the bottom (approx. 4'-14') and some become less aggressive. Smaller fish can still be found in the shallow areas. Watch for special circumstances i.e. shallow weeds with small fish in them and a drop next to it. The bigger fish may be in that 5' dark area waiting. Mouths of rivers produce all throughout the season. End of August to beginning of September the fish are coming back to the shallows to feed in the warmer water before winter. The lake is also turning over bringing the lake trout up to shallow water.

Fish Patterns
June - Ice-out, water temps, and weather dictate the behavior in June. Ice-out is generally late May to early June. Fishing is generally very shallow for all species. This is the time many pike fishermen dream of, with pike warming themselves in 8-12” of water early on and moving to 2-4’ of water later in the month. Many a pike addict has turned into quivering jelly at the sight of so many big fish so shallow and in clear water. There are no significant weeds at this time. Trout are shallow, ranging from 3’-15’, in current areas, rivers, and off sand points. Depending on the time of ice-out, they will start to move slightly deeper late in the month. At this time of the year, you never quite know where they may turn up and a 30 lb. lake trout when you least expect it is quite the surprise!  Walleye are very shallow, in the river areas and also concentrated in large numbers in shallow bays 2-4’.   Grayling are in the rivers and easily fished with dry flies or small spinners.

July - A time of transition with the pike favoring two distinct habitats and both productive. Weed beds will be coming up and obvious by the 3rd week. Our large cabbage patches become a concentrated ambush point for big pike. Pike will move between the weed beds and the shallow bays beginning the second week. Trout will begin to descend into their holes and are usually fully concentrated by mid-July, offering incredible concentrations of fish. Depths range from 10-25’ early and 40’-60' after mid July. It’s not uncommon to lose the bottom readings on your depth finder as the huge schools blot out your sonar. Walleye begin strong patterns, forming huge, tight schools in current areas, walleye fishing at its finest with lots of 20-26” fish and larger. Most walleye by one boat in a day – 308! Grayling are in the rivers, easy to access after water levels stabilize. Bug hatches (the good ones) are tremendous.

August - Pike still ranging from bays to weed beds, which by now are in full bloom. 4’-8’ of water by casting. A large Johnson Silver Minnow (with a tail) or a #5 Mepps will bring an aerial assault from the depths of the cabbage. Surface plugs are a blast! Trout concentrated in the holes with large numbers of big fish caught by trolling or vertical jigging. August also hosts an unusual phenomena we have only seen on the North Seal. For 1-2 time periods this month, usually lasting 3-4 days each, lake trout flood into the river mouths in big concentrations, almost like a false spawn. We do not know what keys this - a bug hatch we can not detect?- but the angling is intense and an unbelievable experience while it lasts. Walleye are in same patterns as July and larger size. Many of our 28”-32" are caught at this time. Grayling in the rivers, at their peak, smashing any dry fly that happens their way.

September - Water is cooling rapidly and the scenery is gorgeous. Trout move onto the mid-lake reefs and river areas in incredible concentrations, brightly colored and attacking anything that moves. 100+ fish days are common casting for trout. An angry 20-30 lb. lake trout in 5’ of water is an unbelievable angling experience. The lake trout spawn usually lasts 2 weeks. Pike will move between the bays and rock points, generally leaving the weed beds as the beds die. They are now growing fat for the winter and some real monsters are caught at this time. Walleye will move when the lake turns over and will generally move onto mid-lake humps. Grayling fishing continues with the same consistency. 

Weather Conditions
Weather plays a big part on how pike respond to different lures. Many external factors still exist but this is a list of general rules that apply in specific conditions and are usually more effective:

Sunny days-
• Flashy bright flies-yellows, pinks, chartuese
• blacks in shallow areas- bunny leaches and black patterns with color

Late sun (afternoon)-
• Fluorescent colors with some black
• Red, white and black combos and flash

Cloudy days-
• Red, white and black combos and flash
• Darker colors (Black, brown, blue, green)
(keep in mind that cloudy to rainy days are typically good walleye days)

Rainy days to scattered rain-
• Top of water flies/poppers (fish can be frisky in the weeds for top water)
• Heavy flies that drop (Rain can knock the fish down deeper )

Windy days (You'll be fishing less rough waters, behind islands, bays, rivers, etc.)-

Dusk/Night-
• bright colored - white or yellow flies
• Top of water

Of course the out of the ordinary fly also produces big fish which you should also bring because the fish are unfamiliar with them. Guests have caught fish on every kind of pattern or color.


FLY-FISHING TACKLE

Northern pike/lake trout

Fly-rods - A 9’  8 or 9 weight rod with a decent reel and at least 100 yds. of backing. For line, one spool of weight-forward floating line and one spool of monocore or another intermediate sinking line. Teeny 300 is a good one.  Leaders are 5’-7’ of 12 lb. line or heavier and  12” of wire on your tippet is mandatory.

Flies -  Anything 4”-8” long and hook size 1/0-3/0. Deceivers, Whistlers, Sar-dul-mac, any nice tarpon streamer but bigger. Crystal hair or flashabou is a must. Bunny bugs (black leech patterns) are durable and HOT. Slightly weighted for later in the season. Late season and deeper fly pattern that produces: white, red, black combo with flash works like a charm. Poppers and gurglers work great.  We have a complimentary fly-tying bench at the main lodge.

Walleye

Fly-rods - A 5 to 7 weight rod with a sinking line and an 8 lb. tippet.

Flies - 2”-4” Clouser Minnows and Leech patterns.

Grayling and Whitefish

Fly-rods - A 3-6 weight 7’-9’ rod and reel with a weight-forward floating line.

Flies - Dries such as Irresistibles, Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, and any trout nymphs or wooly buggers. Wet flies good for really big fish when the hatches turn off. Hook sizes 12-16. Lots of floatant and dressing.


Flies - As of the begining of July, mainly white with either orange or pink/red accents worked magic. In the lakes with more tea color water, black bunny leaches with some flash was working well. Flies with mainly black and accents of red and white worked wonders in similar water ranging from 3' to 6' of water.

FLY-FISHING TECHNIQUES

Pike - Few things in fly-fishing are as visually exciting as big pike hitting a fly. Because our water is so clear, fly-fishing for pike is almost like hunting, except there are a lot more than just one fish. It’s common to go into a bay and see 25 to 50 to even 100 fish sunning themselves. These fish don’t spook and will chase a fly right up to the boat with the motor running. The common approach is to cast and retrieve in short 4-6” strips. It’s even more fun to have one that is tentative. You’ll cast your fly out, slowly easing it by the fish’s mouth. The fish sits dormant as you SLOWLLLLYY work the fly in front of it, using short strips and letting the fly hover, teasing the fish. Your heart will JUMP when that seemingly sluggish fish begins a slow glide to fly, and then suddenly EXPLODES into a frenzied attack ! Later in the summer fish will still be in the bays but also in the weed beds. For this approach, you can slowly work streamers through the cabbage beds or work a surface popper in the pockets. There’s nothing like a pike’s aerial assault on a popper !

            The other plus to pike is their absolute lack of fear. A beginner can make the worst cast in the world, wrap the line around his head, have it land 10’ from the boat, and have a pike come up and destroy it. Flip Pallot had this comparison, “They’re like snook fishing but there is a lot more of them and they have no fear !”

Lake trout-  In the spring, you’ll throw large flies off sand  and rocky points and in current areas, letting it work down the water column as you retrieve it. A large lake trout hitting a fly is an eye-opening experience and get your arms ready.  In the summer sinking lines and weighted flies are the trick. For the fall, casting spawning reefs and current areas will produce a torrent of angry fish !

Walleye-  Concentrated in the channels and rivers, fly-fishing for walleye is really catching on. Cast out a small Clouser Minnow or other fly with minimal weight and slow fish it, with little or no perceptible movement. The feathers do the rest ! It’s not unheard of to boat a whack of nice walleyes quickly. A past trip with Lefty Kreh, owner Ken Gangler, and two other guests produced over 80 fish in an hour and a half, all on flies and up to 8 lbs. in size. That’s fun !    

Arctic Grayling-  Our rivers are some of North America’s finest, with water rivaling the finest blue-ribbon trout streams in North America ! These waters are chock full of graying and to catch 30-100 in a few hours is common. Average size is 14-18” and our biggest was possibly the largest ever caught in the province, at a mammoth 24”. These fish are fatter and chunkier than any we have ever seen and a North Seal grayling can bury his nose in the current, difficult to budge or break you off. We fish by either boat or wading, depending on the river’s layout. Roll casting is the preferred method, as our rivers usually have brush and willows on the banks. We do have certain areas trimmed out where a fly-fishermen will think he has died and gone to heaven.  The hatches are outstanding and run in cycles. Grayling can be hitting red-hot for an hour and then shut down for the next. Wait long enough and it will turn on again (unless there is a big pike or laker in the area) ! Sunlight is also preferred for grayling fishing. Preferred fly is a dry although wets will take the bruisers. Always make sure the dry is riding high, the minute it starts to sink it is ineffective.

Whitefish-  We’re still figuring them out and you never know where they may turn up. Our waters have huge whitefish and every year we take fish over 20”. Took one at 27” a few years ago that just missed the provincial record. Definitely like flies, especially in the rivers. We have several guests fishing for grayling who had a whitefish on and thought they had a world-record grayling !

FLY-FISHING LEGENDS WEEK

Every year we try to host a very special week, one we call ‘Fly-fishing legends week.’ Over the years, the finest names in  the sport have journeyed to Ganglers to sample our waters and enjoy the camaraderie of others in the same pursuit. Not a clinic, the week always evolves into great informal info sessions, with fly tying, knot tying, casting, and other techniques discussed and demonstrated in a warm, informal setting. Lefty Kreh (8 times), Flip Pallot (3 times), Dan Blanton (4 times), Larry Dahlberg (twice), Nick Curcione, Ken Hanley (twice), and Del Brown are many of the names you may recognize who have shared this special time with us, all Hall of Fame anglers.