Welcome to Week CLXXII of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
The summer of 2015 will not go down as particularly memorable in terms of fishing.
The early spring, hot summer and low water levels all seemed to conspire to make it a slow time for shore fisherfolk, or at least this one.
So with fish being uncooperative creatures, I’ll admit I turned to other interests more this summer, in particular disc golf, including this past Saturday when I was involved in organizing and then playing the inaugural Trilogy Challenge Tournament in Yorkton (see related story the Sports Section of this issue).
The better half has been her usual understanding self in terms of disc golf, especially the trips to help design a half dozen courses in the Parkland Region.
So with the tourney over, Sunday was her day, and she wanted to fish.
As it happened it was Saskatchewan’s second Free Fishing Day, created on account of the forest fires and smoke situation earlier in the year, so I was expecting busy fishing spots.
But you can usually shoe horn in to fish from shore, so off we went.
Even as we planned the excursion the better half and I discussed the likelihood that the highlight might be choosing a spot where we could get a good lunch after fishing a few hours. It was after all still August.
It turned out we were wrong on both counts in terms of expectations.
The better half had decided on the Canora Dam because it was a) close and b) it meant Raymond’s Family Restaurant for Chinese food for lunch.
We arrived at the Dam, and I expected lots of people.
There were two.
Now that can be a bad sign. If a spot has gone cold in terms of fish locals stay away and that was my first thought.
My second, as we pulled to a stop in our usual spot to fish was that the water was low, very low, for the end of August. There was only a small fall of water coming over the dam, and the area where you usually fight the shore trees to cast was now wide open due to the low flows.
She took up a spot and tossed out a jig with minnows. It is her preferred method to nap, err fish from her bright pink lawn chair.
I opted to cast the toss and retrieve keeping me awake at least. I chose a green wiggle tail rubber lead head bait, something which has traditionally been pretty successful for both pike and walleye at Canora Dam. Sunday it was not.
So as I am casting the green worm I start to think, which I suppose will surprise some readers to start with, but it is true. The water being low was likely to indicate a more localized fish population. And I reasoned if other fisherfolk were tossing green lead heads it was something the fish may have seen lots of and become wary of.
It was time to change it up.
That would usually mean going to a Len Thompson of one colour or another, but as I open the spoon case an orange Mepps caught my eye.
Mepps lures have their own rather unique design, and action in the water, a result of that design.
For a reason I admit I can’t define, I opted for the Mepps.
A few casts and I have a strike.
It was a true ‘hammer handle pike’ in every sense of the description, a darned small hammer in this case too.
But there would be a larger pike soon after.
Both went back to the water. Pike would be for fun only that day.
While there were a few lure changes along the way, I would eventually have six pike caught, and seen another couple flirting with the lure so close to shore that I could see them dart away at the last second.
By hot pike standards it was not a great day, but for the summer of ’15 it was a fine day indeed.
The little orange Mepps would also land me a nice walleye. It didn’t get its freedom.
Nor did a second one caught later, or for that matter a trio caught by the better half. It’s what we call balance. The better half caught more walleye, mine were bigger, so we could both boast a little.
I also saw a very nice walleye break water three feet from where I was sitting, a lunge at my lure that it either missed, or it changed its mind mid attack. Either way it was a cool moment.
The five would go home with us, and be consumed Monday for lunch.
The day was not fantastic but 12 fish in three hours on a generally nice Sunday morning, it did spit rain a little, was still better than sleeping in (yes for those that know me that will shock).
It was also notable for a few other things.
There was the wildlife, including hawks, geese and while across the water what I am pretty sure was an otter running the rocks and we even had a beaver swim by us close to shore.
Then there was the realization how some people who fish seem ill-suited to the pursuit. Two other cars would arrive, and four more began fishing.
Both twosomes would land pike.
Watching them deal with the pike illicited a couple of emotions. There was humour as it was rather obvious they did not want to touch the fish. Yes folks pike are covered in a slimy mucous. It’s slippery and feels frankly kind of gross. But it will wash off, and if you learn how to hold a pike correctly you should not get too much on you, nor should you if you plan to release a pike as it is a protective layer for the fish.
Then there was the sadness of watching them handled. Seeing someone putting a foot on a pike to hold it to remove a lure, then kicking it back into the water is simply barbaric. What does one think the chances of such a fish surviving? If you are going to release a fish make sure you learn techniques which give it the best chance of survival after its release.
And for a final notable aspect of the trip, the Chinese lunch was, as always, great. I do love Raymond’s hotplates.
