Dreaming of a trip to Canada’s remote northern waters? Here’s a primer on the north’s iconic fish

BROOK TROUT

There’s a world of difference between the brook trout of our more southern waters and those that swim in the remote rivers and lakes of Labrador and the northern waters of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. In southern streams, brook trout are a somewhat refined fish, feeding predominantly and politely on insects. As the late renowned fishing author Ernest Schwiebert affectionately noted, they’re the “Aphrodite of the Hemlocks.”

At some point as you move northward, however, brook trout leave that elegant behaviour behind and become brutish predators, undergoing a piscatorial Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation. You can forget about any romantic notion of swinging a Parmachene Belle to these fish. Mature brookies from northern waters are meat eaters, feasting predominantly on minnows and other fish. Mice, voles and other small mammals are also cautioned against swimming without a lifeguard present.

Brook trout are arguably Canada’s prettiest fish, especially when decked out in their spawning colours. As with all char species, they are fall spawners, and by late summer the males sport stunning, olive-green sides sprinkled with yellow spots and blue-haloed red dots, along with red bellies and red fins edged in deeply contrasting black and white.

As you move northward,  brook trout leave elegant behaviour behind and become brutish predators

Canada has several well-known brookie rivers, such as the Minipi, Sutton, Gods and, of course, Nipigon, home to one of the longest-standing angling records—Dr. J.W. Cook’s 14-pound eight-ounce slab taken in 1915. Many other fine rivers, however, are more obscure and see little, if any, fishing pressure. The good news for anglers seeking large brookies is that many of these superb waters can be reached by road, especially in northern Ontario.

Large northern brook trout are voracious feeders, so spin anglers don’t have to be particularly choosy in their lure selection; spinners, spoons, crankbaits and jigs can all be effective. For fly anglers, large streamers and mouse patterns are sure to keep a bend in the rod.