Fishing opportunities and seasons  

South Central Ontario is blessed with so many opportunities, walleye, perch, crappie, panfish, carp, muskie and bass (smallmouth and largemouth) Some days we do as many as possible in one day for the slam .

Spring, being the most exciting after a long winter. Summer has endless opportunities, it’s a mix bag with carp, muskie, walleye and bass. Then the fall is the toughest time, to choose a species, lots of options. Steelhead, salmon as well as muskie is great in fall (October to November). Some winters (December to February) are fishable for steelhead, depending on snow and ice. Spring (March and April) is primetime for steelhead, again. Then the seasons start over again.

Carp

The main fish that I guide for are carp in the early spring, depending on snow and such it can be around mid-April. This is some of the greatest fly fishing you will see, as they are putting feed bags on before the spawn. After the spawn (around June) is also fantastic time to get them, as the water is warming up and so is their metabolism, they are active and feeding. They can be great in the big Lake “O” (Lake Ontario). I also have the option of chasing them in large river if the lake doesn’t cooperate. We fish them till September/October. All carp on the fly days are spot and stalk in shallow water. Canadian sight fishing at its finest. 

Steelhead

Spring March to May is primetime for steelhead

In the fall, Steelhead start their migration (2nd) October through to November. This is one of the best times to chase them, the fight is mazing. Some years the winters are fishable December to February for steelhead, depending on snow and ice.

Muskie or Musky

No matter how you spell it they are probably the most difficult to catch on a fly. It may perhaps be even more difficult from shore than a boat. The hours spent trying to land one of these toothy critters on a fly is just as satisfying on a small one as it is on one of the trophy sized, as a small muskie is bigger than most trophy sized trout. In-fact, a” small” muskie would have your trophy trout for dinner. The demand on the body and the casting for the fish of 10,000 cast or there “grind” as people call it, are not for the faint of heart. It is a challenge and that’s why people get addicted to it.The follows and the technique required to try to entice the fish and attempt to trigger the apex predator instincts to eat your fly is what make people come back again and again. The fact that you may only get one fish a day or in a week and you have to make the most of your opportunity, the long cast of a 14 plus inch size fly, the strip, strip, and strip some more to the figure eight and you see the fish follow your fly to the boat only for it to just swims away for no reason keeps people addicted, it is definitely a rush to try to cast your 10 wt or 12 wt hoping that it will come back and hoping your have enough energy and concentration to finally get the muskie to eat your fly. Flies range in size from 4 inch minnows patterns to 14 or more quadruple articulated inches depending on time of year and forage base. Spring and summer time is great tie to get out see the water scout new spots and new fish and see what they are doing, not all fish have to be monsters to be satisfying, they just have to be muskie’s. The fall is a great time for bigger fish, those same fish will be at their fattest as they are getting ready for winter and are hungry.

Fall Time

Salmon

Usually around September, salmon, Chinook and Coho start the migration to spawn, great time to try and catch them on the fly, and some lake run browns mixed in. Nothing pulls quit like a 20lbs fresh run salmon in a small creek.

Steelhead The Second run