Trophy Fly-Fishing Canada

When autumn arrives in Saskatchewan, it brings with it some of the top trophy fly-fishing Canada has to offer, for this is a province where lake trout, rainbow trout, walleye and northern pike grow to world-class proportions.

One of the great trophy destinations in the province is Tobin Lake, 275 kilometres east of Saskatoon. Formed in the 1960s with the construction of the EB Campbell hydroelectric dam, the lake has developed into a renowned walleye fishery. It holds the current walleye record of 8.2 kilos and the pike record of 17.1 kilos, and fly fishers have a good chance of hooking into a five-kilo-plus walleye at the lake. A few suggested flies are Clouser Minnows, Crayfish imitations and Grey Ghosts.

If the walleye fishing is slow, consider the Nipawin Great Northern Pike Festival. It runs at Tobin Lake until Oct. 4, letting anglers try their luck at catching and releasing one of the tagged northern pike with a total prize pool of around $70,000.

BY DAVID SMALLWOOD