We begin this Fish’n Canada episode by asking the question “If you were given the ultimate in artistic talent and creativity, along with a paintbrush and a palette of vibrant colors and someone said to you, CAN YOU PAINT ME A CRAZY COLORFUL FISH?”

In our opinion, the answer is obvious in that this episode highlights one of the world’s most vibrant, beautiful, and scrappiest fish, the Brook Trout. We cover much of Ontario telling you where to locate and how to catch this colourful and elusive little beast (little only on the average since the world record is s whopping 14 ½ lbs.).

ALGONQUIN PARK

We start by recommending areas where Brook Trout naturally reproduce and live a 100% wild existence. Algonquin Park is by far the highest producer of natural Brook Trout or as they are often called “Specks”. Algonquin fish may not be the biggest in Canada but there are more spring-fed Brook Trout lakes and more fish in those lakes than anywhere else in the world.

LAKE NIPIGON & THE NIPIGON RIVER

Another fantastic natural Brook Trout producer and maybe even more famous for its fish is Lake Nipigon and the Nipigon River. Although Algonquin will beat this area in numbers, nothing comes close to the size of the trout here. A monster brookie in the Nipigon is like no other fish in the nation. They are big, they are bold, and they are beautiful.

LAKE SUPERIOR

Since we are talking about the Nipigon area, the mouth of the Nipigon River spills into the mighty Lake Superior, another fantastic area for natural Brook Trout. The fish here are called “coasters” since they seem to take on an almost nomadic personality and swim around the lake using the coast or shore as their guide. It’s a natural phenomenon has biologist somewhat baffled but for fishing, it’s a great clue as to how to stalk them.

Casting and reeling as Bass anglers do is a great way to catch coasters. As well, trolling long lines has put many a coaster into the net.

With water so gin clear, you will often never see these little colorful rockets hiding among the boulders but trust us, they’re there!

NORTHERN ONTARIO

An often-overlooked area for world-class Brook Trout fishing is the most northerly portion of Ontario. The Albany & Sutton rivers are perfect examples of the absolute best Brook Trout fisheries that the nation has to offer; however, they are hard to get to. For instance, once you get to the town of Hearst Ontario, you then have another 2 ½ – 3-hour flight to get to the one-room cabin with no showers, no generators, no freezer. That’s as hardcore as it gets, but the fishing is outstanding.

Something a bit more attainable would be a place like Esnagami Lodge. This multi-species lodge is a bit closer to civilization and can put you on to Walleye, Northern Pike and of course, lots of Brook Trout that reside in the Esnagami River.

ALGOMA COUNTRY

This may be the biggest sleeper of the whole province, the Algoma region of Ontario. Most of the trophy Brook Trout here are stocked… with the best of all genetic gene pools, the Nipigon strain. Although the majority of these giants can’t spawn (due to no springs in the lakes) in the Algoma waters however they still can grow BIG!

In this show, Ang ties into a “block” of an Algoma Brookie that he caught while trolling a fly… very clever Angelo!

CONCLUSION

This Fish’n Canada episode should give you great insight into one of the world’s most spectacular fish species, the Brook Trout.

We sum it up with the following words:

If you are looking to capture natural beauty, in a naturally beautiful location, a trip to Algonquin Park for Brook Trout is a must.

If you are looking for the monster Brookie of a lifetime, there is no better place on this earth than Lake Nipigon and the Nipigon River.

If you want to add a “coaster” to your bucket list, then Lake Superior is your only choice.

And lastly, if you don’t mind the idea of fishing for “stocked” Specks, Ontario’s Algoma region will not disappoint!

And one last thing, please remember to take this pandemic seriously. We as anglers can and should set a precedence that others can look up to and emulate. Let’s set the bar, let’s be proactive, let’s be safe!