This episode takes place in Ontario’s Algoma country, a place immortalized in the paintings of the Group of Seven, and a quintessential example of the wilderness that is Northern Ontario. With the Canadian Shield as a backdrop, the 22,000 square miles of boreal forest is interspersed with thousands of lakes. This district is an absolute must experience for any serious angler, especially Brook Trout fishermen.

BLUE FOX CAMP

One of the best places to start your adventure is at the famous Blue Fox Camp. It’s owned by four fishing buddies who are totally committed to the preservation and sustainability of this amazing fishery.

Though it’s possible for the most adventurous of travellers to reach this remote location by ATV, the Blue Fox Camp is primarily a fly-in destination. It’s a short flight that delivers astonishing views of this one-of-a-kind fisherman’s paradise.

THE BLUE LAKE SYSTEM

The Blue Lake System, home to the Blue Fox Camp, consists of Blue Lake (also known as Kirkpatrick Lake) and seven surrounding feeder lakes. It also has the distinction of being the province’s only self-sustaining inland three-species Trout system (Lake, Rainbow, and Brook Trout). There are over two million lakes and rivers in Canada, and less than one percent of them boast this trifecta of naturally reproducing fish.

Working together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry—and other community fishing programs—the Blue Fox Camp has designed a custom Brook Trout stocking program exclusive to these back lakes. By introducing 100-200 yearlings from the Nipigon region on a rotational four- to five-year cycle, you end up with lakes that may not be loaded with fish, but with every cast, you have the chance to hook up with a monster brookie.

Roothouse is exactly one such lake. This is the perfect setting for Ang to scratch his itch for an elusive Nipigon-strain Brook Trout. Being much closer to home than the thirteen-hour drive to the Nipigon River is just a bonus.

BUILD YOUR OWN OUTDOOR BROOK TROUT ADVENTURE

On this trip, Angelo got to fish a couple of different lakes. One was for numbers of brookies, while the other was for size.

“Knowing that the possibility of a six to eight-pound brookie is in such a small body of water is kind of daunting,” says Ang. “Each and every bite sent shivers down my spine.”

Of course, many of the fish Angelo caught were either smaller specks or Lake Trout—the other prominent species in the lake.

“I hit a fish on one pass,” Ang states, “that nearly jerked the rod out of my hands on numerous runs. It turned out to be a big, long laker. That was a real mind-bender!”

His two best presentations were a #3 Red Dot Black Fury as well as a Williams spoon with the hook removed and a fluorocarbon leader tied to the spoon, with a soft plastic like a Yamamoto D Shad trailing.

The ultimate reward did come for Ang as he caught what he feels is either his first or second largest Brook Trout ever: a meaty fish that looked to be somewhere in the 6-8 lb category—a true Algoma giant!

With access to an astounding variety of lakes and rivers, some with a unique natural population of brookies, others stocked with potential for that huge once-in-lifetime catch, the Blue Fox Camp is a Build Your Own Outdoor Adventure kinda place. If you’re looking for an unforgettable fishing experience, this is it! Exactly what the Blue Fox boys were hoping to achieve.

BRAD THORNE:

“I am one of the owners of Blue Fox Camp. We’re a group of four friends who’ve been coming up to the Blue Fox Camp for about, between us, twenty years. I’ve been coming in for about fifteen years. We come in to work or to fish, and an opportunity came up two years ago to purchase the lodge and we jumped on it because we love the place.

“Besides the Blue Lake System, we have access to approximately fifty back lakes, all of which are stocked with Brook Trout that grow to seven or eight pounds approximately.

“Part of the reason we, the four of us, bought this place is because we’ve been coming up for so long and we love the camp and the surrounding area. And what we’d like to do is introduce people to the area, hope they have a great fishing trip and return year after year.”

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SPECIAL THANKS

• Go Fish Ontario
• Algoma Region
• Blue Fox Camp
• Blue Fox Guides: Mike McKinney & Cory Moore
• Lauzon Aviation