Top 15 Canadian Moments of 2012 - #8 - "Worse than Poaching!"

Fortress Lake, mid to late June, has a chironomid hatch as good as it gets. When noted Stillwater author Phil Rowley pumped several hundred chironomids out of one stomach sample, he shook his head,"that's the most packed I've ever seen. Anywhere."  It is thick and the big, fat brook trout are big, fat brook trout because of it.
It's a big reason why Fisheries have found brookies at Fortress put on 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 pounds in their third year.
We see quite a few folks that have never fished the mighty chironomid hatches before and it does take some coaxing to get skeptics to have a go at the preferred method of indicator, long leader, and a small stick looking fly that looks more like someone jokingly wrapped some thread on it as took the time to actually call it a tied fly... an art form. But it works.
One particular trip this season, two fellows were catching fish but the results differed from others. I suggested to come with me in their boat, me in mine, and set up nearby. I went through the entire approach and dropped anchor off a usually good shoal. Literally, they dropped anchor 20 yards away. I set up my line and flipped it out. 30 seconds. Fish. Fought, landed, released, cast. 30 seconds. Fish. Repeat. Repeat. After each fish I suggested maybe trying where I'm fishing - take my spot for all I care. Nothing. More fish.
"Here, take my rod". They rowed over and tied off on my boat. The fellow in the front took my rod and flipped it out. I began to set up the other fellow's line with the chironomid set up. BAM! Fish. Released, I returned to rigging the other line. BAM! Fish. Released, I continued. BAM! Fish. Three fish in the time it took to rig up an indicator, swivel, and tie on a fly.

We disengaged and I simply rowed 15 yards away and again dropped anchor.
Well, for the next 2 1/2 hrs it was perpetual. Every 30 seconds they had fish. And I'm talking double header, double, double, single, double. I sat there shaking my head, them theirs. For something they'd never tried before they were getting pretty good at it. A few times we had triple headers when I cast. It was a foregone conclusion so I didn't fish too much more.
But the clincher was, upon yet another double, the fellow in the bow of the boat looked at the other and said,"This is worse than poaching!"

In watching, it was a game of "no, you net my fish first," followed by "hey, hurry up and let that one go so you can take my picture!"

A great moment. Wonderful to see. Awesome.