Four of us flew from Ottawa to Winnipeg, rented two vans and drove four hours west.  The paranoids at the airport wouldn't allow my depth finder battery so I had to jerry-rig  some stuff from Can Tire.  The above is a typical Rainbow caught at West Goose.   This pond is right on the edge of the town of Roblin.  Here am I trying to pose a 7 pounder.   It was so alive with energy I couldn't hold it.  This happened a few times.  I'll have to learn how to do it without hurting the fish.

You can see the houses in the background.  This lake has more large fish per acre than any of the FLYPPR lakes.  I believe the Nationals were held here once.  I don't how they could keep on their seats landing these babies......a silly method of fishing IMO.

This is a side view of my first Tiger Trout.  A better picture of me holding it is on its way.  It is in someone else's camera.  I caught a second Tiger the next day at Twins.  One the most productive flies was the Vampire Leech.

Below is a typical Brown Trout from Tokaryk.  In five days we caught about 40 of them, most at Patterson, the Crown Jewel of the Parklands. 

And then you get a few of these at 20"+.  PQuads were also good producers as well as Coney Leeches.  Most of the fishing was with an intermediate line.  You are fishing most of the time in 12 feet of water.  The surface temp was 55F.....almost perfect.  The fish were full of beans.  Some of the guys were into their backing a few times.  Old timer that I am, I get them in pretty fast.  I was using 0X leaders.

I've been out a few times trout hunting since the last post.  With a warm spell the surface temp (ST) went back up to 75C on some of the lakes.  Yesterday I was out again and the ST dropped again to 67F.  It was cold out there!  My first day shivering on the water since early Spring.  Although one first year trout went belly up.  I paddled float tube as quickly as I could with its head facing the incoming water.  It was pretty healthy in that I struggled to keep it from swimming away.  I would let it go, it would swim down for awhile but then come back to the surface.  In my discussions with fish biologists, I have come to the conclusion that trout are a bit more hardy than I previously thought.   It is still worth the effort.  They just might survive.  I left it for awhile and eventually it swam away.  Here's hoping.
Why would I make the effort?  Well, shortly later I caught the one above, about 17-18".  This was the only picture I could get before he was off the hook (I didn't bring the net).  This is likely the same fish I caught this Spring, only an inch or two longer.   In a lake this small, this close to Ottawa, there are not likely that many this size.  Release a fish and you can catch it again.
On one of my previous trips to this lake, there was a family fishing as well (nice to see: Mom, Dad and teenage daughter).  They kept five fish.  I tried all suggestions possible to dissuade them:  Did you know these fish have tape worms?  They taste lousy from all the leaches they eat.  Tastier trout in a neighbouring lake.....Who knows, maybe they got the message.  I suspect this fish is a bit smarter, not likely to get fooled by spinners and probably hit the dust as soon as the tinny was on the water.  Fishing from a tube, I am reminded just how noisy tinnies are!
Best fly was the Muncher which can be seen on the Fly Pattern section of this blog.
I saw only three rises in four hours and only one boatman flying off.  It should get good soon. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately I am headed off to Trout Heaven next Thursday.  Look for reports of fishing from the Manitoba Parklands soon.

I caught my first Musky this morning.  Prior to today, I had one follow last summer when I was borrowing some equipment (and flies).  Since then I have built a 10wt rod and tied some big flies.  I also had to get a line to throw these flies.   I finally settled on a salt water line Outbound Short WF 425 grains and it can indeed get those flies out there!
The local expert Dan L. who is beating all the locals with his fly rod in hours per fish told me to get out there in the morning (or evening) and fish the inlets.  I was heading for one and adjusting the canoe, started to retrieve and then WHOOSH....a lot water moving.  And then hard to the bottom, then up in the air.  Pretty exciting! 
I got him beside the canoe and while fumbling with the camera it flipped into the air and was gone.   In hindsight I should have gone for the net first by my net is only 19" long.  This fish was around 34-36".  Not a big one but much more active than pike that length.
I will return with my float tube as I have better control of everything including possibly freeing one those big flies which got tangled in underwater branches.