Merry Christmas and Happy 2007
Dave and I have been out to Duck Lake three times over the holidays and things have changed since last year. The golden hour is no longer sun up to 9! The mornings we have been out the weather has been overcast, temps just below freezing, very little wind. The fish have been very lethargic first thing, very hard to catch. From 9-10 am things pick up with green scuds fished motionless tipped with a maggot working well. From 10 on the number of fish slow but they are much more aggressive with white soft plastics and jigs enticing the bite. My big fish on Dec 23 was 5lb, 23 inches, Dave bettered me on Dec 26 with a beautiful 24 in male. I can live with that but I had to land my fish alone as he had a second on the line at the same time, while the next day I had to land his not realizing there was still an exposed treble hook flailing about. After impalling my hand there was no way me and the fish were parting. You know fishing in Alberta with barbless hooks has some merits, and that has nothing to do with catch and release survival stats. These are two I caught today. A nice 20 inch rainbow female and a slim spotted mystery fish. Looks like a brookie with spots on the sides, no black on the dorsal like a bull trout, but only other species I know of in Duck is a brown trout.

Duck Lake March 6/06

Another day at Duck Lake. Fresh snow, ice has refrozen and the fish are still biting. The fish are starting to set up for spawn. The males are starting to darken and are very territorial. The females are fat with roe and a little more subdued. White and chartreuse plastic jigs working well, and of course, the stand by green or orange scud patterns also connecting. Gerald is a novice ice fisherman but is now hooked. Apart from a little excitement when his fish wedged itself between the ice and floor of the ice hut he performed masterfully. Hope to see you back soon Gerry.



Great day also for Al and Dave each with a 20 + inch rainbow. Say, Dave leave a few fish in the lake for flyfishing this summer.

Police Lake

Hi here we are again at Police Lake. Xmas eve, beautiful day, no wind, sunshine, plus 10 and a few families on the ice catching fish. This is my dad Ern, Dave and his son Joseph. Fishing was slower water a bit murky and the ice still 8 in. and safe to fish on. Fish liking corn and maggots today.

Police Outpost Lake

Police Outpost Lake
Here we are again warm weather ice fishing at Police Lake. Mark and his boys Aiden and David were showing the fish who was boss. The sun was out the temps in about 9 C and the wind at about 80 kph. The fish seemed to trigger on corn, didn't matter what hook. They kept biting right up to noon then started to become a little more tentative. Started stealing the bait without taking the hook. The boys had a great time and I'm sure are now hooked on ice fishing too.

Payne Lake

Here we are again, Dave, Aiden and his sons Ashur and Dale. We are fishing Payne Lake, just past Mountain View, Dec. 17. A couple of inches of new snow and a little colder. Fishing was slow with only a few looks. Still getting used to barbless hooks, we caught three but couldn't deliver through the hole. Redeemed myself with one 15" rainbow.


How's this for fresh fish, flash frozen. And look at those mountains in the background.

Dec 11, 2005
Ice fishing again now at Police
Outpost Lake,Alberta. Situated
in the shadow of Big Chief
Mountain. Perfect weather,
sunshine, no wind, temps around
8 degrees. Took my colleague
Aiden from South Africa with me.
Fishing was hot, couldn't keep
them off the line. Everything
worked: soft plastic, maggots,
corn, scud pattern flies. Nothing
of any size but a great day for
rebuilding my confidence and timing.

Dave's at it again. Ice fishing for rainbow trout at Duck lake, Montana Dec. 10. Perfect weather, ice about 6- 10 inches thick already. Tried scuds with little success, finally settled on soft plastic jigs. Lots of looks, very tentative fish and you guessed it, Dave out fished me again. Beautiful 2lb, 16 in. rainbow for the BBQ. Good job, Dave.

Congratulations Dave it's not everyday
that you catch a 11 lb pike in southern
Alberta

Friday Nov. 11/05
Great day for pike fishing.
Keho Lake irrigation canal inlet.
No wind, no ice and warm sunshine.
Several ol boys, Dave and myself
started out with smelts.
Saw one 5 lb pike reeled in before
switching to pink and white salmon
spoon.
Dave caught this hog after only 6 casts.