That time of year again!

[Tim Kelly]

Been fly fishing again, same place I had the thirty a couple of years ago. Had these two beauties on the same day. 26 and 28lb. A short window of opportunity, and a good one. :)

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/Tim--Kelly/2804.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/Tim--Kelly/2612.jpg

[dpear]

Very,very nice Tim.Congrats!

[DSmith]

Hi Tim,
What makes your Northerns so fat? Is it the forage or genetics?

[Tim Kelly]

It's a bit of a freak place. It's a shallow fertile lake which is stocked with rainbow trout and is in fact one of the top trout fisheries in the country. Because it's so fertile it also has a huge population of coarse fish. It didn't hold any pike at all for a long time, but one dark night someone slipped a few in. The trout fishery managers were furious and tried to net the pike out, which obviosly failed. They wouldn't let anyone pike fish on ther for years, but about 10 years ago they opened it up for a few days in winter. The results were phenomenal.

It is still open for a couple of weeks every winter when you can fish lures of deadbait for the pike, but the rest of the year it's fly only. Lucklily, not many people can be bothered to learn to fly cast, or want a 12 hour day casting 11wt gear with budgies attached, but I know how good the fishing can be for a few weeks in May, so try to have at least one trip.

There are a couple of other lakes in the country that regularly produce such fat fish, and all are trout fisheries. They do tend to get very fat from about feb to march in most places though, as they get ready to spawn.

[DSmith]

Thanks for letting me know the history. It must be a hoot to tackle one on a fly rod. I even think that Frank would like to test the waters in that Lake.

[dpear]

Ah hah-Trout hey?Omega 3(fatty acid)conversion at work=bloated blimps!Sweet.:)

Use a leader of any sorts?(tippet?)Fleuro?Light Braid?

[Tim Kelly]

25lb leader with a 35lb knotable wire trace. Nothing subtle required, which suits me fine!

[Doug Johnson]

I eat trout, I'm fat!

Great fish!!!! Bet the're a blast on a fry rod! Big NP are great fun, pull harder than any muskie.

Doug Johnson

[Tim Kelly]

Had the boat out over the weekend, just to make sure everything was OK ready for the start of the season in the middle of June. Took the dogs out too. The young (brown) one had never been in a boat before. He only fell in twice, the second time I nearly didn't wait for him. The river was the colour of coffee with some algal bloom. Hopefully it will flush itself out before the season starts!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/Tim--Kelly/20090525_0056.jpg

As you can see, the old dog's not too impressed with the new one....

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/Tim--Kelly/20090525_0010.jpg

[Tim Kelly]

Been a good season, despite the poor weather. I've had my best year ever with 10 fish over the twenty pound mark so far!

Life is good.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/Tim--Kelly/2608small.jpg