Maligne Magic

[DuckBrat]

One of the few places to feel good about taking a couple of fish (as long as they are brookies) to the table.

[SNAPFisher]

Interesting comments about fish size. I do tend to agree on the observations. I've never fished the Spirit Island or further area. That is a long way to go on a claim on a fish board. Let's see pics of these monsters!

[Mountain Guy]

I practice catch and release ( into the frying pan ) !!
Those 1-2 lb silver brookies are second to none in the eating dept.

I've also seen a major drop in rainbow size over the years. Last few years we seem to catch a lot of little guys, which is good to see but those 4 and 5 pounders are few and far between.

[Mountain Guy]

Other than the odd brookie in the pan, this is how we rough it up at maligne

[saskfly]

Totally pumped to take my 5 year old up there on Weds for 4 days. You can bet we will be frying up some Brookies....population control...

[Dust1n]

Never fished the lake before. Most likely heading out there in 2 weeks if the rivers by fortress is high. From the pictures it looks like full sink line with a rod 5 or 6wt is working best for brookies

[Big Bull]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Other than the odd brookie in the pan, this is how we rough it up at maligne

Did you run a powerline into Fisherman's Bay?

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by Big Bull

Did you run a powerline into Fisherman's Bay?

Ya. IF you look close you can see it running thru the tree's. Thinking of putting some 30A plug ins at each site. Be nice to have electric heaters for the tent. Probably be nice this weekend.

[Mountain Guy]

Buy me a beer BB and I can tell u the way. Legal to boot!

[Mountain Guy]

You'll have a hard time getting anything bigger than these guys.

[Bhflyfisher]

Originally Posted by Fish Hunter7

Never fished the lake before. Most likely heading out there in 2 weeks if the rivers by fortress is high. From the pictures it looks like full sink line with a rod 5 or 6wt is working best for brookies

While it is effective... indicator fishing is definitely faster paced. Fished it today in home bay. Braved the snow for a few hours and the 1 degree air temp. Lots of rainbows, a few really nice 18-20" rainbows not spawned out which was odd, and a nice brookie along with some of his smaller buddies.

Musta had 4-5 double headers going on. Only fished for 3 hours and still managed 20 fish. It was insane.

Fish a cast at times.

[Bhflyfisher]

oh and nice fish mountain guy.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Bhflyfisher

While it is effective... indicator fishing is definitely faster paced. Fished it today in home bay. Braved the snow for a few hours and the 1 degree air temp. Lots of rainbows, a few really nice 18-20" rainbows not spawned out which was odd, and a nice brookie along with some of his smaller buddies.

Musta had 4-5 double headers going on. Only fished for 3 hours and still managed 20 fish. It was insane.

Fish a cast at times.

Nice work! It can be good
Congrats on the great day.

P.S. Nice brookies and setup there Mountain Guy. Your making me want to try camping down there. Cheers!

[Bhflyfisher]

Your pm's were really helpful snap. Wish i coulda stayed in the cold a little longer. But couldnt do it. Tomorrow will be good.

Oh and FH7, you need a boat, and 2 anchors.

[slivers86]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

The bigger brookies I see appear stunted. ( Big head for the size of the fish)
Another indicator that these apparent huge fish are long gone.
I think a guy needs to go west a little ways ( Fortress ) for a chance at a trophy

too many people are now. A few reports from 'friendly fisherman' giving accurate information are saying there are places much closer that you can find brookies the size of a fortress, just have to do your research to find em.

Fortress was a 'secret' for a long time, but with the internet, came heavy pressure, and it to is suffering. Was considering hiking into that lake this spring, but decided not to in the fall from the reports I was getting from people who had just been in there.

[Speckle55]

nothing has changed as far as the fishing goes on Maligne in the 33 years i have fish the lake..the change in number u can keep did nothing and you could still keep 5 and it would not change... to big of lake and not enough man hours of fishing to do any harm to it ... its simple math people..


To those who say no big fish left .. Lenny 9 lb brookie Trappers C & K.. then into a 12# or bigger brookie at 5 mile and lost in the last 10 years .. he is retired and living in NB.. like the Old Guy in Green canoe said you will get one to three chances..

But hey thats fishing

in shallow the biggest i have seen was about 5# in Spirit Island bay

in Kootenay lake you don,t fish in 20 fow and you fish fast up to 3 to 4

Lorne use to laught at me how fast i went

when you fish big lakers or browns you go fast

Rainbows hit me at 6.2 km 3 55# motors wide open

Food for Thought
David

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

nothing has changed as far as the fishing goes on Maligne in the 33 years i have fish the lake..the change in number u can keep did nothing and you could still keep 5 and it would not change... to big of lake and not enough man hours of fishing to do any harm to it ... its simple math people..


To those who say no big fish left .. Lenny 9 lb brookie Trappers C & K.. then into a 12# or bigger brookie at 5 mile and lost in the last 10 years .. he is retired and living in NB.. like the Old Guy in Green canoe said you will get one to three chances..

But hey thats fishing

in shallow the biggest i have seen was about 5# in Spirit Island bay

in Kootenay lake you don,t fish in 20 fow and you fish fast up to 3 to 4

Lorne use to laught at me how fast i went

when you fish big lakers or browns you go fast

Rainbows hit me at 6.2 km 3 55# motors wide open

Food for Thought
David

that's a fact. fishing a bead head under an indicator will get good numbers but is unlighty to get the attention of a meat eating ten pounder. we once hooked an 11 lb bow on kootenay lake we had to speed up to eight mph on the gps to stay in contact with the fish as it ran toward the boat. big fish get that way because most folks dont know how to get them to strike. if they get lucky enough to hook one they are usually under gunned with gear to land the monster. I hope to get up to maline this year, planer boards and bucktails. look out big brookies im gunning for ya.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

nothing has changed as far as the fishing goes on Maligne in the 33 years i have fish the lake..the change in number u can keep did nothing and you could still keep 5 and it would not change... to big of lake and not enough man hours of fishing to do any harm to it ... its simple math people..


To those who say no big fish left .. Lenny 9 lb brookie Trappers C & K.. then into a 12# or bigger brookie at 5 mile and lost in the last 10 years .. he is retired and living in NB.. like the Old Guy in Green canoe said you will get one to three chances..

Rainbows hit me at 6.2 km 3 55# motors wide open

Food for Thought
David

Thanks Spek

Good to hear of some bigger fish more recently. I also have had several good bows at full out which is about 5.5 kms for me. When I decide to travel I through the line out and put the rod in the holder cause you never know ...

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

nothing has changed as far as the fishing goes on Maligne in the 33 years i have fish the lake..the change in number u can keep did nothing and you could still keep 5 and it would not change... to big of lake and not enough man hours of fishing to do any harm to it ... its simple math people..


To those who say no big fish left .. Lenny 9 lb brookie Trappers C & K.. then into a 12# or bigger brookie at 5 mile and lost in the last 10 years .. he is retired and living in NB.. like the Old Guy in Green canoe said you will get one to three chances..

But hey thats fishing

in shallow the biggest i have seen was about 5# in Spirit Island bay

in Kootenay lake you don,t fish in 20 fow and you fish fast up to 3 to 4

Lorne use to laught at me how fast i went

when you fish big lakers or browns you go fast

Rainbows hit me at 6.2 km 3 55# motors wide open

Food for Thought
David

So these giant brook trout don't leave the depths?
So they don't spawn?
Never heard of any of these hogs appearing in the fall when the brookies stack up.
And I'm not sure that we can compare Gerrard Rainbows in Kootenay to Brookies in Maligne.

Food for thought

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

So these giant brook trout don't leave the depths?
So they don't spawn?
Never heard of any of these hogs appearing in the fall when the brookies stack up.
And I'm not sure that we can compare Gerrard Rainbows in Kootenay to Brookies in Maligne.

Food for thought

I dont think Spek55 insinuated the big fish dont vertically migrate. I feel the big fish like all cold blooded large predators control their metabolism. it is my opinion they feed intensly for a short period of time then return to the depths, slowing their metabolism till the food is digested. which brings on an other feeding binge. just like kootenay bows. we have worked kootenay for weeks at a time with few responses from large fish then bam, run after run for a few hours . I have seen this play out many times. I personally have no experience with maline brookies but I would bet dollars for doughnut's they live a lfe cycle just like all large predatory trout/ char. MHO.

[saskfly]

I like the theory and support it except for the earlier point made as to where these large brookies go during the fall spawn. Surely someone has spotted them staging at the creek/river mouths.

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by saskfly

I like the theory and support it except for the earlier point made as to where these large brookies go during the fall spawn. Surely someone has spotted them staging at the creek/river mouths.

is it possible that there is more than one brood stock of brookies in maline. this could explain differnt spawning strategies. one brood stock may be river spawners an other may be shoal spawners or in the case of brook trout wet land(swamp) spawners this may explain why a differnt stock of fish is seldom seen or perhaps they spwan later under the ice. none of this is fact just a possible explanation for no big brutes being witnessed spawning.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by saskfly

I like the theory and support it except for the earlier point made as to where these large brookies go during the fall spawn. Surely someone has spotted them staging at the creek/river mouths.

Yes.
I haven't heard of anyone seeing on, let alone catching one.
And yes Kootenay fish don't always bite, but lots are caught over the course of the season.
I do agree that the biggest fish would suspend over deep water, hanging in the thermocline.
So why aren't any caught?
I would think these fish are opportunist and would likely take a poke at a meal passing by them.

i don't mean to discount Spek, but I also don't take what I hear as gospel. Stories of 12#ers snapping off don't hold much weight with me.
I need pictures and witnesses before I buy any of these stories

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Yes.
I haven't heard of anyone seeing on, let alone catching one.
And yes Kootenay fish don't always bite, but lots are caught over the course of the season.
I do agree that the biggest fish would suspend over deep water, hanging in the thermocline.
So why aren't any caught?
I would think these fish are opportunist and would likely take a poke at a meal passing by them.

i don't mean to discount Spek, but I also don't take what I hear as gospel. Stories of 12#ers snapping off don't hold much weight with me.
I need pictures and witnesses before I buy any of these stories

I totally understand. I have a witnessed report of of a -20" bow being smashed by a brookie in the 10lb + range. the witness is one of BC's head fisheries biologists.this happened two years ago. if you fish for picky 20"-24" trout you are in no way prepared when a 30"+ fish eats you target. not only is it highly probable the larger fish has been hooked before and has an instinctive response to free its self ie. running at the boat, rolling in the line, draging its head on bottom. you are also using the wrong gear/techniques. hence when I get to maline I will be using big fish gear. it in all lightly hood will result in a fat skunk. however im not fishing it for a 20" brookie. the sacrifice is a trade off, no fish for a long time, when that bucktail lets go from the planer release, look out. another lake comes to mind in BC. fisheries netted the lake prior to a blue stone event to rid the lake of suckers.the local tackle shop had a trophy wall full pics of 6-8 lb fish . the fisheries nets pulled over twenty fish in the 20lb + range. you just never know.

[McLeod]

Good stuff...

Speck will go on his trip soon so he will have some good info on the fair end of the lake.

I can tell you this.. There are a couple of different strains of Brook trout in
Maligne and this can account for variations in reproduction areas and fish growth.

I can also tell you that most people don't know how or attempt to use the correct methods to catch Large brook trout.

Brook trout can be very hard to catch.There probably are a few BIG fish
but few and far between..
There are NO big Rainbows in the lake..

The plus is it's a great fishery and the scenery is AWESOME..

[fish gunner]

the one question I have. what is the forage base or are the big specks eating the smaller trout in the lake. I ask this for my color choices when bucktailing.

[McLeod]

Originally Posted by fish gunner

the one question I have. what is the forage base or are the big specks eating the smaller trout in the lake. I ask this for my color choices when bucktailing.

Yellow, Orange or Red !

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by McLeod

Yellow, Orange or Red !

suckers, baby brookies,baby rainbows. as I thought. off to the tying bench I go.

[Speckle55]

Originally Posted by fish gunner

the one question I have. what is the forage base or are the big specks eating the smaller trout in the lake. I ask this for my color choices when bucktailing.

Agree

[acedave3]

Planner boards on Maligne lake??? How far are you going to go with an electric motor ?