Ontario

Ontario Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide (reviewed)

Ontario Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide
by Scott E. Smith
Frank Amato Publications, Inc., Soft cover, 95p.,
ISBN 1-57188-162-X

There are two ways to fly fish Ontario. You can hire a guide as you go from place to place or you can carry this book. Even if you plan to hire guides, carry this book. Ontario is a huge piece of real estate. The almanac gives it 412,581 square miles (more than half again as large as Texas at 268,601 sq. mi.) ranging from metropolitan Toronto (where there are trout) to wild, unspoiled stretches North to Hudson Bay where the bounty is beyond description. The Northern border is salt water. The Southern border is all cold fresh water, as well, the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes and the border waters West of Thunder Bay. A formidable challenge which this guide meets.

The best way that I know to review a guide book is to look at the places that I have fished and compare the guide‘s with my own observations. The sections on the Steel, the Cypress, the Nipigon and the Soo are all right on. Seasonal runs are identified along with the seasonal temperament of the river. These rivers of the North coast of Superior all host resident trout populations but it is the migrant coaster brook trout, steelhead, chinooks, pinks, silvers, lake trout and even Atlantics that bring excitement to this fishing. Each has its season and river by river its time.

In sequence the first section of the guide covers each of the Great Lakes then Hudson Bay and James Bay streams. With each section there is a discussion of flies and a listing of guides, outfitters and accommodations. Full color pictures are freely distributed and I recognized lies that I have fished.

The second section is devoted to flies. There are two excellent hatch charts, one for the Northern region and one for the Southern. In addition there are diagrams that illustrate the climatic and diurnal impact on hatches. This far north the seasonal changes in light levels has a marked effect on hatches as does the moderating effect of the Great Lakes on local climate. Scott Smith makes this clear. It is essential information for planning the timing for a trip. There are both tying formulas and excellent color photographs of the stranger attractors that are essential for success with Pacific salmon and steelhead. There is no way to do justice to the author’s green-butt monkey except a picture.

The third section covers inland waters. This is a fly fishing guide not limited to trout, and here musky, pike, small mouth bass and walleye get their share of attention along with trout. It is here that there are real surprises. I have visited Stratford for the theater and Fergus for the Highland Games for years ignoring the unsuspected (by me) Grand River system where trout fishing could hardly be more attractive. At the end there are comprehensive lists of information sources and guides and outfitters.

This is a good guide. It is well written and authoritative. Don’t go to Ontario without it. It is so cloyingly attractive that when you buy it you risk having to go to Ontario whether you intended to or not. RWOL

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