The primary Lake Superior “coaster” brook trout I ever laid eyes on was within the fridge of a pal’s home in my hometown of Thunder Bay. It was within the mid-Seventies and the trout had been cleaned and de-headed. 4 instances the dimensions of any brook trout I had seen to that time, it was most likely within the four-pound vary. That coaster was caught by my pal’s father within the mouth of the Present River, on the north aspect of the town. Coasters have been already uncommon at that time.
I might not see a brookie prefer it once more for a few years.
Coaster brook trout on Nipigon Bay
My first coaster of any measurement was taken a few decade after I noticed that fridge trout. I used to be fishing Nipigon Bay with a buddy, and we have been in a canoe owned by my father. The canoe had been rigged with a plywood bracket that would maintain a four-horse Johnson outboard. Not the best rig for Lake Superior, however it was all we had obtainable on the time.
We put in at a rocky bay within the late afternoon and made our manner a few miles down the lake to a sequence of factors. As soon as in casting vary, my pal and I started chucking spoons on the shoreline and slowly working them again. It was early June, and the water was clear, chilly, and calm. The sense of expectation was constructing with every forged. My accomplice hooked the first fish, a scrappy trout of about 15 inches. It was vibrant and silvery, which was a shock.
Extra lake than brookie
As we continued down the shore, the boulders grew to become bigger and plenty of of them have been sitting effectively out within the water. Within the shadow of those rocks, the water was darkish, and the visibility restricted. My Torpedo spoon landed on the shallow fringe of the rocks and after a few reel cranks, there was a arduous strike. It felt extra like a lake trout than brookie.
When the fish handed below the canoe, my pal and I each might see this was no laker. The whiteness of the forefront of the fins was seen, and the physique form was all brook trout. I can not recall what was stated, however that fish was netted and celebrated with some images I nonetheless have. The coaster was 20-inches lengthy and pushing 4 kilos. It was an exhilarating expertise and a memorable day.
Coaster modifications
Fairly just a few issues have modified since that day within the mid-Nineteen Eighties. One main distinction is the measurement and bag restrict are actually radically completely different for Lake Superior coasters. Within the Nineteen Eighties, the restrict on brook trout was 5 fish any measurement and that helped to severely deplete the inhabitants.
Huge brookies grew to become uncommon.
Right now the restrict is one fish that should be 22 inches or over. It can’t be overstated what a distinction that regulation has made. There’s a history to how and why the dimensions regulation got here to be, and I used to be on the committee that developed it. Now-retired MNR Nipigon biologist Rob Swainson was a key participant within the coaster comeback and deserves many thanks from all Nipigon trout anglers. It was his imaginative and prescient and perseverance that saved the coaster.
Shifting to the large lake
The important thing factor to know is {that a} 22-inch brook trout has spawned 3 times. So, for those who should kill one (and please don’t), at the very least it has had just a few possibilities to breed.
This coaster brook trout regulation additionally covers all Ontario aspect Lake Superior tributaries to the primary falls or obstruction. This protects not solely mature coasters that come into rivers to spawn and feed, however the smaller brook trout that can return to Superior. Genetic work has proven that small brook trout in tributaries have the identical DNA as coasters.
As soon as they transfer to the large lake, the fish begin to develop.
Catch and launch of enormous brook trout is very efficient within the chilly, clear water of Lake Superior. Tagging has proven that many fish are caught a number of instances. When the conservation-centered laws got here into impact within the early 2000s, Nipigon Bay was the final stronghold of the coaster. A lot of the north shore of Superior had very few coaster brookies and on the American aspect they have been almost gone.
Success tales
One of many actual success tales related with the regulation change is the gradual unfold of coaster brook trout again into areas the place that they had not been seen for years.
Just a few years in the past, a brook trout angler fishing near the American border caught two coaster brook trout in a single afternoon whereas trolling. One was 25 inches, whereas the opposite was 27 inches. These are huge brook trout wherever on the earth. A testomony to the dimensions and high quality coasters can develop to if allowed to outlive.
Final spring, almost 40 years after that first journey to Nipigon Bay, I discovered myself again on that piece of shoreline I’d as soon as fished in a canoe with a kicker. The place introduced again a flood of reminiscences and crammed me with a well-recognized sense of expectation.
Whereas my visitor anglers forged flies off the entrance of the boat, I ran the entrance trolling motor and dragged a fly line behind the boat. The rod was rigged up with a floating line, and I had a Shimmer Smelt fly. The fly pulsed slightly below the floor and, as we moved between some big sunken boulders, the fly rod pulled again and the clicking drag sounded off.
Again to the depths
“There’s a fish” I stated grabbing the rod and strip setting the hook. This brookie stayed deep, rubbing the road on the boulders in a most harmful method. One among my friends grabbed the online and did a advantageous job hooping the coaster for me. The perimeters of the 22-inch trout have been shiny, like a steelhead, but you might see the spots and purple halos for those who regarded carefully. There was somewhat purple evident on the stomach and fins, however nothing such as you would see in a creek fish. The hook was dislodged, and the large trout was fastidiously launched again to the depths.
I felt a rush that had electrified me 4 a long time earlier. No native fish from Lake Superior has confirmed to be extra of a survivor than the coaster brook trout. In my estimation, it’s our biggest recreation fish.
Right now the restrict is one fish that have to be 22 inches or extra. It will probably-not be over-stated what a distinction that regulation has made.
Lake Superior’s coaster brook trout could be fished from shore with fundamental spinning gear.
Initially printed within the August 2024 problem of Ontario OUT of DOORS
