photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Kevin Sproule | profile | all galleries >> 1997 >> June, 1997 --- Central Alberta and Northern Saskatchewan tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

June, 1997 --- Central Alberta and Northern Saskatchewan

Sunday June 1, 1997 North Raven
John S and I do Tom Jackson’s farm; on the water about 12:30 – fair #’s of PMD’s, no Green Drakes - # 16 or so comparadun or PMD pattern does the trick – I land about 10 little brown’s (1 brookie), John about 5 fish, also 1 brookie ….Other streams still blown out…Day starts out unsettled, but turns into a great sunny day – fish & bugs prefer cloud cover however

Friday June 6, 1997 Prairie Creek
Hit the oilfield bridge on Ming’s about 4 p.m.; couple of hours upstream yields only 1 hit on stonefly nymph. Supper with Rob’t., Bob S. and “Gilles”. Morel soup, roast venison – good wine etc. Ken S. shows up later, Gord Yake and Glen Allen stop by. Jammin’ with Gilles – helluva guy! Nobody sounds like they did that well today; Robt. & Gilles get a few on caddis – Ken gets skunked on Prairie/Stauffer!

Thursday June 12, 1997 Cree Lake, Saskatchewan
Well, this is different. A 10 hour drive and a half-hour plane ride see me, Ken Graham and Mike O’Malley landing at the rough-hewn airstrip on Spatinow Island on Cree Lake, a huge body of water in Northern Sask., a 5 mile boatride from Crystal Springs Lodge gets us to our cabin. Owner Mort Harbicht of Boreal Camp Services, operating out of Trout Lake/LaRonge has just finished the project, and we’re the first crew in. A fine setup; propane appliances, shower, etc., 3 16’ boats with new 20 horse Merc’s, gorgeous location. We get settled in, and it’s a calm glassy nite. The boys check out the neighborhood in the boat while I wade the white sandy bottom to check out some rising fish. Ken and Mike find some lake trout (Ken gets a big un’). I manage to entice what turns out to be an Artic Grayling (!) into taking a Henrysville Caddis. Mort will be flying in tomorrow to give us some instruction on how to operate the GPS unit (!) – we’ll be on our own on this huge, island – studded body of water.

Friday June 13, 1997 Cree Lake, Sask.
Mort pops in in his little float plane (cub?) and we get some instructions on how to use a compass and the GPS unit. About 10:00 or so, we’re ready to head out, 2 boats, off toward Abraham Bay around Diabase Peninsula – pike territory. As we’re heading out, Mort asks “anybody got a handgun?” We say no, so he grabs his .22 rifle. “If we get a 30 lb. plus fish, one shot to the head and it’s all over,” Mort explains. After 1 ½ hours plus at 25 mph we’re at a swampy looking channel. The rods come out, and things start happening pretty much immediately. Everybody’s getting fish, the boys on 5 of Diamonds lures, me on yellow Cisco. Big pike, not so-big-pike, pike smashing the streamer on the surface. Ken and I drift apart from Mort & Mike – we stick with casting to the shoreline, they’re trolling. Things slow down a bit for Ken & I, not so for Mort & Mike. Mike estimates they land about 20 fish each; biggest 44”, 22 lbs. (see photos) Ken and I land maybe ½ dozen each by 4:00 or so, I miss several strikes, biggest landed maybe 32”. A blast! Get separated from the other boat on the way back (my fault) – time to head back for supper and get Mort on his way. In the evening, I watch Ken & Mike nail a bunch of fat & sassy lakers trolling near the cabin. My luck, even with sinking line & split shot is more meager, but I do get one real nice fish. On the water till 11:00 or so.

Saturday June 14, 1997 Cree Lake, Sask.
Morning dawns wet and foggy. It’s off to Abraham Bay once again, in unsettled and rainy conditions. Glad I got a good rain jacket; with neoprenes I stay pretty dry. Ken gets soaked, unfortunately. We look for the back channel to Abraham Bay without much luck, at least in finding fish. Hit a reef on the way, take a chunk out of the skeg. Back to the scene of yesterday’s action, and we get some pretty good action again, although not quite as hot. Major system is moving in, so we pound back to camp in big rolling waves and rain. We dry out & have supper, things calm down, and it’s another night pounding the local lakers. I try even more split shot and have a pretty good night, landing a half dozen or so scrappy lakers – run like a bonefish sometimes, will go straight down at times. Ken & Mike get a bunch

Sunday June 15, 1997 Cree Lake, Sask.
Turns out to be a day to chase lake trout. Gorgeous flat calm in morning and early afternoon. I’m standing on the bow, looking into 20’ of clear water, spotting fish. Succumb to temptation today and tie on a 5 of Diamond’s – it works! I’m hooking lakers at a great pace, loads of fun on the 7 wt. Mike gets a 32”, 12 lb. beauty. We take a break in the late pm, back in the evening for some more lakers and another grayling (Royal Wulff, 3 wt.) A guy could truly get used to this style of fishing. 25 or so fish taken on the day.

Sunday June 22, 1997 Red Deer River
Check out the dam after supper – run into fellow FF@’er Michael Dell – not much goin’ on; river is high, offcolor; cool, rainy weather in late June this year

Thursday, June 24, 1997 Prairie Creek
Glen S. and I check out O'keefe's; catch heavy Brown drake hatch; also catch some nice Browns.
Tom Jackson's
Tom Jackson's
Stauffer Creek
Stauffer Creek
Central Alberta Morel. Delicious!
Central Alberta Morel. Delicious!
Robt., Glen and Myles; Prairie Creek
Robt., Glen and Myles; Prairie Creek
Cree Lake Taxi
Cree Lake Taxi
Cree Lake
Cree Lake
Cree Lake
Cree Lake
The Lodge
The Lodge
The Lodge
The Lodge
Mike and Mort with Pike (40 cradle...)
Mike and Mort with Pike (40" cradle...)
Ken
Ken
Mike
Mike
Midday Snooze
Midday Snooze
Midnight Laker
Midnight Laker
The Beach
The Beach
Laker
Laker
Laker
Laker
Lake Trout
Lake Trout
Mike with Lake Trout
Mike with Lake Trout
Home Base
Home Base
Arctic Grayling
Arctic Grayling
Five of Diamonds Fly
Five of Diamonds "Fly"
Lake Trout
Lake Trout
Supper
Supper
Glen on Prairie
Glen on Prairie
O'Keefes's
O'Keefes's
Bend and Barn
Bend and Barn
Thunderhead Over Prairie Creek
Thunderhead Over Prairie Creek