We all have those trips we spend weeks and months planning for and fantasizing about. The opening of the Kakisa River in the Northwest Territories is one of them for me. I've been dreaming about this one since last year, and what I had learned and would do differently to improve my success this time around. It's one of the first streams within driving distance to open up in spring. The Arctic grayling that come to spawn here are some of the largest in the world and it's the only place I'm aware of in the NWT that one can drive to and catch mountain whitefish. Longnose sucker, a relatively rare fish where I live in Yellowknife, also spawn in this stream. There was also a distant, hidden hope that a population of round whitefish were among the grayling and Mountains. Last year was a lot of fun but it was mid-May, late in the season, and all I caught were grayling. The year before I caught a mountain whitefish but only one. Both years I was camping with family and fishing time was limited. This time I was fishing with friends and had a full 36 hours to make the best of it.
I had high expectations for this trip. I intended to experiment a lot, try some different techniques, baits and lures I suspected would work but wasn't entirely sure. Visions of trophy-sized whitefish, grayling and longnose began to fill my thoughts as the days counted down toward my epic Kakisa rematch. A person I know who lives in Hay River nearby e-mailed two weeks into Aprill that spring was coming early, and the run was on. Lots of whitefish too! Then as the week before Fish Day progressed, a dawning horror. The bubble was clearly going to burst on this spring heat wave. The forecast grew worse with each day. Thursday was sunny and 15 C -- beautiful; the forecast for Saturday was 2 C and blowing snow showers. This was not good. A cold front would not only mean sucky conditions for fishing but sucky fishing in general. We were committed though so at 5 a.m. we began the four hour drive to Kakisa.
Sure enough, it was snowy and wet when we arrived and competition was fierce.
Despite the lousy conditions, Steve got into the grayling quickly. He had the hot hand all weekend and didn't change his brass-coloured #2 Mepps spinner once.
Bryce was also doing well with the spinners. Here he is with a nice Kakisa bull.
Fighting grayling in the water.
I was pitching flies and not having much luck. I tried a variety of nymphs, and some egg patterns. I put on a strike indicator, and took off the strike indicator. I put a fly on a drooper loop and added some weight -- no dice. I did catch a nice grayling after I grew frustrated and starting casting a spinner but the memory card was full and I didn't get a picture.
Not all was futile, however. I've been cultivating redworms in a drawer at home for about five years now. They're lousy for catching fishing around Yellowknife -- count to date, one longnose sucker and two walleye -- but I figured being further south at Kakisa might make them a more likely meal, and thus, more productive. My query was answered in about five minutes after hooking into this longnose sucker -- my first in three years.
I tried worms periodically throughout the day but my supply was finite so I soaked them sparingly. It also seemed weird using worms while it was snowing. I didn't catch anymore suckers but I did tie into of all things, a northern pike of about six pounds. The worm was about an inch long and about as thick around as a strand of spagetti. Very strange.
The weather, meanwhile, went from crappy to full-on blizzard by lunch. The sun would come out every once and while and then a shit-storm of wet snow would be upon us. It truely sucked.
But then Bryce caught this mountain whitefish -- a really nice one too.I was a man repossessed at this point. Another Mountain was caught nearby, indicating a fresh run was in the river. I stood in the river drenched in freezing rain, repeatedly casting flies. Suddenly a heavy fish was on. It had to be a mountain whitefish! But then it was gone. I never got to see what it was but I was sure it was a Mountain.
Steve and Bryce, meanwhile, continued outpacing me with the grayling. I was feeling truly snakebitten.After 10 hours of fishing I finally caught my second grayling -- after conceeding and switching to a spinner again -- while the guys were making their way back to the truck, exhausted and satisfied.
The next morning my back was shot and my feet were swollen. We didn't have to leave until about 3 p.m. but I expected we would stay fairly close to the road today. Gordie and Joey drove in from Yk, fished for two hours, didn't catch anything, and drove straight back home.
Steve and Bryce again put on a clinic with the spinners.
The hot hands take a break.
By and by, after wandering down the river a ways my luck began to improve. First came the bull
Then its mate.Just before leaving, back at the riffle where we did most of our fishing, I decided to try the last of my worms, as I was too tired to stand and fish. Within a few minutes I was reeling in the fish of the weekend -- this massive mountain whitefish, probably my largest ever.
It swollowed the worm competely so I kept it and brought it home for supper. It was a very chunky 18 inches long and weighed just over two pounds evicerated. I only caught eight fish the entire weekend but I was really happy with the end result. No round whitefish were caught but there is always next year.
Here's what dinner looked like. Cheers.
Comments
Corey
Fri, 05/08/2015 - 00:16
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Awesome stuff
wow, Mike, that's a tale of extreme perserverance and ingenuity. Thanks for sharing it, I was hanging on every word.
drawer.bli
Fri, 05/08/2015 - 07:07
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Man, what I would give to cat
Man, what I would give to catch those fish...
Despite the poor conditions, it looks likes you guys had an epic trip!!!
Eli
Sat, 05/09/2015 - 19:02
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Quality over quantity! Well d
Quality over quantity! Well done, buddy.
Look at the size of the rudder on that longnose...
Eli
krazyk
Sun, 05/10/2015 - 01:14
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That longnose's tail is huge,
That longnose's tail is huge, man! And what a different way of life you guys live up there! It is still snowing in May? Sheesh! It's 80 degrees here already!
All of those fish are worthy of note - beautiful graylings, mythical mountain whitefish, and one of the coolest suckers around! Great job :)
Chain Pickerel: All the bad assery of a Northern Pike wrapped up in a smaller, prettier package.
Deftik
Sun, 05/10/2015 - 21:06
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Dude, you're reports are my f
Dude, you're reports are my favorite. Always awesome! Nice to see you caught some!
Mike B
Sun, 05/10/2015 - 23:22
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Thanks all. I'm thinking of d
Thanks all. I'm thinking of doing the drive again this weekend. Daytrip this time.
mike b
Carp Chaser
Mon, 05/11/2015 - 00:19
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Very cool report Mike. All th
Very cool report Mike. All those fish are spectacular.
"There's always a bigger fish"
Dr Flathead
Mon, 05/11/2015 - 19:24
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And I bitch about a cold day
And I bitch about a cold day here and there...... I gotta keep this post in mind next time I'm feeling negative about the weather. I could be draped in carhartt bibbs with a foot of snow still on the ground and flurries in the air in May. Man, "F" that. Liked your report and sweet fishes caught. Those grayling blow my mind every time I see them.
Hengelaar
Tue, 05/12/2015 - 11:37
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Awesome stuff, as always, Mik
Awesome stuff, as always, Mike!
Damn, that looks cold, though. It ain't right, stuff looking that cold at this time of year.
Sooper cool fishes, and rad perseverance!
Fishn sure is neat
Mike B
Tue, 05/12/2015 - 21:58
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Gijs, don't knock the cold ui
Gijs, don't knock the cold uintil you try it!
mike b
Eli
Wed, 05/13/2015 - 13:51
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Mike, you should try those sp
Mike, you should try those spin-n-glo things we picked up in Alaska if you go back this weekend. Just three-way bottom rig it and put it out in the current. I bet the grayling and whites will go for it.
Eli
Waxworm
Sun, 05/17/2015 - 14:18
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It ain't cold 'till it's 20 b
It ain't cold 'till it's 20 below! ;) Beauty fish regardless of the weather, and looks like a great time was had by all! Hope to have a chance to land a grayling myself someday. Thanks for the great report!