Fly in Canada Fishing | Hearne Lake Lodge
Whitefish Coregonus Clupeaformis
Best time: August & September
Fall spawner
Average size 2 to 4 pounds.
The following article was written by Jim , a fall regular who enjoys these little rockets as much as I do.
"To many American fly fishermen, the lowly whitefish is viewed with emotions ranging from ambivalence to distain. In our western rivers they are considered, at best, as something to catch when the trout aren't actively feeding, and as downright trash fish when the trout are feeding. In my home state of Minnesota, they are a targetted species only for a relatively small number of ice fishermen; I personally know of no one who fishes for them in the warmer months.
The lake whitefish of Hearne Lake and the Beauleau River system in the Northwest Territories of Canada are very different. First of all, their size can be impressive. An average lake whitefish in Hearne Lake or the river weighs about 3 pounds, and they commonly grow to 5 pounds or more. They take a small fly readily, and on reasonably light tackle (5wt or less) they put up a fight to remember. They are very fast, very strong, and have a distinct vibrating run that you will feel all the way up to your shoulders. Hooking them and landing them are two entirely different matters. Because of their soft mouth, they have to be played carefully and gently, and I would guess that, on average, only one fish is brought to the net for every five fish hooked. Your average will improve a bit with practice, but if you manage to land even half of the them, you can consider yourself an expert. The whitefish in Hearne lake can be caught year-around, but are easiest to locate and hook in the fall (late August to mid-September) when they are following the spawning lake trout into shallow water. In fact, many of them are caught while fishing for lake trout with fairly small flies. However, my favorite method of fishing for whitefish is fishing the river system below Hearne Lake's inlet falls and outlet falls. The fish here are congregated below the two falls in their own spawning run. Hooking a big whitefish in the fast water is really a thrill. Most of them will take you into the backing several times; they just don't know how to quit. And it doesn't hurt that scenery at the falls is absolutely spectacular.
One of the best things about this fish is eating them. Lake whitefish are a highly prized food-fish in northern Canada, and there are none better than those found in Hearne Lake. The fact that they are extremely plentiful means you can keep a few for shore lunch or a fancy dinner without any feelings of guilt. Personally, on the table I prefer them to pike, walleye and even lake trout.
Of course, like everyone else who goes to Hearne lake Lodge, I go there for the giant pike and lake trout. But I probably spend as much time fishing for whitefish as I do for pike and trout. They're just so darned much fun. I have met several fishermen up there who were extremely skeptical about the whitefish's qualities as a gamefish until they actually tried it, and then every one of them was hooked"
Jim A from Minnesota