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Labrador Brook Trout Video Hi Speed Only

It all started in my early teens when I was just starting my lifelong fly-fishing journey. I fondly remember tearing through the newest Field & Stream and Sports Afield magazines searching for the latest article describing exotic fishing locales and fish the size of footballs. I grew up in central Maine so a 14” brook trout was a wall-hanger by most standards. There was always one location that burned into my memory as a magical, legendary place where brook trout grow to gigantic proportions. Labrador, Canada! And more specifically, the Little Minipi River and watershed. It seemed to my young mind as though it was so far away and the only way to experience the fishing was through the prose of Lee Wulff. It was always, always the place I wanted to fish above all others including Alaska! I honestly never thought I would be able to afford such a trip in my lifetime. Fast-forward about 30 years and you’ll still find the same youthful excitement in my voice as I mention the words Labrador and brook trout fly fishing. As luck would have it in 2004, the fishing Gods looked down upon me and blessed me with the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream. After 5 months of planning, countless trips to the local fly shop, and too many sleepless nights to count, I was on the way to my fishing trip of a lifetime. I truly can’t explain how excited I was. I honestly felt like a young toddler on Christmas morning. The trip was wildly beyond my expectations and wildest dreams. The adrenaline was just pumping through my body as my guide Sam motored us down to the mouth of the river where we would wade the 2-mile stretch of long pools and

riffles. Sam had to tie on my fly because I was shaking so badly with anticipation. The first fly each morning was a Muddler Minnow and it would become the go-to fly throughout the week. Sam told me to grease the fly well so it would float high. Having placed the cast exactly where I was instructed, I watched the Muddler make a wide swing through the pool. And just as the fly straightened out at the tail of the pool…. WHAM! The river seemed to open up and swallow my Muddler. In my excitement I pulled the fly right out of the trout’s mouth. By now I was hyperventilating and needed to take a puff on my inhaler. I truly cannot put into words how excited I was. After I gathered my composure and stopped my uncontrollable laughing, I cast back out into the same pool. WHAM!! This time I had him hooked. I shout to Sam and tell him I have a huge, huge trout on and to ready the net. My 7 wt TLS rod was nearly doubled in half and the reel was making love to my ears as I fought this “legendary” brook trout of the Little Minipi. Sam gently netted the trout and held it carefully for my viewing. I was convinced that this fish had to weigh 10 pounds. Sam chuckled and informed me that it was only a 5 pounder. It went on like this for 6 days. I caught so many trout and most averaged 4 to 5 pounds with a few going 7 pounds and higher. Each pool, each riffle, each fish. It was all so crazy. I caught trout on everything from 4-inch leeches to size 2 mice. Most often though, it was a small caddis pattern or a size 18 comparadun. And when the trout fishing got boring (imagine that) we would prowl the shallows of the lake for equally large and abundant Pike. Honestly, I had a large Pike on just about every cast using floating mice. The sight of a huge Pike making a wake toward your fly was incredible. It was a blast. I’m getting excited just reliving the memories. I enjoyed the trip so much I went again in 2005 with the same impressive results. Labrador is such a beautiful place covered with thousands of square miles of spruce forests and water, water, water. Lee Wulff was truly a pioneer and one of the luckiest men on earth to have experienced the wilds of this land before anyone else.

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