For ice out flies Im all about the meat. Nothing but streamers with some bright colour on it somewhere and some flash. I don't start dry fly fishing till @ the 24 depending on how advanced the spring is.

Hi Holycow,

I have fished flies over the years in small lakes very similar to the park just across the border on the Quebec side.  At that time we were primarily drifting or slowly trolling across shoals with Sinking line and bright streamers for both lakers and specs.  It was fun and actually quite productive when on the right drift.  I don't suspect we were getting any deeper than 10' or so but it was typically June when we did most of our fishing as well.

I will also drift flies for specs behind the canoe here in Southern Ontario on slow moving rivers (similar to the slower sections of the Crow) while my boys cast from the front.  I have caught some really nice specks like this.  For this setup I am using a floating line, 8' lead and bead headed wooly buggers (usually in red or black). I like the floating line as it keeps me out of snags when I slow the boat, help with one of the boys fish or untangle lines but do get hits when trolling at decent speed where I assume I am within a foot or two of the surface.  Works fine in rivers I fish but likely not good in deeper sections of lakes. 

I have bought from reel flies at the fishing shows and find them really helpful for a beginner like me.  You can check them out on the web.

I have also read about old timers using "loop to loop connections" and an old piece of lead core line or sinking fly line to get a little extra depth for spring trips on fly setups but have not tried it myself.  I have not been brave enough to bring my fly rod into Algonquin to try yet given I am really just have a dabbling interest and have not truly committed to it but perhaps if I get a solo trip in May or June i will.

Good luck out there on the water (if it ever unfreezes!)

Jon P

 

I was really in to fishing as a kid, always went with my dad, as I got older though that stopped. Over the last few years though I have had a couple kids and one of them loves fishing and I caught the bug again. This season I am thinking of trying fly fishing, something I have always wanted to do! Looking at a Hardy reel and undue about a rod thus far but looking at something of a 6-8 as I fish for walleye and pike as well as trout. 
Any recommendations?

IMO the most fun fly fishing to be had in the park is fishing the river systems. I'd reccomend a 5wt as an all purpose rod. I don't find brookies in the river very selective. Casting size 6 muddler minnows downstream and stripping them upstream on pools should yield fish if they're there. I spin and fly fish and find spin fishing much better suited to trolling. I hate fishing sinking lines and trolling with a long rod. 

i have had good success trolling mosquito flies for specs in both Papineau Labelle and Lake Superior park from a canoe.
You can tie a sinking leader onto a spinning rod and if necessary add a few split shots.  because the fly is small the spec tend to take the fly deep so very few hits are misses.  don't use this method if you are planning to release because they usually take the fly too deep to easily dislodge.

Planning a trip tp Achray in early Sept. I would like to do some fly fishing for brookies. From the posts I have read, it appears they are a spring target only for fly rodeos. Are there any possibilities in the fall in that area of the park? Also, is it lake fishing only for them or could there be some action in the moving water tributaries? 

I didn't read through all the posts to know if this was mentioned but I love using a mouse pattern ... I was used to using the usual wolly buggars, nymphs, etc.  and then someone at Sail suggested I buy a mouse ... I've had more fun with it fishing bass then any other fly ... its a weedless setup so you do have some issues hooking some fish but lots of rises and hits ... it was sold to me as more of a rainbow trout fly but I've never tried it for bows