Wild Northerner Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 20

The canoe is a smart pick for spring, summer and fall fishing. With some work, you can get into some less pressured spots and, maybe, get onto a beauty bite. I use mine from ice out to ice up. It is an excellent option to chase any fish from walleye to trout to pike. It is my preferred way to go after brook trout and have accounted for my most memorable fishing experiences of all time. Not bad for a canoe.

Gear Ties

Get these rubber-coated wires if you plan to do serious canoe fishing, especially backcountry. I can’t stress their importance enough. These handy items are the absolute best at holding and storing fishing rods inside the canoe. Gear Ties are infinitely customizable, giving them the power to secure rods and other gear in the canoe. This is great for portaging, so you don’t have to take rods and reels apart and put them in a bag or rod storage container. They also hold paddles in place. The Gear Ties do everything. I have even used them as makeshift stringers numerous times.

Howdy partner

Not everyone enjoys fishing from a canoe. I’ve seen good buddies take hard bails, and although gut-busting funny, they don’t get in a canoe again. A day of fishing and portaging can batter up the body and make people sore as well. The dreaded “canoe ass” can really wreak havoc. A good canoe buddy can be hard to find. Something to keep in mind especially if you don’t like paddling a canoe solo. I actually don’t mind going out solo. I go before the sun comes up and catch the morning sunrise and soak up the atmosphere. Getting that moment is in my Top-3 favourite outdoors experiences.

Three season, multi-species tool