Hidden Gems

Every now and again we anglers are lucky enough to find lakes, ponds or creeks that feel so isolated from civilization that believing they are a reality is sometimes more difficult than finding them in the first place. Stumbling across, or being introduced to, a body of water with such enormous potential for catching fish is what any fishing enthusiast dreams of. Fortunately for myself, I have lucked out three times in one shot.

- Charlie Ricottone

A cottage that I regularly visit; and by regularly I mean five to 10 times per year; has a lake that can sometimes be difficult to fish. I’ve spent the last 11-years learning the lake, perfecting techniques, tweaking presentations and, every so often, getting completely skunked. It is highly unpredictable, especially on the nights when the stars seem aligned to present the perfect fishing conditions but the results are no more than a litany of mosquito bites and practice casts.

Surrounding the lake that the cottage is on are three much smaller lakes that my fishing partner, Mike, and I visit at least once per year. The first is within walking distance from the cottage and the other two are less than a 10-minute drive followed by a few minute hike through the bush. Each one offers something different, whether it’s the size, shape, or depth, but the one thing they all have in common is that you’re pretty much guaranteed to get, what I fondly refer to as, “bass thumb”.

Lake #1

The smallest and closest of the lakes is narrow, measuring roughly 1000 feet by 300 feet. It is barely more than a pond, with the shoreline tapering to the water on one side and flat rock faces that measure up to 25-feet high on the other. Rumour has it that the lake was once dead and at some point lime was thrown into the water to balance the PH levels. I am not sure how accurate this claim is, but I have heard it from a few different sources, so my guess is that it must hold some truth.

This amazing little “practice lake” holds a slew of largemouth bass ranging up to just over three-pounds. They may not be the biggest, but they have some fight in them.