The Wallflower River

Originally called “Askunesippi”, (Ojibwa for “the antlered river”), Ontario’s Thames River received its present name in1792. The Thames was officially designated as a Canadian heritage river in 2000. It flows westward from the town of Tavistock through Woodstock, past London, into Chatham and on to Lighthouse Cove where it joins Lake St. Clair, a distance of some 270-kilometers. There are 94 species of fish that call this nutrient-rich water home, everything from brook trout to longnose gar.

- Mark Forabosco

A few scattered pinholes of sunlight pierced through the iron clad sky above as a reminder that the day was far from over. I was chased off of the lake as the October winds created huge swells, making it all but impossible to maintain any boat control. My only options were either to pack it in or troll the stained waters of the river that fed into the lake.

High reeds lined both banks, along with a combination of rustic pre-war cabins and oversized modern day homesteads, forming a backdrop for the river. Muskie fishing is, at best, a roll of the dice and under the circumstances, I wasn’t confident about my odds. But even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. One hour later my rod buckled and the drag began to stubbornly surrender line. I put the boat in neutral and a most memorable battle ensued. The tenacious fish stayed deep the entire time until, after many anxious moments, it finally wore down and lay in the bottom of my landing net. That river had generously granted me my largest muskie at the time, 49-inches and just a hair over 30-pounds.

The Three Stars

Though the Thames River system is home to a vast number of fish species, the focus of this article will be on three of the river’s main stars: the muskellunge, the smallmouth bass, and the walleye. If someone were to ask where and when they would have the greatest chance of tangling with a trophy muskie - 48-inches or better with a weight of 30-pounds or greater - the one place I would suggest above all others would be where the Thames River meets Lake St. Clair.

From mid-October right up until early December muskie enters the Thames in search of schools of shad to fatten up for the winter. Multiple fish days are common, especially if the weather has been consistent and the water maintains good clarity. Here, old fashioned fundamentals will put fish in the net.