Author: Paul Merza

As salmon season comes to an end in southern Ontario, anglers are left asking “what’s next?”

The answer is winter-season steelhead.

For those who do not know, steelhead is another name for sea-run rainbow trout. Though Ontario is not home to an adjacent sea, it is home of a sea-adjacent: the Great Lakes. The diverse ecosystem allows for these fish to grow upwards of one meter in length and weigh up to 45 pounds once fully matured. Because of its sheer size and brute fight, winter steelhead fishing has a cult-like following and draws anglers from far and wide, all eager to test their skills against the river’s most vicious-fighting fish. For many, landing a winter steelhead acts as a rite of passage to call yourself an angler.

Theo Ovejas, a member of Toronto’s lone fly shop, Drift Outfitters, has dedicated the past 15 years of his life to fishing for these beautiful fish. “You always hear different anglers say, ‘the tug is the drug’. That’s exactly what it was for me,” Theo exclaimed. After growing up with a conventional rod and reel set up, Ovejas took it upon himself to branch off into other methods of fishing. In 2011, Theo opened himself up to the world of fly fishing. Not long after, he found himself frequenting the banks of the Credit River in Mississauga in hopes to hook onto a late-season salmon. Without warning, his reel began peeling line as he had hooked onto a fish that bolted downstream. “I didn’t know what to do,” Ovejas recounts. “I knew salmon put up a good fight but this was a fight unlike ever before.” After a 30-minute fight, Ovejas had finally netted the fish of a lifetime, his first ever winter steelhead.

If Ovejas, had never introduced me to winter steelhead and showed me how close they are to home, I would not know they flood Ontario’s rivers every year. As thousands of people are hanging up their waders for the season, we are two of many that are just getting ours off of the shelves. If this is what it means to be a fishing bum, then I am all for it.

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Contact Information:

Theodore Ovejas

@_mykiss / @anorakcollective on Instagram

theo.ovejas@driftoutfitters.com

Image sourced from @_mykiss Instagram page

Fly fishing is an art form in and of itself – from the rhythm of the cast all the way down to the technique. Fly tying is a sub-discipline to the art and brings anglers two levels of gratification. Before we introduce those two levels, I will answer the question that some people may have: what is fly tying?

In the simplest of terms, fly tying is the act of grabbing any tangible material and tying it onto the shank of a fishing hook. Materials can range from affordable to high-end. Purists love using natural tying materials such as bucktail or pheasant rump. Beginners like using fur from their house pet or knitting yarn.

Here is a list of five easy-to-tie fly patterns that are guaranteed to help you land fish:

• Woolly Bugger 

The Woolly Bugger is an extremely versatile streamer fly meant to imitate a leech. Whether it is fished in fast-flowing rivers or still water lakes, this is the go-to fly for many fly anglers across the world.

Materials needed:

Marabou, hackle, wire ribbing, dubbing/chenille, tungsten bead

• Clouser Minnow 

Fish eat fish. The Clouser minnow, designed by Bob Clouser, has the ability to imitate any baitfish around the world dependant on the color. This fly pattern has likely caught the most fish around the world than any other fly pattern.

Materials needed:

Bucktail, dumbbell eyes, chenille

• San Juan Worm

There is truth behind the saying, “a worm on a hook has fed more people than any lure ever made.” This fly pattern is as simple as it gets but still reels in an unfathomed amount of fish.

Materials needed:

Chenille

• Bucktail Streamer 

Similar to the Clouser minnow, bucktail streamers use the same materials but is tied differently – giving you a taller profile and a new swimming action. Depending on the length of the bucktail, you can target anything from small panfish to monstrous muskies. 

Materials needed:

Bucktail, crystal flash 

• Elk Hair Caddis

This fly pattern sits high in the water column, often enticing fish to eat on the water’s surface. Imitating caddisflies, the pattern is easy to fish and easy to tie.

Materials needed:

Elk hair, hackle, wire ribbing, dry fly dubbing

Fly tying is all about trial and error. Learning techniques, failing, ending up with your own rendition of a fly pattern is all part of the game. Nonetheless, a fly is a fly at the end of the day and as all fly-tying fishermen say, “it will fish”. The gratification comes when you make a fishable fly and when you land a fish from a fly that you tied on your own.

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Works Cited

Knight, K. (n.d.). 12 easy flies to tie (video, materials, and more). Guide Recommended. https://guiderecommended.com/easy-flies-to-tie/

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Fly-tying: Knots, materials & tools. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/fly-tying

Images sourced from orvis.com

For thousands of years, fishing has been a vital source of food for various people around the world. No matter the technique, the act of catching a fish was done more so for survival rather than sport. In modern times, however, fishing has turned into a pastime for millions across the globe. With this comes the argument for catch and release fishing – why it is an essential part to responsible angling and the way in which it plays a key role in sustainable fishing.

There is more to catch and release fishing than the name suggests. The intent behind the act is just as important than the act itself. With that being said, here are a couple of reasons why you should practice catch and release fishing next time you are out on the water.

Size Matters

Releasing a fish back into the water gives it more time to grow. As with all specimen on the planet, when fish reproduce, their genes get passed down to their offspring. Catch and release fishing also allows for the complete cycle of reproduction, leading to a bigger pool of fish and, in turn, happier fisherfolk. Not allowing a fish to grow to its full potential limits chances for fisheries to produce trophy fish, which leads us to the next reason.

Keeping the Sport Alive

As an avid fisherman myself, I have gotten the opportunity to travel coast to coast and witness how fishing is truly regarded as a sport. Whether it be fly fishing for trout out west, fishing subsurface lures for huge northern Ontario bass, or casting seven-inch swim baits for schooling striped bass in the Atlantic, the activity is undoubtedly a sport. There have been studies done, such as the one done by the Marine Fish Conservation Network, that show concentrations of fish have diminished due to the lack of catch and release fishing.

Each province and territory has an extensive list of regulations when it comes to catching fish in order to allow fisheries across the country to thrive and remain sustainable. These rules and regulations dictate where, when, what, and how many fish one is allowed to keep.

Now, this doesn’t mean that every fish you catch must be released – let’s be honest, a well-cooked fish fry is always a treat. The point of catch and release is not to take away enjoyment, but to encourage awareness and responsible fishing practices. By learning which fish to release and which can be kept, anglers help maintain healthy populations while still enjoying their catch.

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Works Cited

McMurray, J. (2025, January 30). What’s Really Going On With Striped Bass? Marine Fish Conservation Network. https://conservefish.org/2025/01/30/whats-really-going-on-with-striped-bass/

Lawrence Bay Lodge. (2024, November 22). 3 advantages to catch and release fishing. Lawrence Bay Lodge. https://www.lawrencebay.com/3-advantages-to-catch-and-release-fishing/

The 2025 Great Lakes salmon migration is in full swing.

Some people may read that sentence and feel excitement. Most people will read that sentence and have no idea what it means.

The life cycle of a salmon is split into three main stages. All salmon species are birthed in freshwater streams throughout the coastal regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. From there, millions of salmon migrate to the ocean where they mature for most of their lifespan. When the time comes, these resilient fish migrate thousands of kilometres back to their original freshwater stream, a.k.a their home waters, in order to spawn, die, and let their offspring continue the cycle.

With the Great Lakes being an ever-giving, diverse ecosystem, salmon have adapted and are able to spend their whole lives, exclusively, in these in-land seas. These fish are classified as landlocked – salmon that establish their home waters in tributaries of lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

This annual fish activity has brought seasonal tourism booms to towns such as Port Hope, Thunder Bay, and Pulaski as people travel far and wide to witness these tenacious fish return home.

A lot of governing bodies have done their part in enforcing rules and regulations during this time of the year to ensure that salmon have enough time and space to complete the cycle of life. Unfortunately, year after year, there continues to be ignorance and unethical fishing activity during fall salmon migrations.

It is our duty to educate ourselves and respect the outdoors in order to enjoy all of Mother Nature’s beauty.