Affiliate Links: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning I may get a small commission, at no cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my link. Please read my DISCLOSURE for more information.
The first tournament of the Western Canada Kayak Fishing Trail is in the bag! For the last few years the annual Trout on the Fly tournament was held at Dickson Trout Pond and it was always a bit unpredictable. Whether it was the fishing or the weather, there always seemed to be a challenge. On the other hand, this weekends tournaments at Open Creek Dam could not have been better. Both the weather and the fishing turned out to be fantastic.
Open Creek Reservoir is located west of Rimbey along highway 53. Nestled into a small, secluded valley lies a private campground owned by the Rimbey Fish and Game Association. The campground is beautiful and well maintained and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. It had a very family-friendly atmosphere and based on some conversations with a few campers I visited with, the cell-service free campground was a preferred destination. Even the resident wildlife are well mannered:
Angler turnout was fantastic and it was awesome to see friends after a long winter in what felt like isolation. We spent the evening tying on flies and rigging the kayaks for the 6 am start.
On tournament day, the sun came out and the trout were ready to play. Fishing was excellent, there was a steady dry fly bite throughout the day and the freshly stocked trout wouldn’t turn away much. A number of brood stock were also introduced this spring and a the winners of the day managed to land more than a few during the tournament.
I’ve become pretty enamored with my Helix 5 SI and I spent quite a bit of time cruising around looking for structure. I marked a lot of fish at the steep drop offs near shore and was able to see schools of what turned out to be suckers on side imaging – I’ll try to remember to get a screenshot next time. Since I was in tournament mode, thoughts of blogging tend to come second.
Thank you to all the competitors that joined in on the tournament! It was a very successful day with a number of big trout caught. Surely it’s one to be remembered!
