Today is the opening day of our winter trouting season here in Newfoundland. It's normally a day when hundreds of people across the island head out onto their favourite bodies of frozen water in search of a meal of fresh trout.

Unfortunately mother nature had other plans for us here on the East Coast. She has blasted our region with unseasonably warm temperatures, bouts of gale force winds and torrential rains. This has rendered just about all bodies of water very unsafe on which to venture out.

Not wanting to miss out, I finished up work early and headed out over the highway in search of open water to fish. Skies were beautifully clear, temperatures quite brisk just below freezing and steady wind. I didn't have to travel far, my first stop was just before Butter Pot Provincial Park where I cast my Loop-Q Fly Rod at fist into the pond and moved up the river back towards the highway. I've never used a fly rod in winter and have no idea if it will work as I received mixed views when I asked.

Not having much luck I moved on to Witless Bay Line and headed in one of the new power line roads and once again found plenty of open water.

Copyright © 2011 Michael Smith