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

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

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 winds. I didn't have to travel far, my first stop was just before Butter Pot Provincial Park where I cast my Loop Q series Fly Rod into the pond then fished my way 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 © 2025 Michael Smith