2016 Season Thus Far! What a blast!
Wow! What a whirlwind season it has been at Kasba so far! The fishing has been nothing short of spectacular all season long and with giant Pike, Trout, and Grayling being caught and released daily there have been too many smiling faces all season to count.
I thought now would be a great time to look back and reflect on the season we have had in Canada’s beautiful North thus far. The spring came quick this year – intact the quickest we remember in 40 years. Flying into camp on June 15th there was virtually no ice left on the lake! This left more questions than answers in regards to the state of the early ice-off Pike fishing that our guests have come to expect year after year. Luckily – none was disappointed with shallow bays and weedy grass beds being absolutely loaded with Pike right out of the gate. Some huge Pike were hooked – including on the fly – and of course all were released safely back into the waters of Kasba to grow for another season.
With so much open water available right out of the gate, and some flat calm weather to guide us safely, we were able to get out onto the main lake right at the beginning of the season (again, a result of the early ice-off). This not only opened up a tremendous amount of Pike water but also the options for Trout were endless. The tip of Kai, the Neck of the Grinch, Gothe, The J, The Narrows, and The Schwandt River were all filled to the brim the Lakers both big and small looking to gorge for the few short months before another long winter. Smiles grew, laughs shared and big Trout were safely released.
With everything being early this season it’s no wonder that the famous Kasba cisco spawn came early as well, with the first schools of bait being noticed in the front island around the 20th of June. As always, when the cisco spawn they cause quite a ruckus of bird and predatory fish activity. Magic evenings of limitless trout catches – the water simply boiling with feisty fish. A light tackle enthusiasts top-water dream.
The Kazan put on it’s usual show again this summer. The health of that river is truly magnificent to witness. Looking down the crystal clear water column through the fast moving ripples on the surface and seeing the recognizable shapes of Grayling, Trout, Whitefish, and Pike all feeding alongside each other (and manumits actually feeding ON each other) is like witnessing a place lost in time. The Fishermans dream of witnessing a place boiling with healthy fish prior to any human activity is the reality at the Kazan.
With “late season” now upon us the big Lake Trout have began staging for their spawn and late season spots like the Wormhole, the Dome, the Slay Ledge, The Humps, and Bow Island all have produced some giant Trout. We expect that trend to continue over the next week as our regular trophy hunting guests all return for another late-season hog hunt! Let the tight lines and good times continue rolling!
I’ve added a few pictures for you all to drool over from this season. Enjoy – and we look forward to welcoming you again or for the first time to Kasba in 2017!
– Matt Hill and the Hill Family
