My first trip to Coopers’ Minipi Lodges many years ago was a learning experience. I caught a lot of small and medium sized Brook Trout and one 5 3/4 pound Arctic Char. But, the last day at Minonipi Lake turned out to be my best of the trip. I had been running a big black, weighted Wooly Bugger through the narrows between two lakes when it suddenly stopped. Thinking I was hung up on the bottom once again, I pulled upward and to the side slowly to try to dislodge it from the rock.. But the rock slowly swam away… upstream.

It seems I had a big fish on finally. He took me out into the current and rapidly took me into my backing. I jumped from boulder to boulder and reached shore, and started pulling from the side to get him out of the heavy current. Once I got him to the net he really became active. He bounced around in the net so much that we couldn’t get an accurate weight on him. I managed to get a few photos of him and measured him… a little over 24 inches. We released him as soon as we could and watched him swim away.

That big Brookie made my trip…. and he became the inspiration for a painting. The Minipi system is famous for its Brook Trout, and rightfully so. These trout are not just big, they are deep bodied, energetic and extremely colorful. I finally caught one of Minipi’s huge Brook Trout and held him in my hands for a few moments before releasing him. What a thrill.