Tag Archives: Minipi Lodges

Lee Wulff’s Labrador Streamer

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In 1976 at the ripe old age of 22 I attended a Trout Unlimited banquet in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Lee Wulff was the guest speaker.  At that banquet Lee showed a film called “Three Trout to Dream About,” which was filmed in Labrador. After seeing that film, I knew that one day I too would fish Labrador.

In 1982, I started calling and talking to various outfitters in Labrador.  After a long conversation with Lorraine Cooper, I decided that Coopers’ was where I would have to go.  On that solo flight to Goose Bay, I met on the plane and spent the week fishing with Dave Brandt.  Our friendship has continued on ever since and we have fished the waters of Minipi more times that I can remember.  Through the years I had the privilege to spend time with Lee and Joan Wulff at various functions.  At one of those meetings over 25 years ago Lee tied for me a Labrador Streamer that he had talked about in the film that he showed back in 1976.  I am quite sure that this had to have been if not the last, one of the very last of these he had ever tied, because not many people were very familiar with this pattern.

I set a goal on this trip in 2014 to catch a nice Minipi Brookie on this fly. If I did I would retire the fly. If I lost it, it would lay at rest in Labrador on the Minipi River where it should be.  I managed to catch an nice fish.  Then another one.  Then I hung up on a Labrador Love Stone and gave my Labrador Streamer its final resting place as it should be in the bottom of the Minipi River.

Thank you Lee Wulff for discovering this wonderful fishery, and many thanks to Coopers’ Minipi Lodges for helping to preserve this wonderful fishery so that I can continue to come back year after year and enjoy this wonderful place called Labrador. Now at age 60, I look forward to the time I spend on the waters of Minipi.  See you in 2016.

Somerset 2014: Sittin’ on the Minipi River Couch

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It’s the biggest fly-fishing show in all of North America, probably in the whole wide world. Ten thousand fly fishermen gathered right here in northern New Jersey.

That’s where the Minipi gang, most notably, Robin and the sanguine, senior Mr. Cooper, were hanging out this weekend (Jan. 24, 25, 26), sitting on their inflatable “River Couch” with fly fishers buzzing all around – the famous Lefty Kreh and Ed Jaworowski to name only two — plus lots of friends, some from as far away as Canada, and dozens of Minipi veterans and Minipi plan-to-be’s and wannabes.

Robin was yakking about the latest outdoor products at his Minipi Outfitters store in Goose Bay; Ed Quigley and Barney Leonard, Minipi multi-year veterans, were discussing the state of the union and telling potential guests tales of trophy trout.

“Why was Mr. Cooper “sanguine’”? Because nearly all the beds available at Anne Marie Lodge are already filled for the 2014 season. So, while it may be too late to join us on the river couch, it’s not too late to reserve your 2014-week on the Minipi. But hurry up. There are only a few prime-time spots left.