Tag Archives: Remote Fly Fishing

Getting to Minipi

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The only way to get to Minipi Lodges is by float plane.  It’s usually a de Havilland Beaver or an Otter, the two iconic bush planes of North America.  You could probably walk, but it would take you all summer and then you would have to fly out anyway.

Someone actually did walk across Labrador. I bought an excellent book on CD in Goose Bay entitled “Lure of the Labrador Wild” by Dillon Wallace. It chronicles the tale of a small group of men who tried to walk across Labrador around 1903. You will just have to read it to find out what happened… but it wasn’t pretty.

So like I said, you are going to want to take a float plane. If you have never been in one, you owe it to yourself to go to Minipi and find out for yourself what it’s like. On the way you can look out the window and you will see for yourself why you wouldn’t want to walk.  Labrador floats.  There is almost as much water as land… maybe more.  And the part that looks dry probably isn’t.

Then you have the black flies and mosquitos… oh well, you get the picture.

 The land below you as you approach one of Jack and Lorraine’s lodges is an incredible sight. There is always a chance you could spot a moose… we have.  But the first thing that may occur to you is that almost all that water below you has never been fished! Oh my gosh!  Wouldn’t that be something.

I know you couldn’t land a float plane on most of those potholes and small lakes.  I suppose you MIGHT be able to land, but you probably wouldn’t take off again. Only the largest lake systems are fished at all.  But trust me, there is more than enough water and more than enough opportunities to catch big Brookies from the bodies of water you CAN access.

The flight from Goose Bay to the lodges is a fairly short one and it’s only done when the weather is good… which it is most of the time.  Pilots are forbidden to fly when visibility is bad. This is for YOUR safety as well as theirs, so don’t argue with the pilot.  I think the Beaver is my favorite aircraft.  They are rugged, fun and comfortable… at least to me.  I don’t like the idea of hiking across Labrador anyway.

Talking Minipi in Denver, CO!

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The Fly Fishing Show started in Denver, CO, Friday January 3 with unseasonably warm weather. With temperatures pushing 60F, we expected booth visits to be slow, but it was quite the opposite. We consistently had interested fly fishers stop by to hear about the Minipi and its famous brookies. Many who stopped by were past visitors to Minipi and wanted to share their experiences. Everyone who has been there stated they had a fabulous time and are planning to return again someday. Over the past 10 years, we find that Friday brings out the most serious anglers of the three days and we often become quite engaged in the in-depth techniques associated with flyfishing for Minipi’s Brook Trout!

I gave a presentation in the Destination Theatre on mousing for Minipi brookies and about a dozen people sat in on the talk. Most had heard about fly fishing with mouse patterns, but associated the technique to trophy rainbows and could hardly believe the videos of these brook trout striking these huge flies. Those who have been exposed to fishing for brook trout on mice agree it is some of the most visually exciting fishing imaginable!

Saturday saw the temperatures plummet and heavy snows came to Denver. The visits to the booth were slow early on but steadily picked up as the day progressed. Again, we had many enjoyable and interesting conversations about brook trout. Many stopped by simply to glare at the pictures of Minipi’s colorful August brook trout, with some even claiming that it is simply not possible that a trout could exhibit such amazing oranges and reds. We encouraged these folks to come and see for themselves, as they will not be disappointed! I gave the same presentation again on mousing and had another good turnout. We had great dialog on patterns, how to tie them and then how to retrieve the mouse to engage the interest of a monster brookie. We were all wishing that this long and dreadful winter would soon end so we could get our feet and flies wet and wake up those brookies from their winter slumber!

By Sunday we were in the death grip of a deep freeze with highs not passing 15F. Again, visits to the booth were slow but steadily picked up through the day. We encountered new faces but also got a few re-visits from folks who had stopped by the earlier in the show. We shared stories of those perfect brook trout and how they must be doing this time of the year. We talked about the different stages of the fishing season and some pondered whether to catch these monster fish on huge drakes or tiny spinners. Others only want to fish with mice. But one thing is for certain: everyone wants to catch one or two of these treasures and admire their size and beauty at least once. The summer cannot get here soon enough!