Brook trout are fish that live in beautiful places. They require cold, clean, oxygen-rich water to thrive, and a relatively undisturbed environment to reproduce. With a preference for clear, spring-fed lakes and stone-bottom streams, it's fair to assume that the presence of brook trout is a good indicator of a healthy body of water.
They are aggressive predators that will sometimes out-compete native fish species for food resources. Their diet consists mostly of larval/adult aquatic insects such as stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies, as well as terrestrial insects like grasshoppers, beetles and spiders. Their preferred menu goes on to include minnows, worms and frogs. Larger brook trout will sometimes even devour small rodents swimming across the water surface.
The Angler's Map of Saskatchewan is a comprehensive map of public lakes and streams for recreational fishing. All information is derived from public resources, particularly the annual Stocked Waters Guide made available by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment and the Fort Qu'Appelle Fish Culture Station.
We don't have frosted peaks or rocky skylines blotting out the sun, but topography does exist on the prairies in the form of valleys, canyons and escarpments. There are several land features that stand in contrast to the flat plains after millions of years of tectonic and glacial activity.
This Prairie Peaks seriesinvestigates scenic viewpoints that put the prairies' often dramatic, but understated elevation changes into perspective.
About Brockelbank Hill
Pictured above: the view near the highest point in Saskatchewan's Porcupine Hills, situated close to the Manitoba border. This point is easily accessed by driving along the Woody River Road (980) north of Townsend Lake. What you see is an expanse of the Red Deer River Valley and the lowlands east of the Pasquia Hills. There is a difference of nearly 500m (1,617 ft.) between the peak and the plain below.
One of the reasons that spurred my friends to start exploring our home province was the desire to find off-beat fishing locations, especially for elusive stocked trout. With an old angler's guide and a weak rural internet connection, it's still pretty easy to sleuth out a new fishing hole. There are no real secrets, unfortunately.
But in the good old days, the relationship anglers built with lakes and rivers was a deeply visceral one. Fishing spots were passed down from generations as treasured secrets. They were a source of pride. Sometimes they were found by risk-taking, hard work or knowing the right people. More often, they were found through family and long-time friends.
A few years ago, I set out to find a relatively obscure trout lake in one of my favourite forests. I like to think you can still find a lake to call your own these days. It still takes the right kind of nerve and a whole lot of patience.
