Monsters grow on shrimp

Alex Nagy, field staff volunteer in Calgary, reports on a little-known lake close to town that's full of surprises: This may be the first ever report on this lake, which is not necessarily a bad thing. You'll soon see why... I've been fishing this secret Gem for about 20 years, and it has rarely disappointed. Just an incredibly short and easy 14-minute drive from my parents' door in downtown Cranbrook (shhhh...), New Lake is small, with an even smaller fishable area due to the amount of lily pads straddling the shore and a very shallow south end (but more on this later). I've seen 2,000 10-inch-plus Gerard and Kamloops trout released into the lake in early June on several occasions, and with the abundance of freshwater shrimp for food, these fish quickly grow to monster proportions. Regardless of size, expect a real battle when you hook up, with spectacular leaps, and long deep runs, and an average size of 2-4 lbs. by late August. In the shallow south end, where only us fools and the occasional bald eagle dare to go, I've caught what I estimate to be a 30-inch, 8-lbs.-plus Kamloops trout, one of the most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen. Anyway, I had an early visit to Cranbrook recently, so spent a couple of hours Monday in the rain, and as usual the fishing didn't disappoint. I released four 12- to 16-inchers, which is good for this early in the season, and even kept a few smaller fish for the pan. All were caught trolling my dad's original tie along the west side, rounding the corner just outside the weed line. I will give you this -- red or orange. The lake was angry that day, my friends! When a small mountain lake has whitecaps, the rain is horizontal and it takes Speed 5 to control a 12-foot boat, one knows it's time to leave! Guess I'm a fair-weather fisherman after all, ha ha. Not. Date: Monday June 16, 2014 Time: 10:46 a.m. Weather: 9C, Rain, 17km NW Winds GPS: 49.51737, - 115.85162 Boat: Lund WC12 Motor: Minn Kota Endura Max / Speed 2 Rod: Templefork 4 Piece, 5 Wt Line: SA Supra Floating Line with quick sinking tip Tippet: Berkley 2 lb. Fly: Nagy Special