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Around Ootsa Lake |
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By
Dean Nielsen |
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One of my favorite areas of British Columbia is
the Ootsa Lake area. Ootsa Lake is part of a
large, 140 mile long body of water created when
the Kenny Dam was built in the 1950’s. It is
fronted on one side by the snow capped mountains
of Tweedsmuir Park and on the other side by the
sprawling open range of the many ranches on the
Nechako Plateau.
Until recently, some of the many smaller lakes
that are scattered throughout the Ootsa region
have been accessible only to people with float
planes or horses. Over the past few years now
this area has been opening up with several new
gravel roads. One road which was recently built
links the Kenny Dam road with the East Ootsa
road so that the Ootsa Lake area can be accessed
from Vanderhoof as well as from Burns Lake.
Rudy and I
decided we would drive out on this road with
the hopes of catching a fish in one of the new
lakes that have recently opened up in there. |
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Approximately 25 miles east of an old NIHO
property, I noticed a small lake to the south of
us with three eagles fishing for food to feed
their young with. There is a rough dirt road and
a small campsite that someone has cut out beside
the lake. Rudy and I decided that we would try this lake
for trout and launched the Zodiac. We trolled
for about 20 minutes using willow leaf gang
trolls without even getting as much as a bite:
meantime the eagles were still catching fish all
around us.
I then decided to switch to an orange and silver
crocodile with a baited hook. Within five
minutes after I had put my hook back in the
water I had hooked my fish. Once he had jumped
to begin his fight I realized that the only way
I would be able to land a fish of that size
without a net and only using four pound test
line would be to set my brake fairly loose and
let him play himself out. It took four or five
runs before he finally gave up and I was then
able to lift him into the boat. He turned out to
be an eight pound rainbow trout.
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For anyone who wants to try some of these
semi-remote lakes, the best route to follow
is from Vanderhoof. Turn off of Highway 16
at the Shell station on to the Kenny Dam
road. Follow the main road south about 55
miles until you reach the Kenny Dam. Cross
over the dam and continue west up the hill.
There will be a junction in ½ mile. Take the
fork that goes straight and continue on west
for another 20 miles. When you finally see a
small cabin on the north side of the road
you know you are in the right spot (there
are also a couple of old log cabins a little
further on). Just before you get to the
cabin, there is a lake on the south side of
that road, that is where I caught my fish
but there are at least a dozen within a five
mile radius that you can try your luck in. I
should add that only a few of these lakes
are accessible by car and for most of them
you should expect to hike in. |
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Ootsa Lake |
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A word of caution: these gravel roads are used
for logging trucks so it is safer to travel on
them in the evenings or weekends if you don’t
have a two way radio. If you have to travel the
road on a weekday then drive carefully and stay
behind a logging truck if you can. He will alert
all the other trucks of your location. Also,
make sure you pick up a copy of the current
fishing regulations as there are some lakes that
are closed to fishing in this area.
*Editor's note- this article originally
appeared in the NIHO Land publication,
edition 7-1* |
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