Elora Gorge And Surrounding Areas

[YakFisher]

I'm thinking of heading up to the grand for a couple of days next week and camping in the gorge.

I've done a bit of research on the area (I've never been there before) and what to expect with the fishing and I am just curious if anyone had any experiences they would like to share and what worked for them.

Were there rising fish, or should I work deep, etc.

I'm thinking of bringing my kayak and doing some whitewater, what should I expect? Etc. I want to hit up whiteman's creek too.

I want it to be a memorable trip.

Thanks for any help.

[Icehut]

Camping at the Elora Gorge is wonderful fun. You can get a spot very close to the river, beautifully wooded, quiet, perfect place for dawn fishing.

This is a fly fishing only area, for the most part, so know the regs and follow them. If you plan to wade up into the gorge, you'd best be a confident wader, with studs and a wading staff. This is a very low bullshit type of endeavor. People drown in the gorge every summer.

Bear in mind that the kayak hatch puts an end to your fun sooner than you'd like in the gorge, you won't have all that much time to play with the fiskies before you get run over by tubers and whatnot.

Big browns are not easy to catch... you need to be at the top of your game, with long light tippets, highly accurate flies in the right size, and perfect presentations. Although fast and furious is another option... September is my favorite time for fishing the Grand, slamming out streamers. Bomb something big and heavy out to the far bank and strip it back as fast as you can, and keep moving fast. Pattern, schmattern, all it needs is flash, lead, and eyes. Expect to see more fish than you bring to hand... it's not unusual to go one for ten when pitching streamers. In my experience, the fishing on the Grand is highly over-rated, in no way can it compare to the western rivers. I dunno what your experience with brown trout is, but there's a reason the ministry is loathe to stock them anymore... low angler satisfaction, they're just bastards to catch unless you're a total river rat, on the water at dawn most days of the week. It's all a matter of timing... if there's a decent hatch, if they deign to even notice the frigging hatch, if they're not spooked by somebody wading by twelve hours ago, if the sun is right... you may have a memorable day.

If you have the proper yak for whitewater, with the helmet and all, go nuts. But if you have a typical 12' fishing yak, I'd think twice about running the gorge. Maybe rent a tube and run the gorge to check it out first. I'd leave it at home myself.

Pray for rain, and fish in the rain. If it's 29 degrees and sunny, you're more or less hooped in the afternoon. Nap, do touristy things, or I guess you could nymph deep slots if you really have to, and can take the heat, but don't expect too much. Watch the water temps, stressed browns will die.

Experts may disagree, but in my experience, if you're not the first on the water, you're screwed. Noisy wading and casting by one guy in front of you ruins the fishing. Get there first, run the right fly down the right seam, without a hint of drag, and you might be rewarded. Put a streamer in the right place and you might get the surprise of your life. No fish? Enjoy the birds, the insects, plants, and the sounds of the river. Get the river map and use it, there's kilometer after kilometer of good water. Avoid the crowds. Fish weekdays if at all possible, or bad weather, or you'll have company in many spots. Hike as far from the access point as you can.

Whiteman's Creek is smaller, clearer, prettier, tougher, and better smelling. Tighter quarters, tougher casting, more lost gear, as you have to get your fly right in the wood where the fiskies are hiding. I love pitching dry flies as much as anybody, but this is a tough-ass river, and full of little rainbows which will keep you occupied and your dry fly soaked and slimed. Streamers in the fall will take browns from the most surprising of places. Very careful, slow, deep nymphing will pay off, eventually, if you're lucky. A gorgeous river, but not a big producer, in my experience. Dawn or dusk, or in the rain... any other time you're pretty much just washing flies. Development is encroaching, so enjoy this river while you still can.

Hope the above helps a bit. I've fished these rivers many times, but am far, far, far from being an expert. There are other fly fishing forums out there where the local experts reside; they're generally good and helpful folks. If you can afford a guide, don't hesitate, in my experience they're worth every penny when you're starting out on a new river.

[YakFisher]

I really appreciate all the info. I never expected such a lengthy reply. I am more than satisfied. Cheers.

[cplummer]

Icehut has it going on in his reply. Great stuff! Love when people share their knowledge !! Nice icehut.

[Dogman]

Water has been really low in Elora recently. You may want to check the levels before you go up there. Down stream of Paris seems to be the best spot atm. Maybe this rain will help out a bit but I don't think it is nearly enough.

[Ola]

water is low for sure, in the upper grand especially. and one word of advice regarding wading the gorge - beware of random drop offs. the sheer walls that show above the river are sometimes mirrored below the water and unless you know where you are stepping you maybe heading for an unplanned dunking.

also, i don't know where you are coming from but there is quite a distance between elora gorge and whitemans creek. when we plan an outing it is either one or the other - never both. but i could probably steer you to a nice area for smallies ('green trout' fishing safer in this weather anyway and you can't beat wet wading for refreshment in the heat) and you could probably double up whitemans too.

pm me if interested.

[Dogman]

I could use some tips. I've been skunked my last two times out my last two times out on the grand.

[Icehut]

Getting skunked while flyfishing for brown trout isn't unusual. If you want to catch lots of fish every trip, you have to go for panfish, bass, or maybe find a good brookie river.

I'd suggest a few things. Watch water temps. Fish just after dawn. Turn over some rocks, notice what's flying about, and imitate it. Practice short line indicator nymphing and even Czech nymphing. These techniques are not what I call fun fly fishing, the joy of fly casting being eliminated, but they can pay off, and are often more or less mandatory if you're looking for more than a nice walk and some fresh air. You want to have a small nymph moving along just above the rocks, drag free. Tons of good videos on YouTube, and entire books on the subject. I suspect that simply getting a fly in front of a fish, and recognizing the hit, are more important than the pattern used, so tie on anything you have that's buggy, dark, small, and maybe with a little flash. No hits, change it up. You can easily take an hour or two to fish a good line, as odds are the fly is spending very little time in the productive zone, and taking a different route each time. Pitch it out, drift it down, load the rod with the line drag, pitch it out, rinse and repeat, ad nauseum. Think about what fish need to thrive, and don't waste time fishing where there are no trout. All parts of a trout stream are not created equal!

Hope this helps. It pays to bear in mind that flyfishing is not about racking up numbers. We don't carry counters and have a weigh-in, it's not a bass tournament. If you want poundage at the end of the day, tie on a Montana Spinner. (A blasting cap.) Flyfishing is not for everybody. It's about the journey, not the destination. End of lecture. Happy fishing.

[bass2mouth]

I could use some tips. I've been skunked my last two times out my last two times out on the grand.

Live target shallow rainbow smelt crankbait. Try that! It can catch walleye, bass, trout:)

[Dogman]

Flyfishing is not for everybody. It's about the journey, not the destination. End of lecture. Happy fishing.

I enjoy the chase more so than the capture. Even if I catch nothing it doesn't deter me. Being new though it leaves me wondering if or what I am doing wrong. I am loving fly fishing. Even without catching anything in my last few outtings. I can't even be bothered getting my other gear down from the rafters. I'm not looking for a quick fix, just some tips. Maybe I need to hire a guide