Stream Fishing for Lakeland Rainbows

[Alberta's Lakeland]

Although the western part of Alberta is world famous for its rainbow trout rivers , Alberta's Lakeland has a hidden gem that produces trophy rainbows consistently. The Medley river just north of the City of Cold Lake has been stocked for over 40 years with hard fighting trout that are eager to bite at anglers offering. Located off the Primrose highway, the river has easy access to many pools within a short walk from the road. But the real hard core anglers gets off the beaten path to explore the many fish filled pools the river has to offer. The river is made up of several beaver dammed sections that can be tough to get to but the rewards are worth the journey with fish up to 5lbs being caught regularly. Spin fishermen do well with small spinners and spoons but the best bait is the f4 flatfish fished slowly in the gentle current allowing the lure to wiggle just below the surface. It creates an easy target for these hungry trout to attach to. Fly fishers do well with wooly buggers in black and back swimmer patterns also in black. The fish also take dry flies and grass hopper patterns later in the fall when the fishing is best. An interesting historical fact about the Medley river is, in the early 1970s, the river was used to raise coho salmon that were stocked in Cold Lake. The fry were placed in some of the pools in the river to grow 4-5 inches in size then released into Cold Lake. The fish were in the Cold Lake system for a few years then just disappeared but just maybe a few are still around. The next tug on your line could be a long lost Cold Lake coho. Always follow the Alberta fishing regulations for seasonal closures and size restrictions. Come on out to Alberta's Lakeland for all your outdoor adventures.