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Photo- Nick Roman A new year brings a fresh start — on and off the water. New trips on the calendar, new goals, and that familiar optimism that *this* will be the year everything clicks. Before we dive into another season of early mornings, foggy launches, and screaming reels, I want to wish you and your family all the best in the year ahead . May it be filled with good health, time outdoors, and plenty of memorable days on the water. As a professional fishing guide in Ontar

A Guide’s Last trip, Last cleanup, and the Long Slow Breath Before It All Begins Again Photos- Aidas Rygelis When you make your living on the water, you don’t measure your year by calendars or holidays or what month your phone says it is. Your season is marked by river temps, wind forecasts, sketch launches and the smell of wet neoprene drying in the back of the truck. It starts fast, ends faster, and somewhere in the middle you lose track of how many days have passed — only

Late November had already settled into its cold mood—grey mornings, frosted rafts, the sort of chill that sits in your sleeves and reminds you winter is closer than it looks. But on this day, the forecast teased us with a rare warm spell, the kind that makes even the most stubborn winter steelhead feel just a little more alive. My guest was driving all the way from Ottawa for one thing: his first steelhead. And not just any steelhead—he wanted it on the swing. Big ask. Bold a

Nicolas Roman with a beautiful Ontario steelhead caught nymph fishing with Smooth River Guiding The leaves haven’t fully turned yet, and...

As summer winds down and the crispness of fall starts to bite the air, something special starts to happen in northern lakes across the...

The first 50" plus monster of 2025. Caught on opening weekend! The 2025 musky season in Ontario kicked off under cooler and more...

Trophy's like this are found close to home in Southern Ontario! Give Georgian Bay a try with Smooth River Guiding. The 2025 Georgian Bay...

A beautiful 35" pike caught the day after pike opener. This fish was found mixed in with dozens of smaller pike. Sometimes you just have...

Bright, big steelhead on two-handed two handed rods, the ultimate in fun and challenge. There’s something magical about the week leading...

By Matt at Smooth River Guiding It's amazing what lurks in the rivers close to a big city! Ontario's wild trout rivers are beautiful,...

These two patterns, a gamechanger and a deceiver account for a large percentage of my spring pike. Photo @Matt Martin Spring is one of...

A secluded beach located on Eleuthera, prime location to find many fish, including bonefish! Spanish Wells —an island nestled on the...

The relief a guide feels after landing your first steelhead, is as real as it gets! Photo- Aldo Pescatore Spring is one of the most...

Opening week for trout fishing in Southern Ontario marks the beginning of a new season, when eager anglers take to the rivers in search...

There’s a certain romance to heading north, away from the sprawling concrete of southern, Ontario, and into the wilderness. The drive to...

The Kawartha Lakes region, with its sprawling waterways and diverse habitats, is a musky angler's paradise. For those who chase these...

As a fly angler and guide, who regularly guides conventional bass anglers, I’ve learned that adapting to their proven tactics can...

Late winter and early spring mark an exciting period for steelhead anglers across the Great Lakes. As the ice begins to recede and water...

For anglers in southern Ontario, the Zone 20 early season bass fishery on Lake Ontario is one of the most exciting yet underappreciated...

Spring Pike on the Fly in Central Ontario By Matt Martin Spring marks the long-awaited start of pike season in Central Ontario, a time...