Spring trout opener trips I take a 7wt and a 5wt.
In summer, most trips for bass/pike/walleye I take 2 8 wts. and a 7wt (depending on trip destination/duration/portages etc).

Moonman.

I take two fly rods on every trip (7 wt and a 10 wt.)  I even remember to bring a spinning rod once in a while.  The BWCA has world class fly fishing at any time of the year, although the spring is the best!

Mountain Paddler, don't be afraid to start another posting. This thread is about fly fishing. (And this advice coming from the king of thread diversion ).

If you start another post, and ask your question there, many will likely weigh in including yours truly

And now, back to the land of wolly buggerdom (fly fishing) .

There's a lot more to trolling than dragging a lure through the water. How deep are the fish and what lure runs that deep? Are the fish on some sort of off-shore structure that you cannot see and how do you find it?

Some of the folks who visit this site carry depth finders to help them answer these questions. I don't; too heavy. So, I "figure out" the answers to the above questions myself. By examining the lure, I can make a pretty good determination how deep it will run, given the line I have (as a general rule, lighter line will let a lure run deeper). And by examining the bank, I can get a general idea of how the lake bottom slopes toward deep water. Then, based on time-of-year and what we did yesterday, I can start with an estimate of what species of fish will be where.

Trolling from a canoe is no more risky than anything else you might do in a canoe. If you are not sufficient canoeist to be trolling, you should be in a canoe in the first place.

Could someone please explain to me what difference the rod makes if you are trolling?  :question    I'm not a big fisherman, but I would at least like to grasp the thrust of what you guys are saying.  I mean, either way you got a lot of line out behind you and you hope some fish thinks it all looks like lunch shortly after you go paddling by.  Your rod is just sittling there passive while you are paddling.  I always thought trolling was less of an art form than the others--you are simply hoping something is there and is hungry enough to be fooled by what you guessed might look like lunch.  Trolling seems like a lot of guessing to this novice, comparing to the presentation skills required by the other methods.  So go ahead, enlighten me.  I admit I have zero knowledge in this area.

Also, I assume fishing from a canoe is not a good idea if you are a novice at both canoeing and fishing?  (Unless your gear and dry clothes are in camp and not in the boat, the weather/water are not too cold,  you stay fairly close to shore, and you were starting to stink anyhow!)  

I'm bringing 1 8wt rod and 1 casting outfit....I'll primarily fish w/the flyrod throwing deer hair bugs on the surface and i bring a second spool w/an intermediate line and throw magnum bunny strip zonkers (cheap and easy to make) for the pike....I've been tying up some 1/2 & 1/2's, but the reality is they aren't nearly as durable....1 pike and they will be shot....given their size though, i might get into some bigger pike...If it's super windy or I want to get down deeper, i'll use the casting rod.....I'll troll w/the flyrod also....picked up a lot of pike that way....

Mike

I fish with a flyrod almost exclusively, but when its not the right tool, I'll pick up a spinning or casting rod.  Depth and wind are the biggest reasons I put the flyrod down. 

Depending on you and your desires - and the time of year  and species involved - you might take one. Or even only a fly rod.

Unlike most lures heavy enough to cast (floating plugs excepted) you don't have to be working the reel and rod all the time. This means if you're fishing 2 in a canoe, the stern guy could be fishing a flyrod and still have plenty of time to maintain course. 

Casting a popper out and letting it sit for a loooong time before moving it is a great way to pick up smallies.

With a sinking or sink-tip line you can get a fly down pretty deep if you're trolling, or if you're patient you can strip a fly in pretty deep.

Use the fly rod alot. If you get a chance, check my article on fly rod fishing n Quetico Park in the current Midwest Outdoors.

Hi Windsailor,

Smallies were made for fly rods. If you like getting smallies on floating rapalas and jitterbugs, you'll like it even more getting them on deerhair bugs.

For me its the fun and the challenge at times, when you know spinning gear would be easier and probably more productive due to conditions and fish species targeted.

It will also be really nice to use your Grandfather's gear and maybe pass those rods along someday. Every fish you get will remind you of him.

Moonman.

moonman

I'm in the the middle of restoring an old 2 piece fly rod of my grandpa's, He said he used it mostly for small mouth fishing on the river back n the day.  My thought was if I get it finished by the time my trip starts I'll try it out on some bronze backs when I get there.  Something new to add to the adventure while I'm in the woods.

//Windsailor