Making steelhead memories on the Nottawasaga River

I don’t often visit the Nottawasaga, but it holds a very special place in my fishing memory bank — it’s where I landed my first river steelhead. It was late October in the mid 1990s. I was fish­ing in the lower reaches near Oxbow Park, south of Wasaga Beach. A friend and I spent the weekend at Mermaid Resort. It was a perfect spot to crash. It was well kept, and a short drive to a river. I was a newbie to float fishing then, and still remember walking to the shore, staring up at the steep sand banks, and looking downriver at deep pools on sharp river bends — a float fishing haven. It wasn’t until the second day of our trip and watch­ing my friend land a few beauties that it finally hap­pened. My float dropped beneath the surface in a spot I had drifted several times before. I set the hook and battled a beautiful little silver bullet. It was a perfect eater. We made it our meal for the evening. It’s hard to forget your first. I really hadn’t covered much of this system over the years, outside of the lower end. It was always on my list of places to revisit, so when my friend and seasoned steelhead guide Matt Martin asked me to build him a fishing net, I took the opportunity to barter for a guided day of fishing in exchange for a custom-built, long-handle boat net. Martin is a great ambassador of the sport and a super friendly guy. His knowledge of the Nottawasaga River is extensive, and I knew I’d be in good hands. Meeting Matt It was February when I finished Martin’s net. It was also extremely mild, so we took advantage and found an empty day in our calendars. The Nottawasaga has a section that is open year-round for steelhead fishing. Martin’s guiding season can last right through the winter on the Notty when temperatures permit and this can be some of the best fishing, with the fewest anglers on the water. I met Martin near Nicolston and after a quick vehicle shuttle, we launched his raft at a private property and started our day-long journey down­ river. A drift boat is a great way to escape the popular beats that are accessible on foot. Private land bor­ders the banks of much of the river. There are some public