SELKIRK, Manitoba — It was back in 1986 when I first fished the Red River below the dam at Lockport, Manitoba, with Stu McKay.

Stu was working with the railroad at the time, but aspired to become a full-time guide on the Red River along the stretch long known as the Miracle Mile.

It was in early June and I just couldn’t believe that five of us boated over 1,000 pounds of channel cats in two days. I wrote about it and the next year came back. Stu had realized his dream and had purchased a concession right there called “Lily Ann’s.”

That quickly grew into “Cats on the Red,” and today he has a row of cabins and several guides working with him.

For several years, I fished the Red annually on my trips north. But, I had not been there for 10 years. It had been our 35 wedding anniversary and in eight hours of fishing with Stu, Fran and I landed 38 channel catfish with the biggest topping out at over 30 pounds.

We were there a week ago to once again sample the catfishing and to do some photography.

Fishing with Stu and his head guide Holly Chow, on Stu’s 24-foot pontoon boat, we landed 12 of the big cats in less than two and a half hours of fishing. And, we managed to prepare and eat breakfast on the boat at the same time.

We used big chunks of sucker meat for bait. Later, as the waters warm the cat’s preference will switch to big chunks of goldeye.

We fished the holes, looking for baitfish and cats swimming near the bottom with the depth finder, and then anchoring above them.

Once we found our spot, we dropped anchor and never moved.

I’ve often said that every fisherman owes himself at least one day on the Red. And that holds true today.

For more information on the Red, contact Stu at (204) 757-9876 or check out his website at www.catsonthered.net.

on the Red at Lockport, Manitoba, nets a catfish for a client. (Submitted photo)

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

LOCKPORT, Manitoba — When Holly Chow steps into her guide boat, she has to catch fish.

After all, anyone with the nickname, “Mama Cat” has to live up to her reputation.

And she does. A lifetime of experience in waters throughout the country sees to that.

But she didn’t really begin to fish for catfish until last spring. That’s when she began guiding full time for Stu McKay’s “Cats on the Red” resort.

“A typical day would be eight guys standing at the dock and they’d see two boats there and they’d see the girl and they’d go, ‘Oh, god, somebody’s got to fish with the girl,’” she said. “Then we’d come in with 24 fish and they’d go, “We were with ‘Mama Cat!’”

The Red River below the Lockport dam is recognized worldwide as a premier big catfish river in the summertime.

“The average size channel cat is about 20 pounds,” Holly said. “I would be ashamed if I took you out and we didn’t get three over 36 inches weighing between 24 and 26 pounds.”

In the fall, big walleyes (locally known as ‘greenbacks’) move up the river from Lake Winnipeg.

“In October the greenbacks begin coming in and life gets good,” she said. “The biggest in my boat was really big. It was three days after I had my hand surgery, I had 30 stitches in my hand, and I was fishing with my beautiful daughter,” she said.

“I passed her the rod and she set the hook into a walleye that went 31 1/2-inches.

“It was a great walleye fall,” she said. “And catfishing was good all summer long. It was so consistent. It’s all catch-and-release, but you can keep one under 24 inches. We supply all the equipment, all you bring is a smile.”

Holly’s outdoor background is extensive.

She grew up in Riding Mountain National park in southwest Manitoba. She was rodeoing full time at the age of 14, had her own half ton truck at 16 and a racing car.

When the family moved to Falcon Lake, located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, she pursued the walleyes the lake is noted for.

“I’d spend literally 15 hours a day on the water,” she said. “I guided a little, fished a few little tournaments in the area and was placing high in them. If I was not working, I was out on the lake.

Then she began fishing tournaments seriously.

“I’d be home on Sunday night, work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and pull out for a tournament. I did that for 18 years,” she said.

She fished both walleye and bass tournaments including the PWT trail down south and bass circuit up north as well as a bunch of unsanctioned tournaments.

“I think the first year I fished 18 tournaments,” she said.

Then came a stint with Bass Pro Shop.

“I was the first woman on the Red Head Pro Hunting Team,” she said. “I was treated very well by that company and was able to hunt Africa and around the world with bow and occasionally the muzzleloader.

She did a lot of competition shooting with the bow representing the Red Head team.

“But I found targets were boring and they were so hard to cook,” she smiled.

She really enjoys promoting women in the outdoors.

“It’s not really as tough as many women might think,” she said. “The worst thing you can do is give a woman men’s used equipment or take her out to a place that is cold, wet and nasty.”

With the right equipment anyone can be comfortable in the outdoors.

“And it’s a whole lot of laughs,” she said.

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

SELKIRK, Manitoba — The mighty Red River spills out of the Lockport Dam and rushes north to massive Lake Winnipeg, about 14 miles away.

Below this dam exists a fishery unlike any, anywhere in the world.

The stretch of river from the dam to the north is called “The Miracle Mile.”

It is along this stretch that miraculous catches of big fish have long been routine.

The area draws hundreds, if not thousands of fishermen each fall in pursuit of massive walleyes which come in from Lake Winnipeg and mill below the dam.

These fish, fresh from the shallow, 9,000 square mile inland sea, are known as greenbacks because of the emerald coloring of their dorsal regions.

It is here that a 10 pounder is “just a nice fish.” When someone lands a 12 pounder, that is worth noting. However, walleyes of 14 to 15 pounds are caught nearly every year.

These big fish have drawn Sioux City angler Dan Rowe and friends to the Red every year for the past 10 years.

They have caught some nice fish every year, but this trip was special.

“It was the best year we’ve ever had up there,” Rowe said. “And we’ve been going there for 10 years.”

His group consisted of Keith Kelly and Ron Sherril, both of Sioux City, Jim Goede, Dakota Dunes, and Greg Sherril of Akron.

They fished from Sept. 2 to 10.

“Between the two boats we were catching and releasing between 40 and 60 fish a day,” Rowe said. “We had six fish over 28 inches in my boat alone. Our best was 31 inches and that’s a 13 pound fish.”

While they did catch a few walleyes trolling crankbaits, it was the jig and salted minnow that the big fish wanted.

Yes, that’s right. A salted minnow.

And the presentation, get this, was fishing straight down over the side of the boat anchored crosswise with two anchors in the current.

They used 1/4 to 1/2-ounce jigs, depending on the current and wind. It was cold all week and water temperatures dropped each day.

“They seemed to like fluorescent yellow and orange jig heads the best,” Rowe said.

The Miracle Mile? Well, Rowe’s group’s miracles happened farther north, away from the crowds.