Ratty Steady in Whitbourne: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Whitbourne, Newfoundland and Labrador, is where Ratty Steady sits. The surroundings are lake country bush. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Whitbourne list holds plenty of bigger water. For a base, Whitbourne sits 3.6 km out. After that come Clarke's Beach at 25 km and Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview at 27 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ratty Steady

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name American eel. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Ratty Steady gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while February sits near -5°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Ratty Steady.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Second Pond at 2 km is the sensible second choice. Where Ratty Steady is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.