West Tally Pond Fishing in Buchans, Newfoundland and Labrador

• Overview

  West Tally Pond is a Buchans water, Newfoundland and Labrador side. It sits at 270 metres above sea level. At about 67 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. At about 6.4 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It is a small entry by Buchans standards. 71 km away sits Grand Falls-Windsor, the nearest town. St. John's sits 304 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on West Tally Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Buchans cover Arctic charr. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At West Tally Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 15°C and February about -9°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near early May and comes back about early December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on West Tally Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Tally Pond, 2.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at West Tally Pond carry more weight than any list.