Dunk River

The Dunk runs about 20 km from the farmland around Breadalbane, through Scales Pond in Freetown, to Bedeque Bay on the island's south shore. It is a small, groundwater-fed river, and it holds brook trout all year, sea-run brook trout that come in from the bay, and a self-sustaining run of rainbow trout. A few Atlantic salmon still spawn in it, and the watershed group works on their habitat.

It is small water. You can wade and cast across most of it. The season opens April 15, and the early weeks are for sea-run brook trout in the lower river and the estuary. As a rough guide from the Wall Road gauge, the river fishes well between about 1.3 and 4.3 m³/s and is high and coloured over about 8.7. Red island soil washes in after hard rain, so let it settle. Small streamers and nymphs work in spring, and dries and terrestrials on summer evenings. July and August can warm the river, so fish early.

The province gives the Dunk an extended fall season. From September 16 to October 31 you may fish Scales Pond and the main river below it, including the water below the steel bridge on Mill Road (Route 110). In November, Scales Pond stays open, and the main river below the Hatchery Pool, about 400 m above that bridge, stays open to December 31. The extended season is for rainbows: register, keep a logbook, use a single barbless fly or barbless lure, and keep at most 3 rainbows a day. Most of the bank is private, so ask before you cross a field. Summerside, 15 minutes away, has the services.