Quetico 2010

PRELUDE

Our day and a half "close proximity drive" in the Tundra resulted with the following nicknames being assigned. Tim assumed the moniker "Big Daddy" while his 14 year old son Alex became "Candy Man" after consuming most of a bag of licorice. Alex quickly turned the tables on Dan giving him the title of "Dirty Dan" (Alex was to amuse us throughout the trip with his quick wit). I couldn't help but wonder aloud what my label would be. "Why, Al The Pal..... of course" chimed Dan right on cue.

We hit the U.P. with "Big Daddy" commenting on every smoked fish and pasty shop that he saw. Finally it occurred to me he was inclined to stop. "Tim, you need to be a bit more direct and speak up if you want me to stop". These words uttered by me set the stage for what has become an inside joke for the foreseeable future as we shall see. Soon after we were going through the town of Iron Mountain, it was late afternoon and we were looking for a place to eat when suddenly we ran out of town. All three passengers in perfect unison shouted, "turn around"!  Unfortunately the term "turn around" is not part of my driving vocabulary and onward we sped. Much murmuring took place and sarcastic statements such as "Oh, Just let me know if you want me to stop" were tossed around. My punishment was quickly meted out however in the form of being passed over when the last of the cookies were eaten. "Oh no you don't" asserted Big Daddy as the homemade goodies were passed into the back seat amongst much snickering.

We found ourselves the following day at Piragis (the local outfitter) snooping around. After a bit more rambling we went inside the Ely Steakhouse and had a fine meal. Afterward we shot some pool and played some darts. Good fun. Onward we sped to Williams and Hall Outfitters on Moose lake in the late afternoon. Tim Cornelius (A.K.A. "Big Daddy") my longtime childhood chum set about to seam seal the tent I had provided him with some months earlier. Several times I had implicitly advised him to seal the tent and check for leaks. His negligence was to provide him with a most memorable night as we shall soon see.
Day 1
We were up a daybreak and hustled our gear down to the awaiting water taxi. Soon thereafter we had a fine breakfast while our boats and gear were loaded for our taxi to Prairie Portage, gateway to Quetico Provincial Park. I heartily approve of our stay at Williams and Hall. The bunkhouse, breakfast and taxi were professionally provided at a very reasonable rate. Service with a smile goes a long way in my book.

After an early check in with the Canadian park service I was eager to get going. It was getting warm and the wind was already starting to build. We hit the sandy beach near the portage to Burke lake and opted for a swim to cool off since it was already roasty-toasty out. The stiff following wind that had helped us in Bayley Bay and Burke lake quickly became our nemesis on Basswood Lake. With about 3 more miles of new water to cover and a stiff chop to contend with I led by following the shoreline. This soon led to a modest mutiny. Dan was quick to point out that we were taking the long way and he was more inclined to strike out in a more direct fashion. I will admit to being a bit of a horses rear in my response. My tone probably lacked both patience and tact as I explained that our "goal" was to paddle and enjoy Basswood in a safe and efficient manner even if it meant a longer distance. You know your friends are true when you can be short with them and they still stick.

Amidst the gathering afternoon gloom we arrived at our intended and pre-determined campsite. I honestly admit to being rather delighted with the site. It was on an elevated island in a remote bay. Although lacking a good landing it had decent tent pads, great views and a nice breeze. With the weather glowering we set up camp. The rain tarps (we had 2) were to soon prove their value. While each of us took care of our own dinner needs I made up a pretty decent peach cobbler complete with real peaches with the outback oven for our dessert. Pretty good.

The rain commenced soon after the mosquitos had taken flight and it rained hard and blew off and on all night. My new 2 man "hubba hubba" tent kept me nice and dry. But unbeknownst to me Big Daddy and Candy Man were having a rough go of it. Their tent was leaking like the proverbial sieve. Tim's down bag was soon safely ensconced in its dry bag. A long, hot, humid, sleepless night was endured by Tim while clothed in full rain gear. Somehow Alex managed to snooze through the whole sorry episode.

 Day 2

In the morning Tim and his son couldn't resist the siren call of fishing in the still on and off rain. Dan and I busied ourselves erecting the spare rain fly over the leaky tent to protect our comrades from further misfortune. While we engineered a dry refuge Tim and Alex racked up a nice tally of pike right from shore. One 7lb and one 5lb northern were to make a long anticipated lunch appearance. I gave some thought about getting out there (and now regret I didn't) but instead retired to the comfort of my sleeping bag. It quit blowing and raining about noon and after stringing some things to dry I took the "Water Wolf" out for a spin. After several smallish bass and pike I caught what was to be my largest smally of the trip, a solid 4lb on the boga grip. Nice fish. Dan ventured out in the late afternoon and promptly returned with a 5lb walleye. We had quite the fish fry that night.

Day 3
I was up well before sunrise and fished hard until about 9 A.M. Several small bass and pike came aboard but nothing of consequence. Looking back I should of probably kicked myself in the rear to get out during yesterdays big blow and fished while the front was coming through. But the motivation just wasn't there and I hate forcing things.

Today we had a day trip planned to an unnamed lake. It took about an hour to get our act together but soon our 3 boats were out trolling for lake trout while paddling toward our intended destination a few miles hence. I watched as Big Daddy and Candy Man took the Bell Northwoods canoe closer and closer to the bank. "Hmmmm, they're going to get their lures hung up" I muttered to myself under my breath as I eyed them with growing certainty as they angled closer and closer to the rocky shoreline. Instead Tim yelled out that Alex had hooked into a very nice fish. After several anxious moments the fish was brought boatside where Tim decided the best way to land the big walleye was to grab the line and lift. Basswood was as calm as I'd ever seen it and I bet they're perfectly harmonized "AHHHHHH" could be heard quite some distance as the big fish flopped off. This event started another inside joke that was to be repeated throughout the trip......."It was in the E-mail" became a common saying. The reader must understand that a prodigious amount of e-mails went Big Daddy's way informing him of the need to waterproof the tent, bring a small net, etc. etc. but I digress.

Yo Tim!

Up into a cove and following a small creek we came upon our destination. A pretty little lake that looked to be filled with bass. It was calm and sunny and I had to drop down to 4lb line to get bit. A four inch worm did the trick and several bass and 2 fun pike were brought boatside. I kept one of the bigger pike and with a bass Dan had caught we had a big lunch including a double batch of lemon poppy seed muffins again whipped up via outback oven.

Dan always had a knack with the bass

  After a quick swim we gathered our gear in anticipation of heading back to base camp. The weather had started to turn and I was becoming suspicious. Suddenly Candy Man shouted out from above us that we needed to come up where he was. Up we went and found a truly beautiful spot that overlooked the lake on a high granite facing. Well done Alex! The lake warrants a return visit and the now found panoramic view will be a highlight.

Alex's discovery

I was the last to leave but quickly made the short portage. With a brisk breeze to push me along the bank I resolved to fish my way back. Conditions looked very favorable indeed but I managed only one big fish hook up. A few big head shakes and he was off. As Dan taught me long ago........"A little fish can pull hard but can't make big head shakes......only a big fish can do that". I have found that saying a definite truism. I fished a bit after dark but the skeets won out and I retreated to the comfort of the no-see-um mesh where I slept soundly being quite content with the day.

Big Daddy and Candy Man

Day 4
Today we are going to move our camp some distance and spend our remaining time on North Bay (part of Basswood Lake). We had another beautiful day as we trolled our way down Basswood lake. Dan left early to try and secure the 5 star peninsula site at the entrance to lost bay. Tim, Alex and myself managed 3 walleye between us but Alex was to get even with his Dad from the previous "misplaced fish" event of  yesterday by trying to lift Tim's 5+ lb. walleye into the boat via lifting on the lure. Again there was some flopping, a splash and some moaning involved. Of course the obligatory "Did you read the email" was uttered by yours truly.

More paddling and trolling ended up putting another good walleye on Alex's line where Tim used the orange fish grippers to secure the prize. We pulled over to take a break and weigh the fish. Another walleye at exactly 5lbs. This was to prove an unusual theme for us in North Bay as we ended up catching more walleye at that weight than any other size. After a few high fives and some pics we proceeded to the peninsula site where Dan had indeed snagged it. Nice grab "Dirty Dan"!

a happy camper

After dinner I struck out for Lost Bay. Between the first island and shore there seemed to be ideal walleye habitat. For about an hour I made repeated drifts while jigging but no takers. As I was leaving Lost Bay Big Daddy and Candy Man were just arriving. With precious little daylight left Alex scored on a nice 3lb smallmouth while I trolled out in North Bay. Another terrific day in the books.

perfect day

Day 5
We were up early and had planned on day tripping to Noon Lake via South, West and Shade lakes. Tim and Alex piled into the Northwoods and got a bit of a head start. North Bay was flat calm and the sky overcast. I flipped out a deep running crankbait and started paddling...........BAM, fish on! I looked around and suspected walleye. It was going to be a whopper if it was I muttered over to Dans boat who was not far off. With less than 10ft to go the fish came off and I was miffed. I had wanted to at least see it. I made another pass and popped an eye that went 4.5lb. Soon thereafter another was caught. I became even more convinced that the big fish I had lost was a walleye that could of pushed me over the long sought goal of 8lb's in canoe country. Having managed several that size in the great lakes I was eager to get one while under paddle. It looks like I'll have to wait some more.

Meanwhile Tim and Alex were making there own luck having caught a mid sized laker and another nice walleye. I made a few more passes without further result and then caught up with my pals on the opposite side of North Bay. It was mid morning and still calm so I suggested we make a few passes out in the bay. That was a good decision. I put a lake trout of 7.5 lb in the boat and Tim and Alex popped a double on walleye right near an island. Good action.........nice fish

 beautiful day,  beautiful fish

A double!

 It was now late morning and some decisions needed to be made. Onward to South Lake and hopefully the 5 star campsite where we would whip up a shore lunch of walleye.When we got to South Lake we made wraps with the fried fish filets and topped them with salsa. After stuffing ourselves we couldn't help but fall asleep in the pine duff.

Tim's dreaming of a 9lb. walleye

 I awoke first and made myself some coffee. While I awaited my slumbering companions I observed a 16ft canoe with 3 guys in it and a huge pile of gear. They were going incredibly slowly right next to the bank in the lily pads. I entertained the thought that they must be a guided group and were bird watching but when the fishing rods came out I knew that they didn't have a clue about where to go and what to do. They soon ceased fishing and aimed their overladen vessel toward the portage to West Lake. I was suddenly seized with a desire to help them and quickly paddled out to them. After a brief conversation I found that their destination was Shade Lake but they were very much open to any suggestions. I cued them to a spot on West where I thought they could put a few fish ion the boat and suggested that they go to Jeff Lake instead of Shade. A tad bit more adventurous with better fishing and wholly suited to their overloaded mode of travel. I wished them luck and they carefully waved as I sped away.

My companions had roused themselves and after a short pow-wow we decided to flip back to North Bay  and take advantage of the calm conditions. I left first and stroked hard eager to take advantage of the lack of wind. My focus became the reef where the "double" had been taken a few hours ago. I spent several optimistic hours there without result. It is, however, a substantial area and will certainly get my attention anytime I'm on North Bay. After switching to topwater in the late afternoon and playing with several 16" smallys I decided to troll for Lake trout. I was quickly rewarded. In an hours time I caught 2 twin Lakers that had some shoulders. Both fish weighed in at exactly 8lbs on the boga grip and were an absolute blast on the 9' steelhead rod (my favorite trolling rod). I dearly wanted pictures but that meant a death sentence for the fish so instead I spent some time with them until they were able to swim off on their own. They were quite beautiful and of good size. Which brings up another oddity........everyone was to catch a laker that went exactly 8lbs.

Alex hung in there with the big dogs

Just about dark I swung by where I had hooked what I suspected was a good walleye and set up a troll. BOOM.........A good hit on the deep diver in 18ft of water. I studied the rod for a few seconds. Hmmm, big head shakes, could be a nice fish. A few minutes later a 6.5 lb walleye was eased on the stringer. I took the fish back to camp where I got a picture and then promptly released the big eyed beauty. Another Great Day!

Day 6
Dan was finally stung with the fishing bug. I had told him about where I had caught the Lakers of the previous day. He had intended to troll a jig and then set up a drift and fish the jig. I let him know my opinion of trolling the jig and eventually prevailed upon him to rig his spare rod with one of my favorite crankbaits. He returned an hour later with, yup you guessed it, a laker of 8lbs. The crew went into fish cleaning action and quickly made a fire and grilled that fish while I napped. They just did manage to save me a few bites. My hats off to you mates, well done.

Day 7
This day, our last full day, remains a bit foggy but I shall try and re-call it as best as possible. I was away fairly early and with one goal. That was to put a pike of 40" or better in the boat. I went directly to the reef off the island which not only had a lot of rock but also a fair amount of weeds. By the time I had gotten there however, the wind had kicked up something fierce and I continued on without so much as a cast. There is a big basin near the channel that leads to the Burke lake portage and I set up shop there. Out came the big baitcaster with 20lb line. I like big lures when fishing for pike and thus the sturdier equipment which is designed to throw it without wearing you out.

 I fished for about 4 hours with only small stuff to show for my efforts. The paddle back was tough with big waves and high wind but I'm rather brave near shore and the little Bell solo rode the waves just like a cork. I had intended to slip up into Lost Bay but instead felt wiped out and slept for some 2 or 3 hours. Tim and his son had returned from a rather longish jaunt and were blitzed themselves.

In the late afternoon the wind laid down nicely and Tim started whining that he had not caught a lake trout. "OK fine, let's go" I said. " Although Alex was wanting to go fishing he was a sport. We told him we would be back in an hour and away we went. I was hoping Tim would connect and not me as I had already brought 3 nice lakers in as well as several smaller ones. Around the island I went but no dice. I had to keep telling Tim to paddle slower and softer but being the brute that he is he had one speed. The thrust he achieved per paddle stroke was so strong that I finally had to tell him to stop paddling altogether. I asked Tim how long we had been gone. "Oh, about 45 minutes" he responded. I pointed our craft toward camp wanting to keep our word with Alex. Something deep down within told me to do a pass out into North Bay away from the island. Away we went as I usually don't ignore those kind of promptings. Sure enough 3/4 of the way through the loop Tim connected. With the rod bent double and the drag singing Tim kept commenting that he had a "big fish"! "Could be another 8lber" I commented. Tim was convinced the fish had to be lots bigger than 8lbs. but when we put it on the boga, yup, 8lbs exactly. We exchanged grins and released the fish. I was very pleased and happy that Tim had banged a Laker and a good one at that.

Day 8

We were up fairly early as today was departure day. Tim had to attend some schooling in northern Michigan the following afternoon. This cut the trip short a day or two. While we were packing up a startling event occurred. While Tim was putting on his Mukluks an enormous grey hairy spider clambered out and quickly made his way up his thigh. I was right next to him and seen the whole thing. I would not of believed a spider of that size would be in northern climes. Tim gave a yell as he swatted it off and apparently I yelled to. This is the second time I have come across an outsized spider in the Quetico. 

We breezed across North Bay before the wind picked up. I ran a line through Burke and picked up 3 lakers including one that went 5.5 lbs. Very pretty fish in Burke. We made our way across Bayley bay in the face of an ever freshening wind. With the time constraints which were facing Tim it was desirable to get a water taxi back. I thought it was very unlikely the Canadian park service would call an American outfitter but Dans comment rang true........"If anyone could do it Tim could......he's the Man". Sure enough an hour later we were whisked away to Williams and Hall and much thanks were given the park service for making the call.

An hour later we were on our way. The vote was to stop at "Betty's Famous Pies" on route 60 but I, as driver, had veto power. We stopped at subway in Ely instead and then made the dash toward U.S. 2 and the upper peninsula. Good thing we got the water taxi and overlooked Betty's as we did just manage to drop Tim off at 4 P.M. the following afternoon in Traverse City. Thus ended our little adventure.

 Thanks

I want to thank my lovely wife Lori. She has always given me free reign to go when and where I want. I am a blessed man to have her.

My hats off to my traveling companions. In spite of some tough sledding that first day and night they stood tall and paid their dues with only mild complaint. It was very pleasant for me to have some of my very best friends altogether.

I would also like to thank Darrel Brauer (alias Kingfisher) for his advice. 1/2 of our trip was based on his suggestions and I most thoroughly enjoyed a part of the park I might not have otherwise experienced.

As always it is with a grateful heart that I thank the Lord of heaven and earth whose creation is beyond what I can think or even imagine.

Fox Bay via Fox creek/Georgian Bay

Day 1
A little bit of a late start due to some confusion on my part in obtaining permits. Apparently I can get them from any outfitter in the area. Up at 6:30 but the only diner in the area doesn't open until 8. To start a trip without the usual belly full of coffee, eggs, potatoes, bacon and toast is mostly unthinkable. I wait and then get the "truckers special".

I get to Hartley Bay Marina about 9 and by the time I get started the wind is freakin honkin right in my face and would continue unabated all day. A cold front is coming and that's probably a good thing as the high today is supposed to be in the mid 90's. I have been to 2 "outfitters" in the area inquiring about landmarks to Fox creek. Nobody has a clue. The guy at Hartley Bay has advised me that the Pickerel River is all but impassable due to low water. That was plan "B". I am expecting the same in Fox Creek as my internet research is 10 years old. I have some apprehensions about even finding Fox Creek as it does not empty or originate into the French River which is the waterway I am starting from. Add to that the only map I have is such a big scale I have my doubts about finding my way. Plan "C" is not very appealing. I would have to stay on the main branches of the French and loop around on the outside (Georgian Bay proper) to gain access to the more remote region of Fox Bay. Many negatives would come into play. It would add at least another day and I would have to deal with the big water and powerboats as well. And if or when I got to the outside I would very likely be turned back due to rough water. The final motivator to find Fox Creek is that several campsites on the main waterways have been shut down because of bear problems.

WOW! What a truly great day! Just superb! Finding the entrance to Fox Creek is a tad tricky. I kept looking for a marker of any sort but no dice. More by intuition than anything else I eased into a finger and parked. Hmmm? No sign of a portage trail. Adjacent to my position was a granite ridge and I decided to take a look see. Bingo, some water at the end. That in itself is not that unusual in this country but it prompted further exploration. The first real encouraging sign was some surveyors tape on top of the ridge. AHA! I gave the ridge a run and found it flagged to the end where it dumped into nothing more than a pothole. I got the stuff across the pothole but still no sign of a portage. Again a ridge presented itself and another traverse put me on what I became increasingly convinced was Fox Creek.
When I got down to the waters edge I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of a shallow, weed choked, mosquito infested backwater I would have to give it more the label of a series of long lakes connected by narrow passageways. At the landing there were a few boats cached, locals no doubt, that gave some suggestion as to the fishing possibilities.

  The wind was a two edged sword. It very much wanted to stop me dead in my tracks but it also had a "cooling effect" which helped me deal with the very hot temps. The run up the creek took about 5 hours. I was blessed to have a bear swim across right in front of me. He crossed about 1/8 mile of water with ease and upon getting to the bank he shook himself off very much like a dog would do. He looked at me for several seconds and then bounded off up the granite hillside again looking very much like a giant dog. I also got to see a big family of otters. I got fairly close in all the wind before they went under and oddly enough never resurfaced.

2 portages behind me and only 1 left. It was here I took a spill. I was starting to feel thumped so I ate a snickers bar and a few Kashi bars to get me across. It had clouded up as the day went on and the misting rain had made the smooth granite ridges slick. Fortunately my fall came while I wasn't carrying anything but all the same I came down hard on my rump as my feet gave way. I had the double indignity of getting smacked across the face by a pine branch as well. HMMM. Wake up call for my beloved Muckluks. They do poorly on smooth angled wet surfaces especially when the tread is all but wore off.
No harm done though and I felt good as I entered Fox Bay. I was quite pleased about the day after finding the back door entrance to remote Fox Bay. Now I could deal with the big waters on Georgian Bay on my terms instead of vice-versa.

Only one job left.....I have to find a campsite. I have passed 2 already. One was next to a swamp and another had some leaning trees I was suspicious of. It was starting to get late and I was more or less smoked. I slowly eased toward an island (which I have taken the liberty to rename "Albert Island") where the group on the internet had stayed. When I got there I couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion. What a beautiful site! Great landing, flat spot for the tent, excellent wind breaks on 3 sides, a private lagoon, and get this.......A PICNIC TABLE! All this and not a soul in sight. Thank you Lord!

Day 2
Woke up once in the night as the wind clocked around and caused the waves to blow into my little lagoon. At first I thought I had a bear puttering about in the shallows but soon realized what had happened. Getting a bit of a late start fishing but that's OK. My neck and arms are a touch sore after yesterdays slugfest with Mr. Wind. The cold front is here and is quite a contrast to yesterday. I had set up camp in nothing but a pair of Teva sandals and today I have more than 1 layer of clothing on. It's time to tidy up the camp, eat some oats and then explore this wild and wonderful area.

Day 3
I am confused and even taken aback. Has my love affair ended so abruptly? I fished hard for 10 hours yesterday and could not catch anything. Well, I take that back, I caught one 5" smallmouth and 1 little pike on a 30 taildancer over 40ft of water. I fished shallow and deep. I fished the main bay basin and the backwater bays. I have never seen a place look so good and yield so little. I had envisioned coming back year after year. Adventurous trip in, stunning scenery, isolated area and all within 1 days drive. It would be like being married to a beautiful women who was frigid. Nice to look at but.............

It looks like I was wrong about the front coming through yesterday. It rained hard last night and this morning the wind is honkin big time. I may have to drink a few more cups of courage (coffee) before I get the nerve to take the boat out. I am brave in the rough near shore but a certified chicken in the rough offshore. I only have 1/4 mile of open water to cross to escape my island home and it doesn't look that bad but the waves breaking into the far rocky shore and the sound of the wind is enough to curb my ambitions. I have 2 plans I intend to put into play. One is to venture closer to the main body of Georgian Bay which is some 2 miles distant. The fish went somewhere and en-mass. The other strategy, that I had hoped to employ today, was to return to Fox Creek and fish the series of lakes there. While I was at it I could look for any suitable campsites. That way if I failed to connect on the outside a good alternative would be present. Time will tell if I can achieve anything of value today. At least I am quite comfy. My site has several large granite formations, humps if you will, that block the wind quite effectively. Add to that the rainfly which is erected over the picnic table which helps keep everything dry. And what shall I say of the picnic table? It is splendid! A terrific "asset"indeed (pun intended)!

It is now 1p.m. The sun is out but it's still blowin hard. Just a small reduction will get me on the water. No matter how the fishing pans out on this trip I have decided to dedicate myself to learning this area. This is big fish country and it may take some time to unlock its secrets. There are several fish camps in Georgian Bay. People often spend several hundred dollars to fish here. By finding Fox Creek I have found a back door that puts me right in the middle of what is probably world class fishing. I probably need to give it a go in the spring. In the mean time I will do some more exploring as soon as the weather breaks a bit.

Tonights dinner sounds interesting...........A soft tortilla shell with ketchup. Now THAT'S something to look forward to. There is supposed to be fish with that recipe. Tomorrows dinner sounds equally meager.........A bag of white rice. I think there is supposed to be fish with that to. Of all people I should know better! Trying to get a bite post cold front can be tough. They should of bit yesterday........and probably did, somewhere.

A fun day on Albert Island. It is small and filled with trees but open and I spent a lot of time casting from shore. After all, one never knows. On one casting shift I walked up on an otter. It would go down and come back up a half minute later crunching on something. Every time it went down I would get closer. Finally, with one last burst I got to within 3 ft. of where he came up. He went back down as fast as he came up and then popped up a short distance away and chattered at me. All I could do was laugh. Immediately thereafter I cast a big spinner and was rewarded with a 4lb pike. Dinner is looking up. It was a very good thing I didn't leave today. I only thought it was windy earlier. If it blows tomorrow I will ease over to the larger island on the other side of my lagoon. It is long and narrow and should provide a place for me to stretch my legs and make a few casts.

Day 4
It blew hard all last night and is still gusty this morning. Rather odd though, I had expected blue bird cloudless skies and cool temps.......instead it is very overcast with sheets of drizzling rain and quite cool. The wind has left me a touch nervous. If I would of left yesterday it would of been a very dicey proposition to get back to camp in the evening. On the plus side any change in wind direction will help since the long narrow bays are all oriented in a NE direction. In my brief time here I am sensing that it is a bit peculiar. The other night I left my damp rain pants out to air out a bit. In the morning when I picked them up they were literally alive with an insect that resembled a cockroach. Many dozens had decided the "in" place to live was the legs of my rain pants. On the bright side if I were to ever get stuck here I wouldn't go hungry. Then last night I had forgotten to turn my boat over. When I got to it I flipped my headlight on and was instantly covered up in large bats. 4 or 5 were quickly about me and quite a bit larger than any I'm used to. Interesting. This morning the first thing I noticed is that the water level is up at least a foot. I suppose that is to be expected with this being the third day of strong winds coming in off Lake Huron. I wonder if the fish will follow the high water into the bays like the saltwater fish do?

This drizzly choppy weather should be good Pike fishing and if I were in a tin boat I would relish the prospect. Now, however, I am biding my time, drinking coffee and waiting for the margin of safety to turn in my favor. I guess I am getting cautious in my old age. 3 young red squirrels are playing tag in camp this morning. Sort of amusing. They seem content enough scampering about. Their only job in life is collecting pine nuts and making more squirrels and of course to avoid being eaten.

The wind eased off but then picked up from an entirely different direction. It's raining fairly steadily now and is quite cool. Brrr. I suppose I should pull it together and see if any fishes want to come out to play..........here goes.

Well it's only 2 hours later and I'm back. Popped one fun pike on the big muskie spinner within the first 5 minutes. I went toward Georgian Bay and checked out 2 other campsites. All quite marginal, especially the landings. The wind came up with a purpose and pinned me in the lee of an island. As soon as there was a lull I trolled my way back to camp. Here I am eating a cinnamon raisin bagel slathered with nutella. Pretty good! Sitting in camp drinking coffe is causing my caffeine supply to run low. To exhaust my supply would be a blow to morale. I'm trying to decide what to do. I want to get across the channel and explore Duncan Bay. It has a long narrow fiord like channel almost a mile long that looks to end in a marshy area. Maybe I could catch some bass or crappie there. I feel good about getting across in this blow but if the wind continues to clock around I would be looking at a risky crossing this evening. Even with supplies running low one more cup of courage will likely put me in the boat. I can't quite stomach the thought of sitting in camp another day.

The right choice...........overcast, drizzly and windy during my paddle into Duncan Bay. This rugged austere landscape certainly heightens your senses. This country would be very unforgiving to those who make wrong choices or are careless. I hooked one fish which I thought was "the one". Smacked hard, nice boil on the surface.........It put a nice bend into the Loomis Muskie rod and made a nice run which caused my boat to plow into a granite wall in spite of my best one handed paddle strokes. Turned out to be a rather ordinary 7lb pike. Glad to have caught it though. I towed it back to camp where it proved to be more than I could eat but just barely. Not sure what to do tomorrow. A little cold out......probably in the upper 50's during the day. Seen several formations of geese today. If I didn't know better I would say it is Oct instead of early Sept.

Day 5
The new down bag has done well for me. Kudos to "Snow Dog" and "Kingfisher" on Quiet Journey (a paddling forum) for nudging me over the edge on getting a down bag. I also took "Kingfishers" advice that he gave in the Boundary Waters Journal (a quarterly paddling mag) concerning silk underwear. In spite of being almost sheer they are quite comfy and warm. They weigh very little and are supremely compact which makes them ideal for canoe travel. Add my fleece beanie style hat and I was toasty all night.
I think today I will strike camp and head toward Fox Creek and see what it has to offer. This morning is sunny and quite cool. It's probably best to tackle the ridges of Fox Creek while they are dry. I almost hate to leave as this has been one of the best sites Iv'e ever been at. Oh well.....time to saddle up!

I arrived at Fox Creek about 11 a.m. Good thing I left when I did as the wind is once again howling like a banshee. This is 5 days straight of high wind. It's a very cool run up the creek with all the rock relief. When I got to the first lake a high granite mound caught my attention. It offered a good vantage point for views so I parked and clambered up. Up top was a fantastic panorama with water on 3 sides and many islands and islets. There was also a flat spot with a ring of rocks sitting ready for use. Obviously someone thought this a good spot to pitch a tent. I had camp up in about an hour and caught 2 chunky bass from shore. Fishing prospects seem to be improving.I spent the afternoon fishing and in spite of the poor conditions caught several chunky bass and pike. All were released.

There is a lot of bear sign here in the form of overturned rocks and small boulders. They are always looking for something to eat. It's evening out and it is downright cold out. I was shivering while I changed into my sleepwear. Since it gets dark at 8:30 it is a long night to be in a tent. I woke up twice. Once I thought one of my dry bags was getting messed with so I donned my headlamp and grabbed my bear spray and headed out. Everything was fine. The night sky caught my attention though. The only other time I had seen such a starry night was at Mt. Ranier. I stood awestruck for several seconds and then uttered, "Lord, you are beautiful".

Day 6

Daylight! Finally! I scampered out of my bag expecting it to be freezing. Instead it was almost warm. I looked around. Behind me was a glowering red sky and a double rainbow. It's finally flat calm out and now it's going to rain. AHHHH! I have a hunch this is going to be an all day deal. Maybe I'll just pack up and hit it. I fished my way along the route. The cold front had certainly effected the bite but enough 15" chunky smallmouths kept me interested. The contrast between my paddle in and out was extreme. After a shore lunch of bass I crossed the two granite ridges in the late afternoon. My friend, the wind, was back. Back on the French I had 1/2 mile crossing that I had to ferry across. As long as the waves didn't break into the boat I felt there was no real danger. It took about 2 hours to travel the French river back to my truck. Thus concluded my brief albeit adventurous trip into Fox Bay.