yankee report/4-20-12

Inquiring minds want to know...........

I would not usually post a trip report on a trip that got blown off (again!) but some interesting things happened as well as some fishing wrinkles I thought I would share.

Bait catching went well at channel 5 and with some hoo and squid I thought I was set......wrong! But more on that later. I thought I got there early, 5;30, but there was already 20 or so guys waiting. Soon as the call to load went out I wasted no time in grabbing 7 rod holders in the bow............nice to not have to go topside to get an outfit. After that I hung out at the Hogfish......place was packed out with the usual eclectic bunch of key west locals and those in the know. I had a barbecue pulled pork sandwich which I couldn't finish while a reggae duo played. Both were excellent.

10 P.M. and away we went with the weather looking iffy at best. I crawled into my new favorite bunk (24) with the air conditioning blowing just below me......nice. 6 hours later I sensed the boat slowing. I stayed put as it seemed bouncy already and let them set anchor before I donned my battle attire.

I was greeted by rain and was quite happy I had just picked up some Helly Hansen raingear. It did well for the 24 hours I lived in it but I digress. As I went out to the bow pulpit to take my position a sight and experience I will never forget greeted me. What must of been literally thousands of tiny birds, wrens I believe, were on a mass migration. The sky was filled with them and they were totally unafraid. They landed on peoples heads and their rods and flicked inside the boat. As they flitted about, all pointed in the same direction, they kept up a constant refrain of sound. I imagined in my mind they were saying "keep flying, keep flying, we are almost there"...........It was a marvel to me that such a small bird would be so far offshore and be able to survive. In addition to the tiny wrens there was also big flocks of white egret adorning the sky, all heading the same way. Now picture if you will, all of this happening under a severe lightening storm with flashes going on all around us and the wind and driving rain as a backdrop. This went on for a couple of hours and I was satisfied with the trip already having experienced something I would never forget and would not likely ever witness again. Suddenly a big blast of frontline winds came up and when it was over the sky was clear..........I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the tiny birds, were they driven before the wind or did they perish?

The night bite was slow but as dawn came they fired briefly. I put 3 muttons in the boat with one dandy, all on grunts while the guys fishing Gogs went hitless. So much for $100 bait that morning. I had high hopes as I had a decent start (for me anyway) but I was to be let down. The bite slowed and the wind cranked and the rain came in sheets. But oh how I loved it. There are few things in life I enjoy more than being out there wrestling with those fish.

Mid morning and I went down for a snooze.........a rarity for me. I actually slept for one whole stop. Didn't miss much but by afternoon the bite had picked up some. Low pressure equals a poor bite but we were making the best of it. I shared the pulpit with a young gun who had some skill and picked up a few tricks that may interest some of you.........they were certainly instructive for me. My grunts had, for the most part gone cold and Bobby (apparently a regular as the mates knew him by name) had more types of bait than you could shake a stick at. The winning combo was a big threadfin. I commented to him how I had always had rather poor luck with them and he replied likewise but I thought it noteworthy that he still had a nice supply of them. I watched as he put 4 nice muttons in a row on the deck. The rigging was especially instructive and I will pass it on. It was a "reverse" butterfly. Instead of coming from the tail he would insert his cutters into the baits mouth and work towards the stomach repeating the process on both sides. The head was left on but the belly was trimmed, probably to keep the bait from spinning. The hook was inserted into the tail after the tail fin was clipped. Lastly he stepped on the cut head section slightly.

Another thing I learned from him was to vacuum seal frozen bait. I watched as he took a round kingfish steak from an airtight bag and brought up another nice mutton. So, frozen just might work after all. Great, something else I have to get.

In the afternoon I broke out the butterfly jigs and popped one dandy red grouper. Very satisfying. After dinner the Captain came on and said the winds were supposed to increase to 30 knots and we were done. That was the bad news...........the good news is he gave everyone another 3 day trip on the house. Is there is a better Captain around? I could see giving us a 2 day trip, that would of been more than fair......but a free 3 day? How cool is that. A big cheer went up from our group after the announcement.

Bobby (the young guy) was high hook with 8 muttons. I enjoyed fishing with him. I was probably second with 5 muttons and 2 grouper. One big mutton and one big grouper. A decent start.........if we could of kept it up we might of come off pretty good. On the other hand after the front went through the bite might of fell apart but who knows for sure.

I slept hard on the way back in. After unloading I went topside to talk with Capt Greg. "every time you show up it blows" he said........"I know, what's up with that" I replied. We shared a smile and a handshake and then I gave him an "I love you man" (miller lite commercial) for the free trip and he said that I had better.........Capt Matt is leaving soon BTW.......another guy I liked.

Bottom line.........no regrets. Had a good time and would of done it again. I have to change my bait philosophy. Maybe my new handle will be Bait whore instead of MasterTangler. Anybody know of a sale on Vacuum sealers?

Ok.......in a few weeks is the main attraction.......Capt Yuri. I'm very much looking forward to it. Please, drive safe........I'll see some of you guys soon.

Tight lines......MT

Capt Matt

Yuri 2011 trip report

Another year behind us and a whole year to wait.........oh the agony! Again my apologies for the lack of pics.......my bad. I only took pics of fish I caught and I thought were worthy and gave no thought of the trip report.......again.

Bait or lack thereof was the starting point for this years trip. Our usual contacts in the keys for gogs and speedos were silent or extremely expensive so most of us opted out. We did lay in a decent store of pinfish and grunts which were to prove a bit marginal. We did, however, pick up a decent supply of ballyhoo which were the best bait for the first nights mutton bite.

As per Yuris usual style we left a bit late pulling out about 2 p.m. and instead of trolling we rolled out west of ft. jefferson to spend the night and be one step closer to Pulley ridge. The weather had indeed co-operated and since Pulley ridge is a deep water reef of special concern there is no anchoring allowed and instead drifting the 200ft+ water is the only option. Perfect weather is mandatory. The first night the fellows from Tampa had a rather good time of it using ballyhoo plugs. Several nice muttons were brought aboard. True to form yours truly had his usual extra slow start refusing to use what was working and doing my own thing........mostly to no avail. Glenn's son Kevin landed 2 very nice muttons that night including big mutton honors which was to stand most of the way through the trip. Kevin, aged 11, was a real trooper and a pleasure to have on board. I hope to fish with him in the future.

The morning had us at a hump and Glenn and I broke out the jigging roods with butterfly jigs while the rest of our troop drifted dead bait. The jigs were the ticket and a limit of AJ was brought aboard in short order.

  We continued on to Pulley ridge where we commenced fishing for the rest of our second day. Glenn did wonderfully with the butterfly jigs while the rest of us paled in comparison. He did his best to educate us but mostly to no avail and we watched him put a whoopin on several fire truck red grouper and surprisingly he caught several muttons including one dandy. Again my apologies for a lack of pics. The reds were certainly worthy of inclusion.

I stayed up all 3 nights and most of the days so things start to get a little fuzzy from here but I will try my best to recant the rest of the trip.

That night found me alone in the stern with everyone else having turned in for the night. The bite started about 1 a.m. with smallish muttons firing about 20 minutes apart. Not great but I'll take it every time. The size of the fish gradually increased and culminated with the largest mutton of the trip which Glenn estimated at 16lbs. That fish ate a strip of bonita which Glenn had iced earlier in the trip. The bonita, in fact, accounted for the 8 or so muttons I caught that night. Glenn was up around 2 a.m. and commenced fishing. But as is often the case in this game misfortune frowned and he spent a good deal of his time dealing with sharks and re-rigging. Such is offshore fishing.

   A little bit of a late morning start but the deep dropping was on the agenda for day 3. I had to go down for an hour and when I awoke several golden tile and snowy groupers had already been brought up from 1050' depths via first class electric reels. Glen, Gary, Kyle and Rob manned the deep drop reels while I made breakfast and observed the action out the stern window. Kevin gave me rave reviews on breakfast which included sausage, potatoes/onions, waffles, eggs and OJ. It did hit the spot. Within 3 hours we had limited out on the golden tile and snowy groupers. These would add to our catch considerably. Very satisfying to see such delectable delights deposited into our fish boxes.

While we did not ask Yuri to demonstrate his culinary prowess, dinner was nontheless quite good with Glenns wife having made some barbecue pulled pork which proved excellent. The mutton bite that night did not materialize as per the previous night. Kyle and I stayed with it though and put in a good effort. Kyle did manage several decent mangrove snappers and a bunch of small yellowtails on his light outfit. He did pay the price a few times as fish a little to hefty for 10lb line broke him off. We also played tag with a nurse shark that went about 10 or 12ft long. I hooked it at least 3 times and I think Kyle hooked it twice. Fortunately each time it was a little easier to get in..........still exhausting though from 150ft down. I was rather pleased with myself after discovering a ledge off the starboard side and having had several grunts caught I suspected a black grouper could be caught at daybreak. I was correct.

This was to be our last day and all of us were very much looking forward to trolling. I think all of us had enough of handling a rod around the clock for 3 straight days and the thought of relaxing while the boat took us to the mystical dolphin grounds was a pleasurable thought indeed. We were abruptly brought low however by Yuri who informed us we would be unable to fish in water over 250' because of fish regulations concerning the snowy grouper we had boated. A huge bummer for us as I think we were all looking forward to the trolling. We all manned up though and fished a 1/2 day on some shallow reefs with a smattering to show for our efforts. After a shower I slept soundly the 3 hours it took to get to the dock.

I look back on the trip and other than the AJ bite on the hump and the deep dropping there was no "hot bite". We stayed busy though and it was not a long wait until someone had a fish on. It was a very good thing we brought extra coolers on board. Had there been a hot bite we would of maxed out. As it was we were full up with only 1/2 left on the remaining fish box. I think I can safely say it was the most fish I have ever put up but only because of the deep dropping. That fills the boxes in a hurry.

As for the very remote and much anticipated Pulley ridge it was a bit anti-climactic. Fishing was good......but not as good as I had hoped. I had set my sights on large fish and plenty of them. Yuri is certainly not to blame as this was only his 2nd or 3rd time fishing "the Ridge". Given time I have no doubt he will figure it out.

The crew was a bit different than usual. Jerry had to opt out because of chronic injury. Rob, ever the steadfast gentlemen and regular was on board. Glenn, retired AF and all around good guy was on board along with his son, Kevin, and 2 fellows he works with at verizon, Kyle and Gary. Fun guys to fish with (Gary you should have your own HBO special) and I look forward to doing it again.

Isle Royale backpacking 6/28-7/7 2000

DAY 1
Four hour boat ride over was smooth and nice. My crack about throwing rocks at thieving camp foxes caused the meek woman ranger giving the backcountry orientation to give me a double take. My fears about my pack being to heavy are allayed. Did seven miles OK. Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. The shelters are an unexpected bonus. Slept like a log.
DAY 2
Did four miles and stopped at the long cement pier in Moskey Basin to get water. Seen a huge trout, a brookie (coaster brook trout) of about 4lbs and decided to stay. I got him to try and eat twice but he was half hearted. Shore lines extremely rough. Fished off the long cement pier from 1PM to 10pm with a little break for an extremely cold swim and some burnt dinner. At 9:30 PM "it" happened. A very stout northern hit my tiny rapala with 6 lb line. Has to rank as one of my all time best fish fights. He took 35 minutes to land and I estimate his weight to be at least 17lbs. Spectacular lightening show in the distance accompanied by a loon sound track. Slept very poorly due in part to war with a mouse. A rather portly specimen who delighted in going through my pack. May he R.I.P.
Day 3
Slept in rather badly. Gear functioning excellently with the notable and troubling exception of my left boot. The sole is starting to separate. EEEKS! Will apply first aid in the form of cable ties.Batteries low in flashlight.

Half way to Chippewa Harbor I stopped at Lake Rithchie. Shorelines very rough. My poor boots are now doing double time as waders. My feet will not be dry the rest of the trip. Caught 7 or 8 small pike and fried 2. Excellent! The rolling thunder and hordes of giant merciless mosquitos hurried me on my way and I made the last 2 miles in an hour. Spent 2 hours bushwacking around Chippewa Harbor and fished without a strike. But it didn't really matter........the harbor is rough and beautiful and I feel like I'm 20.
DAY 4
The oatmeal breakfast with coffee is my favorite meal. Today I bushwacked into lake Mason. Very rough go of it and I had to grit my teeth to make it. When I got to the lake it opened up and I let out a cry of joy and relief. My first application of bug spray since I have arrived. Moose sign is everywhere. They make me a little nervous since the mommas are with calf.

The fishing at Lake Mason was surprisingly poor. I could only manage about 6 small pike and had to turn back after about 3 hours. Getting a blister on my heel. Went back out after lunch and bushwacked around Chippewa harbor. Insanity! Got to where I thought the fish would be against all odds. Crossed a creek and climbed 3 rocky faces. Fished 6 hours without a strike. Got tired and fell while in the water. Left buttock should have a nice bruise.

Sole on boot now completely separated. Holding it together with cable ties and parachute cord. Macaroni  and cheese dinner super. Five days to go and only 2 dinners left. Do I see some trouble on the horizon? I must catch fish tomorrow!  
Day 5
Very cold night. Could see my breath. I will have to give Lori a big kiss for convincing me to upgrade my sleeping bag. Slept well except my right knee and elbow were hurting. Feel like I'm 80! I wish I would of brought some sandals for around camp. The devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" has proven to be an ideal traveling companion, thought provoking and challenging.

It's 10 AM and I just finished breaking camp. As soon as I get water and wash up a bit it's time to hit the trail. I have 10 miles to cover before I can try and catch dinner. Weeeeee!

Despite my late start I make good time stopping only twice. Once to get water and once to repair a blowout on my boot. The Lord blessed me and I arrived only minutes ahead of some other hikers and got the premier camping site right on Lake Chickenbone. Camp is set up with clothes drying on the line. My boots are almost dry but now it's time to wade in the water again. I'm hungry for some pike. Two hours of flailing casts in the water has produced zip. I'm getting cold and my tummy is rumbly. When things are bleak a man should look up from where help comes. As I'm wading, grumbling as I go, I meet some people from Northville of all places. We get to talking and I mention that I'm fishing for dinner. "We're leaving tomorrow and would like very much to lighten our packs" they say. I was treated to an astonishingly good freeze dried lasagna dinner. Other goodies included more oatmeal and a nice bag of trail mix. The Lord takes care of his own!

The hot food has invigorated me and I get back into the water. Brrrrrrr! With darkness coming on I decide to go for the often sought and not always caught walleye. Bang- I catch a nice perch.......Bang- I pop a small but eatable pike. Then "it" happens. I land a walleye of about 3 lbs. A rather ordinary fish under most circumstances but not this time. There was no small stir about the camp and in fact I thought about initiating the "Pike Dance". This is an ancient event performed by men only in which a large fish, preferably a pike, is hoisted over the head while dancing around a fire all the while uttering strange noises. Rumor has it the dance fell out of favor because of the women (envy no doubt) but I suspect it was because of the slimy nature of the pike.

On a previous day I met a fellow on the trail. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked how the fishing was. I told him I had caught a decent pike in Moskey basin. "Oh you caught the big pike" he responded. Apparently news travels fast in these parts. I found out he had only 1 fish lure and no wire leaders so I gave him 2 lures and a leader. He then gave me some info about a canoe that was stashed somewhere on lake Chickenbone. The exact location remains a mystery but I have some hunches. We shall see what tomorrow brings.
Day 6
I slept very hard but was awakened about midnight with my knee hurting. Bummer. There's no swelling and it's not tender and I'm grateful for that. It probably doesn't like wading in the cold water. I will take it easy today. No bushwacking! The weather the past 2 days has been glorious. Sunny, light winds and no humidity. If the weather holds I intend to start back and do the longest leg of the trip a day earlier than planned and thus try and avoid doing thirteen miles in the rain. Good thinking old chap! That way I'll only be 6 miles from the ferry ride home.

My slow morning starts have some distinct advantages. By the time I'm ready to hike I'm stretched out a little plus it's a lot warmer. The trails have also had a chance to dry off a bit as well. Stuff mart has been a blessing. The stool has been a huge comfort and the walking staff has kept me from having a few awkward moments and doubles nicely as a monopod for my camera. The camel back hydration system was a wise choice, 70 ounces of water at the sip of a straw. Lastly, my hats off to Tim Cornelius who convinced me to bring salt and pepper. It perks up the fish nicely and aids in the removal of leeches that continually affix themselves to my legs.

I arrived at the first hunch to where I thought the canoe would be but there was no boat. No matter. I fished anyway and arrived at the secret to catching the northerns. A big plastic bait with no weight was murder. Several times I got to see the strike. Neat! Still fixated on the mystery boat I pulled out the map and tried to figure out where it would be stashed. I hiked to the other end of the lake and BEHOLD, the fishing ark. I looked around for some large trees as my informant had suggested and Ta-da......paddles! I made my way to an island which all intrepid explorers know is a good place to go. I parked in the reeds to ready my rod but before I could do so I heard some low grunting noises which could mean only one thing......Moose! I pushed off from the shore and sure enough out steps a big cow moose. I could of tossed a rock at her underhand to be sure. She did not appear to have hostile intent but I became concerned all the same when she began to wade out in the water. Soon she was swimming and what a sight to behold. All the way across the lake she was grunting and blowing water out of those huge nostrils. A sight I will never forget. Alas, not to have my camera for fear I would get it wet while wading. The fishing was very good for small fish but I could not get on the big ones try as I might. I returned the canoe about dark and had to make good time to get to my campsite. It stays light until almost 10:30.
Day 7
I arose at 6 A.M. and although the temptation was strong to stay another day because of the boat I decided not to press my luck. I took 3 hours to eat, fry fish and break camp. An oddity happened after cleaning the fish for that days lunch. When I went to dispose of the remains they were gone. They were to big for a mink which leaves a fox as the likely culprit.

Got started at 9A.M. with a heavy pack due to all the water I garnered. I was to be hiking a ridge today and one does not usually find water on a ridge. I was blessed with a cooler day with nice breezes which made for good hiking. I was hiking the high country of the island now and the views which it afforded me were superb. Several times I had to stop and pull my pack off just to marvel at the beauty. The Lord is truly the master artist. I arrived at the trail to lane cove about 3:30. Eleven miles behind me and two rugged miles to go. The trail to lane cove was just as described in the guide book.....difficult. But without question the 2 nicest miles I have done (if only my feet weren't hurting so!). Upon arriving at the campground my biggest concern was getting an unoccupied shelter because a storm was brewing. Well I didn't have to worry about that because there were no shelters and furthermore there was no nice long dock jutting out into Lake Superior to fish from. I took comfort in the nice trail and hurriedly set up camp and ate dinner just as the rains began. I was in bed promptly at 6 P.M.
Day 8
I slept 13 hours last night. Wow! I must of been whupped. A bit perplexed about where to fish today. Have I come all this way to a place of little or no options? Time to consult the topo map. After pouring over the map I spied it........Lake Ahmik! Back on day 2 I met a Ranger I had met a ranger who had told me that lake Ahmik had come up very well on a survey...........but he also flatly stated that it was impossible to get to. I made some more coffee and stared intently at a possible route. The key to the whole trek was a canoe portage off the bay that I was currently on that led to another Lake Superior bay in which the lake lay parallel to about 1/4 mile inland. After sizing everything up I finished my cup of courage and gathered up my gear. Space blanket, waterproof matches, raingear and the all important compass.

The trip around Lane cove was way to easy and I reached the canoe portage in less than an hour. My hopes were high for similar terrain in Stockly Bay but where quickly dashed upon reaching it. Although not sheer cliffs which would of turned me back in short order it was non the less rather steep. After another look at the topo I determined the lake was on the other side of a rocky forested ridge which was plainly visible about a mile down. Trouble was I had to go around the bay before I could climb the ridge. Although I generally bushwack rather slowly anyway this was extra tough with many large trees down which slowed my progress. Although the forest was very dense I still came across 3 moose kills.....definite wolf country. I amused myself with how I must smell to them and pictured them crinkling  up their noses and heading toward the high country tail between their legs.

I could only average about 1/2 mile per hour but I finally reached the top of the ridge and took a compass bearing. Only 15 minutes of walking put me on the lake..........And what a lake! I fished the greater part of the day and caught numerous toothy pikes including 3 over 30", easily my best fishing day. My best memory was standing on a beaver lodge and busting two of the bigger ones on consecutive casts all while a moose eyed me suspiciously from a nearby cove. What a day!

I left at 5 P.M. giving myself some extra time in case I got turned around. I mad my way back to Stockly bay where a loon made my hear skip a beat by eating my curly tailed grub. My hook bent out straight when I set up on what I thought would be a trophy fish and then suddenly up pops a loon. I slowly put 2+2 together. I got back alright despite minor protest from my knee. I ate my last dinner and started early preparations to break camp and catch the boat home tomorrow.
Day 9
My worries about getting up late were completely unfounded. I was out of the bag and making coffee and oatmeal at 5:30......There was no way I was missing that boat. I broke camp in record time and was on my way at 7 A.M. Five hours later I had covered the 7 miles and pulled into Rock Harbor on a bad ankle. It was to remain sore for the next week. I took a shower and went to the visitors center to chow down.

With an hour to burn waiting for the ferry I decided to string my rod and give casting demonstrations to the 30 or so bystanders on the big dock. Something clicked in the remote part of my fisherman brain when on about the 100th cast I noticed my spinner wasn't sinking. Without thinking I set up hard and my rod made a perfect 9' arc. "Hung" I mumbled but soon the bystanders became cheerleaders as I battled a 6 lb lake trout. Between playing dead and making long runs it finally submitted. Finally I had managed to catch one nice trout on the trip. How appropriate I had one picture left in the camera!

I could not have wrote a better script for this trip and am grateful I was able to go.

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.

Yuri Trip 2010

I can't believe it's over. Another Yuri trip behind us and a long wait until next year. I have to apologize in advance for the lack of pics. Guess I just got busy. The usual suspects were on board along with a few fresh faces. Rich, my fellow artist buddy who was with me on the Yankee trip and my big buddy Jerry who has done the Yuri boat with me in the past were this years new guys to the mix. Capt. Zac, Rob, John and myself filled out our 6 man crew.

I took a gamble with catching bait (since some of my regular stops were proving unproductive) and good thing to. We loaded up at the #5 channel (AKA the "dump hole".....again living up to it's name). After a full day of laying in a store of grunts we proceeded to the Hogfish Grill where I ate to much and had a rather miserable night to show for my excess. Fortunately Jerry was off his game and no wall shaking rumblings emanated from his slumbering being that night.

We were at the "Lauren Jean", Yuri's dream boat, bright and early to load up. Unfortunately every dream has an end and ours ended abruptly when we found out the generator was down and hence no air conditioning in the cabin or sleeping bunks. AHHHH!! Yuri went and got some fans which he ran off the ships inverter and off we went. All and all the lack of air was not nearly as bad as I had first imagined it would be as the sea conditions were not to hot and we had a nice breeze throughout the trip.

 Fridays start was late with all the running around but we finally got out there and had high hopes of reproducing last years run of 22 dolphin caught trolling but such was not the case. Only three wee little phins came in the boat. A rather inauspicious start. I started the trip with a bit of a headache and rumblings in my tummy. Having never been prone to seasickness before I hate to confess it but I may have to start to address the possibility. This is the 3rd trip in a row where I haven't felt that great. Dr. Rob did a little work on my shoulders and neck and that helped. (Rob below....the grouper killer)

We stayed fairly shallow friday night and while the moon was up we did OK....not great. Saturday was one of the best day bites I can remember. It seemed like every stop had action. Rob did very nicely on the grouper catching 10 I think including a dandy black. We also got on some beautiful yellowtails with many big ones caught including my personal best.

We continued to fish shallow throughout the trip fishing around 100 ft or less. Jerry and I both figure Yuri didn't want to run out to the deep as the waves would of been bigger. No matter, we stayed busy and filled both fish boxes with snapper and grouper AND the big overflow cooler I bring on board just for that situation. While Rob was Mr. Grouper I did OK on the muttons putting 9 good ones in the box including a 17lb pink beauty

Saturday afternoon was kind to the big man. We pulled up on a spot where Jerry pulled 3 nice Red grouper in a row off the same rock. Don't tell me your not into catching big fish Jerry, it sure looked like you were having fun to me!

Rich, this being only his 4th overnight boat bottom fishing excursion had to put his dues in (see below)

Saturday night found the seas still unsettled and probably knocked us out of the big mutton bite in the deep water. Nevertheless we still hung in there. Our overnight spot had several snags, probably coral, which proved rather demoralizing. When you can barely stand up it's tough to continually re-rig. Slowly the stern was depleted of anglers except for one crusty die hard who was feeling a bit better and was catching a second wind at the right time. Having had enough of getting hung I went light tackle with 30lb line and 8ft of 30 floro and a light 3/4 once weight. A ballyhoo minus it's tail was my choice of enticement. With the moon still up I was able to drift the bait slowly down to the snapper and it proved very effective. So much so I gave serious consideration to waking some folk up but with only another hour or two of the moon I decided against it. Every drift down was a bite. Most pleasing to me was several of the fish were dandy mangos. Yellowtails and my largest red grouper of the trip came via this method. The grouper was especially challenging as we went back and forth with me feeling him in the coral but managing to get the upper hand. It was a close run thing. Handling the gaff alone was also rather fun. When the moon went down the fish shut off just as I had thought they would. I went to my bunk after cleaning the deck, not wanting to leave a mess, but only slept an hour or so before my fan quit and I knew I had to get up or lay in a swelter.

Sunday found the seas still kickin and we continued to fish shallow. Our good day bite of the previous day failed to materialize. I think partly because we were fishing even shallower plus the water was very clear.....never a good combination. Later that morning we had several big cudas around and Jerry put his mind to catching one which he did. (Below; Jerry and his cuda)

I didn't fish the last stop but rather started putting things away and emptying the last of our bait over the side. I slept the whole way back. My hands, despite my gloves, were in bad shape with many cuts and infections going on. I showed them to Yuri who knew exactly what to do. First the bleach cut with water and then a generous swabbing of neosporin got me to the point I could close them without so much pain.
Many thanks to Capt. Yuri (see below)

All things considered I thought we turned things around. If we had caught dolphin like we did last year I'm not sure where we would of put them plus our catch. Besides we were down to about 15% of our ice as it was. It took me 4 hours to clean my catch. 22 quarts went into the freezer, a good trip. I enjoyed fishing with all of you and look forward to doing it again.