That'll Leave a Mark
|
|
It may just be fishing luck. Bad luck, actually. Just ask Charles Droudes. The combination of frost on the boat seats and giant Muskie lures laying on the boat seats.
Then BAM you slip and to catch the fall reach out your arm. The rest, as they say is history.
We won't show you the close ups, but one of the giant treble hooks is in past the barb. You guessed it, when the lure goes in the angler comes out and is on the way to hospital.
So why the smile you say?
This lucky angler and his party were the first in to Zig Zag and had already caught and released four Master Angler Pike. That's 40 inches or longer, and there was was a 45 in there.
Mark has the story of the lure in the hand and the Pike in the boat on his mini podcast from base camp at Armstrong.
Listen Now
|
 Healing on the Albany
Plans continue to move forward for the Healing On The Albany Event at our own Miminiska Lodge. At this time five U.S. Soldiers have been cleared for the trip. And work continues with the Chief of Staff for the 38th Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters for Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, and NW ON (Kenora and Thunder Bay) here in Canada to locate soldiers.
As you may recall, the event is fully authorized by Project Healing Waters. We continue to welcome monitary gifts that will enable us to transport these worthy men and women of the US and Canadian Military service to our Albany River Lodge. There is more information here at the website.
|
Healing on the Albany
|
|
|
Wild Wild Wild
...by Alan Cheeseman
Did I mention things have been a bit WILD here?
We just got boats in the water up at Makokibatan Lake this past Sunday, and guests arrive on Wednesday. The dock still needs work, thanks in no small part, to heaving and shifting bunkers from the lingering ice. We'll just grit our teeth, and eventually "git 'er done."
There's signs that Ogoki Lake had exceptionally high water, since our boats and fuel and propane tanks, all carefully stacked for the winter, were found "washed up" in the bush; way up in the bush requiring a chain saw gang to cut a trail to them! However, lake levels on Ogoki Lake are back to about normal now.
This is the first of our Weekly Fishing Reports and mini podcasts. Mark Prokopchuk, our Amrstrong Base Camp Manager has a great report on four Master Angler Pikes caught and released out at Zig Zag, Katelyn Johnson has the report from Miminiska Lodge on the Albany. (By the way, all new Lund Boats scheduled to be delivered last week went on a mistaken truck ride to BC and back but were dropped in to Miminiska Lodge by helicopter yesterday.) Tyler Lancaster checks in from Whitewater Lake's Striker's Point Lodge.
Wilderness North Meteorologist Graham Saunders has a forecast and a story on 39 degree waters.
I welcome your e-mails to guide us in creating a report that works for you...you can send one now.
Alan
|
|
Stable Weather Ahead
Graham Saunders, professor of meteorology at Lakehead University here in Thunder Bay, and weather commentator for the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal is predicting much improved weather for the coming week. Temps in the low 70's for highs. Plenty of sunshine. Lows in the mid to high 40's. Graham explains those brief rain showers created by day time heating too.
He also talks about the magic temperature of 4c or 39f water that makes spring lake turn over possible, triggers fish feeding, and how "Mother Nature" keeps lakes from freezing from the "bottom up." His mini podcast is ready to hear. Listen Now
|
|
Mark's Report from Armstrong 
Mark Prokopchuk is our Armstrong Base Camp Manager. As such he keeps track of the anglers heading out to their destinations and returning from their adventures in the boreal forest. This week he reports on four Master Angler length Pike taken by Milwaukee's John and Charles Droudes and Justin Drljaca.
In addition, he chats about the fishing biologists heading out to Zig Zag to check on tagged Walleyes that may have moved up the Jackfish River from Nipigon Lake. And he tells us more about the big Muskie lures used to entice those Pike and how to avoid having one in your hand - past the barbs. His audio report is availabe to hear. Listen Now
|
|
Katelyn's Memo from Miminiska
Katelyn Johnson, from Newmarket, Ontario has this week's fishing report from our Miminiska Lodge on the Albany. Only a few large Pike - one at 38"- were reported. However, Walleye aplenty were taken at depths of 8 to 15 feet, mostly on 3/8 oz jigs with bright white or yellow tails. Spinner baits running sub-surface seemed to trigger what few Pike bites there were, but true to the lake's reputation trophy Brook Trout were found above the falls.
Project Healing Water's Mark Snyder is at Miminiska now, and with clearing weather will be the first to run the Keezhik River this season, with North Carolina's Dr. Tom Doolittle. Both particiapted in our Fall Fly Fishing Adventure in late August of 2007, and are back for more - proving fish aren't the only living things that get hooked in Northwestern Ontario. Since no guests are at Makokibatan Lodge there is no report from there. Katelyn's mini podcat is ready. Listen Now
|
Tyler Lancaster's Report on the Ogoki River Watershed
Wednesday May 21st saw the arrival of the first guests of the season for Wilderness North's Striker's Point Lodge, located on Whitewater Lake. It was a short half an hour flight from Waweig base for the Hodges Party, who made the long haul up from Michigan. Wednesday on the lake proved to be tough as cold, windy conditions shut the Walleye off. Four Pike were boated, and Rick Shepherd's 38" specimen topped the list.
Day two saw dramatic changes as boatloads of Walleye were taken at areas with strong flow such as "the narrows." Several fish in the 18-23" range were pouncing on live minnow presentation. Berkely's new Gulp Alive product proved strong and held it's own against live presentations.
Day three was a fisherman's dream on the water. Water temps climbed from 40-48F degrees in just one day. Fishing was hot, and the weather was unbeatable.
Judging by the first three days of action it looks as if we are in for a great season. | |
|
|
|
