Hey AC !
Happy BD !
From KC !
By Krista Cheseman
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Well it's Alan's (AC) birthday, (BD) and like you I (KC) have faced the daunting task of finding a gift for someone who has everything. And wants nothing.
I recently discovered the art work of Thunder Bay caricature artist Brian Nieminen. The little digital photo above is a sample of his work - different from the famous line drawings he has created in his career, especially of musicians who have played at the Thunder Bay Blues Festivals over the years.
By the time you read this, I will have presented the larger framed version of the above picture,
"Fishing Under the Falls" for Alan to hang on the wall of his office.
Brian has a gallery here that you may want to visit when you are in Thunder Bay and a website that is open but is still under construction.
You know, if Alan really likes this acrylic drawing, perhaps he will
present me with some lures for that great little tackle box he gave me for Christmas -
but I'm not bitter, no really -
I'm not :)
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Elementary School Sponsors
Soldier
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DJ Emanuelson is principal of an elementary school
in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania's Baldwin Whitehall School System. He is married to
Mark Snyder's cousin, and he is an avid fly angler. Bill Johnson is a double
amputee from Butler PA, and a Vietnam vet. And thanks to the efforts of
those elementary school kids, and the $900 they raised, Bill is one of a group
of soldiers who will be our guests at Healing On The Albany, a Project Healing Waters event held July 12-20 at our Miminiska Lodge in Northwestern Ontario.
That's in a month, and we are all excited about the project. You can
learn more about Project Healing Waters in general by clicking on the Project
Healing Waters logo at the bottom of this newsletter, or get details about the
Canadian event, and how you can help when you click below. |
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Something Old - Something New
...by Alan Cheeseman
Something borrowed. Something blue.
I think that's a bride's checklist to have at their weddings to insure long and happy days.
But what do I know about marriage ? (See column on left.)
Our "Something Old" today is a quick peek at one of our "oldest" full service lodge destinations on Whitewater Lake. Striker's Point Lodge - SPL through the eyes of a "old " guest.
Once called Whitewater East, to compliment our Whitewater Lodge camp on the western end of the 26 mile lake, the name change reflects the habits of Founder Jack Mark's beautiful German Shepard named Striker. Once off the plane, Striker would race to the farthest point at which the land extends into the lake, and stay right there until the call, "Come On Striker" would be made. Then he and Jack would wing their way to another camp, but it was here that Striker was most happy, according to Jack.
But don't let that "oldest" description fool you. The boats at SPL are state of the art 17 foot Lunds with 25 HP electric start Yamaha outboards, and our staff is all professional, starting with our managers Marg and Bill Carroll, from Roddickton, Newfoundland. That's their photo in the upper right corner of this newsletter. The audio report tells you even more about recent changes at SPL from the point of view of guest Jeff McDonald from Plymouth, Minnesota, who was among our first guests at SPL this year, and took part in the Live vs. Gulp program as well. Listen Now.
The "Something New" is the World's largest fresh water conservation area and it's right in our back yard. It's called The Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area; 11,000 square kilometers (4250 square miles) of water, lake bed, islands, shoreline and wetlands. It runs roughly from Thunder Bay east to Terrace Bay. Coastal Brook Trout, Salmon, and Big Lake Trout tempt anglers. Hikers, and kayakers are rewarded with natural beauty unlike any other in the world.
The June issue of Canadian Geographic has a feature article on the area called Simply Superior, written by North Bay, Ontario's Ray Ford.
Resource team members Scott Earl Smith and Dr. Graham Saunders have each visited the area and have interesting comments on the politics and potential of the area for anglers and outdoor adventurists in this special audio feature. Listen Now.
And finally congratulations to Carl Jenness on his big Master Angler Pike (photo in the upper left hand corner of the header). This 42 inch Mr. Toothy was caught and released on ZigZag Lake on May 28th.
I welcome your e-mails to guide us in creating a report that works for you...you can send one now.
Alan
Alan@wildernessnorth.com 1-888-465-FISH (3474)
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Spring Has Sprung
...Dr. Graham Saunders 
Not quit yet...but this weekend, maybe. That's my take on the actual arrival of Spring 2008. Highs may reach 70, but lows may still dip into the 30's. Yes, those were snow flurries in the air around Armstrong on Tuesday night. Some rain starting today will give way to nicer, less windy days by Friday. But keep that rain suit with you for occasional showers. Leaves are starting to unroll a bit and their minty greens will turn a bit darker within 10 days or so. But hey, officially summer and the longest day of the year is still ten days away (June 21). So please a little patience here :)
As to the impact that Lakes Superior and Nipigon have on the weather on the Ogoki and Albany watersheds? - Somewhat is the best answer and I'll explain further in the audio feed. Listen Now.
Graham Saunders, is professor of meteorology at Lakehead University here in Thunder Bay, and weather commentator for the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal and for Wilderness North.
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A Transition Week for Anglers
...Mark Prokopchuk
With most anglers still in the bush - reports are at best "chatter on the radio." When we do the radio check-in with those at our remote cabins, I am hearing that water temps are still low, and the big Pike are still on sandy flats. And the weather? We were at 38 degrees, clouds on the tree tops, and some delays on getting flights in and out the wilderness.
Ogoki Lake and Whitewater Lake are still very hot. I do have guests at Kenozhe, so next week I will have a report from both the Makokibatan and Kenoszhe remote cabins. Winds were unusually strong, limiting the spots on the big lakes where anglers could fish. The Walleye spawn is mostly over with good reports on Walleye at basically all depths. The western end of Whitewater Lake, in both Grayson and Goldsboro Bays still have big Pike "cruising." Anglers will be coming out from Arril, Dawn, Musgrave, and ZigZag after which we can update the official Master Angler file, and I expect we can reach 70 Master Anglers by this time next week. |
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Windy and Wild AND Big Fish at Miminiska Lodge
...Katelyn Johnson
The weather this past week may have dampened our clothing, but definitely not our spirits! Lots of rain and high winds over 20 miles per hour did not scare most guests from braving the choppy waters on Miminiska Lake.
Fishing conditions were difficult, but once outfitted with the proper rain gear, most guests were very successful fishing in shallow waters, between 4-10 feet. Little Cleo's, white jigs, and Power Bait were widely used, however, this past week live bait was all the rage.
The Master Anglers include:
David Merrill from Richmond, Virgina with a 40 inch Pike caught using a Little Cleo at a depth of 4 feet. John Hyler from Midlothian, Virginia also earned his pin with a 26 inch Walleye caught using Power Bait at a depth of 7 feet. Bill Thorsness from Hinsdale, Illinois was our final Master Angler with a 26 inch Walleye caught using a white 3/8 of an ounce jighead.
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Big Pike Go Deep at Whitewater
...Tyler Lancaster
This week on Whitewater Lake sure was a windy one. Although the giant swells and hard rains hampered the abilities of anglers to get to their hot-spots, those who perservered, were rewarded.
Robert Rees from Birmingham England made the long journey in search of a large Northern Pike. On his last day, in his last hour he tied into a brute while trolling a northern king spoon in a Rainbow Trout colour pattern. It seems an odd selection, but after being snapped off twice by large fish and losing a few other spoons to the rocks, it was the last in the box. The fish measured in at 42 inches, and was taken in 20 feet of water. It appears that the Pike have already moved deep, as anglers who have been working the shallow weedy bays are finding few to no fish, while anglers who have moved to rocky points and islands are hitting them. | |
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