Thanks Ed
Thanks Bob
Thanks American Airlines
Ed Newby and Bob Buttgen are retired American Airlines pilots. They own their own airplanes and live in the greater Chicago-land area. When they first heard of our idea to fly wounded soldiers to Miminiska Lodge for a Project Healing Waters event, they stepped up with their planes, their fuel, their time and their talents. And on July 12 flew our group of eight to Thunder Bay. They promised they would and they kept that promise.
And we are grateful!
(Mark and Ed)
On the last night of the Healing On The Albany event, PHW coordinator Mark Snyder, gave both of them a special fly-rod and case from PHW, as a tiny way of saying thanks for helping in a big way.
(Mark and Bob)
It was Ed Newby who made arrangements with American Airlines to round up the soldiers from accross the USA - free of charge - and bring them to Chicago and return them safely home as the end of the event.
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Talk About
Good Corporate Citizens !
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What Are The Northern Lights?
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Folklore abounds with explanations of the origins of the spellbinding celestial "Northern" lights. In Finnish they are called "revontulet", which means "fox fires," a name derived from an ancient fable of the arctic fox starting fires fire or spraying up snow with its brush-like tail. No matter that in English "foxfire" is a luminescent glow emitted by certain types of fungi growing on rotten wood. The true story is that the sun is the father of the auroras.
The sun gives off high-energy charged particles (also called ions) that travel out into space at speeds of 300 to 1200 kilometres per second. A cloud of such particles is called a plasma. The stream of plasma coming from the sun is known as the solar wind. As the solar wind interacts with the edge of the earth's magnetic field, some of the particles are trapped by it and they follow the lines of magnetic force down into the ionosphere, the section of the earth's atmosphere that extends from about 60 to 600 kilometres above the earth's surface. When the particles collide with the gases in the ionosphere they start to glow, producing the spectacle that we know as the auroras, northern and southern. The array of colours consists of red, green, blue and violet depending on the presence of the dominate gas in the area.
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Back "issues" of the Fishing Reports and Newsletters
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If you would like to go back to check a story in one of our past e-mails of either a Fishing Report or a Wilderness North Newsletter you can do so in our archive file.
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More Streams - More Fish
...by Alan Cheeseman
As most anglers know, the fast and clear running streams of Northwestern Ontario are a perfect habitat for Brook Trout. Interestingly enough, so are the big fast and deep waters of the Albany River. (Left header photo.) With our float planes, and Native Neighbour Guides, we are on a mission to locate as many "Brookie Hot Spots" as we can. During the past two weeks, our First Nation Guides, with the knowledge they have acquired from g enerations of fishing these waters, have led us to a few new and very productive "unknown" waterways.
For our guests this means even more choices, and for the fish population it means we can keep our promise to NEVER overstress any one stream.
This past week one such "new stream" produced over 50 Brookies, and half were in the 6 pound, 20 inch plus class. Yes, all in the last week of July. What is the name of this stream? We'll tell you when you get here. Better yet, we'll fly you there - blindfolded :) - to wade or canoe it for yourself, all in the capable hands of our First Nation Guide Team. The mission goes on. I'll keep you up to date.
For the record: You can go - but all angling is "catch and release" - and barbless single hooks are a must. To give you a bit more insight to the "Albany Area Brook Trout Fishery" we asked Gord Ellis - award winning outdoor writer - and CBC broadcaster to answer a few questions about the fishery, the area, and the fish themselves. Listen Now.
Other odds and ends:
During the week of July 12-20, wounded soldiers from Project Healing Waters were our guests at Miminiska Lodge. Our "Healing on the Albany" event was a great success thanks to your gifts, and the hard work of so many. One soldier, Neil Frustaglio of Green Bay Wisconsin, was welcomed home by members of the Green Bay Press Gazzette. You can read Neil's welcome home story by clicking here.
BTW: There was another guest in camp during the PHW event that we have not told you about, Scott McEnaney, Eastern Director of Orvis Endorsed Operations. Scott was there to "check us out" based on a potential Orvis invitation to become an endorsed Orvis Adventure destination. We should know by next week if we "passed the test" and what that could mean for our guests. We're keeping our fingers crossed. We also learned the Vermont based company has chosen Project Healing Waters for their charitable gifts of both equipment and cash. 
Keep in touch. I welcome your phone calls and e-mails. You can send one now.
Alan
Alan@wildernessnorth.com 1-888-465-FISH (3474)
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Summer Summer Summer
- - - Okay a Little Rain, Too
...Dr. Graham Saunders 
Starting today showers move into the forecast, more northerly than in the Thunder Bay or Ogoki River System, but certainly up at the Albany and points north. By Friday the weather turns back to those nearly perfect summer days we had last week, with plenty of sunshine on Sunday. Then really nice days for a few days. Highs about 78-80, with lows about 72, winds will be light, and there is always the chance of a afternoon shower or two. We may be facing the "Dog Days Of Summer" in a week or so, but this far north they will not be like the heat streak that is gripping the middle U.S.
In my podcast, I will answer the question, What exactly are the Northern Lights? If you say they are reflective light off the polar ice caps...I would have to put a big fat "F" on your paper. The article on the left can help or you can listen now. It could be on the final :)
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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Zig+Moj+Dawn=Master Angler
...Krista Cheeseman
I can not believe my own ears when I hear the reports from guests returning from our Remote Cabin Destination - Zig Zag Lake - the only lake among our destintions that has low water levels.
One group of three anglers caught six - count them - 6 Walleye over 26 inches, among - are you ready for this? - the 1200 fish they caught in their four day trip.
Then there is that moving water below the Summit Dam near our Mojikit Channel camp. This fast moving cold water continues to produce big Walleye even in as little as five feet of water. And Dawn Lake? Two big trophy Northerns in the middle of summer.
Listen now to my podcast in which I name names and where the fish were caught, on what lures they were caught, and in what kind of patterns. And learn why I was recently promoted to "Goddess of Lure Selection" - - - at last a little recognition for a girl in boy's world. :) |
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Weather and Fish Heat Up At Miminiska
...by Katelyn Johnson
Things certainly have been heating up this week at Miminiska Lodge. We finally got a break from the dreary rain, and instead suffered through days of blistering heat, little breeze and endless sunshine. Hats, shades and SPF were essential while out on the lake!
The fishing has been steady, but once again there were no particular hotspots. Guests reported catching about 15 Walleye, but then having to move and scout out a new location to fish. For Walleyes, jigs in assorted colours were popular this week. Greg Noffke, from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, commented that you can throw "everything but the kitchen sink" at Northern's. He managed to reel in two back-to-back 32 in Pike while fishing at the mouth of Wottom Creek.
It has been a great week for big Pike. John Marek, from Oshkosh Wisconsin, somehow managed to reel in a 35 in Northern caught near Caribou Island, on a jig with light line while fishing for Walleye - no leader. Mike Rowell and his son Austin worked together as a team to catch a 39 in Pike. Austin snagged it first using a buzz bait, but it was able to get away. Dad acted quickly though, and managed to bring it in using a spoon. Congrats to Mike and Austin for their "one-two angling" so I give them the "Miminiska Catch of The Week" award.
We have also had a few additional unique and interesting catches this week. Kyle Schwanz, from Oshkosh Wisconsin, caught a Rock Bass while fishing near Caribou Island. This has been the second Rock Bass reported this season - and as I mentioned in a previous report, they are not indigenous to these waters and usually not found this far north. I am going to send the photo to Jenni McDermid at the Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada for verification. Jason Reinke, also from Oshkosh (by gosh) caught a Perch while jigging in Wottom Bay. Perch are part of the food chain in our northern lakes.
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Monsters Still Biting on Whitewater !
...Tyler Lancaster
Attention Anglers: There are still plenty of toothy and hungry monsters ready for battle in Whitewater Lake. Just ask Madelyn Mees or ten year old Nathan Landheer (photo in upper right hand header) who both caught and released forty-one inch Northern Pike - and both on the same day. No, it was not the same fish - thanks for asking. They were caught on the eastern end of the big 26 mile long lake near our Strikers Point Lodge. Madelyn's came while trolling a silver Williams Whitefish in 23 ft of water along side the rock wall in Caribou Bay. That grassy area, is known for Pike, and with our high water levels, remains a "must stop" for Pike anglers. Nathan caught his in the "llama" in shallow weedy water using a red and white Johnson minnow variation. It's shaped like a silver or gold minnow but the paint scheme is like a red and white Daredevle - you can see it on the lip of the fish in the picture above. So the big Pike are both deep and occasionally visiting the grass. Go figure!
The Grayson River area - at the western end of the lake - came close to giving up a record sized Pike this week as well. The fish was half in the boat but proved to be too much to handle. It was very conservatively estimated at about 48 in.
The weather this past week was basically clear and warm and rainfree - with one small downpour as the exception. However, there have been a lot of hot still (dog) days. Fishing can become tough in these conditions as Walleye move deep and become lethargic. However, if you keep on the move, it is never a problem to find some active fish on hot sluggish days like these. Walleye can be found at 20-30 ft of water - moving water even better - and there is usually a big Pike or two nearby. Or as we like to say, "If you think you like eating Walleye, you ought to be a Pike."
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