representin' da North Side

Another year has come and gone, and the FishingPals add another notch to the ol' belt. It looks like we're getting the hang of this and each year seems a little easier. Alan made it back all the way from Scotland for his sixth year with the boys.  Hula Boy becomes Hula Man, or is that Hula Elf?  Too bad Ben couldn't make it, but I guess work commitments are a valid excuse to miss the trip.

No more truck to haul our stuff, so we're renting vehicles to get our gear into the bush. Word of advice --- check the AC before you rent a vehicle. It seems that we caught a hot period during the summer to take our vacation, and the rear AC was not working in the rental. It wasn't too bad, but if you sweat as much as I do, you don't want to be stuck without AC.

This year's trip was as much an adventure as we have had in previous years. The detour on our way up, Eric's foot problem, Eric's hand infection, the Shania visit, the wandering lumber truck, etc. made it all fun. The camp was in good shape, but it had a few extra rodents this year. We seemed to get a new victim everyday. Our day trip to Kenogaming was a worthwhile side adventure. We had to paddle canoes so we didn't get too far, but the weather co-operated, so it turned out ok. We only caught 4 or 5 walleye. Looks like we missed the fishing by about a week. Apparently they were biting just before we got there. We need to study that lunar cycle a little more closely next year!

Eric's adventures with his infections and slivers always provide a source of entertainment. It's a good thing they didn't turn out to be more serious. Perhaps we need to bring some more medical tools next year, and retire that old Rapala lure. Luckily, we're only a short drive to town and can access medical help if necessary. The fly-in trip would have been interesting if we ran into the infection early on.

Good food and good company. Can't ask for anything more. Thanks again to Andre and Eddy for use of the camp. It's an oasis in the middle of the woods and provides a great vacation for us city folk. Also thanks to everyone for coming out and pitching in for the BBQ night in Timmins. The caribou and sturgeon were a special treat.  Kim and Andre's hospitality was greatly appreciated by the whole gang. 

Until next year...  "Know whadda'm saing?"   Oh yeah, thanks to Shania!

 

But It’s More Than That…

Over the last few years, many have asked me why we travel so far (this year was 10.5 hours from Gravenhurst but that is a another story for another day) to fish when there are many lakes closer to home with at least as good fishing if not better. The answer is that this trip is more than just fishing. Fishing is just a backdrop for something considerably more (no not like Brokeback mountain more). First, there is an incredible sense of connection with nature. Whether it be standing in awe looking at a moose a hundred feet away or passing a lynx perched on a rock outcropping along the logging road, or this year spotting a female bear with two cubs and taking in a meteorite shower.  There are always incredible natural scenes that will not likely be forgotten.

But it’s more than that. It’s the new culinary experiences whether it be Ben’s famous steamed bass or Andre dropping by with venison or bear. This year Andre and Eddy and company graciously hosted a dinner and prepared some very tasty caribou while Guy cooked up some of his sturgeon.  It was a wonderful feast. Too bad Eric had to eat out of an intravenous tube but that too, is another story for another day.

But it’s more than that. It’s the camaraderie of the fishing pals and our local hosts and their shared stories. Whether it be stories of great caribou hunting trips of past or not so great misadventures (it’s coincidentally strange how guns, alcohol and sub-zero temperatures can contribute to some of these stories). These stories take us back to early years of human society that saw people draw their stories on cave walls. Over many thousands of years of evolution, not much has changed. Our fishing trip commentaries and web site pictures are our cave walls and rather than discuss how we fell a great mammoth, instead we talk about, how, during the course of the summer, a boy turned into a giant elf who spoke in white suburban gangsta. We also learned how you could lose an arm with the aid of just a single fishing hook. I’m sure these will form some of our future stories and maybe more than anything else, that’s what it’s all about.