a week long trip, deep in the interior of Algonquin

[Meegs]

Well last years trip was a total bust, with burning feet, breaking boats and nothing going right we knew that this year would be different! We started planing this trip 10 months ago and as every week grew nearer the more antsy I got. When trout opener finally came i took the canoe out to make sure it still floated, got all the trout gear ready and started preparing for a week of fishing some of the most prestine waters this beautiful country of ours has to offer!

 

 

DAY 1

 

Our trip this year would consist of 4 of us, go in on a Friday morning and return on a Thursday, take 2 days to get to our main lake destination and 2 days to get out. We've made it in before in a day, but its a FULL 13-14hour day once you first started to paddle depending on the winds. So Friday morning we got off to a bit of a late start but hey, we were still on the water by 9 15. We did the first couple of portages and were on our way through the third one when we spotted this.

 

 

 

 

 

Suckers.. Every last one of them! Still a good sign though, where theres suckers spawning, the trout I knew should be nearby! We got to the lake we decided to fish for the afternoon and set up camp. Managed to get afew hours of fishing in but came up empty handed.

 

DAY 2

 

Scott and I got up early morning with nothing but fish on our mind. Fished afew sets of rapids and trolled the shoreline for awhile with nothing to show for our efforts. so back to break camp, have a breakfast of champions, and start heading out to our home for the week.

 

 

we made it to our destination where a beautiful sight was there to be had. One of my personal favorite drifts of any river. Its only good for afew, but there usually worth while! this was a pic from last time I was there

 

 

This year was not to be any different! We fished for a half hour or so and produced almost enough for dinner!

 

 

 

We loaded the canoes and headed out to find our home for the week. Well the rain started, it was one of them rains that you knew was going to last awhile. Figured we'd throw the lines out

and within 10 min Dad and I doubled up on some algonquin lakers! We would end up landing 6 by the time we got to our camp! Lakers and specks for dinner. Wasn't going to complain. We got to the site we have had our eye on the last number of years. Unloaded the canoes and got right to work. Dad and Chris would be on tarp duty and Scott and I would go get whatever dry wood we could find. Had a feast of lakers and specks. The rye's flowed and the stories of the big ones came out around the campfire that evening Rods got set up and a plan of attack was formed for the following day.

 

DAY 3

 

First light Scott and I decided to go for a fish before breakfast. Jumped in the canoe and headed off to one of my favorite points on the lake.

 

 

 

Soon after we arrived I was telling Scott a story about a 5lber I had hit off the very same point afew years ago when Wham! Fish on!

 

 

 

lol his new PB for a speck! Can you tell he was happy? lol We did another pass Adan i picked up a decent laker.

 

 

Back to camp for breakfast, figured out where the other guys where going for the day and left on our way. cant remember the numbers for the day but it turned out alright! we did a short portage into another lake and fished a set of rapids for abit.

 

 

afew small specks was all we managed. so back to the big lake we went. half way back to camp I noticed this odd white stuff hiding deep in some rocks. ICE!!!!

 

 

We grabbed a large chunk and dragged it back to camp. Ice for the week! Nice!! Nothing goes better in the bush with your rye and coke than ice!

 

 

Had a good fire and afew games of cards and off to bed we went.

 

DAY 4

 

I had the pleasure of guiding Chris around for the day. Was a calm morning and the water was like glass.

 

 

 

 

I paddled the length of the lake with only one bite to show for it. We were meeting Dad and Scott for a shorelunch at a site we stayed at afew years ago. By the time we got over to the island they were already there and fighting a fish! There 4th in a half hour! 2 lakers and 2 specks! they had been skunked all morning as well but lit it up the past little while. we did 4 or 5 more passes of the island and Chris and I couldn't move a rod. Same baits, same waters, was getting frustrating watching them miss afew more Adan finally land another laker for lunch!

 

 

laker shorelunch, saving the specks till dinner! that afternoon Chris and I knew that we had to forget about the morning and start fresh! first pass of the island and Chris nails one!

 

 

then it was my turn!

 

then Chris's

 

 

We finished the afternoon off strong going 9/10. Almost made up for the poor morning!

Dad and Scott landed another 4 or 5 so it was by far the best day of the trip!

tally's for the day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ice in the drinks and fish in our bellies. And if i remember correctly the cards were laying out quite nicely for Dad and I as well. yep, Definitely a great day!

 

DAY 5

 

Scott and I got up early again and went for a fish. first pass and Scott nails a laker

 

 

 

 

then I nailed a nice speck!

 

 

great start to the day! Lake was like glass most the day, nothing had changed from the day before. I was guiding Dad for the day. Off we went to the far end of the lake again where all the action was the day before. we fished out brains out and hardly managed afew fish! enough for shore lunch but that's it.

 

 

Scott got another good speck and that was it for the day!

 

 

 

 

Cajun fish was on the menu

 

 

 

oh, pillsbury grands was a nice touch with that!

 

Someone had a little accident with the margarine as well...

 

 

now buy this time we've scavenged afew other sites and made the ultimate site on the lake

 

 

DAY 6

 

We got up around 8 or 9, broke camp and started the long trek home. Winds were starting to pick up and were straight from the NW right in our faces the entire day! along the shoreline of the lake on our way out we saw 4 moose

 

 

 

it was a LONG HARD paddle for the rest of the day. What should been a 6 hour day turned into an 8 1/2 hour one and the bugs were starting to get bad. The Wind wasn't going away either, picked up more and more throughout the day. When we arrived to the lake we were welcomed with nothing but whitecaps. we followed the shoreline and made it to the first open site available (no one else on the lake so that part wasn't hard) found a sheltered shoreline and set up the tens one last time. Scott and I couldn't sit still and had to get out there for one last evening fish! out for and hour along the sheltered shores and we managed 2 more lakers! Awesome! one last night of fish!

 

I had to laugh at this shot

 

 

our fish for the evening

 

 

 

 

 

we went to bed with the hopes of getting up early and fishing the morning then headding the rest of the way out to home.

 

DAY 7

 

We woke up to thunderstorms and very high winds. still we got up and broke camp, thunderstorms passed by and the wind started to howl! Camera pretty much stayed away this day, way too rough of waters to take it out. it rained most the day, did 3000 m worth of portaging and 9 miles of paddling to get out by 5 30. turned out to be a very long day. We had to cross one bay where the waves were getting very uncomfortable. at one point we hit a cross chop where they were closing in on the 3' mark. We wernt in them for long, but i tell you, it was long enough! Alot of the paddling was through narrow channels 60-200' wide and the wind would whip around down the hills and litterally push the canoe wherever it wanted to. Was a very challenging day to get out, never saw another canoe on the water, only guys sitting on shore.

 

All in all it was a great trip! no one got hurt, we had fish for lunch and dinner every day Adan released just as many as we kept. All fish were caught in 2-10fow flatlining 80-100' behind the boat. Might have to plan a shorter fall trip for next year!

 

I hope you all enjoyed my week in the interior as much as we did!

Edited May 18, 2009 by Meegs

[CLofchik]

Y'know I always enjoyed interior camping for bass in July alot more than trout opener, but these last few TR's have me questioning the wisdom of that descision.

 

Great sites, great fish, great trip. Awesome!

[oxcowboy]

great report, looks like alot of fun. congrats on a memorable trip.

 

jason

[Whitespinnerbait]

Awesome Report Guys ..................... :worthy:

[MCTFisher9120]

Excellent report, looks like amazing country out there.

 

Also, great job on the fishing!

 

 

MTBF

[Guest gbfisher]

Fish on the Menu..... So what would have happened if you guy got skunked all week long.....

Thats traveling light all right.

Nice fish Mr.

Edited May 18, 2009 by gbfisher

[ctdd2006]

Well done! Congrats on a great week. Thanks for sharing.

[siwash]

Holy smokes, guys... leave us some fish!!

 

Good job...

[Radnine]

What a fantastic report! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

Jim

[douG]

Wow! I was thinking about posting my report (Sunday till Friday) on the big lake, but it pales beside yours. We broke two tents, flattened another, and entertained three taxis and their passengers that morning. We were at the extreme north end of Opeongo, the campsite at the Proulx portage, and even the big welded alum boat with the 225 stopped in for a coffee. 35 kn out of the southwest, blowing spray, and heavy rain.

 

That was a great recount of your trip, some fine photos. I liked the silhouette.

[Zubris21]

Great read. Congrats on the successful trip. Looks like the weather co-operated for the most part and you got some beauty fish. I've really gotta get into Algonquin one of these days.

[highdrifter]

INCREDIBLE!! Thanks for sharing such a great week...

 

That last spot.. Looks very familiar!!

 

cheers

HD

[kickingfrog]

Great trip report!

 

Looks like I need to find myself a bow paddler.

 

Feel like divulging the lures of choice?

Edited May 18, 2009 by kickingfrog

[Roy]

A very very nice report, James. Thanks for taking the time to put it together for us. Lakers are nice but those specks look spectacular. So have you got 2010 opening all figured out yet?

 

ps. Read your report twice trying to figure out who "Adan" was before realizing that it's the way you spell "and". The capital "A" is what threw me. Nice literary touch there.

[Meegs]

Great trip report!

 

Looks like I need to find myself a bow paddler.

 

Feel like divulging the lures of choice?

 

 

there's only one lure to use while in there.. EGB they caught 90% of the fish

 

 

and oh yea Roy... next years trip is already in the works... gonna be bigger and better!

[solopaddler]

Very enjoyable read. Looks like a fantastic trip!

[b2kptbo]

Beauty report, ya's had a action packed week 4sure...

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Beauty report and pics guys!!....Those trout look awesome!!

[Handlebarz]

dang now thats a great report congratz on the great time out and thanks for sharing it with us.

[NAC]

very nice looking trip!

I'm certain you will all want to do that one over again.

[RuNnYoOzE]

looked like an amazing trip and great report! I caught a sunfish yesterday lol

[Leecher]

Excellent report and pics Meegs

 

You guys got to a slow start but in the end got into some quality trout.... Congratulations to all

Like others said, thanks for taking the time to post and sharing it with us.

Leechman

[Meegs]

very nice looking trip!

I'm certain you will all want to do that one over again.

you know what.. I dont think i'll ever see those waters again. We actually wernt supost to go to algonqun this year either but there was still snow covering the access road where we wanted to go and will hopefully be going next year. As beautiful as it is back there, I can catch more laketrout in a single good day here on simcoe than we caught all week in there, if im going to do 13 hrs of busting my hump to get into a lake.... I only want specks! dont even care about huge numbers but i only want specks, get lakers all year long in my backyard.

[sonny]

awsome report,,,i have never gone on a canoeing trip like that,,,,it's definatly on my list!

[Joey]

Wow, what a truely awesome trip. Felt like I was there.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Joey