The adventures of the lonely lures

[vinnimon]

Spincast has received them today.Lets see what he catchs with them?Like I said use them,catch a fish,no matter what kind.

Once done post a pic with lure and fish,regardless.

Then send it off to another OFC member.

In the end,If there will be one.A portfolio of pics and the lures travels will be shown on OFC.

Im only doing this for fun,no gratifications to myself or anyone period.

These are 2 out of 3 that someone gave me and made for a gesture,taking them out on my boat.

So good luck to all,and lets see some pics,hopefully soon.

Thanks Vinnimon.

[johnnyb]

That is an awesome idea -- good thread

[spincast]

Well, I finally got a chance to use the lonely lures. Just before Vinnimon gave them to me , I got really busy both at work and home - but, after a couple of weeks sitting locked away,the opportunity finally presented itself. We had been planning this trip for almost nine months - although it had been in the making for more than decade. 10 + years ago while camping up at Esker Lakes provincial park we saw an ad for the Polar Bear express and thought a trip to Moosonee and and Moose Factory would be cool. But we had a dog and 6 hours each way on a train was just not to be. Then came kids and that kinda stopped all that. So anyway - this year our trip was: leave home Wed, drive all the way to Cochrane, overnight in a motel, be at the Cochrane Train station for 8:00 am for a 6 hour trip to Moosonee.Overnight in Moose Factory, visit the island and view the history of the first English speaking Fur Trader post on the James Bay headwaters for a day, take the train back the next evening at 6:00 pm (arriving back in Cochrane at midnight), overnight in a motel again, and then off to Temagami for a weekend at an island Lodge. I figured - hey - those lures HAVE to fish the James Bay Waters.

 

A while ago I published a little supper conversation ( Fish, fish, fish). So the question was - how to broach the fact I was going fishing once we got to out destination? Fortunately, Zebco and CTC came to the rescue with something just too appropriate to miss: a collapsable rod, which just happens to share my name sake;

So off we went with only one short conversation - The missus - whats that sticking out of your back back pack? Me: Something to pass the time while I am awake and no one else is on Moose Factory Island. Missus: That a fishing rod? Cool. Me - Phew!!!!

 

Long drive up there with the boat in tow. Saw a yearling bear cross the highway about 30 minutes out of Cochrane, but otherwise pretty uninspiring.

Next morning up and at 'em.

6 hours of train ride through the north can be boring or incredibly interesting - depending on your view. I found it fascinating.

periodically we would pass places like this - and all I could think of was dropping a canoe and rod in the waters

Did I mention this is one of the few remaining stop whistle trains in Ontario? You can be asked to be dropped off or flag down this train anywhere along the 186 miles of land from Cochrane to Moosonee?

Around the halfway point we cross one of the dams on the Moose River as it begins to become a significant waterway

Another 30 or so miles up the track (you kind of loose track of time and miles in this land) - you cross the moose river...

its fairly big at this point and really takes a shot or two to truly appreciate

You can just imagine what the spring run must be:

Then there is the treescape - sometimes the trees went over the dome car, and sometimes, they were almost non existent

the ones below are pretty big comparatively - for long stretches they weren't over 5 feet high. Forest fires and poor soil stunt the black spruce height. For almost three hours of the trip there are no logging roads. The guys who put these power lines in must have had a ton of fun between the muskeg and bugs and chopping the trees. There were 10 foot high stakcs of trees every 30 or 40 feet. A favourite for watchful hawks - tried but never coudl get a photo to turn out

 

Did I mention the bugs? Squitters in Moosonee are big. REALLY big. Like, they look at Muskol and go -- Yumm, perfume ..

I didn't get any pics of them but they follow you like papparzi on Lindsay Lohan...

anyway - we made it... did I mention the whole way is down hill - starting at over 750 ft above sea level till you reach Moosonee:

By now - the river is massive! It must be more than a mile wide from Moosonee to Moose factory: - this is a snap shot from our water taxi ride:

looking across the first straight..

boat launch from Moose Fcatory to the south branch

Did I mention it's an island - everything from cars to tractor trailers comes on the ferry (unless you take a water taxi - rated per person - bit more of that in a minute) - it seemed to show up on regular intervals

 

And -- all of that was a long way of showing you where I fished - just off the dock from where I took this picture. It is a tidal estuary and I fished both tide in and tide out. Saw lots of fish jumping -- on the other side of the river. I however was skunked here. Didn't matter though - the scenery and experience were amazing. ONE downside - I had hoped to take a boat trip right up into James Bay proper by water taxi - but for the 4 of us they wanted almost 200 bucks for the 1.5 hour return trip. Just couldn't justify it.

 

Sooooo, you know the rest of that trip six hours back. Arrived at midnight, zonked. No Northern lights (bummer) - Then we arrived at our cottage on an island in Lake Temagami the next afternoon (see separate post for the non lonely lure catches later). I have never been to Temagami before. Amazing place. Deeeeeeep Water. Right next to it SHALLOW water / shoals. In like 2 seconds.

Vinni - we are down to one lonely lure - I must admit the rooks ate one on my first trip out. Even with the fishfinder, running it off a side planer put it in a shoal I wasn't showing. They are that localised and that steep.

Anyway - I took a few photos of what the other one got:

Nothing amazing - but good fun anyway:

I didn't take pictures of all of them, as after a while they all look the same,

but some stood out

and some may have just been a bit of fun in an otherwise slow outing:

 

 

Sadly, although I marked what I (and a few others (Hi Irish - if you got this far..) believe may have been suspended Walleyes NOTHING could get them to participate.)

 

Anyway - that's it. I believe Frankie 65 get's them next and yes, them -- I will replace the shoal eaten one with another - can't have the journey end due to the small snag

[bigugli]

Sounds like a great adventure. Been on my bucket list for years, but the wife wants none of it.

[asdve23rveavwa]

Awesome, Rick! Yes, I'm next up...taking them up to Restoule provincial park in two weeks.

[vinnimon]

Awesome pics, Rick!

Here's a few from my venture,close to home,Binbrook to be exact!

The extra lure I forgot about!Has to go to another OFC'r ,pm sent,come pick it up!

Good luck!

[Spiel]

Wow those pictures sure brought some memories flooding back Spincast.

 

I took the Polar Bear Express to Moosinee back in 1980 while I was camping at Kettle Lakes PP.

Doesn't appear as though much has changed in three decades.

 

Thanks.

[I'mHooked]

Sounds like a great adventure. Been on my bucket list for years, but the wife wants none of it.

 

If you need a 'wife' to make the trip happen,...(and hubby is buying)...I could try to fit into some heels!

 

Should I pack my flippn' stick?

[bigugli]

If you need a 'wife' to make the trip happen,...(and hubby is buying)...I could try to fit into some heels!

 

Should I pack my flippn' stick?

That just cost me a beer

[vinnimon]

If you need a 'wife' to make the trip happen,...(and hubby is buying)...I could try to fit into some heels!

 

Should I pack my flippn' stick?

 

My beer has survived!

[vinnimon]

The last lure is gone to banger68.Enjoy,catch a fish,post it and send it off to another member!Post on this thread please!

Nice meeting you Banger68,great chat,and I do recall faintly, the car you had from way back when!

SMALL WORLD EH!!!

And thanks a ton,IOU!