Wabakimi Lake

[Pikeslayer8]

When fishing on the last day of my trip to Wabakimi the King lake of Wabakimi Provential Park I caught this 27" pick with just minites to spare.

 

Interesting story, so we have lunch that day at the cabin and I made my famous "Bleu Cheese Linguine with Buffalo Walleye" and ate 6 fish as a camp. So we needed just 6 to close out our trip. i decided we should go to the outlet up river bay. We don't usually go there much even though it is the main outlet and consider going there a pleasure cruise or sight seeing trip. We get to the outlet and begin fishing now we've been catching em like crazy all week but couldn't get a nibble here. What we did see was smoke! Off the point leading to the outlet appeared to be smoke. I thought somebody must be camping there so I sent my sons to go investigate and see whats up. They discovered lightning had struck a tree days before and beaver house next to it was now fully engulfed in flames. They gladly spent the next hour putting it out with my soft side cooler. With the wind change that day the fire would have spread throw that part of my beloved lake. Still needed 6 fish so our boats split up. I took my boat with my brother and my sons boat to another spot on the lake we don't go to much we call Rusty's back Door. At the precise moment of arrival I catch my personal best wally. I believe it was God's will that he sent us to put out the fire and rewarded my accordingly.

 

Slayer8

[johnnyb]

Awesome fish....nice and dark Good job on the firefighting

[Pikeslayer8]

I do want to say despite my name I was in a hurry to get her back in the water.

 

Slayer8

[limeyangler]

Good going Pikeslayer!

 

Like said before...really nice dark fish.

 

Awesome job putting it back too...many wouldn't

[Pikeslayer8]

Good going Pikeslayer!

 

Like said before...really nice dark fish.

 

Awesome job putting it back too...many wouldn't

 

Thanks limey and Johhny and yes we always throw any thing back over 18". My Canadian adventure is not about how much I can bring out. I always buy a lot of the LOTW Indian net caught pickeral at sportsmen Service in Intl. Falls. Fresh, Frozen nicely packaged. Good to go.

[Pikeslayer8]

When my group first started going to Wabakimi in the mid 70's, we came across the Trapper's Camp in all it's glory. This camp was well constructed. The trapper built many smaller huts as well. One for storing traps, One for curing hides, nice crapper, and a very cool sauna. Also, he built this awesome live well(close to the boat) with live bait traps.

 

The camp was locked the first few times that we would snoop around. In 1983 we did access the cabin as we could tell that the camp had been abandoned. We respectively looked around and saw some old books and children's toys and we lucked upon an old paper with a name and Armstrong address on it. A man from my hometown who regularly comes into camp after us wrote to the trapper asking him what is the story. The trapper whose name is Joel writes back and tells us that he is from Council Bluffs Ia. and built the camp when he got back from Vietnam. Disillusioned from the reception he received, he married an Ojibway gal and worked this trapline based in Wabakimi. This is all that we knew till recently.

 

On my anniversary trip this past fall to Caribou Lake, I had the pleasure of spending an extra day in Armstrong. Ever the snoop, I asked around town about Joel the trapper. I found out that yes he lived in Armstrong all these years after leaving Wabakimi working his own business as a forester but had just recently moved to Thunder Bay. Dead end.

I was told that "the trapper's wife" name is Mary and that she lives near Dryden in Dinorwic. Upon arriving back home I did a google search for both Joel and Mary (out of respect I am not including last names). No luck on Joel, but I was able to find Mary. I found out that Mary is an environmental scientist for Independent First Nations Alliance. We have exchanged many emails since. I found out many interesting things about her life. While yes, she is an Ojibway woman and, I believe, very beautiful in her Wabakimi years, she did have 2 young children whose names are Jason and Sarah. The children of Wabakimi. This Wabakimi family lived there for 5 years from 1976-1981.

An excerpt from one of her emails:

" I have wonderful but also sad memories of life there. Joel would be running his line sometimes for 5 days at a time. Me and Jason and Sarah would take care of the place – you are right it was home school every school day morning and then splitting and hauling in firewood and water in the afternoons. We lived there from September to spring breakup with a trip out in the winter to visit family. All our food for those months was purchased ahead – I made bread every Monday. We did spend parts of the summer there also – but we had to go out and work at tree planting and working for outfitters near Armstrong for extra money. Basically, at Wabakimi, I think I lived like the many women in my family who have been in North America since the late 1600's and the Native American women in my line. My parents were both from Iowa and came from farm families."

 

Since they left, Mary and Joel's daughter Sarah died in a horrible skiing accident in 1994. In 1995, Jason paddled his way back to Wabakimi to spread her ashes.

 

On my last correspondence, Mary related that the Wabakimi Park superintendent told her that they either had, or will, burn down the remains of their old trappers camp.

 

The picture is the oldest one I could find. I believe it was taken in 1990, 9 years of abandonment. The boreal forest is very hard on such a structure!

 

In a month I will find out if it is still there. I sure hope so.

 

[lovetofish]

Its always nice when you feel like you made a difference!

[solopaddler]

Thanks for posting that!

 

It's kind of funny though...

 

I was paddling down the Allanwater river heading into Wabakimi lake a few years back. At the time much of the shoreline on both sides of the river was on fire.

 

At one point, because it was impossible to line the canoe through the rapids and stay in the river, I did an 800 meter portage right through the forest fire.

 

The first trip wasn't bad as I was carrying the canoe and my upper body was protected. The gel coat on the outside was blistering and peeling though...

 

I had to go back for my second pack and have to say that was interesting LOL!

 

Anyhow long story short I made it to the lake, paddled directly across then ironically camped on the first major point on the left at the mouth of the Ogoki river outlet. Same spot?

 

That night I stayed up late and watched the entire south shore of Wabakimi become engulfed in flames. Quite a show.

Edited May 4, 2012 by solopaddler

[woodenboater]

Terrific story and great legwork getting the backstory to the cabin. Hopefully it hasn't been torn down yet and they could see fit to keep it as part of park history (relatively recent as it may be). But I also see letting it slip back into the land it came from as a fitting end as well..

Edited May 4, 2012 by woodenboater

[johnnyb]

Great stories on this thread! Looking forward to the next installment, Pikeslayer8. And Solo...seriously?!? I'm looking forward to the day we finally do a trip together...your stories blow me away.

 

 

[woodenboater]

agree. sitting around the fire listening to these stories, all while downing wobbly pops would not be a bad way to kill an evening.

 

I see it now...OFC podcasts !

[johnnyb]

That's what this site was commonly referred to "back in the day".....a bunch of guys sitting around the campfire sharing stories.

[Pikeslayer8]

Thanks for posting that!

 

It's kind of funny though...

 

I was paddling down the Allanwater river heading into Wabakimi lake a few years back. At the time much of the shoreline on both sides of the river was on fire.

 

At one point, because it was impossible to line the canoe through the rapids and stay in the river, I did an 800 meter portage right through the forest fire.

 

The first trip wasn't bad as I was carrying the canoe and my upper body was protected. The gel coat on the outside was blistering and peeling though...

 

I had to go back for my second pack and have to say that was interesting LOL!

 

Anyhow long story short I made it to the lake, paddled directly across then ironically camped on the first major point on the left at the mouth of the Ogoki river outlet. Same spot?

 

That night I stayed up late and watched the entire south shore of Wabakimi become engulfed in flames. Quite a show.

 

Truly one of the most amazing and harrowing stories to have ever come out of Wabakimi!!!!!!!!! Was there much fire on the leg between Granite and Wabakimi?

The portage you describe is called Sturgeon Falls. When I first started going to Wabakimi, there used to be a partial built tiny cabin type structure on the west side just past the falls. I believe that it was built be a canoeist who could not make it through the falls intact. Back in those days, I found more than one canoe snapped in two in the bush. Shooting those rapids could have been a fatal mistake in a forest fire. I'm sure as you are running back to get your second pack, you were questioning your decision of not just shooting the rapids. I'm glad you did what you did because the alternative could have been.............

In relation to the Trapper's Camp location from where you camped, The trappers camp is about 7 km due west. If you were to look on google maps, it would be center lake north at the bunny tail. (the bay shaped like a jackrabbit)

 

Hey, if ya feel like doing that crazy assed paddle thing again next month, I'll be there. Wouldn't that be cool.

 

This is what the camp looked like last year.

 

 

[Pikeslayer8]

Terrific story and great legwork getting the backstory to the cabin. Hopefully it hasn't been torn down yet and they could see fit to keep it as part of park history (relatively recent as it may be). But I also see letting it slip back into the land it came from as a fitting end as well..

 

Woodenboater,

You are right on the money. I sent an email that was unanswered to the park superintendent. I tried to relate my thoughts about destroying this somewhat historic structure. To look at it now, yes, it is not much to see. One needs to think about what kind of person has the fortitude to not only build a structure like that, but to live in it during the winter months. The isolation and seclusion has a magical charm all of it's own.

The cabins that Wendall Beckwith built on Best Island on Whitewater lake are an even better example. This was truly some of the most classic of all of Ontario's recent history that will fade into oblivion.

 

This is one of my favorite you tube videos of all time featuring Kevin Callun I'm guessin from Toronto. Kinda silly in parts, but the Beckwith Cabins at the end of the video are truly remarkable.

Solo, if you haven't seen this already, its a must see!

 

 

[Pikeslayer8]

Great stories on this thread! Looking forward to the next installment, Pikeslayer8. And Solo...seriously?!? I'm looking forward to the day we finally do a trip together...your stories blow me away.

 

 

 

Thanks Johnnyb,

I'm planning on making more adventures in a month. Man, I envy you guys. These little trout here in Colorado just don't do it for me. Need me some fish with teeth.

[Pikeslayer8]

My Report

 

At Northern Wilderness Outfitters at 4:45 am for a 5:00 flight on June 4th 2012. I gave everyone at the outfitters some of my homemade mustard. Got to camp by 7:30 and on the lake by 10:45 after enjoying some brats and packing some lunch meat sandwiches for on the lake. The lake level rose some 2' in the last week or so and was over the dock. Tremendous influx of water had me worried about the fishing not to mention the early spring and ice out. Fishing with youngest son Bradley.

 

 

Went to a favorite spot on the lake and we were not disappointed. We laid into scads of 14"-16" good eaters and the action was nonstop. After a shore lunch of sandwiches, we headed off to a spot over by the trapper's camp to see if they were in there. No walleyes to be found. Went around the corner to another spot and got into some bigger gals ranging from 20"-25"ers. We closed out the day at the narrows where the fish weren't exactly jumpin in the boat but felt like we had a pretty good handle on where the action is for the rest of the week. Winds were predominately from the SW, temps were 65-75 and water temp was 58*. Came back to camp to find a propane issue where the fridge and freezer were not working. They had a different 4 tank propane setup whereas 1 of the 4 tanks was empty and it took a bit to figure out. Fish fry tonight was awesome with the pasta salad and baked beans.

 

 

 

Day 2 on June 5th brought a wind change out of the east at 5-10 mph, partly cloudy, temps 65-75*. Again fished with Bradley. Fishing was still pretty good, but we had to work a bit harder. In the morning, we went back to my favorite morning spot on the lake and did well. Had an excellent fish fry for lunch and went back to the Corner for pig walleyes. On the way back to camp, I stopped over at the old Trapper's Camp just to find out if it was still there or if it had been destroyed like the park superintendent had suggested earlier. Pleased to report that it is still there, untouched. Also found that Brad, our pilot, lives very close to the Trapper's wife in Dinorwic. Small world. Dinner was smoked pork chop with fresh asparagus and hollandaise sauce with sweet potato fries. Apple peach pies topped it off.

 

 

Trapper's Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3 on June 6th with similar weather as the day before. Today, I'm with older son Brett.

 

 

Back to my favorite morning spot only to experience something new for me. Within ten minutes of arrival, I hooked into a sturgeon. Man o man, what an epic battle!

 

 

 

Of all my 6 rod setups that I had in the boat with me, I was using my lightest ultralite with 6# fireline. This monster fish was lugging me all over this fishing hole. I got it up to the top twice and got a good look at it. She was snagged in the side and appeared to be between 60"-70" and I would guess between 40 and 50 pounds. At one point, she exploded clear out of the water and almost landed in my son Bradley's lap in another boat. I fought this beaut of a fish for 45 minutes and I thought I had her till her last bull rush of a run. Snap! Luckily, I was able to enjoy the magnificent Walleye Tacos for lunch. Muy bueno. After lunch, we fished a main lake reef only to lose my alabama rig, right away. Hey, I've never professed to be a good fisherman. Dinner was giant hamburgers (flavorburgers) with fettucinne alfredo and foil wrapped onions with bacon and blue cheese. Yummy.

 

Day 4 on June 7th was hot, I mean blazing hot with winds out of SE. Fishing with my brother Bob and again at my fav. morning spot, I'd bet we both caught 80 fish apiece starting off with 6 doubles.

 

 

Lots of fun! Lunch was the Blue Cheese Linguine with Buffalo Walleye. Went to Rusty's Back Door in the afternoon and had good success. Fished some new to us spots over there that panned out nicely. Dinner was a new dish for us. At lunch, we quickly prepped some boneless country pork ribs with some canned tomatoes and sauerkraut and put it in the oven at 250* so it was ready when we got back, allowing for more time on the lake. Great idea of my brother.

 

Day 5 on June 8th was much cooler, 55-70*. Again fishing with Bob and again starting out at my favorite fishing spot and again just catching hand over fist. It was rumored that my nephew John had caught 300 fish this day. I would not be surprised. For lunch, we had Walleye Chowder and for dinner we had Beef Tenderloin Steaks 3" thick.

 

Day 6 on June 9th is fly out day. Scheduled for a 2:00pm flight. We got out for a few hours fishing in the Narrows with my nephew Bob. By this time, our anger level at the fish was a bit low and was just good to be out on the lake. (Is that what one says that just caught 2 fish all morning?) Back at camp at 10:00 for a big breakfast before camp teardown and cleanup. We clean out boats and mop and scrub cabin and were ready by 1:30. After waiting till 4:30 and no sign of plane, we used the sat phone to call the outfitter. Found out of a big fog bank between us and them delayed things for about 4 hours. Got my butt kicked in cards.

 

Baby Loons

 

Addl. Photos

 

Netting a pike 4 boats away

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I felt honored to leave this picture of my Dad who so loved this place.

 

 

 

 

We were catching walleye in 5'-20' of depth mainly fishing eddies on moving water.

As far as colors go, I feel that white on white and white on pink were the best colors for the first few days. Green was better than chartreuse and when it was overcast and darker, I felt that orange was good. I really liked using my homemade salted minnows.

 

Thanks for watching

 

Edited June 12, 2012 by Pikeslayer8

[spincast]

excellent report and some cool background history on your favourite locale- I remember reading your earlier post on the old trapper set up - cool you managed to find out some history on it. Congrats on the PB - that is one dark walleye.

[solopaddler]

Excellent report, although some pictures would be nice.

 

Man, you guys sure do eat well in the bush!

 

 

This really deserved a separate post.

[Jacob]

Great report and stories.

[Roy]

Yes, a great report for sure. Glad you all had a good time. I'm glad that you added this report to the older one as it makes the historical parts even more interesting....especially to the folks who hadn't read the original thread.

[johnnyb]

Fantastic report....loved reading it....but seriously...did you have a separate plane to fly your food in?

[Pikeslayer8]

My Report

 

At Northern Wilderness Outfitters at 4:45 am for a 5:00 flight on June 4th 2012. I gave everyone at the outfitters some of my homemade mustard. Got to camp by 7:30 and on the lake by 10:45 after enjoying some brats and packing some lunch meat sandwiches for on the lake. The lake level rose some 2' in the last week or so and was over the dock. Tremendous influx of water had me worried about the fishing not to mention the early spring and ice out. Fishing with youngest son Bradley.

 

 

Went to a favorite spot on the lake and we were not disappointed. We laid into scads of 14"-16" good eaters and the action was nonstop. After a shore lunch of sandwiches, we headed off to a spot over by the trapper's camp to see if they were in there. No walleyes to be found. Went around the corner to another spot and got into some bigger gals ranging from 20"-25"ers. We closed out the day at the narrows where the fish weren't exactly jumpin in the boat but felt like we had a pretty good handle on where the action is for the rest of the week. Winds were predominately from the SW, temps were 65-75 and water temp was 58*. Came back to camp to find a propane issue where the fridge and freezer were not working. They had a different 4 tank propane setup whereas 1 of the 4 tanks was empty and it took a bit to figure out. Fish fry tonight was awesome with the pasta salad and baked beans.

 

 

 

Day 2 on June 5th brought a wind change out of the east at 5-10 mph, partly cloudy, temps 65-75*. Again fished with Bradley. Fishing was still pretty good, but we had to work a bit harder. In the morning, we went back to my favorite morning spot on the lake and did well. Had an excellent fish fry for lunch and went back to the Corner for pig walleyes. On the way back to camp, I stopped over at the old Trapper's Camp just to find out if it was still there or if it had been destroyed like the park superintendent had suggested earlier. Pleased to report that it is still there, untouched. Also found that Brad, our pilot, lives very close to the Trapper's wife in Dinorwic. Small world. Dinner was smoked pork chop with fresh asparagus and hollandaise sauce with sweet potato fries. Apple peach pies topped it off.

 

 

Trapper's Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3 on June 6th with similar weather as the day before. Today, I'm with older son Brett.

 

 

Back to my favorite morning spot only to experience something new for me. Within ten minutes of arrival, I hooked into a sturgeon. Man o man, what an epic battle!

 

 

 

Of all my 6 rod setups that I had in the boat with me, I was using my lightest ultralite with 6# fireline. This monster fish was lugging me all over this fishing hole. I got it up to the top twice and got a good look at it. She was snagged in the side and appeared to be between 60"-70" and I would guess between 40 and 50 pounds. At one point, she exploded clear out of the water and almost landed in my son Bradley's lap in another boat. I fought this beaut of a fish for 45 minutes and I thought I had her till her last bull rush of a run. Snap! Luckily, I was able to enjoy the magnificent Walleye Tacos for lunch. Muy bueno. After lunch, we fished a main lake reef only to lose my alabama rig, right away. Hey, I've never professed to be a good fisherman. Dinner was giant hamburgers (flavorburgers) with fettucinne alfredo and foil wrapped onions with bacon and blue cheese. Yummy.

 

Day 4 on June 7th was hot, I mean blazing hot with winds out of SE. Fishing with my brother Bob and again at my fav. morning spot, I'd bet we both caught 80 fish apiece starting off with 6 doubles.

 

 

Lots of fun! Lunch was the Blue Cheese Linguine with Buffalo Walleye. Went to Rusty's Back Door in the afternoon and had good success. Fished some new to us spots over there that panned out nicely. Dinner was a new dish for us. At lunch, we quickly prepped some boneless country pork ribs with some canned tomatoes and sauerkraut and put it in the oven at 250* so it was ready when we got back, allowing for more time on the lake. Great idea of my brother.

 

Day 5 on June 8th was much cooler, 55-70*. Again fishing with Bob and again starting out at my favorite fishing spot and again just catching hand over fist. It was rumored that my nephew John had caught 300 fish this day. I would not be surprised. For lunch, we had Walleye Chowder and for dinner we had Beef Tenderloin Steaks 3" thick.

 

Day 6 on June 9th is fly out day. Scheduled for a 2:00pm flight. We got out for a few hours fishing in the Narrows with my nephew Bob. By this time, our anger level at the fish was a bit low and was just good to be out on the lake. (Is that what one says that just caught 2 fish all morning?) Back at camp at 10:00 for a big breakfast before camp teardown and cleanup. We clean out boats and mop and scrub cabin and were ready by 1:30. After waiting till 4:30 and no sign of plane, we used the sat phone to call the outfitter. Found out of a big fog bank between us and them delayed things for about 4 hours. Got my butt kicked in cards.

 

Baby Loons

 

Addl. Photos

 

Netting a pike 4 boats away

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I felt honored to leave this picture of my Dad who so loved this place.

 

 

 

 

We were catching walleye in 5'-20' of depth mainly fishing eddies on moving water.

As far as colors go, I feel that white on white and white on pink were the best colors for the first few days. Green was better than chartreuse and when it was overcast and darker, I felt that orange was good. I really liked using my homemade salted minnows.

 

Thanks for watching

 

 

 

 

Solo,

I considered a separate thread but I wanted my Wabakimi thoughts all in on place and yes I need pictures. Or it didn't happen.

 

Spincast,

I will email these and all the other pictures to the Trapper's wife. She asked me to get some before I left.

 

Thanks for the kind word Catch and Johnnyb. Johnny, you know I love to cook in the great north.

 

Roy,

I hope my adventures that are so very important part of my life continue in Wabakimi and yes I do want to document it here.

[solopaddler]

Fantastic photos of one of my favourite places!

[Musky or Specks]

Seriously now I'm hungry. That was an excellent report and I really enjoyed the back story. Kind of reminded me of Traplines North. One of my favourite books on the Canadian wilderness

[Pikeslayer8]

Seriously now I'm hungry. That was an excellent report and I really enjoyed the back story. Kind of reminded me of Traplines North. One of my favourite books on the Canadian wilderness

I've been saying all along that this story would make for a good book. Mary says that she still possesses old pictures and letters from her time on the camp. She is currently married to George Kenny who is an Ojibway writer and author of the book "Indians Don't Cry". My brother is also a writer and author of the book "Love . Com" by RW Bennett.

 

I think that a story of 2 completely diverse backgrounds as the Trapper and his wife who spent 5 years of their life in Wabakimi and a family of American Canadian fishing enthusiasts can have a connection that is Wabakimi so ingrain into the fiber of their being.

 

Of course, there would have to be a few boat chases in the book.