A Ten Year Fishing Journal.

[Moosebunk]

Was it a grandpa who introduced you to fishing? Your father, uncle or older brother? Was it a friend? Was it by chance your mother? Think back...

 

We could surely all find ourselves able to envision that first day in the sun, when a bobber dropped or the retrieve got stopped. Reliving fishing's first moments.

 

It was the summer heading into grade 3, behind the Water Plant and along a trail following the Tay River. My childhood and life long friend Fraser set his rod down on a rock and explored on up ahead. Stopping for a drink, I cast out the line, then rested a moment. In short time, the rod tip danced a little before the worm brought to hand the first fish this life can remember. An enormous (of course) mudpout.

 

The years were long after that with only few memories of fishing, then time passes by with highschool and college. Early career the choice to stay in Ottawa and live years behind, or, take a chance in Northern Ontario to work for years ahead, the latter adventure lead to Attawapiskat. Totally alone there, a journal was born. It was first written...

 

January 22/2000. First Day.

 

Strange, isolated and lonely. Like a burrito in an igloo without any of it's fixin's to keep spicy hot.

 

Reading that from 12 years ago, I can feel immediately time warped back to that night. The pick-up at the airport shack and the snowy, cold streets taken to reach a new home. The Cree tongue of John and Abel during the short drive. Nothing in the house but furniture. A supper of a couple sesame seed crackers and some instant coffee from my packed kettle; probably why a burrito was on the brain? A first encounter with he who would remain an enemy, and also meeting some others who would become and always remain friends. A 14 hour sleep in the dead silence at rich sea level air. The scared and excited thoughts...

 

At the end of every day, life in Attawapiskat was inked into the journal, no matter how tired or rushed, this was done. A practice like this is both lesson and a ritual. Fact, fiction and fun, the journal kept it all, and before long a book was filled. By the time I left to move away, four books had taken life. To turn the pages nowadays is like having each day back to remember all over again. What an impressionable age, place, experience and time to have each memory safe and definite.

 

In late 2001 Moose Factory became the new home. No more need for a journal, there was now Brenda who would become great at remembering everything I could ever forget. Fishing lived with me there as well, and more than ever before I needed it to take me away from the daily work sicknesses and an isolated consciousness of living on this island in the middle of nowhere. So, a new journal was born when for Christmas that year, Brenda bought me a black leather covered book with all blank pages. Come the spring of 2002 the first entry would be written... and the final page not turned until a decade later. Ten years of vitality on the water and not a day would be missed. As the book closed when ending 2011, glancing back over much, it seems that it was not only just a "fishing" journal, but perhaps a record of 654 days that the spirit was being enjoyed in the outdoors, home and abroad, with family or friends... or out there exploring alone... Each written day now a trigger to a memory.

 

 

2002.

 

 

The first entry...

 

Monday May 27th, 2002. 1100-1700hrs.

No company.

Sunny, 20C, light wind.

Full moon.

Muddy, fast, cold, stream fishing. Depths 2-12 feet.

Maidman's Creek, Moosonee. (Gravel Pit to Tozers) Float tube.

Specks & Pike.

Med. spinning rod, 10lb test, jigs, Mepps, Pixies and Cleos.

Trolling downstream from tube & casting to eddies & pools.

1 Brook Trout. 2kg. Caught at the culvert in the rapids. Silver/chart Cleo.

 

Had taken a boat taxi at $5 to skim me across the Moose River. From the docks in Moosonee I waved down a local fella with a truck and paid him to take me out of town up the quarry road where I could catch Maidman's Creek. Once there I had 7.7km's of spring-blown, muddy river to carry me back downstream to town in my float tube. At the basin below the quarry where one could sometimes catch pike, I slipped into my waders and belly-boat, and drifted away.

 

Maidman's once exiting the basin, became too fast in most places to accurately stop and cast many spots which looked interesting. A log jam in one section ended up being quite the ordeal to try and roll over without puncturing the float tube or me. Fishing was kind of a loss really until reaching a culvert where the river touched the road, and there was a secondary creek inflowing there. Halfway back to Moosonee, I took a brief break in a calm eddy before casting the area. From behind a tire near the swift there was a small pocket of calm water and a good cast was placed right in behind it. What took that lure was the first searun speckled trout I ever caught in the Moose.

 

A local fella named Mathew happened to be passing by on the road above the culvert, and unaware of him, he had paused to watch. Graciously, he came down to congratulate me on the fine catch and when I asked, he obliged and snapped a photo. When arriving back to the town docks later that afternoon in my tube, a few of the taxi-boat drivers were blown away by the good speckle, and this "float tube" contraption. One Doctor who happened on by just then, stopped to admire the fish as well. Having to pass the hospital on route home, I slipped into the emergency department where I worked, hoping to sneak an exact weight on my fish. I had just a short second to read 2020 grams before my co-worker Shelley gave me heck for dropping a slimey, stinky fish, on their nice clean baby scale.

 

 

You can see the tire...

 

2002's new moons proved the best overall phase. Partly cloudy and hot days got the fish going. Caught 100 fish even over the year, with a couple of the favorites being a spring searun speck and solid walleye during the premier trip up the North French. Some top lures were the Aglia Gold #5, Silver Shad Rap #5, Original Floating Rapala, and orange and chartreuse jigs. More often than anything else walleye were the quarry, followed by pike then brookies. Tripping with friends up into Zec Dumoine for specks, crashing through an immense heat wave in the muskeg to find the unknown fish in the Negobau system, taking my first ever fish through the ice (a speckle on bacon), and watching Bren catch her first five walleyes, were just a few of the memorable moments recorded in the journal pages.

 

 

That "solid" walleye.

 

 

 

2003.

 

 

Saturday May 17th, 2003. Walleye Opener 1200-1700 hrs.

John, Fraser and Old Man Jimmy S.

Sunny, light breeze, brief cloudy periods, 3rd day of stable warm front, high 25C.

Full moon.

High, fast, cold, very murky water. Depths 3-15 feet.

North French River. Boat.

Walleye & Pike.

Med. spinning rod, 24lb test Spider line, Black/Silver Hot N'Tot, White CC WallyDiver, and worm harnesses with 1.5 ounce bottom bouncer.

Fishing large rapid eddies & pools, and feeder creeks.

6 walleye (on CC WD) and 2 pike (on Hot N'Tot)

 

The river trip was special being that Fraser had traveled all the way from Ottawa to Moosonee to join us for the walleye opener. John's friend, Old Man Jimmy, who knew the river currents and hazards blind better than most insightfully ever could, lead our convoy as far up the North French as the Kiasko River. The weekend was completely bug free and so beautifully hot and sunny outside. It was not a climate typical for a May long weekend walleye opener on James Bay.

 

Jimmy was in his 80's. A diabetic, cancer survivor who once suffered temporary unexplained blindness for a year. The man was more hardy than us wimpy southern boys that's for sure. A lifetime of harvesting the river and bush while trapping would make him so. The North French was his traditional trapline, his soul belonged to the river.

 

Gliding alone in a Norwest Canoe with Jimmy, watching and learning the river from him, and going further and further into the remote, that would become an experience worth it's weight in a lifetime of golden walleyes. Moments like these speak volumes. Jimmy and I would become friends too. The few fish caught those days and watching Fraser hook a few of his own, made that first walleye opener the perfect one.

 

 

Nothing huge, but it was my walleye and pike that day which fed the camp and I was proud.

 

2003 no speckled trout were caught. It was a year of walleye, pike and an April trip to Costa Rica which allowed John and I two days of Pacific fishing. 105 fish were caught, and unlike 2002 more were pike than walleye. Full moons and stable weather ruled again. Sunny and hot were a little better than partly cloudy days. The CC WallyDiver, Smithwick Rogue, gold Aglia #5, silver Bluefox #3 and Len Thompson red & white spoon were the lures for pike and eyes. Dragging my 8 months pregnant wife through the sweltering heat during a Frontenac canoe trip was certainly memorable in more ways than one, as were a number of new and different trips on the Moose River around home.

 

 

A first sailfish... Costa Rica.

 

 

 

2004.

 

 

Thursday September 16th, 2004. 1730-1930 hrs.

No Company.

Calm quickly turning gale force winds, humid, overcast, 20 minute torrential downpour with thunder, Hurrican Ivan in Alabama.

New Moon

Choppy, warm, small, weedy lake. Depths 3-25 feet.

Lake X. Float tube.

Bass & Pike.

Med-light 5 1/2 foot spinning rod, 6lb test, silver Bluefox #5.

Casting to and over weedbeds, points and dropoffs.

4 pike, 12 largemouth. PB largie @ 21 inches, 4 3/4 pounds.

 

While back in the Ottawa valley visiting my parents and friends, I'd often have the float tube packed away in the back of the truck. Those trips home were always so rushed with things to do and people to see. Usually, the days would be spent getting done what was required, so that whenever possible I could slip away in the evenings for some bass.

 

No pro here, it was just kept simple in the float tube with a few jigs, spoons and spinners... couldn't pack much anyhow. The inlines always got the job done on a few different lakes, and from a bellyboat were really the easiest to fish. Just cast and retrieve.

 

This was a rather slow two hour outing during which I recall taking shelter under some shoreline cedars on the backside of a windswept island. It poured buckets for a short time and kicked up two footers on that little lake. It wasn't float tubing weather for sure. The bite had picked up off of a weedline and drop just a few minutes before the weather turned harsh. After the front left, the overcast calm brought about earlier darkness while I was headed back to the launch. With a spinner on I remember this "what the fiznackers" kinda moment of thought, and I tossed the trebled lure into a tiny open hole in this thick, junky pad bed, not expecting more than to have to just go in and retrieve it. Not a full turn of the reel when it hit the water and KABOOM!!! The bass immediately got hung up and so I kicked into the weeds with the flippers to try and get it unstuck. Getting there, the fish broke free and stole line out into the open water, before diving into another clump of trash. Over I went in the tube ti'll I was on top of the fish again, and pulling the lily pads out by hand eventually the largie surfaced right in front of me under a rake-full of weedage.

 

 

2004 saw a solid increase in fish numbers to 166 and half a dozen new species caught. Pike were again on top even though more outings had been for walleye. For the first time I caught a whitefish and did so on a fly rod using one of my own tied flies, a foam-post dry fly pattern called the Klinkenhammer. A chartreuse Grappler Shad, Whooly Buggers and same colored grubs did much damage on the river walleyes too. Full moons topped the timetable and along with sunny, calm and hot days were most productive as always. During the year John, Tom and I set out on our first "BIG" all fishing trip, and so we traveled to BC for sturgeon and salmon. Fraser caught his first laketrout(s) in Temagami, I watched a man by the name BIG JIM work the Toronto Sportsman Show fish tank, and Fish-Hawk had it's first online derby. The internet community of anglers would become great motivators and supporters, and some would become friends.

 

 

It could have outweighed out me... but having quit smoking the month before I was balooning up quick!

 

 

 

 

2005.

 

 

Easter Sunday March 27th, 2005. 0900-1300.

John & John's Dad.

Sunny, calm, warm, temp 0C and up.

Full moon.

Tanin, cold, lake water. 4 feet of ice, 2-3 fow below.

Kesagami Lake. Ice fishing.

Walleye & Pike.

Pike - 30lb braid, homemade tipdown, T60 Williams spoon tipped with fallfish meat.

Walleye - 20lb braid, med. ice rod, Champs tipped with minnows.

Jiggin' and deadbaiting.

15 walleye, 2 pike. PB 40.25 inch @ 16.5lbs.

 

Waiting from November through the deep freeze to March allowed few windows to fish comfortably in weather considered not too cold. I'd venture out sure, but it was in 2005 that a seed planted in my head by John, had grown into this plan to fly over from Moosonee to Kesagami Lake and try this great ice fishing we'd heard about. Two days before this trip Brenda and I had our first chance there, and during a short 3 1/2 hour fish, iced 24 walleye and had a giant pike snap us off.

 

When John and his father Clair joined me on their half day, I was ready with some stronger line. Our pilot Clifford touched us down about 8:15am on Kesagami and we got to work quick drilling many holes through the nearly 4 feet of ice. Clair uninterested in the pike, began nailing walleye after walleye, while lying on the ice and giggling like a little kid all morning. John and I both took time to set-up our own rigs for pike, before joining in the walleye fun with Clair.

 

My bell got rung on the pike rig and it worked. Oddly enough, hand-lining super-braid, a 28-incher posed no real contest. John's rig fired shortly after, and a fish on his tip-up somehow wrapped up in my rig's line, but with some slack, he managed a beauty 36-inch, 12lb'er up the hole. It wasn't long after untangling our mess and resetting my tip-down, that my bell wrang for the final time that day. Up through the thick ice after the line sliced through my fingers, popped the head of my first true "trophy" pike.

 

 

Love that dorsal fin!!!

 

2005 was the year the fishing just blew up. A leap was made from 166 in 2004 to 337 fish, and this not including the 115+ walleye during an unforgettable two days on Mississicabi. It didn't matter where, results likely became much better because technique was improved, experience began to show, and fish were just being caught regularly. Walleye were on top, full moons took the backseat to new moons, and of course the best weather was same as always. The Williams Whitefish with added orange tape became a Kesagami killer, as did pink hand-tied bucktails for specks and eyes. On the road and rivers were great trips with new and old friends. The 652 at Detour Mine north of Cochrane and all the way south to Delhi Lake Erie fishing over 3 weeks was a blast, as were the Christmas lakers for the first time on the Niagara Bar, and of course another great walleye opener on the North French that gave up a new PB.

 

 

Second cast I lost this fish at my feet. Three hours later, the pink bucktail pegged it on good.

 

 

Pink bucktail does it again...6 1/4lb new best.

 

 

 

2006.

 

 

Sunday September 17th, 2006. 1000-1200, 1400-1900hrs.

Joe.

Mainly cloudy, high N.E winds, cool.

Last quarter.

Cold, shallow, clear, slack waters, depths 1-6 feet or so.

Ekwan River @ Astahsayahn.

Pike.

Med. spinning, 30lb braid, 30lb steel leaders.

Casting the tacklebox throughout the back bay. (point to beaver hole)

60 pike. Big fish and new PB by weight, 17 3/4lbs, 40" on gold Aglia #5.

 

Brenda's older brother Joe believed it was his place to take me out on the land for a hunt north of Attawapiskat. This was something he felt Bren's father would have done, had he not passed on before our time. A hunt with some fishing, but best of all getting to know Joe, was a chance I could not pass up.

 

We left Attawapiskat, crossed 40km's of the James Bay tidal flats riding north during high tide, said hello to the seals at the mouth of the Ekwan River, then spent the next eight hours shallow driving and wading Joe's 24-foot freighter canoe 25km up the rarely explored Ekwan. That night we made camp, an owl hooted and I snored, the rain fell, and two moose snuck by safely down beside our banked canoe. That morning Joe woke me to some Labrador tea, we broke camp, took note of the fresh moose tracks, fished a little for pike, then pressed further on upriver.

 

The Sunday morning after breakfast I hiked a nearly dry creek bed that if had more water, it was said would hold giant searun and resident speckled trout. On the trek, I saw a couple fry-sized specks scooting about in boot-high puddles. Come afternoon we fished in front of the camp and forgot all about hunting. I had outfitted Joe with lures, line and leaders that can't be found in Attawapiskat, and taught the great hunter a thing or two about fishing. He had so much fun that afternoon catching pike, his arms must have been Jello. Told me, never even with gillnets at the mouth of the bay had he caught nearly as many pike. In fact, in one afternoon, I know without a doubt I have never released so many either. It was tough getting bigger size to the fish, some great mid-to-high 30-inchers showed themselves, but it was a first soft-water fish over 40 that I had been hoping to find. End of the day after having stung nearly all the other runts, this fish answered my Ekwan prayers. Joe and I were two happy campers that night, despite not seeing a moose.

 

 

Fished five less days in 2006 so numbers dropped from 337 to 331 although 185 fish from a return to Mississicabi and the Ekwan weren't factored in. The big trips to me weren't really considerable when looking at fishing from an improvement stand-point. Walleye, same weather patterns, new moons again, pink bucktails, Champs for ice fishing and Aglia #5 were some of the usual journal norms. Experimented with some big streamers for pike and lakers and had success. Hosting FLOAT and Marty for ice-pike, a couple days out guiding different visiting Doctors, Bren's slaying of the Kesagami eyes, spring walleye opener on the Cheepas River, having Summer along on a Temagami trip, up'ing the PB walleye and revisiting the Niagara Bar with friends were some noted memorable moments.

 

 

First brooooonie! Love these fish.

 

 

Another great that fell for "pink." 7.5lbs, 29-inch new best walleye.

 

 

 

2007.

 

 

Tuesday October 23, 2007. End of 5 day fishing trip.

FLOATY

Mix sun & cloud, cold, north wind.

Full moon.

High river, nearing ice, tanin. Depths 1-10 feet - guessing.

Cheepas River. 120km up, fishing 152km back to home.

Pike & Eyes.

Johnson spoons, Cyclops, Thompsons 5ofD's and Flappin' Shads for pike. Bucktails with dace, orange and chartreuse for eyes.

Casting to shorelines, eddies & creekmouths keeping retrieves extra slow to jiggin' spoons back to boat.

Total for 5 days 62 pike, 10 walleye.

 

Floaty begged, stole and borrowed to make a last minute run from Ottawa to Moose Factory in order to join me on an "anything goes" kinda late October, pre-ice, camping and fishing tour. Not many guys I know are that hardcore for fish. After arriving and then able to leave with me on our first day, we got smoked on the river by a monsoonish down-porridge of granola rain-snow that chilly-soaked us to the bones. We made haste for a run down old cabin and ended up having to bunk down there two nights before the skies would let up.

 

Emerging days later, under bright blues we packed and began our push deep up the swollen Cheepas River. The rains had lifted the water levels so high, that a falls and many shallow rock gardens which otherwise make the upper reaches inaccessible without days of travel, for the first time in 25 years (we were told) allowed us up and beyond with little cautious effort and shallow running over ten hours travel. Two parties of moose hunters took advantage of this rarity as well, and at tracked GPS kilometers 120 (us), 128 (Ploughman) and 136 or so (Rueben) there we all were with great campsites enjoying this extremely remote river and peace of paradise.

 

The fishing was really on in some of the spots we found. Pike biting like mad and Floaty hollering every time, "I can't believe how tough these river pike are!" The hunters weren't having much to do with the fish, but we sure were. Scotch, Tylenol 3's and beer eased the pain of my first and only bout of tendonitis suffered a day before the trip. Being a lefty, casting and handling the tiller was a sore chore but Floaty was a huge help when he could be. A couple nights under the stars with the campstove cooking, the coming full moon, the flask at my side with the great company and curious hand-fed whiskeyjacks, the big walleye on the way home to finish the trip was really nothing in the grand scheme of it all. For an "anything goes" opportunity, Float wasn't the only one who stole that right moment. We both did.

 

 

A solid "thunk" on route home that wasn't the motor hitting a rock.

 

2007 trips around home up the Cheepas and Kesagami in winter and summer, complimented nicely my marrying Brenda and a group trip to BC for sturgeon. Pike were the most sought after fish of the year and it showed catching 197. Totals ended up at 437 fish with new bests for pike and walleye. Out of curiosity I looked back over the journal and found that I fish on tuesday followed by sunday, more than any other days. Add the Pixie spoon to becoming a walleye destroying ice lure for Brenda, friends Jeremy and Rob joined me at Kesagami where we were all treated to some fly-in giant ice pike.

 

 

That's a biggun!!!

 

 

1/2 inch shy on length, but with all them eggs and minners inside it had the extra pound.

 

 

Continued...

Edited February 7, 2012 by Moosebunk

[Moosebunk]

2008.

 

 

Tuesday January 8th, 2008. 0900-1600hrs.

Brenda

Hot, sunny, tropical breeze.

New moon.

Deep Pacific sea, 200-1500 fow off Continental Shelf.

Flamingo Costa Rica. 32' Encanto.

Saltwater species.

20-50lb test heavy trolling rods and reels. Teasers, squid, bonito, needlefish, giant flies & plugs.

Trolling

1 wahoo at 50lbs. 1 blue marlin around 400-450lbs. 1 dorado at 20lbs for Bren.

 

This was the honeymoon. Whitewater rafting, horseback riding, zip-lining, exploring the countryside on mopeds, inshore fishing, shopping, deep sea fishing, eating, drinking, beach sunsets, jungle touring, dancing, gambling, swimming, massage... it was so gooooood.

 

Picked up at the resort for 7:30am we were afloat in the deep blue by 9:00am out of Flamingo Costa Rica. An English Captain and a few young Spanish speaking mates, the Encanto was a big and comfortable boat with twin 110 Johnson's to kick us around. For the morning the guys played out a 5-rod spread with some lighter sticks to the outside for enticing mahi mahi, some bigger stuff inside for sails I presume, and down the middle a big teaser for marlin. Around 9:45am one of the rods fires and Bren is insisting I take it.

 

Twenty minutes or so with the deck-hands really excited to see what's on, a large wahoo surfaces. My arms buzzing pretty good after that. The guys dispose of the fish, get set-up again and before having much chance to rest the Captain calls out "marlin." I see it in the wake chasing the teaser up to the boat as the guys reel it in closer wanting to switch out the teaser for the "marlin" rod and bait. It's an amazing sight watching a marlin of 8-10 feet stalk up behind the boat. When it finally takes the bait my wife is so scared she's clinging to a deck rail. While pushing her forward to fight her fish I am told "NO! You take that one," by the Captain... What followed was the greatest single adrenaline rush of my life. A tortured and humbling battle with one of the most prized ocean sportfish that swims the seas. Been there, done that, don't ever need to do it again. Marlin fishing isn't fishing, it's quick exhaustion and pure punishment.

 

Sorry no decent pic, it wasn't about to be lifted into the boat. Have the wahoo instead.

 

 

 

That yellow shirt in 2003 was worn for the fastest fish in the world, the sailfish. And back on in 2008 for the second and third fastest, the wahoo and the marlin. It had been sent off for analysis since, but never returned.

 

2008 was the final year in the journal I did year end stats. 2009 all changed with the move south and the journal entries took on new form as well. Pike still remained the fish for me, followed by walleye then specks. Fish totals reached 452 with pike and eyes equal at 182 a piece. It was the greatest year for travel in my life, seeing Great Bear and the Tree with Brenda, Costa Rica, Pym on the Attawapiskat and Nipigon with new groups of friends, and numerous local outings to Kesagami, the North French, Cheepas and Moose rivers. There were some historic totals tallied over the 8 year stretch that were cool to me. One for matter of interest was the catch average increased steadily from 2.95 fish per outing in 2002, to 6.16 in 2008. (6.52 the high in 2007) An example of progressing for one who takes personal improvement, rather personally. The goal for the upcoming year was but one, to enjoy the last days living in the north come 2009.

 

 

 

Above, a couple monumental PB fish from Plummers, and below, a couple more local PB's from the home rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

2009.

 

 

Sunday to Wednesday May 24-27th, 2009. 15 hours fishing.

No Company

Stable weather, mix sun and cloud over 4 days, mild.

New moon.

High, dirty, cold waters.

North French River. Up to Esko.

Pike & Eyes.

Casting, jiggin' and deadbaiting eddies, creek mouths & backsides of islands.

2 sturgeon (49 & 47 inches) 2 searun specks (20.5 & 17 inches) 7 fallfish (17 3/4 inch biggest) 11 pike (35 inch biggest) and 45 walleye.

 

Few people have made this trip that I know of..? River conditions must be just right, otherwise it's a heckuva hard task even as a two-man team dragging a freighter canoe through some stretches along the 100 kilometers up the North French from Moose Factory. The French was good and high in the spring of 2009 and therefor timing was perfect. The entire distance posed few challenges greater than the nine hours it took to make the journey. Around 4:00pm I remember reaching the island site feeling a solid sense of achievement, before then shedding some travel clothing layers, unloading the canoe and beginning the task of making camp and cooking supper.

 

With later light in the north and belly full, first evening I pushed up through some tough rock gardens and over a swift vertical drop, eight more klicks to Esko Falls where I prayed the walleye would be... but they weren't. The bite was so slow it was easier to just chuck a fallfish chunk loaded on a jighead overboard, sit back, have a beer and wait. Cool thing was, there wasn't much waiting to be done at all. A pike which must have watched lures and jigs go-by for a half hour, much preferred the easier pickings of dead bait served in cold ice-out waters. That pike as it turned out, wasn't the only picky one either.

 

Later around 9:00pm near camp, the WarCanoe was anchored off the backside of my island. A big slack water pool formed there which reeked of pike potential, but no fish presented themselves to any lure. The meat-jig was tossed back to lay wait in the river, just inside the rivers seam yet enough in the current to carry any fishy aromas away. The stillness, the solitude, and the thoughts when alone in the wilderness a days travel from any other people, was the fulfilling peace that accompanied my one hope of a good fish. The Fish Whisperer Andano... Moments passed when the rod tip awakened with a gentle quiver, just before the poles length began to bow entirely towards the water. The experience gripped in hands once setting the hook, a powerful and ancient sturgeon surfaced thereafter; the first of it's kind after so many past attempts... It was difficult saying goodbye to the North French like this, knowing that the river in its way was only just beginning to say hello. Like Old Man Jimmy, I wondered if the North French captured an eternal piece of me during those four days and all other days past.

 

 

2009 ended up so busy there was no year end breakdown or written reflection inked into the journal. Will say that fishing was all over the map. Caught gar, lake sturgeon and steelhead for the first time. Joined a big crew of buddies in the Bogie backwoods. Improved my PB pike on Kesagami ice and caught my best speckled trout too. Leaving Northern Ontario to rejoin family in "The Ottawa Valley" was something I had worked years and prepared for, but when came time was harder to do than I ever expected. As far as fishing was concerned though, it wasn't as difficult a change as perceived. So much more weighed heavier that year, but it was great to have a loved past-time to find balance and some peace of mind.

 

 

 

Above, a searun speck from up the North French, below, the PB speck.

 

 

 

 

 

2010.

 

 

Wednesday & Thursday March 24-25th, 2010. 8 hours fishing.

Stevie Zebco

Wed - Sunny, high +4C dropping to -28 overnight, windchill -37. 2-4cm (more like 30cm) snow overnight and into morning. Thurs - Mix sun & cloud, high -8C.

First quarter moon.

40 inches ice, fishing 1 - 2.5 fow.

Kesagami Lake.

Walleye & Pike.

Jiggin' minnow tipped spoons for eyes, deadbaiting herring for pike.

3 pike (44, 42, mid 30 inches) and 27 walleye.

 

There have been fishing trips in the past when I have felt really out there and waaaay off the grid. This trip with Stevie was that and a little more as, it was the first time we planned to be camping overnight a few days in the remote wilderness during winter, with no real chance of escape home.

 

Bushland Air dropped us off on Kesagami Lake Wednesday around noon, then flew away not expecting to be back until Saturday. Stevie and I found a suitable bush site after clearing much snow and a few trees, where we then set-up a tent we enclosed by boxing it in with four tarps. The fortress was pretty slick and the bedding inside good and thick, we knew we had a first snowy, cold, windy night to face.

 

The afternoon was beautiful and warm outside and by 4:00pm the holes were drilled and lines were down. Within an hour the bell rang in the distance on my tipdown, and racing over I set the hook into a great big ole pike. It was a long fight that gave Stevie plenty time to come over with the toolbox and camera too. Up and out of the hole came a new personal best northern at nearly 4-feet long. I was so happy I remember telling Stevie right afterwards, "I'm done bud! I could pack up and go home happy now. The rest of my days here are just a bonus." One hour and a slight chill later, I snuck over to the tent to retrieve my other snowpants. Upon approach I smelt smoke, and when opening the tent set a smoldering garbage bag ablaze on our bedding. The flash fire hurled me back and a big gasp of black smoke choked me out... Our next few days became very interesting after that.

 

 

2010 was the year the "WarCanoe" took a backseat to "The Bomber." Something like forty plus new bodies of water fished and some great new best fish caught like, muskie, crappie, gar, smallie, carp, pike and walleye. Reached that 4-foot mark with a Kesagami Pike during an amazing summer trip there with friends. Also enjoyed work stints with some fishing in Attawapiskat, visited Bogie and Temagami, the Nip trip, Quinte group and solo tours, and a bunch of different outings in the backyard here for muskie, bass, walleyes and highland trout. With only five pages left to write in the journal, the notes were becoming pretty short. No year end summary again.

 

 

 

 

Not huge... but dang they alotta work for a decent one!

 

 

 

 

2011.

 

 

Friday May 20th, 2011. 7 hours fishing.

Pat.

Early fog then mainly sunny, warm, NW breeze turning calm then SE.

Last quarter moon.

High, dirty, shallow, warming water.

Ottawa River.

Gar & Pike.

Casting shallows for pike and gar.

4 gar. 50" @ 16lbs, 7oz new PB.

 

 

It was back June 14th, 2009 while out with my close friend and "Pioneer of Gar," the "Gar King" GarJ, that I first caught this unique fish which inhabits the shallows. Thanking him upon releasing that premier catch, a PB 47-inch toothy gar, the Capn' grinned and asked if we were even now? I answered, "for sure... but, you know I'll be back for more." It was just such an exhilarating and fun day.

 

Spring 2010 was limited for time because of needing to leave for work in Attawapiskat. Before departure, I ventured back to the Ottawa with my father, and then twice again on solo trips. The new Yamaha suffered a couple good knocks on the prop and skeg, as the river was exceptionally low for that time of year and, I hadn't a clue what I was doing out there anyways. In search of fish and new water on that final outing, I raced around tracking over 40km's on the GPS and probed a number of new bays. While fishing, I said hello to friend Patrick, who's gar fishing was going only a little better than mine. Good numbers of fish were found when the light was bright, but I had a hard time hooking them.

 

No scheduled work up north I was psyched for the 2011 season. Over the winter I had bought and rigged up some lures and tied some streamers to bomb those gar with. The May weather and forecasts were often mint for fishing. A few times out already with buddies, it was this one day that started grey but turned sunny, which surprisingly presented me with my best gar. My friend Pat had joined me for a day in the Lund as this ancient Gar God knows hookin' teeth too. Here's a revised excerpt from the original report...

 

A thorough Bomber struttin' had some gars look our way and some turn and run. Patty and I were on the prowl when we both took notice of an absolute PIG of a gar... one of those rare FREAK gars that eat other big gar. She was quick though, and had both of us in a tail-spin after her. A few ignored casts and she slipped away downtown into the deep brown. Twenty minutes later, we were trudging through some skinny muck when Patty put the cast to a quality fish in sight. Other side of the boat, I glimpsed the black silhouette of a good fish pretty close to me too. I made my cast and not even really seeing the take just set quick on the hit. Fish was all up in my face and showing zero respect in no time, but some Mojo Bass moves allowed Patty to slip the net under. "THAT'S A FAT FISH!!!" he announced. Excited I answered, "Dood, I'm thinking this is my PB..? The fish named Crocsocks went back to the river with whole-hearted happiness... although the catch has come back to haunt me now and again.

 

 

Not sure why or how, but fished more days in 2011 than ever. The single best fishing day would be tough to pin down as, Bren's and my time sharing char on the Tree River's would be one, while catching my second biggest pike and speckle in the same afternoon would be the other. Experienced some surprising lows this year with friends too, Grant's cancer especially. A trip win to Plummer's, a group trip to Pym and an annual run to the Nip, made for a three-peat of 2008's great trip feats. The summer evidence that some things can and have come full circle with fishing since leaving the north. Have said before too how much enjoyment was had on Quinte in the fall with friends catching great walleyes. The final page in the journal is half finished but the decade is done. It'll be left at that.

 

 

 

 

Now catching the above speck and pike within about four hours of each other was cool.

 

 

 

 

Some Journal Notes.

 

 

Keeping track of fishing company, it was easy enough to compile a list of others who joined me over the years. Their total days plying the waters make up a pretty special Top 10, as it is them who have most enjoyed the give and take that goes along with many great fishing experiences.

 

 

1. Bren - 48 days.

 

Bren takes top spot, and once her life slows down a little more, my hope is she'll join me on the water and on trips far more. She's the love of my life and a partner in everthing.

 

 

 

 

2. Grant - 47 days.

 

Grant, aka Slop, graced the new boat more than anyone in 2010 and since. In fact, he was my first buddy to hop aboard and take a ride in The Bomber. During 2010 and beyond, we'd pick right up from where we left off in 2008 while at Pym, when first beginning a great friendship while sharing one of our few amazing northern trips together. Grant quickly climbed into the #2 seat in the journal.

 

 

 

 

3. John - 46 days.

 

John and I were inseparable through much of our days together in the north. We tested our friendship to extremes on the rivers, at work, around home, and while away on numerous fishing trips. We would spend so much time together until the months before John departed from the Moose, then we just kinda burned out. John through the decade made # 3 the list. I'll never forget so many of our good times exploring our land in the Moose and some great trips abroad.

 

 

 

 

4. Fraser - 42 days.

 

Fraser over the decade during the journal would come in at #4, but over a lifetime would certainly take the number one spot. We've experienced more than fish over the years growing up together, as he is my oldest friend in life. Days ahead for us, be it fish or anything else, I look forward to.

 

 

 

 

5. My Girls - 40 days,

 

My daughters placed #5 on the list. Over the years it's been Summer who has carried much of that load being that she's the eldest. We used to take these "bushwhacking" walks along Store Creek and fish for tiny resident speckles. She loved to catch them, hide them in the shade under some leaves, remember where they were along the trail to pick them up on the way back, then take them home and watch them get panfried in butter with their heads still on. She and her sister would pick all the meat clean off the bones. Dad couldn't be happier that her first fish was a speckle, or two. Leah's definitely a little more girly and was slower to get into things. Over the years that's slowly changed, and although both would rather ice fish, when the line goes tight they're all smiles regardless.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Keith - 38 days.

 

My buddy Keith at 6th on the list was a bit of surprise at first, but when thinking about it, here's a guy in the last 10 years I have done a number of week long or long weekend trips with. And so, although he's not a regular day outing partner, he is that go-to buddy for a lot of the bigger experiences. That says something... because we can almost all fish with anybody for a day, but a week at a time can test people. He and I passed that test a long time ago.

 

 

 

 

7. Stevie - 32 days.

 

The Agent Stevie Zebco of "Mission Fishin' Impossible" fame joined my side for trip after trip after trip in the final few years up north. If I could pack the guy in a suitcase and take him along on every fishing assignment, I would. Salt of the earth, a great friend, and company I often miss nowadays.

 

 

 

 

8. Pat - 26 days.

 

Eighth on the list of people most fished with over the years is Patty. A couple near and far trips from the past, it was 14 perfect days out this year with Pat which made me further realize just how solid an angler and cool a guy he is to be around. Pat is a fish-magnet, his karma puts you at ease, and I can't say enough about how much his company is enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

9. RJ - 25 days.

 

Since coming online in 2003 if there was a www. guy from back home in the valley to keep tabs on it was Rob... aka RJ. I began calling him "The Capn" once getting to know him personally, as he's a take charge kinda guy who will stop at nothing to catch the biggest fish. Rob takes the 9th spot having shared a number of great outings over the past decade.

 

 

 

 

10 Floaty - 22 days.

 

This guy many call FLOATY made #10 on the list. We had met in 2004 but it was 2005 we decided to take a week long southern road trip together and fish some blackboots and a little chrome. For two guys so very different we make one helluva team, and over the years following, the "BROS" did it up in style time and time again. Some unforgettable times with Kevin.

 

 

 

 

A few other numbers and percentages of interest.

 

654 days fishing, 474 (72%) at home, and 180 (28%) while away.

115 (17.5%) were days ice fishing.

94 (14%) were days with family.

66 (10%) were fly-in fishing trips.

35 (5%) were guided days fishing.

423 (65%) were days with company.

231 (35%) were days fishing alone.

 

And in order were the species most often fished... Walleye. Pike. Trout & Char.

 

 

So there ya have some of it. Hope it was enjoyed. A bit here and there during down-times since before Christmas ti'll now, flipping the pages and reliving some times on the water and taking notes for the final write-up, you might be asking, "who does this kinda report?..." And the answer is me. To put some hours into finalizing a decades worth of dedication and the work involved of keeping records as best I could, it only seems appropriate to reflect upon and then close the book. To share it... why not? Writing about fishing is gratifying and this is a long and cool story that I am certainly proud of. It's real fishing from top to bottom mostly influenced by obsession and inspiration. It is non-fiction, only fact, yet with a tonne of passion for the outdoors and angling thrown in for good measure. It is a wonderful decade gone by...

 

 

Hoping that through the next 10 years nothing changes.

 

 

Bunk.

[motion]

Moosebunk, you've left me speechless. Epic comes to mind though.

[JCRG]

amazing!

[mercman]

I could read your stuff for hours.

You really should write a book.You have a gift, and its more than fishing.

I believe this gift should be shared with the entire world, not just with us.

Thanks so much for sharing my friend.

[ketchenany]

Moose, I've been involved with Ontario Tourism for the last 17 years, your documentation on what Ontario has to offer for our visitors is incredible, from what I've read in your reports you are truly an amazing outdoors man.

 

I'm sure in your photography/writings you have inspired many. And will continue to do so in the future. BTW from where I sit your writing is excellent to say the least. You sir have many skills from helping people, photography and outdoor skills which I'm sure you will pass along.

 

For most us what you have accomplished will only be a dream, but thanks to you it surely comes to life when you check in.

 

When is the book coming out?

 

Thanks

 

A.

[l2p]

Amazing! Ill be happy if I touch half of what you did in my next 10!

[Live2fish85]

That is another awesome report. As usual you leave me in aww and jealous. I can only hope to have the fishing experiences you have in ten years in my whole life.

 

Thanks for Sharing.

[irishfield]

Be 6 days of ice fishing 'magami in there shortly !!

[Skipper D]

I like how he "Mossebunk" knew him self and in all those years stays his course and grew with who he was ment to be .

[adempsey]

Thanks for taking the time and putting that together. Was a pleasure to read. I can only hope that the days that lie ahead of me hold such adventure.

 

Cheers!

[torco]

Just amazing, you could probably put a book together or something.

[4x4bassin]

Thanks for letting us share your "fishing life" Well done Moose

[Gregoire]

That was awesome. Thanks you so much for sharing

[corvette1]

simpley awesome drew great report

[Jds63]

I had to read it twice .... will probably read it again .... of all the fish , each I am sure holds fond memories for you , but that char and those brookies are worldclass beautiful fish !!!!

Bravo ...

[fishindevil]

amazing fishing report drew !!!! and journal,what a decade....WOW

[Harrison]

That was a great read Drew. It also helped trigger alot of gret memories for me. Cheers.

[bucktail]

Just amazing like always from you!

Those char are simply amazine, could spend a day looking at that picture.

[cityfisher]

Just amazing like always from you!

Those char are simply amazine, could spend a day looking at that picture.

 

Friggin awesome...

[fishnsled]

Thanks for whipping up this little report for us. Just incredible!! What a great way to look back at the last decade and reminisce about days gone by. I wonder if you were the first to weigh a fish on that hospital scale. That fire at Kesagami would be one to remember and probably didn't need the journal to jog the memory of that. And the places you've been and the multiple species you've caught, just amazing. Thanks for taking the time to share your last 10 years.

[TDunn]

Wow! That has to be one of the most unique reports I have ever read!

What an impressive decade with all the amazing fish and experiences!

Very cool!

 

 

 

TDunn

[EC1]

Thanks for sharing Moosebunk!

BTW, I tried that Honey Garlic walleye recipe you posted. IT'S DAMN DELICIOUS!

[Jen]

I'd love to see all your writings in a book one day!

 

Your stories,adventures, catches, techniques, knots, lures, bought, hand made, handed down , collected, aquired, hand drawn maps, interjected with the trials and tribulations of family and the joys shared when the kids arrived. Your writing and photography say more than tales of just fishing stories.

 

You see and speak of beauty and adventure as well as the meaning of friendship and comraderie. Each time you put your fingers to your keyboard and re create in words the adventure you have just returned from you touch the souls of all that read them.

 

Again, thanks for sharing Drew!

[Moosebunk]

I could read your stuff for hours. You really should write a book.

 

When is the book coming out?

 

Just amazing, you could probably put a book together or something.

 

Just finished a book. The Journal. Took 10 years. Hehe!!! Taking each day out and writing about it would probably take another 100, or some other book long story would likely lose it's lustre part way through. But I know what you're saying, and because of always enjoying writing it's been thought about. Personally, don't think a book would ever sell... but that wouldn't really matter. I simply love to fish and write... same as fishing magazine or book writers seem to as well. Kinda wish more magazines would see real adventure pieces done in some kind of free-feel & pictorial fashion, as a steadily viable product. It's great people here enjoy this kind of report online, it's somewhat understandable being that it's free in more ways than one, and it can be so heavily saturated with fish-porn pics. It's home-projects such as reports like this one, or even about the day yesterday, which are a cool hobby. Validation of what I post here is pleasing and payment enough when it comes from real people compelled by a story to show appreciation, make heart-felt comments, give thanks, show support for the process and product, ask questions, etc... That's what's keeping it real and alive.

 

Some cool responses.

 

Jenny, you're a passionate wordsmith yourself. EC1. Wicked you tried the recipe. Fn'Sled... they threw that scale out and docked my pay. 63... yep the Char & Specs... treasures man for sure!

 

Thanks.