Where would you go?

[solopaddler]

I've been having a fun time this last little while researching possible destinations for a trip in 2013.

 

Long story short I have a very old friend who's been very sick for some time now but is miraculously getting better.

 

A while back he approached me about a fishing trip in 2013. He's had an epiphany of sorts and wants to do something special next year.

 

Here's the criteria:

 

1.Must be an outpost camp, he's not interested in lodges.

2.Multi species is important with a real shot at trophy fish.

3.Cost under $4000 for at least a week, preferably 8 or 9 days.

 

 

After much research we're pencilled in at Kasba Lake's Kazan River outpost for a 9 day trip in early August.

 

http://www.kasba.com/cms.asp?wpID=11

 

Miles and miles of maybe the best dry fly grayling fishing in the world, big pike and big lakers.

What's interesting to me is Ennadai lake, a 13km run down the Kazan river from the outpost camp. 80km's long and still very much an unknown and untouched commodity.

 

As mentioned we're pencilled in for that date and are about to send in a deposit so in fact we're not "fully" committed yet.

 

Before we do does anyone out there have any other interesting suggestions that meet the same criteria? It's very possible I could have missed something while researching this.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Mike Borger

[Fang]

Northern Manitoba is a cost affordable alternative to the epic lodges. I like to look through the Master Anglers lists from Travel Manitoba site and it's a great place to see what lakes come up regularly in trophy fish categories

 

The ones that always seem to cough up big fish are God's Lake, Nueltin, Reindeer, Big Sand

 

I was at Big Sand in 2008 and from what I saw it's really pricey (was a free trip my friend won)but I've seen a few on God's Lake for under $4 grand for the week. I know that does not include the flight though to Winnipeg

[craigdritchie]

Just for fun take a gander at Munroe Lake, on the Manitoba - Nunavut border. The main business is a lodge operation on Munroe Lake itself, but they also have an outpost camp on Brownstone Lake, a short distance away.

 

I have never fished Brownstone. I did fish Munroe in 1997, and still feel it was far and away the most enjoyable fishing I've ever had in my life - better than Great Bear, Tree River, Bolton Lake, Wollaston Lake, La Ronge, Great Slave, Cree River and Mistassini. It's pike, lakers and grayling. On the main lake we caught stupid numbers of pike every day, including numerous fish over 40 inches, mainly on buzzbaits and Slug-Gos. There's an esker that runs through the lake, and when the wind blows across it, the pike line up and destroy basically anything that moves.

 

I spent most of my time fishing for grayling however, and pretty much exclusively on dry flies, using a six-foot three weight Loomis I had built just for that trip. Caught several dozen fish in the 17- to 19-inch inch range each day, and lost several more to aggressive pike and lake trout. It was unreal. Two different rivers feed the lake in the north end, and it is drained at the south end by a large river. I spent most of my time on that south-end river mouth.

 

We were there six days and apart from making a few shoreline casts to catch a few fish for shore lunch each day, we didn't otherwise fish for lakers intentionally. Never got around to it. I don't think many people do, so they're probably a bit of an open book.

 

Caveat - I haven't been there since 1997. That said, it's only open for a few weeks each summer, and was closed altogether for a couple of years following my visit due to an ownership change. As with most other northern destinations I've been to, the majority of the guests were well off, but didn't have a clue how to fish. If a person knows what to do, the sky's the limit.

 

Again, I have no idea what the outpost is like, but if it's anything at all like the main lake, I would give it legitimate consideration.

 

If you do go to Kazan (which sounds awesome), see if you can find the article on it that appeared in an Ontario Out Of Doors magazine from approx 1980 - 1982. I think it was a spring issue, because I remember it being fairly thick. Story was about a trip that the writer did there with then-current Toronto Maple Leafs players Darryl Sittler and Claire Alexander. It had some interesting info, including some stuff about accidentally catching large lakers on dry flies while grayling fishing. The info will be way out of date, but an interesting read regardless, especially if that's where you're headed.

 

Cheers

Edited October 30, 2012 by Craig_Ritchie

[solopaddler]

Northern Manitoba is a cost affordable alternative to the epic lodges. I like to look through the Master Anglers lists from Travel Manitoba site and it's a great place to see what lakes come up regularly in trophy fish categories

 

The ones that always seem to cough up big fish are God's Lake, Nueltin, Reindeer, Big Sand

 

I was at Big Sand in 2008 and from what I saw it's really pricey (was a free trip my friend won)but I've seen a few on God's Lake for under $4 grand for the week. I know that does not include the flight though to Winnipeg

 

I've looked at all of those and more in Manitoba. Some look pretty good, the problem is finding an outpost camp. Big Sand actually has a couple of real interesting outpost camps as does Ganglers in the same area. Only problem is they won't take a booking for two people.

 

 

Just for fun take a gander at Munroe Lake, on the Manitoba - Nunavut border. The main business is a lodge operation on Munroe Lake itself, but they also have an outpost camp on Brownstone Lake, a short distance away.

 

I have never fished Brownstone. I did fish Munroe in 1997, and still feel it was far and away the most enjoyable fishing I've ever had in my life - better than Great Bear, Tree River, Bolton Lake, Wollaston Lake, La Ronge, Great Slave, Cree River and Mistassini. It's pike, lakers and grayling. On the main lake we caught stupid numbers of pike every day, including numerous fish over 40 inches, mainly on buzzbaits and Slug-Gos. There's an esker that runs through the lake, and when the wind blows across it, the pike line up and destroy basically anything that moves.

 

I spent most of my time fishing for grayling however, and pretty much exclusively on dry flies, using a six-foot three weight Loomis I had built just for that trip. Caught several dozen fish in the 17- to 19-inch inch range each day, and lost several more to aggressive pike and lake trout. It was unreal. Two different rivers feed the lake in the north end, and it is drained at the south end by a large river. I spent most of my time on that south-end river mouth.

 

We were there six days and apart from making a few shoreline casts to catch a few fish for shore lunch each day, we didn't otherwise fish for lakers intentionally. Never got around to it. I don't think many people do, so they're probably a bit of an open book.

 

Caveat - I haven't been there since 1997. That said, it's only open for a few weeks each summer, and was closed altogether for a couple of years following my visit due to an ownership change. As with most other northern destinations I've been to, the majority of the guests were well off, but didn't have a clue how to fish. If a person knows what to do, the sky's the limit.

 

Again, I have no idea what the outpost is like, but if it's anything at all like the main lake, I would give it legitimate consideration.

 

If you do go to Kazan (which sounds awesome), see if you can find the article on it that appeared in an Ontario Out Of Doors magazine from approx 1980 - 1982. I think it was a spring issue, because I remember it being fairly thick. Story was about a trip that the writer did there with then-current Toronto Maple Leafs players Darryl Sittler and Claire Alexander. It had some interesting info, including some stuff about accidentally catching large lakers on dry flies while grayling fishing. The info will be way out of date, but an interesting read regardless, especially if that's where you're headed.

 

Cheers

 

 

Wow, thanks for the lengthy and thoughtful reply Craig! Coming from yourself the endoresment for Munroe is a good one. We'll definitely take a look.

 

Since I've posted this I had someone contact me who's group actually went to the same outpost on the Kazan. This board is truly an incredible resource!

 

Cheers

[SirCranksalot]

I recall seeing a report on here last year where a bunch of guys did a fly-in out of Nakina and caught a whole bunch of big specks as well as walleye!! I'll post a link if I can find it!

 

This may not fit your criteria, but I'm looking at doing a guided canoe trip on the Liard in the Yukon---fly in, drive out. I don't know if your friend is a canoeist at all. The river is supposed to be quite easy with just ooodles of greyling.

[solopaddler]

 

This may not fit your criteria, but I'm looking at doing a guided canoe trip on the Liard in the Yukon---fly in, drive out. I don't know if your friend is a canoeist at all. The river is supposed to be quite easy with just ooodles of greyling.

 

Sounds good Harold, but he's definitely not a canoeist, he likes his ammenities.

 

If there was any way he could swing it he'd probably fly in a planeload of hookers too LOL!

[SirCranksalot]

Sounds good Harold, but he's definitely not a canoeist, he likes his ammenities.

 

 

Amenities??? How many amenities will he get at an outpost cabin?

 

 

 

[solopaddler]

Amenities??? How many amenities will he get at an outpost cabin?

 

Indoor bathroom with hot and cold running water and shower, beds with mattresses, big comfortable boats with floor inserts and 4 stroke motors, and possibly hookers.

[i2cool2fool]

If there was any way he could swing it he'd probably fly in a planeload of hookers too LOL!

Team 5 with Limey pimping could be interested in more information.

[Skud]

When you asked me about this trip I was actually thinking," yeah if I had free lap dances all week". Hookers will do too.

[chefboi17]

The Kazan is beautiful, I did a trip when was just a little guy with my dad up at the main lodge. We ook the float plane to check out the Kazan for a day, and the most Memorable thing about it (other than the amazing greyling fishery) was sitting for shore lunch, glancing over to the water and seeing a 20+lb laker crusing by 2 feet from shore.

[T-Bone]

Seems quite inexpensive given the remoteness of the destination and the comparable rates of other outfitters up in that area on Scott Lake, Wollaston, Hatchet..et al. Even Gunisao or Knee lake in MB are quite a bit higher. And after adding flights to/from Winnipeg or Saskatoon, those trips eclipse $9,000 in a hurry. The 9-day at $3,700 would be the only way to go as heading up that far you may as well max out the time there. I noticed those are 2011 rates quoted on the web site...not sure if next year they'd be higher. I'd bet there another 2-days of general travel to and from also. Looks awesome though.

[solopaddler]

The Kazan is beautiful, I did a trip when was just a little guy with my dad up at the main lodge. We ook the float plane to check out the Kazan for a day, and the most Memorable thing about it (other than the amazing greyling fishery) was sitting for shore lunch, glancing over to the water and seeing a 20+lb laker crusing by 2 feet from shore.

 

Sounds amazing!

 

 

Seems quite inexpensive given the remoteness of the destination and the comparable rates of other outfitters up in that area on Scott Lake, Wollaston, Hatchet..et al. Even Gunisao or Knee lake in MB are quite a bit higher. And after adding flights to/from Winnipeg or Saskatoon, those trips eclipse $9,000 in a hurry. The 9-day at $3,700 would be the only way to go as heading up that far you may as well max out the time there. I noticed those are 2011 rates quoted on the web site...not sure if next year they'd be higher. I'd bet there another 2-days of general travel to and from also. Looks awesome though.

 

Yeah once you start comparing prices it's a good deal imo. Even better than you might realize as I was quoted a price considerably less than what's on the website for a 9 day trip.

 

Also the flight to Winnipeg would be free for us and it leaves right from Hamilton where we live.

 

All in all it's looking like a pretty good bet I think.

[Musky or Specks]

Sounds good Harold, but he's definitely not a canoeist, he likes his ammenities.

 

If there was any way he could swing it he'd probably fly in a planeload of hookers too LOL!

If you do that trip take lots of photos and video's Sure it will be the most popular report ever.

[SirCranksalot]

If you do that trip take lots of photos and video's Sure it will be the most popular report ever.

 

Oh, udunno. When guys on this site talk about 'eye candy' they mean nice looking fish! . "Hookers' is probably another term for snaggers on OFC!

 

 

[workwear]

ever think of goin south and doin a lodge on the mayan riviera...3500 for a week chasing the super slam and plus all the amenities one could think of....

 

ascension bay is supposed to phenomenal.....cuda ,bonefish,permit,tarpon...plus a few more species to be had...

[Bondar]

Indoor bathroom with hot and cold running water and shower, beds with mattresses, big comfortable boats with floor inserts and 4 stroke motors, and possibly hookers.

Can I come?

[bigcreekdad]

Indoor bathroom with hot and cold running water and shower, beds with mattresses, big comfortable boats with floor inserts and 4 stroke motors, and possibly hookers.

 

 

 

If you need someone to even out the trip let me know.....only if there's hookers though.

[HTHM]

 

If there was any way he could swing it he'd probably fly in a planeload of hookers too LOL!

 

I would hope that there would be at least two hookers on this excursion...(fishermen..duh!) :)

[bare foot wader]

what's the intended trophy species?

 

I read your sutton trip recently, another brookie destination is fortress lake, bc....more of a camp than a lodge, you can also boat and camp around the lake instead