Apisabigo Lake Adventure - With The "Fly Me In" Contest Winners!

[solopaddler]

This past year I ran a contest through Ontario Out Of Doors magazine for two lucky winners to join me on a 4 night fly in fishing trip with Park’s Fly In Fishing in Wawa to their Anjigaming Lake outpost camp.



Anjigaming as many of you know is one of my favourite fly in destinations and being intimately familiar with it would help us put fish in the boat especially on a short trip.

The contest was an overwhelming success with a huge number of entries and in early May the winner was chosen, Jim Derro a resident of northern Ontario and an avid outdoorsman. Calling Jim to congratulate him it was instantly obvious that he was both an eminently likeable chap and a keen angler to boot. In retrospect I don’t think I could have hand picked a better person although I do believe most anglers are kindred spirits at heart.

Sometimes the best laid plans are prone to change, and this was one of those instances. Over the winter Park’s was able to acquire 16 new outpost camps from Air Dale Flying Services, some of the camps being of the deluxe variety with hot/cold running water and showers. With an expanded list of lakes to choose from it was decided we’d switch venues to the newly acquired Apisabigo Lake camp. Apisabigo is a gorgeous single cabin outpost on a beautiful rocky, structure filled lake located within the Chapleau Game Preserve. I always enjoy the challenge of new water and Jim was thrilled with the upgrade so it was a bonus for all concerned.

The trip was scheduled for late September at the end of my very busy fly in schedule. In my experience this time of year can be either boom or bust with potentially dicey weather and often tough fishing especially if you’re dealing with fall turnover.

How would we fare? Time would tell…

 

 

New Friends And Brilliant Sunshine
Driving up from southern Ontario I was accompanied by good friend Jim Valeriote a truly excellent angler in his own right and an all around nice guy. This was a fully guided trip for the contest winners and Jim was a welcome addition to the crew as he would be my right hand man on this trip. Happily it appeared as though we’d won the weather lottery with nothing but clear blue skies and warm temperatures forecasted for next few days. Amazing considering the week before north of Armstrong I’d faced strong winds and even snow one day. Nothing triggers a good bite in the fall like warm stable weather and my optimism was soaring.

Jim Derro was bringing his brother Dan along on the trip and after discussing the situation it was decided we’d meet them at a bait shop just west of Sudbury. It was convenient for them and allowed me the chance to grab several dozen oversized minnows. I’m not normally one to bring live bait on a fly in trip, but in my experience walleyes are often found quite deep after turnover has occurred and live minnows are usually irresistible. When guiding I always try and cover all the bases.

The guys were right on time and after introductions were made we spent some time packing all of our gear into the bed of the pick up. As I said to the boys, my unscientific rule of thumb is "if it fits in the truck, it’ll fit in the plane”.



Fortunately we’d be flying in an Otter rather than the much smaller Beaver.

We hit the highway for Wawa and as anglers do we talked fishing the entire way. With the brilliant fall weather and all of us getting along famously it bode well for our trip. I’ve always said that it’s the people that make a trip great and I knew that at the very least I’d just made two new friends.

Arriving in Wawa in the early evening we checked into a cabin operated by the Wawa Motor Inn and relaxed over drinks.







We hit the sack early after enjoying a good dinner. With a scheduled 7:30am flight into the lake we’d be getting up in the wee hours of the morning…

 

A Perfect Flight And The Hunt For Fish
Our outfitter is now using Watson’s Skyways right in Wawa for the air charter making things incredibly convenient. After breakfast and several cups of coffee we made our way over to the airbase on Wawa Lake and unloaded our mountain of gear.






Quickly loading we were soon airborne and as you’ll see in this short video clip the weather was as nice it gets in late September.

Upon landing we all worked together to get the plane unloaded and in a matter of minutes our pilot bid us adieu and was on his way leaving us alone in the wilderness. Honestly no matter how many times I do this it still gives me a thrill.

Perched on a granite rock facing directly west the cabin was a beauty. If nothing else we had ourselves a great place to hang out for a few days!



Hustling to unpack we organized the cabin and in short order had our arsenal of rods and reels pieced together on the deck.



One of my greatest joys in fishing is successfully figuring out a new body of water. There’s a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with the ability to quickly eliminate unproductive water and figure out what the pattern is. Once the boats were readied it was decided that at least initially Jim V and I would fish together. The idea being we’d quickly run and gun from spot to spot and armed with a boat load of floating markers we’d pinpoint as many high percentage spots as possible. Jim D and his brother Dan would be close by and outfitted with two-way radios we’d be able to communicate with each other.

There are always some walleyes inhabiting traditional structure in the 15’-20’ range post turn over, but I’ve always found the larger fish to be in much deeper water, sometimes as deep as 40-60’. This is especially true in deeper shield lakes and Apisabigo is just that.

We concentrated our efforts on deep mid lake humps, obvious points falling quickly into deep water and neck down areas. We found fish everywhere. What was surprising at least to me was almost all the walleyes we caught were in less than 20’ of water. The deeper structure held fish, but they were almost exclusively axe handle sized pike. Fun to catch but not what we were looking for.

While prospecting for fish Jim and I covered water quickly trolling either deep diving crank baits or 2-3oz bottom bouncers and worm harnesses. Once we found the fish we vertically jigged for them with a variety of 4-5” plastic minnows rigged on a suitable head. We had luck with a variety of baits but the Fin S Fish and the Northland Impulse Minnow were a staple. We also had a second rod rigged with a simple live bait rig - Lindy sinker - fluoro tippet - hook and live minnow. Dropping a minnow down no matter the depth almost always resulted in a bite.

In no time at all we had a bunch of productive spots marked and everyone was into fish. It was a perfect first day and we fished until the sun was sinking low on the horizon refusing to give up.





Here’s a short video highlighting some of the first day’s action:

We had a late dinner that night barbecuing some ribs and burgers at well past 10pm. Lounging on the deck afterwards luxuriating in our success we were elated. I couldn’t have scripted a better first day.

 

Plumbing The Depths And A Back Lake Surprise
Up early the next morning the smell of sizzling bacon and coffee perking on the stove soon had everyone up and moving. We were in no rush this morning and coffee in hand we lounged on the deck after breakfast formulating a game plan for the day. It was decided that I’d fish with contest winner Jim D while his brother Dan would fish with Jim V. Now that we’d pinpointed some key spots our plan was to refine our tactics and pass along as much knowledge as possible to the boys, hopefully catching some larger fish in the process.

Restless to get going Jim V grabbed a spinning rod and ran down to the dock to cast a jig and twister tail while we watched from the deck. Almost instantly he began to connect with chunky walleye perhaps proving that we really didn’t need to over think things.

See that’s the beauty of a fly in fishing trip. Typically the fishing is so good that even rank amateurs can catch fish and for the more experienced angler it’s a perfect opportunity to refine tactics and experiment.

Out on the water with Jim D my plan was to scour the deeper basins with heavy jigs and live bait rigs in search of bigger fish. The day before we’d found most of our fish in the 15-20’ range, but the big girls are usually found much deeper in late September and I was loathe to give up. My goal was a trophy for Jim. Keying on these deeper spots it soon became apparent that one vital component was missing. There are two deep basins in the lake, both utterly featureless with a soft muck bottom. This was a huge negative as at least in my experience it’s critical that that the bottom be hard. Either rock or hard packed sand. Just like the previous day we caught numerous fish on rock structure along the fringes of deep water in 15-30’ of water. Sometimes I need to be beaten over the head to have a point driven home, but not this time. With virtually no wind slow trolling deep diving crank baits was a great way to cover water and catch fish. Once a concentration was found we’d sit on top of them with lighter jigs making long casts, allowing them to sink then slowly hopping them back to the boat. Switching locations and tactics we began to put fish in the boat consistently and Jim was a happy camper.





As usual I managed to shoot a couple of short videos highlighting the action…

Round about 4:30 Jim and I found ourselves at the south end of the lake in a small bay where a creek spilled down a granite rock face into the lake.  In the mood to stretch and explore we nosed our boat into the brush and walked a short trail up the hill to an adjacent back lake where we found a boat cached.





This is the kind of stuff I live for - exploring new water off the beaten track. This beauty of a lake was far too tempting, but the problem was the days are short in late September and the clock was ticking. Talking about it with Jim he was pretty keen so we decided to go for it (I knew there was a reason I liked the man!). With the thought that this would be an exploratory mission and we’d be back again to fish the lake more thoroughly I zoomed back to camp to grab a second motor and gas tank. Jim stayed behind to carry our rods and tackle up the hill and prepare the boat. It didn’t take long at all and in no time I was back at the creek lugging the motor and gas up the short trail to the lake. Jim had everything ready and I quickly clamped the motor to the transom and we were off.

The entire day had been warm, cloudy and windless and there wasn’t a breath of wind as we cruised the lake in search of structure. Watching the graph I quickly criss crossed the lake from end to end looking for something…anything that jumped out at me. Normally wind is a huge aid when fishing new water as the windward shoreline is always a safe bet. With the lake mirror smooth we had to adapt. Pretty much the entire lake was a shallow muddy bowl. Deeply tannin stained with almost no rock or weed there were no obvious spots. The deepest spot I found was a small hole about halfway up the lake that bottomed out at 25 feet. Focussing on this small area we began slowly trolling brightly coloured stickbaits back and forth across the basin.

The first hit when it came was almost a shock as I was beginning to think the lake was dead. “I think” Jim muttered, “I’m snagged”. Looking at my graph we were in 20’ of water so I knew it was a fish. Big fish often have an unhurried nonchalance about them and this one was no exception. With Jim’s rod doubled over the fish swam with a purpose directly at the boat while he reeled madly to catch up. Stopping it shook its head and was suddenly unbuttoned. Jim’s line went slack and the fish was gone just like that. We never even got a look at it. Momentarily heart broken we were nonetheless buoyed by the experience. At least we knew the lake held some fish. With renewed confidence we began our pattern of slow trolling the edges of the deep hole and within 15 minutes Jim struck again with another heavy hit, this time there was no doubt! After a short but intense battle I managed to grab a thick bodied 6lb walleye behind the head and hoist it in the boat. Success!



I managed to shoot this short video of our back lake action including Jim’s big walleye, have a look!

Back at camp Jim V and Dan had enjoyed a stellar day themselves catching crazy numbers of thick bodied walleye dragging jigs across deep structure. Dan had his own share of heartbreak that day losing a heavy fish after a long 10 minute battle. Once again they never got a glimpse. After fishing for so many years those are the fish that really stand out though. It’s always the ones you lose that you remember the most.

With everyone in good spirits we poured some drinks, put some beautiful venison tenderloin on the grill and kicked back on the deck. Life was good.

Wind, Walleyes And A Late Afternoon Bonanza
Lying in my bunk in the wee hours of the morning contemplating coffee and a shower a strange noise shattered my reverie. Wind. I could hear the spruce trees swaying overhead and waves pounding against the granite rock face the camp was perched on. This was a happy turn of events as until now the water had been glass smooth. Maybe, I thought, the big girls will finally turn on. Hopping out of bed I soon had coffee on and the boys were right behind me.
We had discussed the possibility of fishing the back lake again right away, but with the wind blowing we held off. While we’d done well on Apisabigo we all believed it had more to offer.

Fishing with Jim Derro once again we used the wind to our advantage drifting jigs across likely structure and catching fish almost at will. Tipping the jig with a worm or minnow resulted in a fish or a hit almost every drift. At times we’d run 4 inch plastic minnows like the Fin S Fish clean and caught almost as many. Even on a fly in lake you’re at the mercy of the weather, if the conditions are prime you’re simply going to catch more fish. This was one of those days. With both boats fishing within sight of one another we enjoyed a banner day with plenty of laughs and a lot of sore arms. No giants were caught, but that didn’t matter.

    

In the late afternoon both boats navigated through a shallow rocky narrows at the very south end of the lake, at one point having to lift our motors and paddle through. It opened up into a picture perfect little bay, almost a lake unto itself and was the only part of the lake we hadn’t explored yet. Jimmy V and Dan struck first drifting jigs across the point of a small island. Jim D and I followed suit and soon we were all into fish. By this point it was nearing 5pm and as good as the action was on Apisabigo the back lake was beckoning, especially with the wind blowing. At that point we only had one boat and motor in there and we urged Jim V and Dan to try it out. Surprisingly they declined, as Jim V said “I never leave fish to find fish!”. Normally a good mantra to follow, but in this case I think they were just lazy. Once again Jim D and I hustled over the trail with our rods, expectations running high.

The wind was coming directly from the west pounding the east end of the lake the landing was on. Inching our way into the lake we immediately concentrated on a short section of wind blown shoreline not far from the launch.

It sure didn’t take long. I think every fish in the lake was prowling that small piece of water!















We shot this great little video of some of the highlights, have a look!

Jim and I fished until the sun sank below the horizon walking the short trail back to Apisabigo in the dark. We were both ecstatic. Jim because the fishing was off the hook, myself because my number one goal was to make this trip memorable for him. As a guide it’s always gratifying when your client is happy.

Back at camp I have to admit we rubbed it in…just a little. It was quickly and unanimously decided that all 4 of us would fish the back lake on our last day. If the expected great weather held we’d even do a shore lunch for the boys.

Jim V and I whipped up another great meal, this time bacon wrapped walleye hors d’oevres grilled on the barbecue followed by brontosaurus sized steaks and a great bottle of red wine.
Happily sated we hit the sack early, all of us anticipating what tomorrow would bring.

A Fantastic Finale
With a firm plan already in place we wasted no time in the morning. We sent Jim D and his brother Dan off together to fish Apisabigo while Jimmy V and I readied things for the back lake adventure. Packing a large cooler with refreshments and an oversized Rubbermaid tub with shore lunch essentials we loaded our boat. Along with that we loaded another outboard motor, tied one of the spare boats to the stern and off we went towing it down the lake to the portage.

It was hard work, but thankfully the trail isn’t a long one and we soon had the extra boat and motor hauled into the back lake. Setting it up for the guys Jim and I then scoured the lake for the perfect shore lunch spot. Finding one almost immediately we unloaded our provisions on a gorgeous rocky point, built a fire pit and collected a bunch of firewood. With everything ready we headed back to the landing just in time to meet Jim and Dan. We’d told them to come at 10am and they were right on time. Being our last day and having already figured things out pretty well Jim and his bro elected to fish together leaving Jimmy and I to our own devices.

Once again it was another windy day and not surprisingly the fishing was steady if not spectacular. Jim D connected first with another chunky specimen once again trolling a stickbait around the fringes of the same deep trough we’d discovered on our first outing.



The rocky shoreline where we’d killed them the evening before wasn’t producing. With bright bluebird skies the fish weren’t in the shallows yet even with the wind. Jim V and I simply moved out a little further into the lake and began to pick off fish consistently, some trolling, and some surprisingly on the jig. I say surprisingly because as mentioned earlier most of the lake bottom is comprised of a thick layer of black muck and marl. Every time you’d drop a jig to the bottom it would instantly be covered in the most hideous morass of muck and rotted vegetation. Watching the graph closely it was obvious that pods of fish were down there, but they weren’t hugging the bottom, they were suspended 3-6’ off. We’d find these small pods then catch a couple as we trolled over them. After landing the fish we’d be blown off the spot then had to search for them again. They were highly localized. Finding another pod I dropped a 4” twister tail down then worked it 2-3’ above the marl. It was like turning on a switch as almost instantly I had a heavy hit that felt like I was suddenly attached to a finned cannonball.



It was a new experience for me - jigging above the soft muck bottom, but it produced and will stand out as a highlight for me. Anytime you can figure out a new tactic, something you’ve never done before it’s a good thing!
Having kept a few eater sized walleye we all headed for the shore lunch spot around 1pm. Jim V got the fire going while I filleted the fish and battered them. I think it’s almost impossible to cook walleye in a bad way - it all tastes good. But for those that are interested I have particular method that I’ve settled on over the years that produces the crispiest, crunchiest, tastiest fish ever - in my humble opinion.
First the walleye needs to be filleted into small pieces and they can’t be too thick! Dredge in cajun Fish Crisp, dip in milk and egg then coat with Panko bread crumbs. I don’t like deep frying, I find it’s too easy to burn the bread crumbs. Pan fried in hot oil over an open fire is the absolute best! Don’t think I had any complaints on this day…













After lunch we continued our assault on the lake with everyone catching fish and having fun. As the sun began to sink the fish as expected moved en masse into the rocky windblown shallows and once again it was pandemonium. Double headers, cut and bleeding fingers and a bunch of happy anglers!









Once again I managed to shoot this short video of the great action we had, check it out!

 

It’s hard to imagine a more perfect capper to our fly in adventure, what a great day! Nearing dusk Jim D and his brother Dan packed it in and headed for camp while Jimmy V and I hauled our gear and the two motors back across the trail. If you’re wondering we left the extra boat there for future guests to use. There’s still four good ones back at the camp so there’s certainly no lack of watercraft.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and our time at Apisabigo was nearly over. I honestly can’t remember another trip that went off so flawlessly without a hitch. Even the weather was something to remember, especially so being late September.

Big thanks to Ontario Out Of Doors magazine as well as Martin and Jennifer Wearn of Park’s Fly In Fishing for making this trip happen! Also thanks to my new friends Jim and Dan Derro and Jimmy Valeriote for his good humour and help. You guys were great!

For those that might be interested in a trip to Apisabigo check out this short video tour of the camp that I filmed. To book a trip Martin and Jenn’s contact info is on their website at www.outpostcamps.com or www.ontariowilderness.com

My only regret on this trip was not having enough time to sample the second back lake accessed via trail at the north end of the lake. Seeing it from the air on the way out it looked pretty enticing. On the plus side that gives me a great excuse to return again.

Apisabigo is a fantastic option for a fly in trip, especially so it you’re coming from southern Ontario. The drive to Wawa is easy, the camp itself is as nice as it gets, the lake is full of fish and there’s some interesting options to explore. What more could you ask for?

I will be back!


 

Edited January 3, 2015 by Mike Borger

[kuhaman]

Just awesome!!

[206]

Beauty!!

 

What a detailed report

 

This would be a dream trip for me....I'm not sure about the plane ride never been in one, but to be in the almost untouched Canadian wilderness would be priceless!!

[chris.brock]

What more could I ask for?

 

-and the winner is............. Chris and Andrea Brock from Jokeville, ON

I know we entered plenty of times

 

I have witnessed your ability to figure out new water, you've got it down to a science

 

 

 

2 questions Bud, did you check the outflow into Big Miss, any boats, any trail?

 

and can you be the guide/ host at Blackbirch next fall?

 

very cool read, looks like a memorable trip for everybody!

[solopaddler]

Thanks kuha, glad you enjoyed!

 

 

Beauty!!

 

What a detailed report

 

This would be a dream trip for me....I'm not sure about the plane ride never been in one, but to be in the almost untouched Canadian wilderness would be priceless!!

Plane ride's a piece of cake. You're in far more danger driving the highways every day. Talking to a veteran bush pilot this summer I asked him what was his closest call? Total engine failure he said...twice! LOL! Both times he glided down and landed on water. That's the beauty of a float plane.

 

 

 

 

What more could I ask for?

 

-and the winner is............. Chris and Andrea Brock from Jokeville, ON

I know we entered plenty of times

 

I have witnessed your ability to figure out new water, you've got it down to a science

 

 

 

2 questions Bud, did you check the outflow into Big Miss, any boats, any trail?

 

and can you be the guide/ host at Blackbirch next fall?

 

very cool read, looks like a memorable trip for everybody!

 

You don't have to enter a contest.

 

I did check the outflow. Right at the outlet was a VERY dim portage trail, no doubt used by canoeists.

 

And yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll have fun at Blackbirch.

[4x4bassin]

Another great trip report Mike , thanks for sharing . I remember the weather very well last year at the end of September , we were on a backwoods trip in the north country

the week before your trip and it was 4 days of cold rain , so yes you guys sure did luck out on the weather for your trip

[adempsey]

You make every destination look like the trip of a lifetime. Thanks for the report, it was a welcome read.

 

Watson's got a nice paint job done on that Otter!

[Old Ironmaker]

Is it not wonderful to have our own personal outdoors writer, photographer and professional fisherman here for all of the OFC members to enjoy? Mere mortals need to wait and pay for the magazines in order to read and see his photos. Saying I love your stuff Mike is redundant again.

 

From what you wrote to 206 he or she will never, ever get onto a plane now.

 

Quote feature NFG again.

 

If anyone can help me (again) I pushed some key that will give me ÈÈèè when the blue E key is pressed as well as ÇÀÀ instead of the front slash symbol. I canèt remember the fix, again.éé

[solopaddler]

Another great trip report Mike , thanks for sharing . I remember the weather very well last year at the end of September , we were on a backwoods trip in the north country

the week before your trip and it was 4 days of cold rain , so yes you guys sure did luck out on the weather for your trip

I came back from Armstrong at 10pm Sat night. Had Sunday to pack for Apisabigo. Worked on Monday and was slated to leave for Apisabigo early Tuesday.

I was tired, rushed, stressed and fished out. I honestly didn't want to go. Then I saw the weather forecast LOL! It was truly incredible and I'll most likely never experience anything like it again.

 

You make every destination look like the trip of a lifetime. Thanks for the report, it was a welcome read.

 

Watson's got a nice paint job done on that Otter!

I never saw it before this year, was it rough? It's a pretty sweet plane, the inside is nice too. Best part for me is Watson's will be doing all the flying for them now which is great! It's very convenient flying out of Wawa, they only have an Otter so no weight issues anymore, and the best part is no more Hawk Air! (I'm not a fan of Hawk Air. )

From what you wrote to 206 he or she will never, ever get onto a plane now.

 

HAHA! Was thinking to myself afterwards, "that might not actually sooth their fear of flying". A bit more background on that particular pilot. He's been flying in the north for almost 50 years now and has an insane number of hours under his belt. Both times he had engine failure was back in the 70's when they didn't follow protocol quite as much. The planes were in his words "way overloaded" and it was a hot summer day. Apparently this isn't a great combination, perhaps Wayne can chime in and explain why. Nowadays these guys are sticklers when it comes to safety. Truly nothing to fear.

[davey buoy]

Great report Mike,made memories of a lifetime for your guest(s). Another great getaway,and bet you didn't see anyone else the whole time you were there ? Paradise. Thanks for posting !!!

[manjo39]

Wow, fantastic report. Not only is it evident that you are a great outdoorsman & fisherman, but also an excellent writer. Very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed the read like a good novel.

Hey, you should write a book!

 

It is my dream for you to take me and boys to Anjigaming Lake. They are 7 and 10 so maybe a bit young yet.

What is the price point of a trip like that? Please send me a PM and I'll start saving my pennies (They don't make pennies anymore, so I'll start saving my nickels).

[solopaddler]

Is everyone able to see the embedded video? It's driving me nuts, sometimes it appears, sometimes it doesn't for me. Have edited the post twice reinserting the embed codes and enabling HTML.

 

 

Wow, fantastic report. Not only is it evident that you are a great outdoorsman & fisherman, but also an excellent writer. Very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed the read like a good novel.

Hey, you should write a book!

 

It is my dream for you to take me and boys to Anjigaming Lake. They are 7 and 10 so maybe a bit young yet.

What is the price point of a trip like that? Please send me a PM and I'll start saving my pennies (They don't make pennies anymore, so I'll start saving my nickels).

Thank you, check your pm's.

[Gerritt]

Mike great report as always! As for the video... They are not showing up on my mobile device.

 

G

Edited January 3, 2015 by Gerritt

[solopaddler]

As for the video... They are not showing up on my mobile device.

 

G

 

Arrgh!!!

[wormdunker]

Thanx Mike - as usual you produce an awesome report. Great Saturday morning to read. Just awesome! I'm a walleye guy - your pix made my mouth water!!

[Fish Farmer]

Thanks for posting a very informative fly-in Mike. Get job Mike on the post, everything works my end.

I keep saying one of these days

[bigugli]

All I can say is Drats! and double Drats!!! It shoulda bin me. LOL. What a trip to be on.

 

Guess I better start dropping a few hints at my son about booking you as a guide for some great far off destination

[RDR]

Great report Mike Glad to see it worked out, given your schedule..........

 

To all of you, Mr. Borger is a great guy to go fishing with! Whether it be in a boat or on a riverbank. It's always interesting LOL

[solopaddler]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed!

 

 

Guess I better start dropping a few hints at my son about booking you as a guide for some great far off destination

Bruce it would be my honour.

 

 

To all of you, Mr. Borger is a great guy to go fishing with! Whether it be in a boat or on a riverbank. It's always interesting LOL

 

Gee thanks Rick, you're an interesting guy yourself especially with a cradle in your hands.

Please practice before late August.

[msp]

So I guess it's safe to say that I didn't win the contest.

Way to put the guys on fish Mike ! Well done

[fishindevil]

A trip of a lifetime for sure !!!! Wow ... Mike you sure know how to get the job done !!!! Awesome read and amazing pictures and videos ..... Speechless......

[adempsey]

I never saw it before this year, was it rough? It's a pretty sweet plane, the inside is nice too. Best part for me is Watson's will be doing all the flying for them now which is great! It's very convenient flying out of Wawa, they only have an Otter so no weight issues anymore, and the best part is no more Hawk Air! (I'm not a fan of Hawk Air. )

 

 

I have no idea, I've never seen their planes in RL. I just thought the plane looked good is all Although, I've always wanted to go to Pine Portage. I'd imagine flying out of Wawa Lake is really convenient. Having only one Otter might be interesting though. They have three lodges on Kaby and charter for a few others. Are the Park's trips mostly Friday to Friday?

[solopaddler]

Once again thanks guys, it's always nice to read positive comments!

 

 

 

I have no idea, I've never seen their planes in RL. I just thought the plane looked good is all Although, I've always wanted to go to Pine Portage. I'd imagine flying out of Wawa Lake is really convenient. Having only one Otter might be interesting though. They have three lodges on Kaby and charter for a few others. Are the Park's trips mostly Friday to Friday?

 

Gotcha. I can tell you Jim Watson is pretty proud of his aircraft and rightfully so. It might be the nicest float plane I've ever flown in. ONLY plane that "might" be nicer is Mattice Lake's otter that we flew in last September. The entire plane was refurbished inside and out last year.

 

Watson's has a Cessna Caravan as well so there shouldn't be any issues with scheduling.

[adempsey]

Once again thanks guys, it's always nice to read positive comments!

 

 

 

Gotcha. I can tell you Jim Watson is pretty proud of his aircraft and rightfully so. It might be the nicest float plane I've ever flown in. ONLY plane that "might" be nicer is Mattice Lake's otter that we flew in last September. The entire plane was refurbished inside and out last year.

 

Watson's has a Cessna Caravan as well so there shouldn't be any issues with scheduling.

 

Oh yes, that's right! I looked up Watson's Skyways after I read your report too, lol. I was recalling Cessna, but not a Cessna Caravan. I always think of the small 4 seaters for some reason.

 

So, with the grand success of last years contest, is there going to be another held this year ??

[solopaddler]

 

Oh yes, that's right! I looked up Watson's Skyways after I read your report too, lol. I was recalling Cessna, but not a Cessna Caravan. I always think of the small 4 seaters for some reason.

 

So, with the grand success of last years contest, is there going to be another held this year ??

 

Going to do one next year for sure. I "almost" decided to run a contest to join me at the Kazan this year then had a change of heart. I'm going to bring my son on that one and really want it to be just the two of us. That kid has zero clue how lucky he is.