Too hot to fish - had to work.

[kgeary]

For those who aren't sure that it gets hot in Northwestern Ontario check out the weather network. They aren't that good at forecasting the weather for this area but they usually get the current conditions right.

Two days of near 100 degree temps with zero wind pretty much fried even the most die hard anglers in camp this week.

 

They’re still getting some big fish. Several 29 inch walleye and lots of 26-28 a few 40 inch pike. The bigger Walleye are pretty much in 30 feet or deeper. Smaller ones still come up on the reefs in the evening. Rubber tails with no bait seem to be producing best.

Gold, chartreuse, hot pink and orange

 

A few weeks ago there were still plenty of big females in 16-22 feet. We caught lots of fish and big ones right thru the may fly hatch. It’s been nice to find a bunch more really great spots very close to camp.

 

My real motivation for this post was to share pics of some of the fish the kids caught this summer.

Here’s one of Hayden with his first pike caught completely on his own.

He chose his lure – (a 5 inch paddle tail shad suspended under a bobber).

He put it on. He put on his life jacket ( which he pretty much lives in) He went down to the dock alone. Within a few minutes he was standing on the dock holding his fish and yelling to let us know.

 

Hayden caught this one with a jig and minnow. Again he set the hook and fought it all the way to the surface. I was taking a fish off and noticed he was struggling pretty hard. It was hilarious to see his body movements as he planted his feet to get more leverage. He couldn’t keep his rod off the side of the boat so I reached over to help lift it. That’s when I realized how big it was. It’s the biggest walleye caught in camp this year.

We’ve had about 8 over 30 inches and several hundred over 27

 

Here’s Hayden’s first 40 inch pike. He was bringing in a walleye which he caught on his zebco with 6lb factory line. The pike grabbed it right by the boat. I was guiding Jordan and Brian. Hayden fished with us from 9 am to 7pm each day for 3 full days. On the third day after we came in he skipped supper to take Ron fishing for a few hours. Hayden is 4.

 

 

I usually feed a pike a 10-12 inch sucker before releasing it. This one didn’t have room for it. That’s a walleyes tail sticking out of his throat.

I'll have to post the photo on another post as I'm out of room for attachmetns and don't know how to get more room formore photos.

 

Seanna has caught a bunch of big walleye already now she wants to handle and release them on her own.

They had several “triples”.

 

Several hundred caribou calve on the islands. We often see them around camp.

These walked casually down the beach and hung around a few feet from the deck.

I'll have to post the photo on another post as I'm out of room for attachmetns and don't know how to get more room formore photos.

 

I just wanted to share some future memories of mine.

It’s too hot to fish today so I’m sitting here watching Hayden take his mother for a boat ride in his boat. We don’t let him drive it out of sight of camp but he has “guided” several guests with it and he’s been asking for a depth finder for the past few weeks. He can navigate from camp to the portage (and would if I let him.) Meanwhile Seanna is picking blueberries with her aunt and cousin. Her school reports and show and tell include hornets nests, dragonfly nymphs and picks of herself holding a crocodile (march break trips down south) It reminds me that watching our children grow up learning to enjoy the outdoors is awesome.

My wife Deb is a school principle and deputy fire chief so they are getting plenty of examples on that side of life. I try to do my part developing the other half. Both Seanna and Hayden already have a firm grasp of how nature works. Seanna is one of a very few people of any age to have fed a wild loon by hand. They can identify different species of ducks and enjoy spotting eagles and other wildlife while we travel the lake. I hope they’ll enjoy a lifetime of learning the rest.

 

I hope you are all having a great day and I wish you all the best of luck

[Joey]

The smiles on those children's faces are worth millions

 

Joey

[fatherof3]

great pictures.

[Rizzo]

wow, you've got a real angler on your hands there! Very nice report

[Greencoachdog]

Maybe if Verne Troyer ever visits, you could get him to hold some fish up for the camera!

Edited July 27, 2007 by Greencoachdog

[lunkerbasshunter]

great pictures!

 

cheers!

[scuro]

I love fishing with kids...usually it lasts an hour at best...3 full days for your kid? What are you feeding him?

[HotelTango]

Great pictures, good job on the lil guy getting the big ones.

 

Cheers

Marc

[Hellfish]

man that little one has a crazy grab on that fish, i cant believe sucha young kid can hold a fish perfectly im quit surprised.

[Headhunter]

I have a new hero! Way ta go Hayden!

HH

[ccmtcanada]

Wow!!! Kids are a great motovation for fishing. What an accomplishment for them!! You should go to ontarioanglerawards.com and register them. They'll get a certificate that can be framed recognizing them on their great catches. It's free to sign up.

 

Sounds like a great vacation...they'll remember it forever!!!

[kgeary]

Thanks

Fishing is just part of it.

He's learning not to be afraid of anything.

He got stung by a bee last summer and is afraid of bees right now.

That should pass and then he'll know that they can sting and it hurts but he can handle it.

Seanna isn't afraid of much.

She spent a week with her grandparents visiting her aunt in Calgary and went to Drumheller to see the dinosaurs. Her other uncle and aunt are here at camp now. Seanna will spend 2 weeks with them at Sault St. Marie in August. We try to travel with them as much as possible believing they will learn more about the world when they have visited more areas of it. I grew up believing I could accomplish anything. (Learned that was only partially true) But it allowed me to do some interesting things.

 

Here are the rest of the photos

This is looking at a walleyes tail protruding from a pikes throat.

 

These are some of the caribou that calve on the island then hang around for our viewing enjoyment.

We sometimes see wolves on the mainland nearby. I'm sure they would love to come out on the island but they are afraid of us being hear. the caribou don't seem to mind us at all.

 

 

Here's the view out my office window

sorry couldn't resist.

 

Have a great day

[norton]

Thanks for sharing the family side of your camp. I'll be bringing my bride of 34 years up north this year, she wants to see what keeps bringing me back to NW Ontario. She's a tenderfoot, but maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a guide like Hayden to help motivate her. My goal is to have 2 50(+) year old's smiling like those children.

[BryonG]

I am headed for "THE KINGDOM" Sept.15th. Finally!!! I've been trying to put this together for a couple years.