Reflections

[gonorthanychance]

Just sitting here at work today over lunch thinking it's going to be another four months before I make it up north again to Northern Light Lake (Ontario). Even though I don't post alot to this website, I do get a great deal of enjoyment reading the other posts relating to the region up near the border.

Now for the reflections (or bragging):

Last October, spent a week at the cabin with my wife and had my first encounter with the Grouse of the great North. Had a couple of great meals centered around that bird at the cabin that week, and just finished off a few others from last season a couple of weeks ago on the grill at home. Work didn't allow to return this October, but will be looking forward to enjoying it again next October.

A week in February again with the wife saw little snow but fantastic fishing for trout and whitefish. My largest ever laker of 18 pounds was threaded through the hole in the ice, picture taken, and returned for another chance of someone fighting it as a 20 pounder someday soon.

A week in early May was spent with my eldest son (22), first riding the country on the quads observing the fire fighting efforts over on the Minnesota side, then fleeing as everyone was evacuated from Northern Light after the fire crossed the border heading to the north and east. The thought for the next couple of weeks was whether or not I and others would have places to return to. The fire halted within four miles of our Northern retreat as many prayers were answered.

The first week of June was a week spent with the wife and some of her family young and old. We returned to a lush green yard at the cabin that had been well irrigated by the Canadian firefighters who had run sprinklers on all the cabins for ten or so days during mid May. Walleye fishing was slow however the smallmouth kept everyone busy. My nephew of eight landed a 22" smallie that took his hula popper from the surface. Had my first experience with fly fishing in the bay in front of the cabin, catching a smallie on my second cast.

The first week of July was spent with our younger son (17) and two of his friends. The bass fishing kept their interest when they weren't riding the trails on the quads enjoying observing moose along the way.

The end of August and the first week of September was the annual Labor Day trip with all the old farts that started me fishing this lake a dozen or so years ago. I must say that the walleye fishing has been extremely slow the past several years, however it appears to have made a turn for the better late this year. By far I can hoenstly say this was the best fishing in four years. It was a first for catching every species on the lake during the week, except for the elusive Burbot, which I have failed every trip to obtain. Did see one caught once through the ice on someone else's line. It was also the first week that I limited out, or better, on each species within the first hour of that days fishing, trout, bass, walleye and northern. A day of cold rain kept us from obtaining the limit of whitefish, however we did manage three in first hour. My birthday present that week as a 20" smallie that hit a surface bait about four feet off the back of the boat which took about what seemed like 20 yards of drag before returning to the water. The total fight was well over five minutes of true enjoyment. The highlight of the week and the year was the return of the walleye bite, the best we've seen it in four years and a pleasure to all.

My thanks to all of you who post on this site, it is truely enjoyable to read about all your adventures when I'm back home in Indiana.

GoNorth

[Fishing Junky]

Must be rough to have a cabin on that beautiful lake. Sounds like you had a good summer. Appreciate the post. Junky........

[Steve Foss]

That's a great story, gonorth. Glad to fire spared you and your neighbors, and that special cabin will be there waiting for you next time. Thanks for sharing with us.