BACK FROM CANADA - PICS! (FINALLY!)

Okay, we went in September like we always do, and I am just barely catching up on a few things now. Time to get our Canada photos posted.

This was our 18th trip in 16 years to the same place. We went on our honeymoon and 15 wedding anniversaries, plus two extra trips with Zim's son.

I kept this little northern photo from day 1. You can see that we started out with overly warm weather with rolled up shirt sleeves for a day. That ended quickly.


Lots and lots of smaller fish on trip. Loads of fun and great eating.



There's my Zim.


Zim caught a big crayfish while jigging for walleyes, so we cooked him up and split his tail to top our steaks that night. We had surf & surf & turf!


Lots of nice, healthy fish. No wall-hangers, but a great week. I did get the perfect reach on this northern. (He was only 36")


This day was alternating sun and rain and sun and rain and sun and rain.


Lots of rainbows. I tried for photos but they're not great ...



I can't leave out a photo of some of my favorite stuff in the world: water, woods, rock, moss, lichens and more rock!

We are the last people up there every year and close the place. Sometimes, we are the only ones left besides the owner while he's pulling docks and boats out. This year, our old friend Basil was still up there guiding and we had the opportunity to go out with Basil for a day. He is a great guy and a great guide, and it was fun to spend a day and catch up with him.


We went a ways up north on really calm water.




Here's our shore lunch spot, fighting the crowds as usual.


Here was lunch.


We had freeloaders following us around like we always do.


I took about twenty photos of this little guy while jigging for walleyes. I actually landed a walleye with one hand while snapping a photo with the other. He was so cute hanging out waiting for me to throw him minnows. He did well that day.

This was the first time in 18 trips we caught eelpout! Zim and I caught two in one morning while we were there. I kept this little guy and I was going to fillet him up with lunch, but we had too many nice walleyes already, so I named him Edward and released him. That was no easy task. I should ask you guys from Minnesota how you actually hang onto an eelpout! Wow, was he slippery!


That day, we found a sweet little nook for shore lunch that was blocked from the north wind.


Those are Zim's boots. He's relaxing in his boat seat, enjoying his shore lunch and fighting the crowds.


Here's lunch, by the way. Using up all things from the garden and the water. Even our own homemade tartar sauce.


Sunrise one morning. It just makes you want to go out and FISH!!!


More rock, moss and lichens. Makes me happy.


Love a nice boulder.


Not so great photos, but you can see we have now evolved to wearing everything to stay warm. Mostly in the 40's. I love it!



Here is Lost Island, where we stay. You can't see our cabin but it's right there in the trees. That's home. We usually stop right by home at the end of the day and pick up another dozen or so walleyes in one little spot there. It's too much fun to pass up.


Every year, we think we're going to get decent photos of our cabin, but we forget when we first get up there and by the time we think of it, we've trashed the place with stuff everywhere. Here are a couple, anyway. We'll spare you the big messes.



And for those of you who have been following these threads year after year, here is the 2018 Smiley Labatts bottle cap photo!!!


And finally, we came across the water from camp to where we could get back to our truck in a snow storm! The water was warmer than the air so the lake was covered with fog and the snow was pouring down! That was awesome! My camera was deep in a pack for the trip across, but it was still snowing until we got 50 miles down the highway headed south. It shows a little bit on the rock here.

(The Mounty is leading the way.)

Total fish count: 509 for the week: 460 walleyes, 42 northern, 3 perch, 1 rock bass, 2 eelpout and 1 crayfish (we counted him since we ate him)!

Outstanding trip! We're already counting the days until next year. Thanks for putting up with my carrying on again!
Patrice

Looks like paradise to me!

look like a great trip thanks for sharing

Can I go next year?

Thanks so much for sharing beautiful pictures and story! the shore lunch pics make me very hungry!!

Great pics Patrice, always enjoy seeing your trip up there. That's definitely a bucket list trip for me.

What a Trip! Great fishing and Great meals! That's Awesome!

Zim could take you to a pothole in the neighbors driveway and you would it seem like an adventure. Thanks for taking us along.

Yum! You guys sure know how to eat , travelling, and do it in style!
I just finished up some Minnesota wild rice my dear cousin sent me. Heaven. Now I need fresh walleye! Thanks for sharing!

Nice pics, looks like you both had a great time!

Are you staying anywhere near the Silver Water wheel resort?

Wow, great pictures of what had to be an awesome trip. I feel like I was there after seeing all of those beautiful photos and looking at the food pictures made my mouth water. Thanks for sharing!!

Great pics Patrice and Zim.
Lots of people don't realize how good the fishing really is in sept-oct.

That looks too awesome. Great memories for sure. PLEASE, let Zim borrow a fish for a photo. Just kidding buddy. Take care and keep posting the adventures please!!!

Looks beautiful and must have been a great trip.

Now you're getting the wife and I thinking about a fishing trip north of the border!

Did you and your girls miss each other? LOL
Dennis

Awesome pics! Been a long time since I’ve been to Canada but your pics and report make me want to go back.

Great pics thanks for the tag along

Thanks for the boat along,where do you guys go again Lac Suel??????????????

Thanks for sharing. Great country and good times.

Pete

Wow what a beautiful great trip. I'm glad you guys had fun. Thanks for sharing your trip.

Nice!

Mac

Great pics, and thanks for sharing !

Thanks so much you guys! Every one of you. I'm so glad some folks enjoy the photos.

Sure, Beav! Lost Island is a long way east of the camp you're asking about. It's in the southeast quadrant on Lost Lake.

Thanks, FlyinFinn. Now I might have to post something like that just for fun! Pothole adventure!

That wild rice sure goes with walleyes, Alaska Viking!

Boco, we have gone every year in September and sure have had great fishing! I love the cold too!

Hrdtoflw, Zim will tell you he doesn't take photos with fish that are not huge! We caught a lot of really nice fish this time around, but no monsters. All fun and great eating. You should bring your crew up there one of these years!

Yes, we missed the girls and they were happy to see us, Iaduckhunter! I hugged each one of them!

Rick, we go to Lost Island Lodge on Lac Seul. It's not too far from the mainland but it's on an island run on generator. We love it there.

We had just wrapped up the WTA convention and Trapperman Feed in Marshfield and we got home, unpacked, packed for Canada and took off again. It's a crazy time of year but it's all good!

Thanks for sharing.
My buddies trap line butts up to the Silver water Wheel resort. And His buddy Bob Pinkerton (SP)has a cabin some place on Lac Seul. He said I could use it any time I wanted. Just haven't done It yet.

looks like you guys had some fun, thanks for sharing.

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for posting the pics.

Wonderful time and lovely pics, as always!

So happy that you both have such a deserved retreat after all your hard work .

Thanks for sharing , Chickie !

Beautiful photos! Great story too!

Chris

Patrice, we would love it there. Big fish are fun, but eaters are even better.

I was waiting for the blue beer cap

Thanks, guys! Sharon, you'll have to get up there one of these years!

Beav, you should definitely take advantage of that opportunity. You would love it.

Gary, we do catch a lot of nice fish up there. This year a little smaller but still nice. Best northern was 36" and best walleye was 25" but we often get walleyes 26" to 28" and no shortage of shore lunch fish!

I have never caught a walleye over 16", but I normally am not in walleye waters. I do like to eat them, especially out of cold water. I can't think of a better way to spend a anniversary than a trip to Canada. Oh, did anyone step on a high dollar fishing rod? Lol!!!
Today , I was able to get my new boat out for a while, but the wind was terrible. I did not fish, but went to put break in time on the motor. Gary went too, with my old boat which he now owns! Take car and enjoy that lil nubbin buck!

Have fun with that new boat, Gary! If you and yours do decide to come up where we play, you'll catch tons of walleyes and some big ones too! Oh, and I did not break any more poles, but I do still have my beautiful St. Croix Avid stir stick for my cocktails!

And did I tell you that Zim got me a new G. Loomis rod? The stakes are even higher now!

I bet you enjoyed that new rod. What rod did he get you? Long ago, I was on their pro staff. Their rods really are all that good. I have one of their walleye special jigging rods. It is like magic. I can feel when a fish is just thinking about taking the jig!

Oh boy, step light in the boat, or keep the rods up high! Lol

Willy, it's a G6X walleye jigging rod. It's a beauty. I can tell when a walleye is near. The walleyes cannot stay away. I realize they do make ones for $650 that will allow you to sense when walleyes are a quarter mile away and heading in your direction. I don't need one of those. I am too deadly with this one. That would not even be fair.

great pics as always :)thanks for sharing

Are you and Zim willing to adopt me, I cannot help out alot physically but will offer unsurmountable moral support!

Yes, we will, son. Zim says "yep" as well.

Ma and Pa, thank you! I don't want to put you out for the holidays so I will move in in January, I'm stoked

Great write up and pictures.. I love the Norther Waters. Reminds me of the waters I fish at my camp.. Thanks for sharing..

Looks fun

Nice photos. Thanks for sharing them!

You are so welcome, son! This is so funny my sides hurt!

Thanks for all of your kind words, guys! I am so glad you enjoyed the photos. I wish I could beam every one of you there to enjoy it. We have so much fun and it's so beautiful.

Hi P,

That jigging rod is probably one of their best designs. I don’t have one of those quarter-mile rods either. We must have ethics and exercise restraint.

What reel do you have on your new rod?

I really enjoyed your photos and story. What did your husband do to catch such a beautiful trophy wife?

Best wishes. W

Gosh, Willy! Thank you - That's awfully nice! Actually, Zim is intelligent and witty and clever and skilled, and warm and kind and moral to the core - all while being strong and devilishly handsome and an excellent shot. What more could a girl ask for?

I have a few reels I use between the rods I have. One I believe is a Pflueger Arbor, the other two are an Abu Garcia and a Shimano, but I don't remember the models. All work just fine though! Especially on that G. Loomis bad boy.

Glad you enjoyed the thread!

Great pictures and some great stories. I hope to get up north someday. Really want to go no that I have seen some really neat photos!!

Hi P,

Wow, you describe Zim how my wife used to describe me before we got married. He is a fortune man for sure.

Your reel choices sound good. I use a Shimano Stradic on my Loomis jigging rod. The combo is just too good!

Best wishes.