When the work needs to be done, everybody pitches in. Our job descriptions seem to have a lot of addendums.
Karen may spend most of her time in the office, but getting out to the camps is always a nice perk… even if it requires a little work.
No white gloves around here.
Tough decision which to invite for supper. They are both mighty tasty in the frying pan.
One of the great things about Irene lake is that you do have choices to make.
Not with the right equipment.
The old shed /moose cooler/shower room/catchall storage is no more.
In the middle of our yard sat an ugly old building which served many useful purposes and an useful life since 1958. We’ve had the building removed and a new garage will be soon in its place.
Wildlife viewing is one of those added features of an Ignace Outpost vacation. Our guests regularly see moose, bear, eagles, otters, beaver (not the airplanes), deer, caribou, loons… the list goes on.
If there is decaying animal matter around, turkey vultures are often seen. Last week on the river south of Irene Lake our guests found a moose carcass, likely from a moose which fell through the ice.
Having a free lunch were turkey vultures.
These ugly birds work diligently to help clean up the forest.
In the spring, small mouth bass start heading to the reefs to spawn. They really start to get aggressive late May and early June.
Even when water is cold and they are not at their best, they give up a great fight.
Nothing like an early season “bronzeback” to brighten the day.
Mike and Darla arrived at Irene Lake last week right after a late snow storm. They bundled up and got off to doing what they came to do. A couple of nice walleye like these get the heart pumping and the cold is almost unnoticeable.
Yesterday as the group at Irene Lake waited for their pickup after a week of fine fishing, Art was casting a jig off the dock. This northern hit his jig and gave an intense battle on the 6 lb test line.
Since he was without a net and the water was high, he fought it right up onto the dock. A few pictures were taken and the fish was released to fight another day.
It is a good thing it is too cold to skinny dip with these guys waiting off the dock.
Our son Mike and his wife Caralyn caught a little fun last week on Hilltop Lake.
Don’t miss out on this type of fun. Check out our web site and get you 2009 trip booked today.
Catching walleye in our lakes is never difficult. In fact on opening weekend, it amazes me that a camp could be vacant. In any case, setting up a camp after the opening of walleye sometimes offers the opportunity to research our product and develop new techniques. It also seems to produce more folks who like to help with the chores.
The best part of my job is Research and Development. On Sunday Karen and I with our son and his wife started work on setting up a camp on Seseganaga as well as Hilltop. While at Hilltop Lake we took a small break. Not only did we have a little R&D to work on, we have a new pilot who needed to be fully trained in all aspects of our business.
An hour or so out of my day is not a burden.
The outcome of our R&D was a nice feed of fresh walleye. I also discovered a new ingredient for cooking walleye that will now be regularly found in my mess kit.
Try some Japanese Bread crumbs mixed in with your breading. These crumbs add a nice crunchy texture.
Yes, I am sick. Nothing to do with H1N1 or other exotic virus. I have that annual sickness that strikes on the third Sat in May. I have a bad case of “Walleye Fever”. This illness manifests itself like clockwork and leaves me in a state of duress until the remedy is applied. What makes it more severe for me is that I apply the remedy professionally to many many sufferers of this malady with little thought of healing myself. I guess you could say I am a doctor of sorts.
The only known cure!
If you find yourself with a twitching wrist, an overwhelming desire for fresh air and cold sweats when you think of things you could be doing rather than work, you may have the “Fever”.
Give me a call. Talking about walleye will help with the symptoms but a cure of the disease is really required. Getting your 2009 trip booked will certainly set you on the path to recovery... at least until the 3rd Sat in May next year.
Finally, after several days of bad weather, we managed to get John in to Metionga Lake. As our camp attendant there, he will have his hands full since our first groups arrive in the morning.
Boats need to be readied, cabins cleaned, water systems turned on, etc,etc. I am sending him some help tomorrow for a couple of days.
It has been snowing off and on all day and flying conditions are more like late October than mid May.
Next we start working on getting Seseganaga, Hilltop and Flindt ready. Not that I am pleased with the economic downturn, but it has given us a little more time to get cabins ready.
Let the walleye season begin!
We are only three days away from walleye opener and already we are having weather delays. Since yesterday around noon we haven’t been flying. At least it isn’t snow. That is coming for the weekend. Hopefully by tomorrow – the forecast isn’t good for the rest of the day - we will be able to get more work done at the camps to be ready for guests. Our first crew arrives tomorrow (Thurs) for Irene Lake. Trout, Bass, and northern season are open now.
Yesterday I sent out a quick email update. If you did not receive it here is a link to the document. Spring update
If you are not on our email list, take a moment to sign up off our web site. We send out only a few updates per year, but by signing up you won’t miss any good info or news from Ignace Outposts.
Our 2009 season is beginning I am finding out I am not the only one thinking fishing.
As we train pilots and other staff for the summer, fishing is also on my mind. Today as I was getting boats ready and a cabin cleaned at Irene Lake, I was bemoaning the fact I didn’t have my fishing rod with me. I even bought a new rod just to be sure I carried one in the aircraft with me. Of coarse, it was in Ignace while I was at Irene Lake.
Walleye season opens on Saturday but trout and northern are open now!
I just received an email for one of our 2008 guests of his son with a nice Seseganaga memory from 2008.
“Nearly a year since we came up to Ses for a great experience. Have wanted to share some pictures of son James with you and finally got around to doing it. Hope to repeat our trip soon. Have a great summer.” Craig
Only days now until this will be a regular sight on our Ignace Outposts Lakes. If you haven’t booked your 2009 vacation yet, give us a call. We are excited about the season and know you will too once your trip is booked.
1-807-934-2273
Our 2009 season is immanently upon us. In preparation for your adventure this summer here are some things to dwell upon.
Ontario, as many other jurisdictions, has it own fishing regulations. More often than naught, any government regulation is written in language most lawyers can’t understand. This is why there is always at least one lawyer on each side of a court case. However, ignorance is not bliss regarding the law.
Here are a few tips in keeping Ontario’s fishing laws:
Keep your fishing license in your possession at all times while fishing.
You may angle with only one line per person.
Fish eaten during shore lunch count in your daily limit.
Fish considered part of your limit include fish back at camp as well as on the lake.
Ontario does have size restrictions for walleye and northern at all times, and for lake trout and small mouth bass during certain times of the year.
Different areas have different limits.
Know the regulations for the species you seek as well as the area you are in.
The Ontario Fishing Regulation summary can be found here.
Our Ignace Outpost camps fall into the following Zones:
Seseganaga, Hilltop, and Tri Zone 4
Metionga and Kawaweogama Zone 6
Flindt Zone 2
Irene and Gamble Zone 5
note: These 2 lakes also fall into the border water area regulations.
Ice went out last night! We woke to a clear lake except for a few push ups of ice along the shore inside the break wall.
It never ceases to amaze me how the ice can be 8 inches thick one day and gone the next. A little wind and above freezing temps sure help.
Now that Agimak lake is open we can prepare to bring the birds home.
If you haven’t booked your 2009 fishing adventure yet, give us a call. www.ignaceoutposts.com
Spring is the time of year that bears start moving around after a winter of hibernation. We tend to do the same thing. During the winter our office is in our home. We can answer the phone, email and keep things afloat in our underwear at 3 am if we choose. (no visuals please)
Now we are getting back to our summer routine. The office is being prepared and we are coming out of hibernation.
We actually commute the 100 feet across the yard now for work.
