Season’s Greetings

Karen has been creative. The picture says it all.

“We wish you a Beary Fish Moose and a Happy Reindeer!"

A Winner

“BRAD

I TOOK THIS SHOT OF JOE.   IT CAPTURES WHAT  HE DOES BEST, MOVING ONE GROUP OUT, [OUR GANG] AND WELCOMING ANOTHER IN.

HE IS A WINNER,

SEE YOU IN JUNE

JACK”

I agree.  Joe is a winner.  He moves guests efficiently and you can’t ask for a better greeting to your vacation on Seseganaga Lake.

December Desktop

Karen has her December desktop calendar ready for download. If you want a good reminder of life in the north, check out this link, Desktop, and find the resolution you need for your computer to download a desktop calendar photo taken by Karen.

This is what the desktop calendar looks like:

Enjoy December and late in the month, check back for January's desk top.

Thinking fishing

It is almost December which means it is just over 6 months til opening of walleye season. It is time to get the guys or gals together and plan your 2012 fishing trip with Ignace Outposts. Our 2011 end of season mail out will go out in a few days and that emailing seems to spur thoughts of fishing for next summer. Drop us an email and get your dates booked while the dates are still available.

To see our newsletter now check our website where it is already posted. If you want to join our mailing list, visit our website and sign up.

We are looking forward to 2012, are you?

Happy American Thanksgiving

To our American friends, have happy and safe Thanksgiving. Living in this part of the world we have so much to be thankful for. We enjoyed our Canadian Thanksgiving a few weeks ago - even the leftovers are gone.

Your Canadian friends and neighbours,

Brad an Karen

2011 Newsletter is posted

Our 2011 Newsletter has been posted to our website.  You will find it here.

Some highlights you may want to checkout:

Fishing and hunting report, no fishing rate change, archery only moose hunt next season, Outdoors cards for US guests who received them in 2009 will be expiring at the end of the year so be sure to renew yours and.. well you’ll have to read it to find out.

How to spend a nice Nov day

Once our aircraft are parked and we have a chance to do a little something for ourselves, we like to be in the bush too.

Karen and I spent a nice November day with friends out looking for our own “bullwinkle”.  We covered a lot of miles and our best efforts were in enjoying the day.  The moose evaded us (hunting success is definitely better at an Ignace Outposts fly-in camp) but the goal is time together doing what we like to do.

A Taste of Summer

I received this photo from one of our good friends with the Ouisconsin Fish and Game Club.  It is Randy bringing the Otter to the dock on a charter to Bell Lake.

It is nice to think about summer now that the weather is changing over to winter.  Have you thought about your 2012 summer fishing trip with Ignace Outposts yet?  Get in touch with us and we will help you make your fishing adventure happen.

November Desktop

Here is the link to KAREN’S November Desktop Calendar.

November

Find the resolution you want and right click then “save to desktop”.

Enjoy

Not Shovelling Yet

Shovelling snow is a part of our winter.  We woke to snow on the ground today but I am sure it is just a foretaste of what is coming later.

 

The aircraft have been put away for winter and on Sat Randy and I winterized the base. 

Bring it on, we are ready for winter.

Winter schedule

We moved the aircraft to their winter home in Nestor Falls yesterday.  Randy and I made the last flight of the season and can begin the adjustment to a new winter pace. 

Most folks make a clock adjustment for Daylight Savings Time.  I adjust for my winter schedule.

 

Some who have waited around here for weather to clear may think this is my regular schedule but in reality I wait until the aircraft are parked to change my clock.

2011 Season is a wrap!

The last loads are always a mix. As we empty and shut down the camps for another winter, we get all the left over garbage, motors, and other assorted items out.

The last week we fought some nasty fall weather getting our hunters and their moose out of the bush. Today was picture perfect for the last shut down run.

All that we have left to do to finalize the 2011 season is to move the aircraft to Nestor Falls for their winter maintenance and storage.

Occupy Seseganaga

Joe has been out of the bush for only a few weeks and already he has become caught up in world affairs. 

He has begun a movement to Occupy Seseganaga Lake.  Of course you will need a leader for this movement if for no other reason than to book the trip.   Dates for this movement are limited to fishing season 2012 but there are many to choose from. 

Hopefully this movement spreads and Occupy Metionga Lake and Occupy Hilltop Lake get the same attention. 

What time is it?

One day this summer I got a radio call from one of our camps asking, “What time is it?”

I responded, “Who is calling?”

The person on the radio replied, “What difference does it make?”

I replied “It makes a lot of difference. If you are someone heading out to an outpost, it is 2 o’clock. If you are one of my pilots, it is 1400 hours. If you are a competitor, the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 2. And if you are already at an outpost, it is Thursday afternoon.”

Sea King

A Canadian Military helicopter was flying by from east to west last week and swooped in for a photo op. 

Quite the machine.  It is a CH-124 Sea King.

Things to do in Ignace

During the fall, moose begin to respond to “the call”. Moose rut and breed in late Sept and early Oct. We will go out some evenings and practise calling with camera ready. Karen’s cousin Anneke from Holland was visiting last month and we took her on a couple of moose searching adventures.

In spite of my best intimations of a female moose in heat, the best moose encounters we managed were not visible. The girls were ready with their cameras but we only heard the bulls respond by grunting, pacing and thrashing in the bush. They were most active at night due to the warm temperatures and wouldn’t show themselves for our cameras.

Calling the odd evening or morning before or after work is not a concerted effort at bringing out the bulls but sometimes we do get lucky.

Fall repairs

The Joe and Randy log cabin repair team ventured to Gamble lake to replace a rotten log on the log cabin.  This type of job requires time and a little know how.  Joe has the skills and patience and with Randy they make a formidable team.

There is still another day’s work to be done fitting the new log in place, but moving moose hunters will take precedent. 

Fall jobs

This time of year we not only continue with hunters, there is no shortage of other work to be done too.  Hunters don’t want us making noise while they are hunting so we service the camps and pick up moose only when required.  We try to focus our work efforts at lakes other than where hunters are or here around Ignace.

In a few weeks temperatures will drop and things will begin to freeze up.  Snow will need to be dealt with.  Therefore, we take advantage of any “good” days to work outside.  Everybody gets a job (or two). 

Karen doing some roof repairs at the base.

We had lots of wind this summer and had a few shingles to fix. 

Called him out

Don called out this nice bull on Seseganaga Lake and was able to take him with his crossbow at less than 20 yards within 1 km of camp. 

“Hi Brad and Karen,
Thanks for making my Dad's trip such a success.  It's a wonderful thing to see him bag such a wonderful trophy and have such a great time.  I wish I had been there with him, but it was nice to be able to get a clear picture of the story having been there last year. 
Thanks again.  Hope to see you again on a future trip.”
Jeff

“Brad and Karen:

Thanks again for allowing us to have a great hunting experience on Ses. As, usual you two and Randy provided great service.Attached are a couple of pics of the moose.  I have others... if you want more.   I'll let you know about next fall as soon as all the boys let me in on their availability and interests.”

Don

Archery hunting for moose is a hunter’s dream. We offer archery moose hunts in some of the finest moose areas in the province.  Hunts book quickly so if you are interested in 2012, contact us soon.

October Calendar is on line

Be sure to get your October desktop calendar from Karen’s blog.

October Calendar

Find the resolution best for your screen, right click and save as desk top.

Enjoy the image of “our backyard” for a month.

That time of year

We are into our archery moose hunt already.

Cool calm mornings are perfect for calling an amorous bull into the area.  A little fog rising from the water and the quiet of early morning makes a moose call an eerie sound across the bay.

He may be a good pilot…

Randy spent a little time last week working on his angling skills.  If he had to rely on those skills for sustenance, I think he would starve. 

Fall fishing on Hilltop Lake

Joe will fish in the sun, he’ll fish in the rain, he will fish in May and he will fish in Sept. 

Last week on Hilltop Lake the walleyes did not disappoint.  Joe told me the average was about this size with lots of good action.  A little searching was required on occasion with the changing weather, but that is what makes fishing a sport. 

If you want a guarantee of fish, I am sure a local meat market or grocer carries walleye.  If you want a little adventure and a little peace and quiet with great fishing too, go to Ignace Outposts. 

Now is a good time to start thinkning about 2012. 

Busy beach

Last week we had some guys at Hilltop Lake.  One morning they woke to moose tracks in the sand in front of the cabin and the next morning bear tracks.  They were fishing so they had to settle for that very thin “track Soup”. 

The hand prints were added by the photographers – likely to show the size of the tracks.

Makes you wonder how busy those animals are at night and how close they can come without us seeing them. 

More Sept walleye on Hilltop Lake

Paul caught and released this walleye, just around the point from the camp on Hilltop Lake.    Not really one for the record books, but certainly something to remember and add to the stories once home and recounting the trip with family and friends. 

Dress for success

Over the years I have seen just about every fishing outfit there is.  Some folks are rather minimalist in their attire while in the bush (in season of course) and others have all the latest Gortex, Thinsalate, water proof and hook proof gear they can pack. 

I don’t think the fish mind what you wear or don’t wear.  Dressing for success at Ignace Outposts in Sept may require a few layers - or not.

Release the trophies and keep the eaters

The big ones go back, the small tasty ones are invited for dinner.

Ignace Outposts fishing at its finest!

Fishing in Sept.. Oh yeah!

Ok so the weather wasn’t as balmy as July, but Paul (one of St Paul MN’s finest) takes his vacation when he can get it.  Paul and his partners like Metionga and Metionga Lake likes them back. 

Can’t argue with success.  In Sept, Walleye and Northern Pike tend to hit well bulking up for winter.  When you are on the lake in the fall weather can be unpredictable but the prize at the end of your line rewarding. 

The walleye was caught in site of the cabin at the rapids!

Are we having fun…

A little snow and sleet doesn't slow down an avid fisherman.  Last week we had snow and sleet here in Ignace but I was seconded securely in my office.  The guys at Metionga Lake decided fishing was OK in the cool weather if they were properly dressed. 

Yes they had fun.

Anticipation

Those who follow this blog know that we operate our camps with a great emphasis on the experience over the filling of a limit.  We highly encourage Catch, Photo and Release (CPR) and you will seldom see fish on a stringer on this blog. 

These walleye make the anticipation of lunch look so good that I had to include it. 

The walleye were invited to lunch and where headed to the frying pan.  We do enjoy fresh walleye ourselves.  Our policy is to only kill the fish you are going to eat.  Enjoy the resource but do have respect for the abundance of our fisheries. 

Lynn (above) enjoyed Bob`s cooking so much that not only is she inviting him back on her next trip, but he has no excuses at home anymore either.  Sorry Bob, but I guess one of the dangers of these trips is that some secret abilities are revealed. 

Keep your eyes open

This “perfect” beaver hut is in the bay just north of the camp, where the large bull moose was also hanging around.  Bob

Many guests at Seseganaga Lake saw the bull hanging around near this beaver dam.  Caribou were seen near the spot too.  Now you know approximately where to look.  Get up to Ses and keep your eyes open.

Why not make it a date?

Bob took his wife Lynn on a date to Seseganaga Lake a couple of weeks ago.   Bob is a veteran with us and Lynn was the newbie.  Not anymore.  From what we hear, it is something they will be doing again.

Bob’s comments:  “Walleye Lynn out fished me the first hour… working on dates and group size for next year—will let you know.”

Take your wife fishing.  It opens a whole new world of things to do together.

We’ve equipped our cabins perfectly for couples - indoor showers, double beds, multiple bedrooms, and a fully equipped kitchens so you can show her how you can cook as good as you can guide.

2012 is approaching quickly.  Give us a call or contact us via email and we will set up an adventure you will both enjoy.  Ignace Outposts

Hot to cold

On Saturday records fell across NW Ontario as we saw temperatures in the 30 + C range (high 80’s F) and yesterday morning we had snow flurries with overnight temps below freezing. 

If you don’t like the weather in our area, stick around a bit.  It will change.

It appears fall has arrived and with it the moose hunt.  Our first archery hunters fly in on Sunday morning. 

Joe’s office

Even at Seseganaga Lake our camp manager Joe has a little office.  We call it the phone booth and I know for a fact he spends very little time there.  Everyday about 7 AM, I get a “Everything’s OK” check in call and unless Joe has a list if things needed at camp, the conversation is over quickly.  Joe is a man of few words and lots to do.  I think he’d rather talk fishing with our guests than weather with me. 

It is handy having phone communication from two of our camps (Seseganaga Lake and Metionga Lake) for emergency, camp servicing, guest requests and piece of mind.

Smart move

It is not wimpy to leave the water when something like this storm is approaching.  Safety on the lake demands a little common sense.   Most of us are blessed with a bit of this and really should use it. 

Lightening and graphite rods seem to attract one another.  It is the guy who waves one around while casting that can shockingly find this out.  Also, high winds, rolling waves and poor visibility can hamper navigation if being too bold lets the storm overtake you.

Be smart and be safe. 

Two Lake

Two Lake is a small portage lake just behind our cabin on Hilltop Lake.  It holds walleye, and northern pike.  We have also seen some nice perch in the lake. 

If the winds on Hilltop Lake are high or you just want to explore, Two Lake is a nice option.  There are no cabins on Two and we have the only boats there.  It is only a 3 minute walk right from the cabin.  We keep the boats and motors there for you. The boats are 12 footers but they do the job on a small lake.   You only have to carry your gear and maybe some gas from Hilltop.  We have a wheel barrow there help make that easy too.

No need to pout

After I released my umpteenth (that’s a big number I made up) walleye and Dave lost his umpteenth jig to another “steam dog” (a term of endearment for a northern pike which takes your lure and runs), Dave took time out to pout.

Hey Dave, it still beats being at work - wouldn’t you say.

Typical fall fishing on Hilltop Lake

One day can be short pants

The next is thermal pants and a warm jacket.  Joe also had on blue long johns which we thought was just a little over kill since we did get a high of 40F that day.

Labour Day Labour

Most folks get Labour Day off. Not in the outfitting business! And yes that is how it is spelt in Canada.

I have no shortage of “buddies” who are willing to help me with my camp work. Of course, they do take a moment or two to catch supper, but generally they are good workers. Since I am rather discerning about who I will spend time with in the bush, the real go-to guys are the same ones I have been hanging around with since high school and in one case well before. This allows for some familiarity, and great afterhours banter. We all seem to have different recollections, not only from foggy decades old memories but even from previous tellings of the stories.

I tried finding gremlins to manage this part of my business but they all seem to be busy working at my mom’s. It is not just spring cleaning that keeps our camps ready to go. Somebody actually does do these jobs. During the summer it is hard to find a break to get in to do this but now I can work it into my schedule.

All the pots and pans have been removed from the cupboard and washed, the cupboards washed and then pots returned.

Peter cleans up the bathroom.

We also bucked up a cord or so of firewood, cut down several trees that were threatening to fall on our cabin and managed a bunch of those little jobs that just seem to get put off during the busy season. Hilltop lake is now ready for fall fishing as well as a moose hunt.

Hilltop Lake Blueberries

Fishing is just one of the attractions of our Hilltop Lake camp.  Of course it is the big attraction since it is nothing short of fantastic.  But when the arms get tired or the desire of doing something else overtakes you there are other things to do. 

Wild life viewing, exploring and, in season, blueberry picking are wonderful options.  

There is no limit on blueberries and a gallon can be picked in short order within sight of the cabin.  Blue berries have a boat load of antioxidants and wild blue berries can not be beat for taste.  Blueberry pancakes, blueberries on cereal, blueberries in yogurt or have an Iron Chef blueberry challenge - we did last week and the result was amazing. 

Hilltop Lake on Labor Day

Dave and I have been having adventures since we needed a step-stool to pick blueberries. If Dave got as many in his jar as he tried to get in his mouth, he would have had the gallon picked in half the time.

  (click the picture to see what I am talking about.)