An oxymoron

How can a smallie be big?  On Irene Lake… that’s how.

With controlled enthusiasm I believe I am fairly accurate making a safe bet that Irene Lake is the only choice for big smallies. Some guys will catch these fish with casual formality as though it was old news while forming a new tradition with Ignace Outposts. Recent history proves that the non-stop flight to Irene Lake can be an instant classic. I am hopelessly optimistic that catching fish in a random order does not result in any fictional truths. The picture tells the story.

 

I was almost surprised that this bass was a little big.  

Heads up

A little portrait photography from Pete E.  The guys came from “down south” for a little R&R.  Metionga Lake didn’t disappoint. 

Big smallies

SETSER PARTY JUNE 2011        IRENE LAKE

WE HAD A FABULOUS TRIP! THIS WAS THE BEST FISHING FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS AND BIG PIKE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN OUR 8 YEARS FLYING IN WITH BRAD AND KAREN GREAVES.

DEAN

The guys drive from Arkansas to fish the smallies on Irene Lake.   Getting reports like this makes our job very rewarding.

Just another Catch, Photo and Release

Our camp policy while fishing is to only keep the fish you are going to eat.  Of course the smaller walleye are the tasty walleye.   Since there is a ready supply of WALLEYE interested in heading for the dinner plate, these bigger fish are caught, photographed and released.  Big walleye make little walleyes and little walleyes make great dinners.

A minnow’s view

I imagine this is what a minnow’s view is just before he completes the cycle of life at Metionga Lake. 

Metionga Action

Metionga Lake continues to provide action for walleye and northern.

Our guests have enjoyed this lake for years.  Our industry leading conservation policies combined with a vibrant ecosystem allows Metionga Lake to rank among the top outpost fisheries in the Province.

It sounds rather cliche, but “put yourself in this picture”. 

Ignace Outposts

…Barbie…????

Takes a real man to hold this rod and then have it published on a fishing blog.

I guess spending $100s on gear isn’t really that necessary.  I understand next year he will break in his “Spiderman” gear.

Out of the park home run

Bill sent some photos of his brother's activities on Seseganaga Lake last week. 

Catching 3 species in a week is pretty much a grand slam but 4 is “out of the park”

Looks like the Lake Trout made it for supper and the Walleye, Northern and Whitefish are back in the lake waiting for another invite.

I’d say you were rather “busy” on vacation Ed.  Kept your brother busy too with the camera.

Another week done

John (left) has been our camp manager at Metionga Lake for over 20 years.  No one know the lake like he does.  He is there to offer advice and help make your fishing vacation as good as it can be.

John’s sidekick Herc is a camp favorite and is constantly by John’s side.

As the guys wait for the plane to pick them up to head back to civilization, reflections on another great week passes the time. 

It seems at our end the weeks go by fast but while on the lake one week can be a blur.

Flindt Lake Northern Pike

Dave works in an office all day in real life. When away from the office, Dave finds relaxation hauling in lunker Northern Pike. Dave and the guys, mostly family, spent a week at Flindt Lake earlier this month and now the fish stories are flowing in.

There is no need to enhance the story when pictures like this are the proof.

See you next year Dave. Am I ever glad there is no beer in this picture.

No Rookie

“Brad and Karen, just wanted to let you know that of the 3 trips I have been on this was the best on Flindt Lake.
I never was a big fisherman, but since I was talked into going with the group on your fly in's, I am hooked.
The 38 inch northern I caught on Wed 6/1, really has me hooked now. The group always called me the rookie but after this catch, they are looking for a new rookie.
Thanks again for the great time, the friendly service, and of course the FISH.”

Steven

What it’s all about…

Ignace Outposts during rush hour!

Water and Cats

We’ve heard that cats don’t like water. I don’t believe it. We had house cats years ago. Sometimes when I was on the dock they would come out and ask me to help them go for swim. With enough of a launch they could manage a double twist with a full flip and still enter feet first. They didn’t seem to mind the water.

Here is a lynx that apparently went swimming on his own. Keep your camera with you and ready. Thanks for the photo Frank.

I doubt anyone helped this cat into the lake. In a way it makes sense, cats like fish, fish like water...

It never occured to me to put our cats out so far from shore. Well, maybe it occured to me once or twice.

You never know…

You never know what is going to take your hook on Metionga Lake.  Chances are it is a feisty walleye looking for a dinner invitation, or a lunker northern testing your tackle and resolve. Sometimes it is something that looks prehistoric and plain weird – the fish I mean.

It looks like this is a small burbot.  Burbots are bottom feeders and will sometime grab a bait sitting in their domain.  I have written about these before.  Search the blog for “burbot”

Rich did vindicate himself with some nice walleye too.

Beats working

The Lehman Party from Iowa has been making an annual trip with us for many years.   Jim, the group kahuna, shows off how it is done.

Catching and releasing pike like this is all just part of the fun on Metionga Lake. 

I know too many guys who live to work.  Take a little time and turn it around.  Work to live.  And this is living.   A wise fellow once told me he works so he can play.  That makes a bunch of sense to me.

Being legal

Our guests will sometimes see our local Conservation Officers in the bush, sometimes on the highway at a road side check site and even sometimes in our yard.  We are pleased that our guests more often than not have a true respect for our abundant resources and a respect for the laws of the land. 

Sometimes a mistake is made and the result is a fine.  We encourage all our guests to know what the law is regarding angling and other aspects of their outdoor adventure.  We do provide all our guests with a summary of fishing regulations and all the laws are available on line here.  Ontario Fishing Regs.  It is best to know the laws yourselves since the summaries do not cover everything.

 

A check back in Ignace after a week in the bush. 

Don’t be surprised to see the “authorities” sometime on your trip. If all is in order, the experience is pleasant and brief. If not it can be costly and awkward.

They're not all off the dock!

One nice northern is caught off the dock last week at Seseganaga Lake and guess what? It is a new fishing hotspot.

The Legend

Randy our chief pilot has been with us for 23 years.  Anyone who flies with him remarks as to his skill and composure.  Randy has been piloting Otters for over 3 decades.  Not many “bush pilots” stick around bush flying that long and even fewer fly the same aircraft that long.

The other day while passing time on the computer we found this interesting story from a fellow in Mongolia.  Here is the link.

A "Floatplane" Story, all the way from...."The Gobi Desert"!???!!!

This fellow’s recollection just verifies what many of us know.

I had actually heard about  someone tying a Cessna 206 to the side of an Otter and flying it out of the bush many years ago.  As is his character, Randy never told me about it until I asked one day. 

We have been calling Randy “the Legend” for sometime.  This story just adds to the adventure. 

Where’s my invite?

My invite must have been lost in the mail. I think the only thing better than eating at camp is actually catching your supper.

Knowing the characters in this crew, I suspect tall rubber boots were in order while the day’s adventures were recalled at the dinner table. Likely a few of last years tales and even a few that probably never really happened were expounded upon too.

Even Seseganaga Joe’s invite came on time.

Otter tracks

Advances in technology continue to amaze and assist. With a SPOT GPS riding along in the Otter with Randy, we can follow a live ‘cookie crumb trail.’ Signals are sent every 10 minutes. This screen capture shows 4 of his 5 trips Friday.

“Like” Us?

If you hadn’t noticed (see right sidebar), we are on Facebook! Click on the Facebook badge or here to check out the Ignace Outposts Page. If you have a facebook account we’d love it if you ‘like’ us. Someone on our ‘like’ list will win a yellow DeHavilland ball cap. Deadline is midnight Saturday, June 11th.

We’re on Twitter, too!

Photo Ops

Even the high flyers stop by now and then to check out some good camp cooking.

At Irene Lake last week this bald eagle thought he might join the party at the camp and enjoy the sand beach too.

A few Geese also thought there was more going on at our beach camp than at their end of the lake. 

Don’t forget your cameras on a fly in trip.  Besides your camp mates walking around in their underwear (or less) there is often some great photo opportunities to be had.

Nothing like fresh walleye

fix’n walleye so fresh they are still quivering as they hit the pan is one of the delights of an Ignace Outposts fly in fishing trip. 

The cook is usually the most popular guy in camp.  The secret to good camp cooking is never guess, never explain and above all never apologize.

Irene Lake Variety

What I like about a lake like Irene is the variety of fish you can catch. 

Last week’s efforts:

Mike H has got the walleye, bass and northern pike techniques down.  Pretty much a grand slam.  Now if he gets me a picture of a lake trout he will have completed the cycle.

30 inch Walleye

She said it was a 1/4 oz chartreuse jig with leech attached in 8 feet of water.  Her husband picked the spot, circled twice to make sure then said “drop your jig here”.  Before the second twitch of her rod the Walleye struck and the fight was on.

The guys (there were two couples) freely admitted that the women caught the biggest fish this year.  They did however boast about winning most of the card games. 

Irene Lake keeps producing huge walleye.  We don’t see the numbers that we see “up north” but the quality is there when you put in the time.  Irene Lake also boasts lake trout, smallies and northern pike.

Off the dock

Don has been making an annual trip to Seseganaga Lake for a few years now. This past week he was standing on the dock surveying a slice of paradise when something caught his eye. He thought it looked like a hand just breaking the surface about 30 feet off shore. With further inspection he determined it was the tail of some fish. Thinking it was a walleye he grabbed his light rod (1/4 oz jig with a twister tail on 4 lb test) and casted in the direction of the swirl.

What he thought might be a walleye turned out to be a 45 inch northern pike. His yells for help brought the others out of the cabin thinking he had hooked himself. Eventually Don worked the fish in close and it was netted, measured photo'd and released. Dennis grabbed the net and Bud grabbed the camera. Kyle did the official measurement. This was not a moment they wanted to miss.

It was a team effort. Buy the time the fish gave up the battle it had moved the guys down the shore a tad to a nice rock.

Not bad without getting into the boat. Just another tale to add to the post fishing trip get togethers.

More Irene Lake

Everyone in the group managed a little success last week.  Mike and Darla brought their friends and did a little “educating”.

ESPN radio Chicago

Chauncey Niziol's Great Outdoors interviewed Brad again last Saturday May 28/2011.  It great to chat with Chauncey about fishing at Ignace Outposts.  Here is a link to last Saturday’s show if you’d like to hear the interview.  Great outdoors

Brad is on at about the 23 minute mark.

If fishing at Ignace Outposts sounds appealing to you, send us a note and we’ll help you set up the trip of a lifetime.

Long time

For those who wonder why getting certain dates booked, even a year in advance, at our camps is not possible, here is the reason:

The other day one of our long time guests returned from Metionga Lake.  Frank and I chatted a bit about his trips to Canada and I found he made his first Canada fishing trip in 1958.  Since I have been told that is the year I made my appearance, I reckon he is a long timer. 

I know Frank has been up to Ignace Outposts from the Chicago area every year since I’ve been here – 26 this year – and although he can’t remember if he started in Ignace in the early or mid 60’s, he is likely our longest time guest.  He was able to describe most of those trips with a big grin on his face, but it absolutely beamed when talking about the latest few with his boys. He was up again this year with his 4 sons and some close friends. 

Frank booked his 2012 trip – same date – same Metionga Lake cabin before he left the yard. 

Many of our “regulars” predate our 26 years in Ignace.  Some of our “regulars” are on their 2nd or 3rd trip but one thing is for sure, an Ignace Outposts fishing trip can be habit forming.

Seaplane Safety

A large part of our business involves safe transportation of our guests to and from remote lakes on our fleet of seaplanes.

Our aircraft are proven and reliable, maintained in excess of Transport Canada standards.    Our flight crew are experienced and commercially licenced professionals whose primary goal is your safety and comfort.  Randy our chief pilot ensures our crews are well trained and qualified.  Randy is one of the most experienced float plane pilots in the country with over 35 years flying these aircraft (23 years with our company alone).

We do wait for bad weather choosing to be safe rather than take chances.  We appreciate our guests and passengers understanding that delays are for their safety and even though may seem inconvenient, the decisions are made carefully and properly. 

As a preparation to a seaplane flight I encourage all our readers and guests to check out the following link regarding Transport Canada’s seaplane safety information.  

A passenger’s guide to seaplane/floatplane safety