Our 2013 Newsletter is now on line

Our 2013 Newsletter has been published on or website.  Click here to read it.

This year there will be some changes in a few things which may be of particular interest to you when planning your 2014 trip.  Please check out the newsletter for details.  We have increased our rates for the first time in about 10 years, but our US guests will likely see no increase or even a decrease due to their higher valued dollar.

We have changed our policy regarding deposits and of real importance to some, we will now be charging a fee to deliver gear/food/or other stuff in excess of 100 lbs per person.  Please take a few moments and read the newsletter and the changes on our website. 

Fish camp guide part 6

Sharing the shower

Before you leave my blog for more manly writings, hear me out. We have one man showers. No tag teaming required. To explain, the water systems in the camps are solar powered. Running out of hot water is not usually an issue; it is the pump power moving the water from the lake to cabin which has limited capacity. Personally, I’ve been in the situation where the first guy in the shower, brings a cross word puzzle and water proof copy of War and Peace and begins a spa treatment at the expense of his cabin mates. It will not happen again. The other 5 or 6 guys in line for a shower may only be slightly disappointed that spa guy used up the water, but it is the guy just lathered up that runs out of water mid-cleansing that will be irate. And I know that irate soapy guys with the only option of de-soaping being a cold lake are not friendly for a few days. Be considerate regarding water supply and share the shower – one at a time. How hard can it be? You are probably rather familiar with the parts to be attended to so have a plan and execute. If you want a spa, complete with hot rocks (not thrown at your head), I know a few good places in the Dells.

Fish camp guide part 5

Hair

At an Ignace Outpost fly in camp you will likely be wearing a hat for several hours of the day. It may be the lucky fishing hat, or it may be simple shelter from the sun or rain. From what I’ve been told, hats will flatten your hair in some spots and stand it straight up in other spots. Don’t stress over this. I realize there are fortunate few like me who never worry about their coiffure. But there are those, even of the fishing persuasion, that do. The outpost is not a place for this. It is certainly bad outpost form to show up perfectly coiffed après fishing. Forget about the mirror and let the do fend for itself. I am sure the odd underling may snicker if you showed up at the office with an outpost do, but you are not at the office. Just stick the hat back on and let the follicles relax a bit. They deserve a vacation to.

Fish camp guide part 4

Beverage control

In short there is no such thing at an outpost. Just be safe and don’t take the adult beverages in the boat. It is the law. And oh yes, there is no such thing as “mine” at an outpost. A admirable way to make lots of points and to ensure a possibility of an return invite, is to happen to find an extra bottle part way through the week and offer to pour a few for the guys. Every trip requires a “remember when” moment and if you are the provider of that moment without doing something exceptionally dumb, chances are you will remain on the short list next year.

Fish camp guide part 3

Dress code

Most of the civilized world lives close to or has access to a wilderness outfitting store. None of these stores has offered me any compensation for mentioning their names so I won’t. If you chose to spend lots of dollars at these stores for outpost clothing, feel free. Few rules apply regarding dress at an outpost camp. Color coordination is a moot point as is the fact that it may be the same outfit as last year. It only takes a day or two to sense (there are 5 senses and I’m sure more than one will be in play) what the others in camp prefer to do regarding clean clothes. Try to fit in. The reality is, except for a very few who may bring their own “anchors” to camp, changing underwear (or even wearing underwear) and changing clothes daily is not so common at an outpost. My experience is that what is worn at camp… is best packed in an airtight container for the trip home. Either that or tie it on the roof of the car. It is also advisable to run it through the wash at least once before storing it away until next year. And unless you want me to be writing about your group for a few blog posts, leave the togas at home.

Fish camp guide part 2

Learn the language

Most of us are able to communicate in at least one language. In the outpost camp, language takes a beating and sometimes words mean different things, statements become questions and questions become statements. To help familiarize you with some fishing lingo and interpretations, here are some hints. When someone says “Are you gonna eat that?” it is really a statement which means “I’m still hungry”. It is then best to keep your hands away from the fish plate to avoid puncture wounds in the shape of a fork on the back of your hand. Well beyond the witching hour you may hear a statement such as this “I think I’ve had enough for the evening”. The interpretation is really “My appendages are not working properly, would you pour me another?" Unless your coordination is as bad as his it is only a courtesy to oblige.
Here is some help with a few fishing terms. At an outpost “crank” has nothing to do with your demeanor at 5 AM. Don’t even think about making sandwiches for “shore lunch”. The “brown jug” is a location on Metionga Lake not a beverage holder, and never get complacent and refer to your wife as the “anchor” once you are back home.

Fish camp guide part 1

The next few posts are designed to help those “on the fence” about fitting in at an outpost camp. It is easy for the veteran at Ignace Outposts to manage complex outpost behavior and dress code with nary a thought about the novice who is a little unsure about the proper etiquette and decorum to be exhibited while experiencing an outpost vacation.

Social Aspects
Social aspects of an outpost trip are primary in fitting in. With a little advice, you can take part in the socializing that goes on at the outpost once the fisherpersons are back at camp. If your friends brought you for your charm and good looks, then your best bet is to smile and be charming. Fishers will return to camp with tales of glory and may also take a few moments to regale you with the odd woeful story of the one that got away. Grin and grimace as required but under no circumstance should you demonstrate any disbelief. A helpful hint in fish tale department, is make to your contribution to the event only slightly bigger, better, scary, helpful, skilful or humorous than the previous story. As the others contribute, you too should share your embellishment in tiny bits. No one likes a braggart. My final thought; let either the boss, or the guy paying your part of the trip (if you should be so lucky) end the session without feeling that you are one up on him.

Empty Lot

The last guests have returned home and our parking lot is empty for the first time since early May.  Randy and I have one or two more flights to make next week to retrieve a few straggling motors and to finish our camp shut downs.  Maybe it is a sign of aging but the summers seem to go by quicker each year.  As the old adage goes “time flies when you are having fun”. 

Many thanks to our friends and guests who visited this summer.  It is always good to see you on your vacation and we are glad we can be part of it.

Metionga Lake Fish Cleaning House

The fish cleaning house at cabins 1 and 2 on Metionga Lake was in need of some TLC.  Joey and I thought it would be best to not just patch things up but to start from scratch.  Between fishing groups and moose parties we had a few days to kill so we put together a work party and got to work.

The old fish house came down with little effort and a new one went up in its place. 

Ready for next season, I am sure it will get plenty of use and should last well into the next decade.

Joey has been busy too

High water caused a lot of extra work for us this year.  At Seseganaga Lake,  Joe prepared two floating docks for next summer.  At Metionga Lake, Joey took the deck off the main dock and raised and levelled the stingers then redecked the dock so it will be above the high waster mark. 

He then built a new walkway off the dock. 

This should make things a little easier and dryer next time the water levels peak.  

Floaters

This summer high water levels caused both us and our guests at Seseganaga Lake significant grief.  Aircraft were loaded and unloaded on the beach, guests had to move their gear across the bay to cabin #4 since the dock there was under water and docks were torn apart by wave and water action. 

This fall we worked on a plan to help alleviate dock problems with fluctuating water levels.  Joe supervised a work crew and built two new floating docks.  We will place one at cabin #4 and one at West Bay on Seseganaga Lake. 

We can’t change things out of our control but we can work at the things we can change. 

Part of the ritual

In the fall, bull moose begin to think of other things besides eating and aimless meandering.  As the female moose begin their lonesome calls hinting at the need for male companionship, the bull moose start making preparations for visiting with the cows. 

A moose is at a distinct disadvantage in the handsomeness department with his large nose, bulging eyes and big ears.  Since he seems to know this, he concentrates on some things he can influence.  The bull begins to rub the velvet off his antlers to make his antlers nice and shiny.  He also perfumes himself.  Kind of reminds me of a teenager brushing his teeth and repeatedly coifing his hair before splashing on a little too much Old Spice or other such female attractant.  The moose form of this scented attractant is not found in your local Walmart. 

Moose have no money and have to be a little more creative.  Yesterday Karen and I came upon some of this creativity.  And believe me we could smell it before we could see it. 

Take a good look at the picture.  It doesn't look like much but it is a fresh moose rut pit.  The bull paws the dirt, urinates in it  to impregnate it with his musky bull moose smell and then rolls around it it until he feels he is attractive to a lonely cow moose.  To me, she better be really lonely, but to the bull he thinks he smells like a freshly perfumed teenager going on a first date. 

Moose mating season is upon us and this bodes well for our archery moose hunters. 

Fall Fishing

Sept is my favorite month.  Weather is nice during the day, cool in the evening and fishing is awesome.

Peter P shows off a nice walleye on Hilltop Lake caught and released in early Sept.

Doing it Right

The weather has been too warm, it has been too cold, too much rain, bugs are bad, blue berries are ready to be picked, fishing has bee awesome,  and I can come up with more excuses at why my blog posts are not regular. 

In any case, this one is about doing it right while catching and releasing large fish. 

Martin and the guys (on their second trip this summer) just returned from Flindt Lake yesterday afternoon.  They caught and released many large northerns this week.  The secret to successfully photographing and releasing a large fish is very simple. 

When the fish is removed from the water, quickly pose for the picture.  To reduce the time out of the water for the fish, have a camera ready and in the boat.  Dragging a fish back to camp for a simple photo will ensure the fish will not survive.  

When the fish is out of the water hold him horizontal with two hands, smile and then return the fish back to the water gently.  Dropping the fish or tossing him like a hand grenade is not conducive to having the fish live to fight another day.  Holding a fish like he is your best buddy in a vertical pose it completely unnatural for the fish and his internal organs are not structured to endure that unnatural position.  Think about how a fish spend his time.  Horizontal is his natural pose.

Here is a great example of a well photographed and released fish.

The nice thing about releasing a large fish after photographing it is twofold.  First, no one can actually take a tape measure and disprove your stories by measuring the mount on your wall, and secondly, having a photo on the wall rather than a mount is more acceptable to the boss and if you are the boss, it elicits countless accolades from underlings, even when the actual size varies with the telling of the story.

Cooked to perfection

As I’ve written earlier, we’ve decided to phase out our gas grills and have installed wood/charcoal grills at our camps.  There is a learning curve for those who have never cooked on coals or wood.  Besides having steaks that taste better, there is a little more time for socializing and beverages. 

Bill,Ted and the guys write “Capping off the week the steaks were cooked to perfection on the new grill!!  Thanks for another great trip – already counting the days until next year!”

This was the only form of cooking for millennia.  It is becoming the new norm again.  If you are unsure of your prowess in this method of grilling, take two minutes before you arrive in Ignace to “google” it. 

Seseganaga Lake Trout

Seseganaga Lake is an amazing lake.  It produces some of the largest Northern Pike in Ontario, Walleyes that are worth bragging about and some magnificent Lake Trout. 

Last week Seseganaga Joe, our camp attendant there was fishing for some small walleye supper guests when he latched onto a 33 inch Laker.  Joe is a hearty fellow, able to lift jerry cans and propane tanks with only a little effort.  He told me this  fish actually tired him out.  Of course the fish was released after the photo op, unharmed to fight another day. 

“Thanks for a great trip!”

“I thought you might like a pic of a 41 in. northern that Pete  caught June 20,21013 on Metionga Lake.”   Bud

Bud and Pete caught and released some nice walleye as well as northern on Metionga Lake last week.  They are already booked for the same week next year.

There is always a story

Steve and some buddies have been fishing Metionga Lake for many years.  These guys bring their sons and (daughters) along as a part of building relationships and sharing quality time together.  The young folks learn from the old(er) and do their best to keep up.  The older are pro’s however in some of the finer points of “fish camp”.  Part of the experiences are evening activities which sometimes go on until the wee hours of the morning sharing tall tales and a few quantitative and qualitative lies about the day’s fishing.  Usually some adult beverages are included.  In the morning the older get right back to fishing while the younger sometimes struggle for cognitive abilities.  The best fishing is often in the morning and an old pro will not let the time be wasted. 

Back to Steve and his son Brian.  Brian robotically joined his father for the morning fish and immediately fell asleep in the boat.  Steve latched onto the biggest walleye of the trip - 28 and 1/4/ inches – and explained to us that even harder than fighting this fish on light tackle was trying to wake Brian at the same time to have him handle the net. 

Once he achieved a cognitive state, Brian performed admirably and not only expertly handled the net but managed to take a reasonably descent picture.

There is always a story.

The other side of the camera.

Mike, from the previous two posts, can be counted on to get me some great fish pictures for this blog.  He doesn't take his own pictures though.  There is always someone else behind the camera taking the pictures and probably netting the fish.  She can catch some big ones too. 

I wonder how she managed to get Mike to take her picture for a change. 

Local knowledge

It sometimes takes years to learn a lake, and even then once you think you have it figured out, the fish whose IQ isn’t greater than the weight of your jig, will outsmart you.  Sometimes however those years of learning a lake can add up to some local knowledge, and we win the battle in intellect… right Mike.

Irene Lake is not known for numbers of walleye like Seseganaga lake, Metionga Lake or Hilltop Lake are but with a little luck, the big ones are there to be had. 

Bass Master

Mike just returned from a week at Irene Lake.  Besides being very diligent about getting me pictures of his adventures, Mike catches and releases a lot of nice fish.  The big bass were hitting and here is some proof.

Frying Saucer

On Friday my post featured a fish fry.  I was using a fryer called a “Frying Saucer”.  Several folks have asked me about them.  Here is the link to their sight (or click on the picture) and you can order your own.  

I have also added a link to the right hand side of the blog. 

These fryers don’t use much oil and the fish or what ever you are frying can be rested on the side so the oil can drain.  No more messy paper towels.  The fish on the side stays hot so every one can eat at the same time.  They are made in Minnesota so they should be rather easy to order and receive in time to bring on your fishing trip.  They also have a nice case in which the whole unit can be carried.  They are Brad recommended. 

June Desktop Calendar

Karen has her June desktop calendar up now.  Feel free to down load it and save it to your desktop.  The various resolutions are found here.

Walleye supper

Does it get any better.  Fresh walleye, rolled in a special coating, fried in oil and served up with friends. 

I could say that I saved a place for you but that wouldn’t be true since it is my plate.  At Ignace Outposts however, you can have your own… cooked up just the way you like it since you are the cook.

Plan on some outdoor cooking

Beginning late last summer, we have been adding new charcoal/wood BBQ park style grills at our camps.  These new grills work fabulously with either a bed of wood coals or BBQ briquettes.  The guys who have used them rave about the natural woodsy flavour they impart to your ribs, chicken or steaks.  To make the outdoor cooking a little more convenient, Joe built a cook shelter at our West Bay cabin on Seseganaga Lake.

The shelter is handy to the front of the cabin, and we have moved the fish fryer there too.  We are phasing out the gas grills so plan on using the park style grills for your outdoor culinary efforts.  Even though the grills will use either wood or charcoal, the wood at the camp make the meat taste best and it doesn’t have to be flown in so it won’t add to your weight.  Remember we do have weight limits and we do weigh loads.

This shelter is a prototype.  As we fine tune the design with some use, we will add them to other camps as well.

Why sit at home?

In the US it is Memorial Day weekend.  In Canada our May holiday weekend was last weekend.  It is officially called Victoria Day in Canada celebrating the Queen’s birthday, I understand, but since falls on the third weekend in May and that usually is near May 24 and there are 24 beer in a case… it is now somehow referred to as May 2-4 weekend.  Any ways, I digress. 

This weekend, being Memorial Day weekend which was first recognized to memorialize the fallen in the American Civil War, brings many anglers to Canada.  Many stay home. 

I on the other hand, am working hard getting camps ready for soon to arrive anglers. 

With an airplane load to unload at the destination, and other staff doing other jobs, I am sometimes left to recruit new blood to help out.  Vern, a friend in Ignace, “volunteered” to assist.  Somehow our fishing rods got mixed up with the load on board.  I learned over the years, it is only right if the owner of the outposts occasionally fishes the outposts, if for no other reason than to know what he is talking about when describing fishing that most can not imagine.

Less than 30 seconds after dropping our lines Vern reeled in a nice walleye.  

Many many walleye later and with a few walleye in the boat for supper, Vern had to make one more catch.   As you can see in the picture, we never left sight of the cabin.  Both these fish were returned unharmed to the lake.  Total time to test the waters; about 1 hour. 

A few 15 – 16 inch walleye are now ready for the frying pan. 

Why sit at home?  Book your Ignace Outposts trip now for a later summer date with a few walleye and northern pike.

Ice is all out

After a weekend of wet, rainy, cold and windy weather, we are getting back to our camp start ups.  We are again, few few days behind, but Joey is almost ready for guests at Metionga Lake for Thursday, and Randy is going to get Joe up to Seseganaga Lake later today.

Things will move fast for the next few days getting everything ready to go.

Our first guests just left Irene Lake today and said they experienced some of the worst opening weekend weather they’ve ever seen.

Reports are that trout are biting near the surface.  The walleye have been a little slower this weekend likely because of the late ice out and cold windy weather.  Most walleye being caught are post spawn males.  In the next few days the weather will stabilize and we expect that the walleye fishing will become red hot when the post spawn females will be beginning to feed again. The suckers are now in the rivers spawning and that means that the big northerns are feasting on the suckers (their favorite food) near the flowing water. 

The real ice pilots

We are trying.  May 15 we have open water on Agimak Lake.  Unfortunately, the little ice left on the lake drifted (blew) into our break wall last night.  We are ice bound.  In anticipation of walleye opener this Saturday, we spent the morning breaking ice with the boat and finally got come airplanes moving.  In the video, Randy is taking our Beaver out for a test flight.  It is slow going through the ice to open water. 

We have lots of work to do moving motors, gas, propane and getting cabins ready.  After all our efforts in getting airborne, we found all our lakes still frozen.  We will continue our annual training and as soon as we can get into the lakes, it will be pedal to the metal getting things ready. 

Tourism Facilitation Action Plan

I recently received a note highlighting the initiative at the Canadian border to help those who may be denied entry to Canada due to minor criminality. Here are some high lights from our local Member of Parliament MP Greg Rickford's office on the Tourism Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP).

“This initiative was introduced last season in an attempt to reduce the amount of visitors deemed inadmissible as a result of only one minor conviction. The idea was to grant a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) with a waiver of the fee, and at the same time educate those customers that did take advantage of the process, on what is required to complete the rehabilitation process should they qualify.

… Visitors to Canada that have not already taken advantage of the TRP waiver fee, may do so this year, should they qualify.

The phone # for the Fort Frances office is (807) 274-5281 and your guests may call there with questions if this is the crossing they will be using. They should call during regular business hours, and well in advance of their anticipated crossing date.”

As well, if you have concerns about admissibility or procedures, you can contact our Tourist Association.  NOTO  Ask for Laurie. 

Running it up

On Monday, Randy stopped by.  Probably trying to get rid of a little cabin fever.  It has been a long winter.  So in anticipation of open water, we ran up the Otter.  We have to do the ground run after winter maintenance to do the last minute tweaking and to ensure the the gremlins have found a new home. 

Getting ready

It won’t be long…

Happy 80th!

Many of our guests know him as Bud.  I’ve been calling him Dad since I could talk.  Today the master fisherman turns 80.  Happy Birthday Dad! 

And yes he has his Ignace Outposts fishing trip booked for this summer.  He says 80 is not too old for a fly-in adventure however, he is thinking twice about making a May date to supplement his July date. 

A Bad Day of Fishing?

Besides running our own fly in business Ignace Outposts we operate Ignace Airways as a charter air service.  This means we also fly for others.  One group of avid anglers from Wisconsin have a club which has several of their own cabins.  One of these cabins is on Bell Lake.

The last fishing party we usually fly at the end of the season goes to Bell Lake for the fall Lake trout fishing.  Lake trout season ends on Sept 30 so these guys end up with a mixed bag of weather.  Jim, one of the hardy fall anglers has posted a short video of his trip from a few years ago.  Here is is.  Fall trout at Bell Lake

We also have some great fall lake trout fishing on Irene Lake and Gamble Lake.  Seseganaga Lake is no slouch either. 

13 days til opener.  See you this summer eh.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year on April 4, we posted a slideshow of the ice going out.  May 4/2012   Last year it was open water more than a month early.  It looks like this year we have a few weeks to go.  What me worry?

Opener is May 18.  Our first guests arrive on May 17. 

Let me do some calculations… May 1 lots of ice.  May 17 fishermen arriving.  Two weeks to melt a winter’s worth of ice.   The temps better start rising or Karen won’t have access to her hairdryer for a while and I am going to have one heck of an electric bill. 

Un-natural environment

This bird is all dressed up and has no place to go.  In early May, the Beaver and his airplane friends start getting a little anxious to begin flying anglers into our remote lakes for a little fishing vacation.  It is a working aircraft and it wants to work. 

Today it sits with the snow banks but in a few weeks it will be in its natural environment soaring above the wilderness doing what it does best.

April 20/2013

This morning we took the dog out for a walk.  This was our thermometer reading!

I really think someone needs to rethink this global warming thing.  My suggestion: we stop fighting it and try to sign up for some more.

How it is Done

As many are aware, we are one of the few fly-in outpost camp operators that still endeavour to have ice in our ice houses for our guests in the summer.   This is just another service we offer our guests. 

In Ignace ice is cheap.  In the bush, in July or August,  it is worth more than gold. 

The ice in the ice houses does not get there on its own.  There is a lot of work involved in cutting it from the lake and packing the ice house.  Just traveling to these remote camps is a challenge and best left to the professionals.  The last few years we could not get ice in all our ice houses due to weather and other conditions.  This year Paul and the guys are making a valiant effort to fill icehouses at our lakes, but may not achieve our goal due to such a heavy snow pack and slush.

Seseganaga Lake is the easiest to get to and the ice is done there now.  It is amazing to consider that last year at this time the lakes were open. 

Paul is a trapper and if he could, would live in the bush.  He has been “doing” our ice for many years.  Regular guests often see his comments in our cabin log books about his winter adventures.  The guys who help him are usually nursing sore muscles by the time the day is done.

 

Next on the list is Metionga and then the other lakes.  The guys will do what they can.

Maybe now it is evident why I am more than a little upset when ice is removed from the ice house just to replace ice already in the coolers.  And why I also insist that ice is not removed from the cabin to “cool off” beverages for the ride home.   

Simple fish recipes

I have a fondness towards walleye.  Eating tasty, well prepared walleye is high on my list of preferred activities.  I also like to cook.  Combining these activities makes for a pleasurable meal.

Recently, at a sport show, I was treated to some very tasty and well prepared walleye.  Starla Batzko from Starla’s Seasonings and Dips, www.ilovedip.com was doing a presentation on “Cooking your Catch”.   Besides, being front row center, I managed to be a “sampler” of the product and was duly impressed.  I am certainly going to add her recipes to my arsenal of camp cooking. 

Check out the battered fish (I wonder if there is a support group for that) recipe.  It makes a very light and tasty batter.  I am sure you can substitute any dark beer.   She also includes baked and pan fried walleye recipes to ease up on the oil consumption.  They are equally impressive – and simple.

See Starla’s website and be sure to come to your Ignace Outposts fishing trip prepared with some of her spices and recipes.