Each September, the Smoked Fish Guy and I try to take a fall lake trout trip on the last weekend of the month. This year, we were joined by the Farmer and Chief Many-Little-Bottles. We met Thursday morning and got the gear packed before heading north to Grand Marais and the Gunflint Trail. We located our entry point, paddled for a bit, and then took the moderate portage into our destination lake. We trolled our way towards our desired campsite and caught a few trout right away. The campsite we wanted was available and we got the tents and kitchen tarp set up in a drizzle. It was chilly and the drizzle was annoying but there was only a slight breeze as we got back into the canoes and trolled up a few lake trout for supper. After a happy hour that included our favorite Fitgers Brewhouse beers, we made a pot of red beans and rice complete with mirepoix and andouille sausage. Fried trout finished the entree. Delicious. Lots of laughs occurred that night, but not around a campfire...with the Pagami Creek Fire still burning well to our southwest, there was fire ban.
On Friday the weather remained chilly and gray, but it was dry. We fished for lake trout and did well, getting many eating sized fish. We learned from another group that the fire ban had been lifted that morning and fires were now allowed between 6pm and 12am. Chief and Farmer took a walk with the shotgun on a nearby lengthy portage and found a sign placed by the Forest Service that confirmed that the fire ban had been lifted, but did not find any grouse. We had fried trout and pesto noodles that night...delicious again.
Saturday dawned with more gray clouds, but as the sun rose the clouds burned off and we enjoyed a sunny, but not exactly warm, day. We caught some more lake trout, took a (short) swim, explored a nearby campsite, and relaxed. There was lots of conversation about food and different ways to prepare and preserve a variety of meats. We had curry coconut rice with lake trout that night-a really great dish. We enjoyed a campfire and gazing at the stars.
Sunday awoke with a thick fog and a grouse right in camp, but the gun could not be loaded in time to add it to our breakfast, which included a variety of smoked and cured meat products. The fog burned off and the sun came out as we packed up camp. We trolled up a couple more lakers as we headed to the portage. It was an uneventful drive home to Duluth. It was another great trip-extremely relaxing and lots of laughs with good friends.
Not sure that I will be able to get out again in October-the schedule is pretty tight. It looks like I might not get out again until the ice forms.
Nature Moment: On Saturday each canoe had gathered a bunch of firewood while we were out and brought it back to camp. When he took the wood out of Chief's canoe, the Farmer noticed a very small lizard-like animal in the bottom of the canoe. Striped with short legs and a long tail, it was only about 4 inches long. A baby salamander or something unknown? We'll have to investigate using the photos we took and find out what it was. Watch this blog for updates.
