The annual Camp Shitstorm Canoe Trip was a 10 day festival of fun this year. Overall fishing was slow, but the laughs made up for it.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Fran Tarkington Fan arrived from Seattle earlier in the weekend and, after correcting a customs mishap, helped the Colonel and I (Private Philips) pack up and do the prep for the trip. The Iowa gang (Tick Check, Gatorade, and Wear-Some-Shorts) arrived Sunday evening and the ping-pong contest began in earnest. It ended when an 11 year old said, "all Uncle (Tick Check) cares about is ping pong and tequila." So, it wasn't a fast start to the day on Monday. We hit the road north at about 10am and lunched at a favorite tavern. Heading further into the bush, we got to the tow boat at 2:30pm. It was an uneventful ride to the drop off in cool, but sunny temps. We grabbed a campsite nearby and leisurely set up the tents while enjoying brewhouse beers and catching up with one another. We all loved the new German brats that the Colonel makes at the Northern Waters Smokehaus. Honestly, best brats I have ever eaten. Lots of laughs well into the night.
Tuesday
It was cloudy but dry as we packed up camp, stowed the beer coolers on an island, and headed across the big part of the lake into Canada and Quetico. We met up with Janice the Ranger to get our permit. She was still getting settled in as the ice didn't leave her bay until the 20th and she had just been flown in to the station a couple days prior to our arrival. She was helpful and pleasant and we chatted about fishing spots and good campsites to look at. This is her 27th summer on the island and she has no retirement plans. Permit in hand, we all spread out to fish the bay, meeting back up at "Stupid Steve's Campsite (Janice's term)" on the north end. Wear-Some-Shorts and I had poor luck, as did Tick Check and Gatorade, but The Colonel and Fran Fan had caught some nice lake trout. The Colonel had caught and released one that he figures was near 10lbs. After setting up camp, we went out again and we all had better luck for lakers. We kept one fish to accompany our traditional early trip meal of asparagus, steaks, and free-style (no breading) lake trout. The campsite was decent, but had a nasty dead, leaning tree over it and the tent pads were marginal. Lots of laughs around the fire that night...for some unknown reason Tick Check tackled me and attempted a physical assault, but I fought him off. At least that is how I remember it.
Wednesday
We packed up the camp on a nice, sunny morning. We headed west to our first portage, which was crowded with other travelers. We negotiated it without incident and were soon fishing on another big lake with very cold water temperatures. The walleyes were not in the initial current area, so we moved on. Two of the canoes chose to take the short cut portage, but Wear-Some-Shorts and I decided to explore the lake and go around the long point. Wear-Some-Shorts caught two lakers and two bass in very shallow water next to shore. When we arrived at the appointed camp, we learned the others had caught a few nice walleyes, but it wasn't fast. Camp was near a current area. It had a good garage and sitting rock, but it was full of dead trees perilously hanging over the tent pads. The wind forecast was for light breezes, so we set up under the "widowmakers" anyway. We had another great meal of Dirty Rice, NWS andouille sausage, and fried walleye. Very good. Dirty rice has officially replaced our old standby of Red Beans and Rice, we just like it better. It started raining in earnest shortly after we went to bed.
Thursday
We packed up in the rain on this morning. Not a downpour, but a steady drip. We fished our way north through many areas of current (water was quite high on all the lakes). Only one or two spots held walleye, and we only stringered a couple of fish. After much discussion, we decided to push on to a lake trout lake...the water was just too cold for bass and walleye, but the lakers should be active was our reasoning. At the last portage of the day, right in front of a nice little waterfall, Tick Check tied into a lunker of a fish. After a battle that included getting out of the canoe and battling it from shore, he landed the beast, a 42 inch, very fat, northern pike. Probably the biggest pike I have ever seen. After photos and laughing at Fran Fan's battle with an middleeweight pike from the same spot that jumped two feet out of the water during the fight, a downpour of rain hit. The soggy day continued as we made our way onto an unfamiliar lake. We hadn't been there before, nor had anyone in our circle of friends. After watching Shorts catch an 18 inch bass (this new lake was smaller and the water was warmer than the last one), we found a decent campsite in a central location and set up the tents and tarp. The rain stopped and we made fantastic meal of homemade mac and cheese and walleye. A warming campfire ended the night.
Friday
We left camp intact and set out to explore and fish the lake. I paired up with Fran Fan and headed south, getting a couple lake trout right away. We made our way up a shallow creek catching some bass and pike as we went. It was a breezy, but sunny, day. We made our way back north and caught some more lake trout near camp. We headed to shore as black cloud was building to the south and west. The others joined us in camp and all spoke of great fishing...many large smallmouth bass (18" and 19") and plenty of decent lake trout. A good day by any standards. The black cloud moved closer and we battened down the hatches as severe thunderstorm hit us...pouring rain and very strong winds lasted about 20 minutes. After the storm passed we set about making a fire and fixing supper. It was a fantastic meal, probably the best on the trip-green curry and coconut rice. Very easy to make and it goes great with lake trout.
Saturday
We had intended to pack up and move this day, but it was raining and the fishing had been good the day before, so we decided to stay another night. It was a pretty gross day...misting rain and a strong, cold, north wind. We had "Quetico Supremes" for breakfast and hit the lake anyway. Tick Check and I searched for bass, but the cold front had shut them down. We hit a few lake trout near camp instead. Action was fairly steady, although all I personally caught was an 8 to 10lb pike. We went back to camp early as feet and hands were starting to get chilled. It took a team effort, but soon we had a roaring fire in spite of the steady rain. Supper was another favorite: Kek Burgers....bacon lake trout sandwiches.
Sunday
It dried up overnight and we packed up on a chilly (30's) morning. We caught a few more trout on our way off of the lake. We steadily headed south, backtracking on our route. Taking the extra day on the previous camp meant we altered our plans and we decided to stay two nights near a big current area that had lots of back bays on a big lake. The area had plenty of people, so we had to take a back bay campsite. It turned out to be just fine after we cut and moved some downed trees. It was a sunny day, but definitely had cold front conditions...we had no fish for supper. So, we made camp pesto on spaghetti with NWS salamini. It was perfect.
Monday
We stayed put in our little camp and split up to explore and fish the area. Shorts and I went north and caught a laker and a nice walleye off mid-lake structure. We checked out a pretty incoming creek and bay, but it only held small pike. We did find one of the best campsites I have ever seen in Canoe Country though, a pine covered island with a great garage and nice breeze with an elevated kitchen with a 240 degree view. I know where I will be seeking to camp next time. We fished our way back to camp, but the fish were still hibernating. I did take a warm shower thanks to the sun shower back at camp. Others returned with a mixed bag of trout, walleyes, and bass, but overall everyone reported very slow fishing. The Colonel had the story of the day with a 43.5 inch northern pike, the longest pike anyone on my trips has ever caught, a true trophy. We made up some fish tacos that night, even heating a rock in the campfire to pre-heat the tortillas. It was a fun idea.
Tuesday
It was cloudy, but dry, as we headed back to our take out point. We fished our way, only getting one lake trout the entire time. Very slow fishing. We stopped at Janice the Ranger's to give her a portage condition report (only two downed trees on the route). There was a huge pine tree down on her entrance path...a victim of the Friday storm that had just missed her solar power equipment. We bought a few Quetico souvenirs and took a group photo with her in it. She is as much a part of this area of Quetico as the lakes, rocks, and trees. We fished our way back into America with no luck at all. We took a over-loved, large campsite near the tow boat pick up. It was fishless mashed potatoes with re-hydrated hamburger and veggies for supper.
Wednesday
A sunny morning greeted us as we packed up camp once again. It was a short paddle to the pick up and soon we were loading the boats and the outboards were powering us to the dock. It was an uneventful journey back to Duluth. We said our goodbyes to our Quetico Family and hello to our "real" families. It was another great trip. I am very lucky I can take 10 days of my life to immerse myself into a paddling adventure, even if the fish don't cooperate fully. I thank my understanding bride and I thank my trip mates that let me join them each year.
Nature Moment: When Wear-Some-Shorts and I went to retrieve our beer cooler from the island at the end of the trip, we discovered that in-between the day early in the trip that we stashed our cooler and day we picked it up, a loon had made her nest and laid an egg right next to the cooler. She was not pleased when we snuck up to grab the cooler. No injuries to any party, thankfully. The egg was big and splotchy purple colored.
Hubs' Flub: Well, even though I should have learned my lesson some how, I managed to sunburn my ears again. Despite suncreen use, I ended up with blisters and everything. I must have burned off the nerves over the years, though, because they never hurt, just itched a bit. Next year: Zinc Oxide.
Quote of the Trip: There were plenty of candidates this trip, including, "I wouldn't snag into Fran Tarkington's throat if he was dying of thirst," but the quote the trip was definitely spoke by The Colonel when he said: "Dog shit would taste good if it was in a tortilla." We tested him by giving him a tortilla with moose poop in it...he didn't eat it.
