We started out last Friday with forecasted temps to hit 28 degrees. After two years of cancellations our party of seven was pumped to do this six day trip covering roughly 70 kilometres.
My brother had his three boys and I had my two kids/ adults along. This would be our 11 th annual spring fishing trip. I felt they were finally ready for a trip of six days involving moving camp three times. The kids are all in great shape but the adults in the crew are getting older each year and at 60 and 62 years old I feel the clock ticking. This is also a trip I have wanted to do for ten years and since I organize the trips I have some pull.😉
On Friday we took the water taxi to the first portage of 1300 meters which went smoothly. I always find the first one the hardest! We paddled through one lake roughly 3 km. through a river system ,another small lake and camped on the next one. Great campsite with Sandy beach and because of the heat we all had a swim . Bugs were only a pest in the late afternoon at the campsite. We fished and caught enough specks for supper to supplement the noodles.
After a good nights sleep we broke camp and continued down the river system. We carried two portages385 and 1200 meters and ran the rest. The water was fairly low but after a bit of bumping and scraping we got through.It was a long paddle downstream but eventually we got to the main lake where we were staying for three nights.We found a beautiful campsite with a long lake view…..the best site we saw on the lake!
We set up camp and went fishing. We had three canoes and all went in different directions . Near shore the speckles were biting with most fish in the 12 -15 inch range. Some tried for lake trout and caught them between 20 and 27 inches . The weather was warm for the next two days and then we had cooler temps with rain. In the next two days we-shore lunched on islands, portaged to smaller lakes and explored the area. The speckles were always biting and the lake trout were scattered but added an exciting spice to the fishing. My son had a 27 inch lake trout smash his lure right at the bow of the boat on three feet of line . It took off soaking us both but we eventually landed it. My nephew lost a fish after a surface thrashing and when my daughter threw a lure to the area it took it with gusto. Everyone was catching fish!!!
After three days we paddled in pouring rain and gusting winds to the next lake. The waves were an honest two feet with some bigger ones thrown in. Luckily we were going downwind and it made for a fast trip . We travelled ten kilometres in an hour and a half and when we got to calmer waters we pulled up on shore and emptied out the canoes. We had a quiet paddle down the next lake and finally found a campsite out of the wind. The rain had let up and skies were clearing so we got ourselves set up and dried out for our last night which was close to freezing. What a temperature change from two days ago. We caught some more speckles that evening including our biggest speckle at exactly 19 inches.
After a good nights sleep we broke camp and headed for the long portage out.We started the 5400 meter portage at 10:00 and my kids and I did it in 87 minutes. It’s a beautiful portage with newer boardwalks in all the wet spots and I did it in hiking shoes and never got a soaker. With a 20 pound pack and a 43 pound canoe it’s a good workout. The kids were all carrying heavier packs but we had our food planned perfectly and only carried out a couple pounds of leftover food.We did a couple small lakes and a couple more short portages around 300 meters each and we arrived at our pickup spot for the water taxi. It arrived on time and we shot down the lake to the landing in twenty minutes.After paddling for five days it sure seemed quick!!!!
Our biggest laker was 27.5 inches(I guessed it at six pounds) and between seven anglers we caught 113 trout with the top rod catching 29 trout. We caught 5 speckles for every laker.We use mostly spoons with EGb being the favorite. My son tied on a blue and silver and never took it off the entire trip catching17 speckles and three Lakers. All the kids are becoming great outdoors people and can start fires,clean fish,and set up and break down camp like pros. I couldn’t be prouder.
Here’s a few pics.
Algonquin trip, Lots of fish and weather
