# Want to go to Canada fishing with me?



## alleyyooper (Aug 27, 2020)

Not my last fishing trip to Canada but would not be many more.

Was the spring 1980, brother Rob, my dad were in the party, We were going to be met mid week by my hunting partner, his two sons plus his brother, a friend of his oldest son also came.

The lake was Flame lake about 80 miles north of Thessilon up high way 29. Then a bad side logging road(?) about 4 to 6 miles back including a beaver pond. We had gotten there on Sunday and set the camp up unloaded the boats then set out the minnow traps in the near by streams. 


Decided to do a bit of trolling on the lake and dragging a temp sensor. We had fished this lake before but later in the summer when the fish were in deeper water cooler in late July.

We ran back to the east end and set up with live crawlers we had brought from home and caught a nice mess of white fish for supper.


We like stuffed white fish flour them up good stuff with a veggie like cauliflower then baked in the camper oven or wrapped in alum foil and set at the edge of a camp fire.


A few bottles of Red Cap Ale tops the meal off very well. We had to go to the liquor commission store to buy the beer in cases.

Monday morning we got up to the sound of loons on the lake telling every thing on the lake is time to wake up for the day. Dad has taken on the breakfast cooking chores, bacon and scrambled eggs on Monday. Breakfast over we clean up the dishes a roll we set forth from the beginning. Once that chore was finished we went and checked the main minnow trap and had a good number to start the day off with. 


Water temps are cold from about 12 feet off shore colder than most fish like.

We go out to a split where the main lake narrow a good bit into a shallow shelf on both sides from 6 feet out to about 20 feet from shore. Lots of fallen tree snags where the big northerns like lay up just before they head up stream to spawn. 


We catch several with our live bait set ups a triple hook hooked in the back of a 4 inch minnow a bobber set at 6 foot off the bottom. 

We had only been on the water about a hour when the ODNR came roaring around the point in his boat, he checked our licenses and checked our minnows to make sure we were not using the wrong ones.


Told us to have a nice day and reminded us we had two more days before the walleye season opened. 
That was the last time we would see them.

Getting time for dinner so we head in to the camp, shore lunches are nice if you have to travel miles across the lake but we didn’t have that fr to go.


I am the dinner guy and give orders like a Di to my brother and dad. We field dress the northerns we had kept for this meal then my brother takes the Townsend skinner and starts skinning them as dad and I peel taters then slice them thin stuffing inside the body cavity, a onion is peeled and sliced thin also and stuffed in the body cavity. I add a couple pats of butter along with salt and pepper place on some foil and wrap the fish remembering to leave a vent for the steam. Set the foil packs in the camp fire coals to cook, takes about 15 minutes for them to be done just right. 

Another meal finished and clean up done we are back on the lake again. This time we target the white fish, is funny after fishing this lake for about 6 years we have only caught the white fish off the tip of a island. We keep a few to clean up and pack in the campers freezer.

Tuesday was much of the same 

The camper is a 11” Wolverine made in Gladwin Mi, bought in spring of 1972. At first we used dads 1971 Ford 3/4 ton pick up to haul it around. But on this trip we were using dads new 1979 GMC one ton 454, 4 speed trans, it played with the camper, a full load of gear for 3 men, 2 boats a 16 foot Mirocraft with a 25HP Merc motor , a 12 foot star craft turned up side down in the micro craft with. 9.9 Merc hanging along side the 25 temporary on the hills and tight turns.








The CJ only goes when my mom goes.

Gear and set up for 3 men includes a couple 5 pound slabs of bacon from the local butcher shop along with about 10 pounds of Pork chops and and another 10 pounds of steaks

Also included is some side pork for the fat and about 25 pounds of Hamburg and potatoes and onions.

You can not ever count on being able to fish every day in the spring, northern Ont. Ca.

We have made the trip and spent 4 days in the camper while storms raged out side.

To continue.


Al


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## alleyyooper (Aug 28, 2020)

We had pork steaks for supper Tuesday evening , with pound cake and sliced cling peaches. Played a few hands of solitaire then turned in. I set the CB speaker close by so I would be able to hear Rick when he got close. First I heard from him was about 1:30 am and he was about 90 miles out. But as he kept weaving thru the twist and turns of the road which follows along the river I would loose him for a while. Some Canadian heard us and butted in with crap, told rick to go to our secret channel side band low. Along about 3:30 AM Rich had made the turn off and arrived at the camp. I had coffee on by then and finished so we all had a cup and talked a little then turned in again for The night. We slept in a little for what is normal for us, rick got his griddle out and had the boys build up the fire. We had French toast with home made bread for breakfast. While eating Rick said he had lost a tail lite by the beaver dam some place and we could walk back to get it while Dad and brother checked minnow traps.





We had not walked far when we started finding Beef stake Mushrooms. Rick sen the oldest son back to get a garbage bag. He came back with my brother. By the time we got back to thr beaver dam and found thr tail lite the bag was so full we were dragging it back. Once back and the mushrooms split up into smaller bunches and put on ice we went fishing.





We have 5 boats and 4 motors two persons to a boat and one left over. The left over fellow was Nicks friend and he went in my boat with dad and I.


We motored out to the narrows between the lake that almost made it two different lakes. We stayed on the smaller side where a lot of blow downs hung in the water making shade an shelter for the fish.


Our target fish was Northern pike for another day when walleye season opened.





No way I was going to be fooling around with the ODNR fishing runs and laws. Couple guys I worked with ada 6 person party go to Ont. to fish and got caught with 300 fish over their limit when they were coming home. Those fish cost them about $50.00 per fish could not fish in Ont. ever again and they spent a week in jail.





Dad had a pike come and circle his bait as the bobber above it was going crazy. Tell dad to hold still and wait, Pike grabbed the bait and swam off a bit. Tell dad to set the hook as I lift the anchors. Could see right away dad had a good one on the way his rod was bending and the way it was peeling line off the reel.


I have the oars in the water and try to keep dad facing the fish but it was a strong fish.


Here it comes charging the boat not that it knew the boat was there but the pressure from the rod was some thing it could feel. It made it under the boat and the line hung on a rivet for a bit. Taught me a lesson, I now make sure too calk the rivets.


The fish got clear of the boat then turned and came back under the boat, this time the line snapped and went slack. A lost fish like that isn’t any fun but was while it was on.





Funny the line had snapped above the bobber so we could follow the fish around the lake as it went We tied on artificial and cast to it with no luck for a bit. Then decided it was time to go in for dinner.


Once again we had stuffed northern pike with Mushrooms taters and onions all you wanted to eat.


Nice thing about cooking the fish in the foil steamer bags is when you opened them up the bones forked out very easy.








After dinner every one went out fishing after listening to ads FISH story. We went out looking for thr one that got away. Found it on the back side of an island. Very narrow spot. Rick and his boy coasted in from one side and I took my boat in slowly to about 40 yards away. We rigged live bait once again and waited. We were catching other fish but not the one we had hooked earlier. 


Then Nick hooked it set the hook good and the battle was once again on. It is charging to where I have parked so as it is getting closer I am being yelled at to move. Oaring as hard as I can I am not moving very far or fast. Dad tells me I should pull the anchors to be able to move about better.





Finally after a bit nick gets the fish up to there boat but is afraid of this huge fish and wants a gaff we do not have one. So fooling around he loses the fish again, thing had to have a charmed life but was about to end.


Dad cast out a big bass plug I had build and had the fish on again. Gets it up along side the boat where I reach in and grab it under the jaw and get it in the boat.





We go back to camp as it is getting late and we have scales there. Fish was 53 inches long and weighed 37 pounds.


Huge fish and the best of the trip. 


I have pictures around here some place of the event. Dad and nick both holding it up together.





Now some other details of the charm leaving the fish. The bass lure I had made had gang hooks. One Gang slide up the line below the bobber and the hook caught in the bobber spring 


all that was holding the fish when I boated it.








We had a great trip ever one brought home a limit of fish walleye, white fish, northerns and a few small mouth bass.








Al


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## ChoppyChoppy (Aug 28, 2020)

How do you remember all that from 40 years ago?!!


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## Woodchuck71 (Aug 28, 2020)

Awesome story. Thanks.
I remember things from 30/40 years ago, just sometimes yesterday becomes hazy. LOL


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## alleyyooper (Aug 28, 2020)

Yes the stuff from many years ago with pictures to help jog the memory is easy. 
Stuff from last fall if it were not for the pictures would be hard to remember.
My job required me to remember things or carry 4 pounds of books so the mind was trained to remember things. Just some little thing like a electric circuit forgotten could add up to hours of extra work.











Al


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## keepreal (Oct 29, 2020)

That's really a good trip.


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## hunter72 (Oct 29, 2020)

Very good thank you it brought back memories of my friends and I on Savant Lake Ont. Back in 1978 . But we ate more lake trout than northern.
Thank you I enjoyed the stories
God Bless


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## tla100 (Oct 31, 2020)

Awesome read! Giant Northern!!!


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## North by Northwest (Nov 22, 2020)

Hell , your fishing in my backyard !


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## Del_ (Nov 22, 2020)

Alleyyooper hasn't been here since Oct. 16th.

He had mentioned he had terminal cancer and I bet he has passed on.


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## svk (Feb 16, 2021)

Del_ said:


> Alleyyooper hasn't been here since Oct. 16th.
> 
> He had mentioned he had terminal cancer and I bet he has passed on.


He passed away around Christmas. Guy could tell a good story.


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## Ryan'smilling (Feb 16, 2021)

Does anyone know any contact info for anyone in his family? I just had a thought that his kids or siblings might like to read some of these stories.


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## North by Northwest (Feb 16, 2021)

Awesome stories , he really enjoyed his recreational activities and yes he certainly could recreate his adventures with pure enthusiasm , sad ending to this story I certainly will miss his well expressed exploits


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## svk (Feb 18, 2021)

Ryan'smilling said:


> Does anyone know any contact info for anyone in his family? I just had a thought that his kids or siblings might like to read some of these stories.


No but I’m sure the funeral home would know. His obit link is in the thread in OT forum.


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