Prologue and The Sprinter
There are several items that deserve mention
this year under the banner of "prologue". One certainly is the
addition of Andy's neighbor John P to the group. Always adds
an element of fun to the trip when a newbie joins us - what will his reaction
be to the fishing trip. Two is the new vehicle, including how it came
about that we rented a Mercedes Sprinter passenger van this year. Matt
had expressed the thought of looking into this van several times during the
year since he learned that Ace Rental added it to their offering. No
action was taken until the last week before the trip after Matt (politely)
bugged his retired father to make some inquiries. Keeping this short, our
rental was ultimately switched from the 15 passenger Van to the Sprinter.
Although roughly twice as expensive to rent, the Sprinter has equal or
better passenger space, with a raised roof allowing passengers to stand, and
with more luggage space. Powered by a Diesel engine, it gets twice the
fuel mileage compared to the Chevy van. And, once we got it out on the
road, the ride is superior. All around a better vehicle, and a great
upgrade to the trip. It will be most interesting to see if the group vote
is to continue with the Sprinter in future trips, in spite of its additional
cost.
The Drive and Flight
Needing to arrive timely at the Rusty Myers
float plane base at 7:30 in order to get out early, the group leaves Joe's
close to 1:00 - with a stop for ice and Subway sandwiches, we put the departure
time at 1:30. The drive goes smoothly, but with several close encounters
with moose - above average number of encounters. One trip event deserves
mention - breakfast in Dryden. Recognizing that the van (which requires
roughly 14 feet of clearance) will not make it through the McDonald's
drive-thru, we drive on to Tim Horton's where we are told, similarly to last
year, that except for coffee and cookies, food is not served until 5:00.
So, back to Mickey D's where we execute a "walk-thru".
Nonetheless, we are early to the float plane - arriving at 7:15 - making
the driving time just shy of 18 hours.
Two trips on the Beaver are necessary to
transport the group and the gear to Flindt. Water is extremely high - way over
the dock - so, we are treated to a rickshaw-like experience as we are taken to
the plane aboard the luggage cart. Upon arrival at camp, we find the
water high but not over the dock. No one else in camp at this point.
Once settled in, all are off to test the fishing. Patsy tells us
that it has been quite cold, and that the prior week's fishing was difficult
and mostly confined to the culvert and water near the camp.
Culvert Fishing and Shoot the Rapids
A good start - with several good sized fish
caught at the culvert. Mike's first fish of the trip is a sucker -
putting him in position for an early lead for the Species Award. First
fish! Have not seen a sucker in some time. Usually the Species
Award is won with a perch catch. Newbie John and Andy head off to Big Bay
and begin catching fish - with John catching an 18" (2.2#) walleye and 22"
pike - outdistancing his "instructor" Andy. Bill and Joe shoot
the rapids at All Fours and catch a mess of fish on the other side of the
falls.
The Magic Kingdom
After dinner and a nap, the still-overtired
group heads out for more good fishing. Bill and Joe head back toward All
Fours, stopping just short of the rapids, and find a true hot spot - bringing
back a full stringer of 17"-plus walleye. This hot spot is dubbed
"the Magic Kingdom". Could have brought in a lot more keepers,
did the exchange thing until they had the best 8 fish. Matt and Mike end
the day at the culvert, and between 8-9pm, the place lit up with fish.
They brought in a nice haul of large walleye. John and Andy toured
the classics with limited success, and were the first home.
Walleye on Pike Violence
Before we close for today, there is a story
that falls under the heading "No matter how many fishing trips, there is
always the potential for something new!" So here is this year's surprise.
Bill and Joe are fishing their newly discovered hot spot at All Fours
when Bill hooks a fish - a modest fish that he has well under control, but as
he is bringing it to the boat, all of a sudden, it becomes very difficult to
move. When he is finally able to bring the fish to the surface near the
boat, he sees the golden underside of what can only be a large walleye, and then
it is revealed that Bill has hooked a small pike and a quite large walleye has
latched onto the pike. A first time observed "reverse" of the
not uncommon hooked walleye in the jaws on a large pike. Unlike the
walleye's less intelligent cousin, which will not let go and is usually netted
along with the hooked walleye, this walleye let go and swan safely away.
Footnote: John claims to have caught a
43" walleye! There are several dubious aspects to this assertion.
One, 43" would be a world record walleye, in other words, 43"
walleye do not exist, at least on this planet. Two, there is no
documentary evidence, e.g., a photo, of the beast. and three, the
assertion is based on statements made by John, an individual known for prolific
exaggeration, i.e., "bullshit" - with Bill standing moot.
