Well, I’m back. Did anyone out there miss me? I didn’t think so…. I just completed a three-day wedding (my son Kameron got married) and right after, a ten-day fishing trip to Canada. It was our annual father-son, brothers, uncle-nephews, cousins fishing trip. This year we went to two different resorts in search of the famous 10,000 casts Muskellunge (musky), the ferocious northern pike and huge smallmouth bass. We spent four days on Lake of the Woods at Duck Bay Lodge and four days on Little Vermillion lake at Fireside Resort near Sioux Lookout, Canada. I fly fished some and did spin and bait cast fishing so since this is a fly fishing web site I will not discuss the later. But we did catch some big musky on the trip – two 41”, one 46” and one trophy 50” musky (the 41″ and 46″ were mine). We also caught several big northern pike in the high and mid thirty inch range to include smallmouth bass over 17”. But as we always say, “What are we doing? We are making memories!”
I did get the chance to fly fish and caught my first AND second muskies ever on a fly rod. Although small for Muskie standards, it was my goal and it was accomplished. I also had some big pike too on the fly. Sorry, I didn’t take many pictures but the memories will always remain. My 10 wt rod and big flies held up well and “lured” many fish to follow or take my fly. My hands are still sore from stripping the big flies but the excitement and anticipation of a big hit at any moment kept me going when I felt like setting the rod down to rest. I also had a big 36″+ northern pike on the fly and in the net but….. This pike would have been the biggest I’ve caught on a fly. All I wanted was a picture. The pike was in the net, spit the fly out and was gone? But how? He didn’t come out over the net but through the net. The net we had developed a hole in it. In net and pike gone. Couldn’t do anything but laugh. It would have made a great picture and my biggest pike on a fly. This could be a future FATC trip – Canada for big fish. Anyone interested?
