Well, what can I say and what do you want to hear?? Stupid Covid! At least it has been raining lots??? The fishing is remarkable and I certainly don't have my regulars here in camp enjoying it...that makes me sad!
We have had a TON of rain, but what else in new for spring around here...probably 5" at least so far this month. Davin is up to about 8" below the ridiculously high water mark that was probably established shortly after the ice age. Wathaman is super high as well, the portage water is even and we are once again running up through and back again with supplies for the Outpost.
Minimal signs of bear around here, only 2 yearlings seen at the dump, nothing in camp. Last year, the first bear was in camp on June 24! Started seeing signs of wolf around the gate in the last couple of days...might set up a camera to see if we can catch a picture. I told matt we should start peeing at the gate to mark it with scent and maybe it will bugger off...
I DID mention the fishing is really good....the trout have been a consistent 25" with varying weights of 5-8lbs....the last one I caught was an 8 pounder ;D. The trout are still shallow and we are catching them in under 15 feet. The walleye have really turned on and really nice sizes...some are too big to keep! We might have to get one or 2 done up to hang in the lodge to update some of the older mounts. The walleye are sitting near the weedy edges in 6-8 feet. The other day I caught a pike, a walleye and a trout in under 15 feet of water in the span of 100 feet along the shoreline down in Lightle Bay...on my trusty Len Thompson 5 of Diamonds. The pike are hiding out really well in about 30 feet of water and they have been tough to catch....we finally are getting bit of sunshine so hoping the trout start moving deeper to allow the pike to come up to feed. Lots of bugs on the lake and the pike we are catching have full bellies!
Short story: Matt and I took a run over to Wathaman the other day...was a misty rainy morning, the kids stayed back with Pa at the lodge and we were to be back by about 1pm. We just had a group leave the outpost the day before and we were expecting the next group the following day. We loaded up the workboat with diesel and fuel for the outpost, couple of other things the cabin needed and we set off. We dinked around with the boats at the portage for a bit and did a couple casts and caught 2 beautiful trout...time to get to work. Hop in a 14' with a 15hp Honda and set off through the channel...come around the corner and there are 3 foot waves...no biggie. Get to the cabin and all the boat slips and horizontal to shore because the water is so high and the waves had beat them in...no biggie. We hauled the fuel up to shore and parked our boat on an old wooden boat slip...ass end still kinda in the water. Moved some other old wooden boat slips to make way for our new ones we built...moved over from one rock face to another where the slips could sit a little better, be anchored and not be beat up by waves. We worked for about an hour before realizing the waves are now 4-5 feet...pounding the back of our boat and filling it with water. The boat won't budge any further up the slip....water is pouring in the back and its time to get the hell out of there. Literally the only option is to push it out to float, jump in, bail like hell and get moving. That's what we did...I was in the front of the boat getting pounded by waves, matt in the back steering on my direction and bailing to beat hell because water is really pouring in, back end almost under water, Im sitting in water at the front....shit!!!! Im sure matt was only bailing a teaspoon more than what was coming in...running parallel to shore just in case we go down and have to get back to land....it was intense! We got ahead of the water and I took over bailing once it looked like we wouldn't go down. I have decided we need a Go-Pro...the footage would have been awesome! Got back to the portage.. little shook but able to laugh it off. Costco rain gear is phenomenal for the price...I was sitting and kneeling in water, not just a couple inches but like 15 inches for about 15 minutes and all I had was a damp knee...no shit!
Trolled out from the portage and at the bend we both caught 2 more beauty trout. Headed to Davin River quickly on the way home and Matt caught a really nice 37" pike at the mouth of the river. Went in to the narrows and I caught a nice walleye which rounded out our catch and we booked er for home! Caught the Trifecta, including a trophy pike in under an hour of fishing time...things are good around here!
Water temps: Didn't check wathaman, but Davin river the other day was 54F, big Davin is 46F and around the dock in the shallows its 57F. The trout can bugger off anytime so I can go get some pike to eat!
Wish you all were here...get ahold of me for dates, still a bunch open for July, August and into September! Drive or Fly...Adventure North to Davin Lake Lodge!
Cheers,
Danica, Matt, Milo, Freja and of course Timber
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