While all of Canada has a bad case of Beaver Fever as a result of the visit by Jeremy Wade and his crew, the professor and I had too much work to do to be distracted. I had never visited VBL later than August and the weather was a bit unpredictable as was the fishing. We had days with frost and cool rains when parts of Canada were getting snow. This was followed by blue skies and near 80 degree F temperatures.
We enjoyed visiting with camp visitors Mark, Jeff, Joe, Jordan, Lindsey and others. Gord and Susanne were charming as always. Let’s start off with some of the bad news. We had one trip back to a place that the perchmaster dreams about nightly. We ran into some vicious bull perch which tore up Joe’s Beckman net. Clearly, these were perch that had never been ridden. Sadly, Beckman nets (made in Wisconsin) do not sell a replacement hoop. That lifetime yoke warranty is a bit of a joke eh?
We also had a trech back to Caribou lake with Gord that ended sadly. It turns out that black bear are avid gas sniffers and tore up the only gas tank and two gas cans. No gas. A few casts to small mouth bass from the shore and back to High Rock and Clearwater. Maybe Gord can put together a post with more details and a photo of the shredded plastic cans? We suggested metal cans/tank for next year.
Walleye fishing was a lot more challenging then we had experienced during the late summer bite. To be honest it was a bit of a mystery. Gord swears that the lake was turning over. The professor blamed it on the fish Gods and something known as the Rizzo curse. We will never know. There were some walleye to be had however.
Fishing for Pike on several lakes was outstanding. I believe I had my personal best with a 40”+ fish weighing 20+#. No scale. No tape measure. It swims to see another day.
There were also plenty of slot and “eater” pike and we were pleased to have Gord willing and waiting to clean our fish. Joe was the snake charmer.
Gord notes that the checkered black and red Kenora Dinner jacket is sure to become world famous after the airing of a special t.v. show next year. Details of the show remain sketchy. The suspense is keeping the entire town of Vermilion Bay awake at night. Will the town be safe from the monsters in the bay?
The trout and white fish cooperated very nicely and were fun to catch via jigging. Some of the new guests joined us for a trip one day.
Be sure to ask Gord about the ‘walking billboard” discount next year. It beats the discount double check.
Until next year….the monsters will have to wait.
If you’re looking for an outstanding vacation spot for the serious fisherman or a family get away you should consider Vermillion Bay Lodge on Eagle Lake, Ontario Canada. We have stayed at many lake resorts over the years, but none offer the simple pleasures of this one. The lake is large enough and holds enough fish for the most adventuresome fisherman and yet easy for local family fishing for young children. Bring your own boat or use one of the aluminum boats (20 hp) at the lodge. Boat dockage is well protected from the wind and allows easy access to the water.
What sets this lodge apart from most others is it is always clean, well kept with lots to do including paddle boats canoes, bon fires in the evenings and a just plain friendly atmosphere.
