Putting the portage lakes to bed…

 

Seems that fall signals the end of trout season, and the beginning of the “put things away season”…  This year the motors from Clearwater and McGregor, along with one boat came back down the creek and home for the winter.  Of course getting the Yamaha’s tuned up a bit for 2015 is an important part of the process……

On the second to last day of trout season, Susanne and I decide to take the portage trail and check out the fishing.  First stop some of the smallmouth in Clearwater…..yes, they are where we expected them to be!

Next stop….the trout.  Nothing better than having the lake to yourselves when the action is hot and non stop.  We could only spend a short time with the trout as the call of McGregor was upon us…

Some dandy smallmouth and a nice pike for Susanne.  Way too nice out for the walleye to co-operate, but we didn’t really try too hard.  The thought occurs that maybe we should take motors back today.   Good thing, the weather has taken a turn for the worse since then.  Nice feeling knowing I don’t have to trudge back over to flip boats….

Unfortunately, earlier the previous week, the professors and I had to walk the long trek back into Caribou Lake only to find out the bear still has a taste for plastic gas cans.

While some may consider walking that far only to discover you cannot fish was discouraging, we were able to shake off the despair, flip the boat, and continue on back to fish the hell out of McGregor and Clearwater.  Later Joe was intrigued by my inventive sock dryer…

 

One issue has been identified as a priority…a bear proof method for storing gas on the portage lakes.  The best brains in the industry are now working on that problem for your future fishing pleasure.  2015…we look forward to the promise of gas at the end of the trail……..

“More gas in the boats….less gas in the cabins”