An offer too good to refuse.

[bullseye]

My younger brother has been making an annual trip to Canada with a group of fire fighters for about 15 years. Last year one of the group died.

I got a phone call from my brother asking if I would like to go to Canada with him. We have never done that together.

He said the cost of the trip would be around $1,300; he would pay the $1,000 if I would pay the $300.

MMMMMM......I don't have stupid stamped on my forhead so I guess I need to apply for a passport!!!!!

[jmarriott]

My two daughters got the passports in about 3 weeks. Just make sure you get to the right post office in time for the trip.

Paperwork was a bit of a hassle and when we arrived at the post office the passport area was closed. After a little fuss on my part they drug someone in the back out to take care of me. I did not have to go POSTAL.

[bullseye]

Good thing jm. They take a real dim view of that for some reason.

[jmarriott]

How far up into the great white north are you going........

Take a few fire tiger colored rapala's with you in case the water is stained. Heck they even work well when the water is not stained.

Most of my canada trips have been just over the line or around the boundary waters area if I got to far north. Remember to leave a 1 inch patch of scales on any fish fillets you bring back across the line. They have got very pick over the years and are in need of more of your money.

[bullseye]

We are flying out of Minaki, Ontario a little north of Kenora. Mapquest says it is about a 720 mile/13.5 hr trip. I have to drive 90 min to my brother's house so that makes it about 12.

Debby and I did a fly-in in 1999 for our 25th wedding anniversary and had a blast. She preferred to catch northerns. I lost count when we passed the 900 mark.

My brother is a live bait walleye kind of guy while I would prefer to fish smallmouth and northerns on artificials. I think in the end we will fish some of each. I will have to pare down my tackle a ton from what I normally carry in the boat. Plastics, cranks, jerks, topwater, and jigs (swimming and regular) will probably be the bulk. I got a little insight on some of the colors so I will look thru and start picking out what I will take. I will pare down to 5 rod/reels but take along an extra of each in both rods and reels.
Firetiger always seems to be a good color in just about everything.

We will not be bringing fish back. We keep but a handful of the hundreds we catch every year in WI so I can't see bringing any back. It is also a $15 less to purchase a conservation license and bring back no fish. The outpost we are going to strongly suggests not bringing out fish and also not eating the big ones but practice catch and release.

I stopped at Cabela's and had to get a smaller tackle box. The one we use for tournaments holds 10 of the big plastic boxes. With 14 or 16' boats that would be way too big.

I am starting to put a list together. I have emailed the outfitters for a lake map so I could get an idea of the depths of the lake. I know my brother has been going there for years but I may be able to find stuff that they haven't. According to him the group tends to fish the same few places year after year for walleye. The group also does not fish in rain. If it starts raining the rain gear goes on and then it is back to camp.

Should be an interesting and enjoyable trip.

[Jack]

Sounds like a great deal, Bullseye! I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[jimh]

Jump on that one with both feet my friend!!
i've only done the Canada fishing thing one time, it's been 23 yrs now but i had a Blast. we drove up from St. Louis in 2 very very large RV's. it was one rolling gin game the whole way up. well there were some spades thrown in too (the card game type!)
so the long drive was not bad. we fished for 8 or 10 days, i can't remember anymore. we left st louis on May 30th and fishing was great. i need to take my boys up there some time and do a fly in, but it'll be a while before i can pull that one off.

[bullseye]

This will be time #4. In the late 70's my wife and I were treated to a trip with her parents. They pretty much paid the whole thing because times were tough. We went to Thaddeus Lake near Dryden. It was nice but I heard it has changed a lot...not to the good.

In the early '90s I went with my father-in-law, his friend, and my brother-in-law and paid my own way. We had a blast. That was on Pipestone Lake and I had promised my middle daughter that we would take her there sometime. It will probably be a few years yet but a promise is a promise.

As I said in 99 Debby and I did a fly-in for our anniversary.

This will also be a fly-in and should be fun. The group my brother goes with I only know one of them. He is kind of a fussy guy but a great cook. My brother says he and I will be fishing together almost all the time so that will be a good thing.

On a down side, a few weeks back his 32 yo daughter was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. They are doing a benefit for her in a couple weeks. I was asked if I could get the brats. They want probably about 110# worth. Debby and I talked it over and we will be donating them to help and working the event. What kind of a uncle would I be if I didn't do that? Not even counting the fact that her dad is spending $1000 to take me to Canada.

So there is good news and bad news but prognosis after chemo is good.