"Pretty soon" I tell Leah. Pretty soon I'll put a rod in her hand and see how she does, but for now we're right in the midst of the blackflies and the amount of deet I need to wear is giving me brain damage, I'd hate to tamper with this little girls head in such a way.
Since January it's been the same. Good day out, bad day out, good day out, with the exception of Kesagami. To break the cycle I'm using "beginners luck" to help me.
Dr. Tara Gill joined me May 29th to fish walleye. Afternoon was mostly cloudy with a bit of rain, mild and quite breezy out of the north-east. Not really prime at all for walleye up here. Tara managed an 8lb walleye last summer with a friend and, has a family cottage down on Black Lake outside of Perth. Sooo, she's not really a beginner or a stranger to walleye, and, she is knowledgeable enough to stick with the white 4" double tail grub, that, serves to have many a good days on the Moose.
First cast this day and Tara has a small eater size eye, and unfortunately with the weather, she only managed 1 more over the next few hours. I did OK with 7 walleye and a pike, although none were anything to write home about.
Next day I was aching to go again but had to stay home. Turned out alright because the winds eventually kicked up and some big thunderstorms rolled in. Here's a pic of the messy skies coming at us from the east.
June 2nd Dr. Juan Bothma a late life immigrant to Canada from South Africa joined me for a full day on the river. One of the most pleasant people I have ever been in company with. Juan had only fly fished once in Africa at a trout pond so today I figured would prove interesting. We shot up the Moose to the Cheepas River. Only 1 week after having been at Cheepas the water was down so much that I had to wade the boat through at the river's shallow mouth. Running shallow drive for the next mile or so we came to our first spot. After basking in the sun and showing Juan how a spincast reel works, explaining the behaviours or walleye and angling for them, talking of life, then having some hot chilli and a couple beers, two pike were all I could muster up.
We left the river. Juan was enjoying himself very much, it was a great day out, but with me, it's always a better day when you're catching fish. Back on the Moose we didn't travel far when I opted to try a new spot. Juan using one of my chartruese, pink and orange bucktails tosses it out into some shallow but very murky current waters, and ZWOOP, fish on. Turns out to be a very nice fish at 3lbs. His first walleye ever.
You can see by the smile he's enjoying himself. He says to me "I can see how this could get addictive."
Not much more than a dozen casts later he does it again. This fish was a real good scrapper, and Juan played it really well. When we landed it, turns out he had a nice 4 1/2lb walleye to add to his credit. Man, this guy is a natural I'm thinking.
The 4+ fish went back to the swim. We had found the walleye and there would be more eater size fish for Juan and I to take home for the table. After a quick couple hours Juan and I did well with him catching 9 or 10 and myself 6 plus 4 pike for the day. Here was my best.
Fantastic day out with Dr. Bothma. He put on a real clinic.
Monday just past it was 5:30 when Francis Erasmus met up with me to try the evening bite. Francis is a negotiator working mainly in his home of Alberta but is fortunate enough to beable to do alot of work from his new found home here in Moose Factory. Growing up out west he's no stanger to walleye, although he tells me the fishery is pee pee poor by comparison.
I warned Francis that because it was later inthe day we wouldn't be going far and, may not get into any fish. It was more of a scouting mission for me, I was curious to know if the walleye had yet to fall back onto some of their summer spots because of the quickly receding water levels. Turned out, it was worth the trip to see.
Started working a quick set of shallow rapids with a pink 3" grub tied to 10lb braid on my light action Buzz Ramsey Lightning. Casting right into the current and just along an adjacent seam that eddies into a choppy pool. After 20 minutes or so, nothing. While sitting I cast back and get snagged, pull the line straight, quick slack, then get a spaghetti stretch feeling and a snag again. Try to pull off the snag and it moves. Francis, FISH ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I say. Didn't take to long to realize this was a good fish too. Some big headshakes then it got off the seam and into the main current. ZZZZZ-ZZZZ, aww sh!t, you folks know the sound of reel peel. After fighting awhile, moving pints so to not spill, readying the net and camera, reciting the what if's and Lord's "fishing" Prayer, I had to eventually move from the back of the boat toward the front, and just kinda drag the fish up the current. I couldn't get it to budge by reeling. Francis then moved to the back and when just in reach took a swipe with the net. Fish was in then kicked out, and just that second I shart myself, but it was still on. Fish peeled out some line and took some more head shakes but it was short lived and it got turned around again. I moved farther towards the front of the boat and managed to get back a little line too. When finally in easy reach Francis made a much quicker scoop with the net and then...... calm, while all prayers had been answered. Followed by a F$%ING EH!!! and a high five, hand shake and a big thanks to Francis.
New personal best. 29" walleye. Weighed in light at 7.5 lbs but I couldn't give to sh!ts about that. This fish was long and skinny, and if it's belly was to match it's wolf like head on any other day.... well, decided I'd get it mounted just the way it is. What a happy day.
Francis and I continued to fish awhile longer. We both limited out. He kept a feed of good fish for the night and was quite pleased with his first walleye outing on the Moose.
While packing it in 3 boats came up into the area. One fella comes by and sees the fish and says "Hey my wife here caught that fish just the other night." "Really, this here fish," I reply. "Well not that one but it's twin," He answers. Then his wife says "what does it weigh?" to that I say, 7.5lbs. "Ohhh" she says, "mine was 13lbs." I look at the two, "well, that's some twin," I chuckle "what do you plan to do with yours?" "Probably eat it" she says.
Some people. And so finally yesterday arrived. My turn with Bren. It was planned to go camping overnight just the two of us but the clear skies and 30C weather was supposed to turn to thunderstorms, showers, then 6C by this afternoon today. With the insanely bad bugs it was decided to take a day trip instead.
My guide.
Her guide.
We made our way to the Abitibi River 30km's up the Moose. I also planned to hit the spot Dr. Bothma and did so well at the previous week. Water levels must have dropped 12-18"'s and so we were forced to take it careful at some skinny spots.
Up river bren caught nothing but a few fallfish. I caught nothing.
On the way out, because of the big spring ice break-up this year the river's bottom and channels had changed quite drastically. I got syphoned into the big rapids at Kwetabohigan way too far to the right side. I knew I was in trouble and worked to get the boat left. Bren knew I was in trouble and got her life jacket on. About halfway through I watched as a rock shelf about 20 feet wide fast approached, and I had no choice but to cut right into the middle of it and take the plunge off it's shelf. The boat took a good whack as did the motor when we went over, but unscathed I cut hard left before another shelf and gunned it to bigger deeper water. At the bottom Bren was crying. She can't swim and doesn't even like puddles on ice much. I consoled her in the fact that the motor was fine and we were still floating.
The long hot day went on and fishing remained tough. By 7:00 after being on the water 10 hours we packed it in. Bren and I managed about 10 walleye or so for the day. The walleye didn't start to bite until after she had finished the two F&^KING BANANAS she brought on board.
And she kept a couple for herself for lunch today.
Long post, sorry about that. Lots to tell and some real good times out with new and familiar people.
Tomorrow I start a 75-80 hour work week ending next thursday. Gotta pay to play.
