Brenda, who hasn't ice fished at all this year and has only made it out twice over the last 4 years with me, needed to come along on this trip. Besides, since her dad died, she doesn't as regularily get a feed of wild game like she used to, nor does she go along for the chase anymore. I don't bring fish home often enough for her liking, and although she'd rather eat pike and trout she still loves her walleye. So to Kesagami we go.
The day before was well above zero and raining off and on. That night high winds brought a cold front of below -20C, things looked potentially bad. When we woke it was still -20C outside with goods winds, but it was supposed to warm quick to -2C by the afternoon.
We headed down to Tozer-ville in Moosonee to catch our flight. Frost build-up on the plane overnight delayed us an hour. Brenda and I helped the pilot de-ice the plane, and by 9AM we were ready for take-off. Brenda's feet in her moccassins were already a little cold
NOTE the frost on the wings, all that had to come off, or we might die when reaching 300-400 feet altitide. Nice of the pilot to take care.
We get off the ground flying over our house in Moose Factory and head S-SE for the next 40 minutes. On route we climb from 30 feet above sea level to over 1000 feet above sea level in just 60 short air miles to Kesagami. I watch as our flat home landscape becomes more rollie-pollie, ans the skeg has ever increasing numbers of ponds and lakes. Winding rivers all over the place I think of brookies, and in the open areas I actually see, very close to Moose Factory, tonnes of caribou tracks; a real welcome promise of future returns.
The pilot on the approach to Kesagami gives me control of the craft. He's a local OPP officer who has of recently has been trying to tempt me to join a new local aviation club and take share in a plane. As I'm flying this touch little aircraft through light turbulence and across the sky I think it'd be great, but I've already got a hobby that racks up some significant bills.
Maybe in the future 
The Approach to Kesagami
Bren and I get on the lake finally and the pilot takes off to pick up another group. Alone we have 4 hours to fish. I start drilling like a mad man, way off a huge point in what's really the main basin of the bay. The auger get's into the ice all the way to the chain case, and then up the water spurts. I drop a quick line on a home-made tip-up gadget thing (tried to upload that pic, no go???) then start drilling another. Within the first 10 minutes, with 2 holes done and lines down, Brenda has already missed 4 fish. I stop what I'm doing and give a little lesson on "setting the hook."
By the time a half hour is up and I finally get 6 holes drilled, Bren's got 6 walleye on the ice. During that time I caught a 23" fat hen that got a prompt return after falling into the snow. It's just WAY TOO MUCH. I'm starting to feel exhausted already, between setting lines, drilling holes, and helping Brenda out during the odd double and even triple header, my brains going berserk.
Bren's catch after about an hour on the ice.
Things slow right down. I tell Brenda could be a pike around. Her tip-ip hits and over she goes playing a small walleye up. As I watch, a rod behind me hit's the ice and the reel starts screaming. I get over to it, pick it up, the old reel's backwards because it's somebody elses rod, the 25 feet of 30lb braid is completely off the spool, now I'm into 8lb limp mono (knew this guys set up was gonna cost me) and after more run, SNAP. I kept 4 rods with 30 lb braid but borrowed 2 that had only 8 lb mono. When he gave me the gear to use I took what little braid I had left at home and put 25' on each reel over the mono. As luck would have it. Ohhh well back to the walleye.
Some of my catch.
Things were quiet after that pike(
maybe it was a huge eye) for about 20 minutes. Gave me chance to pound some hot chocolate, brownies, AJ and a sandwich. Bren kept busy checking every line and scooping the holes. I was so happy to get her out and see her having fun. To this point I caught 3 hens over 20" that went back down the holes, a couple under 15" that went back down as well, and had 2 keepers for myself. Brenda had been outfishing me 2 to 1 and had been keeping alot of fish in the 15-19" range.By 1PM the cold (the warm never did come), the winds, and the sun had me spent. I was ready to pack it in. For just over 3 hours of fishing it was pretty much non-stop action. I had released 8 and caught my perfect 4. I missed about ten that came off in the holes. Brenda exercised her priveleges and kept 11 fish, lost about 10 as well, and released 4 or 5. Any suspected females went back to the swim. With 15 fish for the freezer we headed home.
Absolutely mind blowing walleye fishing. Our day was a reported "average day" by the pilot. 30 fish in 3 hours and around 20 lost, not to mention missed hooksets during already double headers. At home after cleaning the fish it turned out we did keep 3 females accidentally, but heck, they won't get wasted, and the roe will be handy for sturgeon this spring.
Bren with her fish pic didn't turn out so you get me instead
Kesagami folks could be worth every penny, but this trip pleasantly was sort-of free for us through work, so I'm heading in tomorrow again but to try for a trophy pike this time.
Easter Sunday Report to follow....
Later
