Camping all Summer at Manic 5 (Part 4)

We were well into the month of August. Did some great fishing trips. Even explored a couple

of lakes that probably no one ever tried. One of them was a surprise.

It was the first week-end of August and the boys and I had been checking the map. We were looking for a lake that the only way in was to walk and also something on the top of a mountain. We wanted a lake that know float plane could land on. So, fairly small but not to small. We found one on the map. We could drive about 10 miles from here. Then, which looked like from the road maybe a hour, hour and half walk if there's no trail, we hoped that there was none. We wanted savage territory. Tomorrow that is where were going and wake will be early.

It was 6 am and it looks like a nice day, not much sun, but no rain. Each had our pack sac, lunch, fishing rods and our tackle lures worms and dry flies in the pack sac, fly dope. We had light clothes and running shoes on. We knew that it would a long walk and hard climb.

One hour later we were on our way through the bush, not to thick, a lot of fallen trees here and there. Big trees, the boys asked if a cyclone went through here? I said maybe a tornado. It was like something about 400 feet wide just past by and pushed all the trees down to the ground. I said lets move over to the side and maybe it will be easier to walk. Which we did. Had a 5 minute rest and then continued.

We had been walking for about an hour when we saw a big black bear. He was about 300 feet away and standing on his back legs. He was looking at us. We stopped and watch him, it was trying to smell us. We waited and watched and after a few minutes it went on to doing what it was doing, eating.

There's the lake just ahead, it's smaller than we thought. We were a bit disappointed, but you'll never know what's in there until you try. The lake was an oval shape, yes like an egg. About 800 maybe a 1000 feet in length and 400 to 500 feet wide. A lot of trees had fallen on the side of the lake and some in the water. It looked pretty deep and the water was a violet or light purple maybe darkish blue. This was the highest lake around and a small discharge at the other end.

Oh yes, we also did see fresh moose tracks near the lake.

The boys had their rods ready and had found a place that they could take a good cast. Casted a few times and not a touch. We moved along the side towards the discharge. Nothing not a bite. It was close to 10 am. We tried different lures and tried lure and fly on the same line and not a bite. Are you guys hungry? Yes.

We sat and had a couple of sandwiches and grape juice. We were beside the discharge a very small creek. Did you see that, where the rings are on the lake over there. What I saw was a big fish I saw it's tail. What ever kind it is it's a nice size. It was after those bugs that's on the water.

The boys were casting and nothing biting. I said let's try it with just a small hook and one inch of worm. I'm putting a small sinker so that I can cast a little farther. Exactly what we needed as my first cast I had one and what a fight. I'll take my time because we did not bring the net. It took about five minutes and I had it on shore, well in the bush. I beautiful speckle trout, a nice red belly and lots of colors. A quick look like that, I say about 3 pounds and 18 inches. The fishing went on and great it was. The boys had something on their lines and they were having fun. I can still hear them saying, why big ones like this on such a small lake. We had one with each cast. Small ones and big ones. They were biting like crazy.

We fished for a good three hours, we did not really count how many we caught. But did keep three nice ones each. This would be pretty heavy in our pack sacs going back. I did keep two more close by and this was for the bear if he was still close by and I know that he would be pretty hungry and they can smell fish from a great distance.

We arrived at the camping at 5 pm. sharp without seeing the bear. A few of our friends came over to see if we did catch something. When they saw what we had, they want to know where we went. Which lake, I said the name of the lake is the lake with "no name" and that's the name we still use today.

Eleven beautiful speckle trout weighing from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds. A beautiful day and wonderful, once again fishing trip.

Camping all Summer at Manic 5 (Part 3)

Yes a few weeks have gone by and everything is going well. The children are having fun. The boys have explored the surroundings at least 3 miles around. They also built a tree house and did lots of fishing, even brought an old age couple, in the seventies out fishing on the seven lakes. The madam did fish before but never caught anything. I guess they had good guides because they both caught their twenty speckle trout. They were more than happy, they both paid the boys $25.

Our camping site was getting more visitors, campers visiting the Manic 5 dam and deciding to camp for a few days at Doreen Lake. The permanent residents had also grown, we were up to eight trailers. Everyone was enjoying the summer. All was going well and we all helped each other, we had become a big family.

We were in the last week of July, it was the phase of the full moon, a Friday night. I said to the boys we should go fishing around 11 to-night, with a full moon like this it should be great. They asked were? The lake next to us, Louise Lake. Okay.

We hopped into the 16 foot Prince craft skiff and headed for the other side. I said we will give a try here, close to shore, they come and feed close to shore at night. We all had something bright in color as lures, like white or yellow even silver. The moon was full and we could see the trees the shore line even the moon reflecting on our lures.

The boys gave their cast towards shore. I had told them to reel fast, this would keep the lure up on the surface of the water. I heard the splash when the trout hit the lure. What a fight he's giving me Dad. Bob had a nice speckle. Take your time. Once aboard it was a nice one, a 2 1/2 pounds 16 inches long. We caught 6 beauties each and said that's okay for tomorrows lunch. They were all in the 14 to 16 inches.

We got back to camp it was 1 o'clock in the morning and Mom was not to happy. Were sorry.

I said hey do you guys want to go and try pike fishing, it's fun also. The boys never ever were out pike fishing. There's a place on the Manic 2 reservoir a big creek or small river that runs in the Manic 2 reservoir. I saw this when I was out Moose hunting. Pretty sure that there's some big pike there. The said okay and I replied, not before Sunday.

It was Sunday and another beautiful day. I asked do you guys still want to go for those big pike? We have to bring the big fishing rods with the stronger line and the big tackle box.

It was 1 in the afternoon and down we went on the Manic 2 reservoir. We had a good 2o minute ride with the 20 horse power. As we traveled I pointed out to the boys were we had been Moose hunting a few times and the place that we killed a big bull moose.

Here's the place, that big creek, we'll go up as far as we can and then let ourselves drift down. Okay lets cast. Gary said I got one a big one, take your time and give him some lose, if not he'll snap your line. It snapped the line. I gave a cast at about where it broke the line. I said I got one, what a fight, it was huge and it didn't want to come close to the boat. I worked it very slowly and finally brought it in. It started to jump and bounce in the boat. The boys were having a close look but not one of them decided to take the lure out of the fish's mouth. I said don't put your finger into their mouth. They have a lot of teeth and few rows of them. As I was taking the lure out, my daredevil I said look, another lure in it's mouth. Gary said that's mine the yellow lure with the black diamonds. The boys said these things are as bad as sharks. Well we call them fresh water sharks and when they decide to bite, they bite on anything. It was a nice size around 20 pounds.

We fished for a good 3 hours, caught real nice ones and kept them. Did put the smaller ones, less than fifteen pounds back into the water. We kept 10 big ones in the 20 pounds and no less.

I said okay time to back home. Boys said, oh no not now, we like this, it's more fun than fishing speckles. Home we went.