My brother and I took three of our kids fishing . This is our 13th annual spring trip . We try to go to a different place or section of the park but this year there were several new lakes and a few lakes I fished 25years ago as well. It was nice to get back to some familiar country although it has changed considerably.
We started up a river system on Friday and after a few hours of paddling and 4.5 km.of portaging we were at our first lake. The “kids” are great backcountry travellers carrying full packs and canoes.Thirteen years ago they could barely carry their own clothes!
This lake had lake trout so we started fishing for our supper. On my daughter’s first cast she hooked a good dinner trout. We fished our way around this lake and carried 600 meters into a lake we fished last year with good success. We caught a few more lake trout and a bonus speckle as well. Our trip mates got a few lakers …..one of them measuring 27 inches. A nice fish! We headed back to camp for supper and an early bed after a good day on trail.
Day 2
We broke camp early and got on the trail. Today was one 4 km. portage but the last 700 meters was pure bushwhacking. The trail was great but the bush portion was tough. Young pines had grown up since my last time through and you had to push the canoe through the thick parts. After a bit of sweat and swearing we got to the lake we were staying on and started fishing. We fished to the campsite,dumped our stuff, and kept fishing . This lake was specks only and over the rest of the day we caught a few around 18 inches and kept a couple for supper. This lake was tougher fishing . We had supper and an early bed as we were moving the next day .
Day 3
We packed up early and got on the trail. Our first portage put us into a lake we fished our way through. My daughter and I got four speckles on the way across. All specks were caught trolling spoons in the middle of the lake. All fish were around 1.5 - 2 pounds and 18 inches. I wanted to stay but we pushed over two more portages and another small pot lake to the ake we were staying in for to nights. We got there midday and set up camp. We fished this lake and a neighbouring lake hard it’s five rods for the entire day wth no success. No fish for supper tonight other than two stunted perch. We wondered if the increase in perch was harming the trout population.
Day 4
We backtracked two lakes and fished this lake all day with good success. We were catching 18-19 inch speckles. My daughter cast to a fallen tree and hooked a beast! After a solid fight we guided it into the net. 21 inches and 3.1 pounds qualified it as her best speck and the biggest of the trip. We caught two more smaller fish from the same tree. As we moved down the shoreline she turned another big fish that I hooked two casts later on six feet of line. After three seconds of craziness it tore the hook free and was gone. That was the best speck I’ve had on in 20 years. What great excitement!We had a great shore lunch and returned to our home lake and fished it hard with no more success. Early supper and early bed as we were heading out the next day.
Day
We left camp at 7:00 am and after 25 plus kilometres of paddling and portaging we were back at the truck at 4:00 pm for the long drive home. This trip was a 50 - 60 kilometre loop with 21,465 metres of portaging over five days. Here’s a few pics.
Algonquin trip, Specks
