All week prior to the start of our trip I watched the weather reports. They looked promising. A few showers predicted, but I could have made that prediction for any trip to the BWCA.

Our party numbered 6, each of us had been to the BWCA at least twice before, so we thought we knew a little about the elements we'd be facing. We met up again in Ely, gathered our gear from the outfitter, and did some last minute checking. Better make sure to have the cold weather bags, rain tarp, brought my fleece jacket rather than my buckskin. All systems looked great. Fishing report was promising and the weather looked good. Still a few showers predicted.

The trek into Knife was a good workout, with our packs overfilled with that extra gear, but the wind was at our backs or at worst quartering, and only a small rain squall went through, which did nothing to dampen our spirits. Especially since we heard from those leaving that the fishing was good.
And then the rain started. And it was our constant companion for 5-6 days. I lost track, as the days sort of looked the same, overcast and windy. Still there were periods of relatively decent weather when we were able to get out and fish. Yes, the fishing was good! I would put it in the top 5 of my trips for catching fish, but dead last for weather. We had fish for breakfast, lunch and supper some days. Walleye, lake trout and small- mouth were on the menu. We did catch a Northern, but let him go (as we did many other fish) as I have not mastered the filet technique for Northerns and I hate to eat those Y-bones. If it was bigger, or we didn't have something else on the stringer, he would have been dinner. One of the reasons I like fishing Knife Lake is the lack of Northerns. Sometimes they are just a toothy pain to get off the hook.

It rained and rained. I stayed dry and warm, as did most of the group. Two of our merry band will be re-evaluating their raingear and clothing choice before the next trip. Nothing stays wet like cotton. In dry weather it is nice, but in the rain it is just a stinky, cold and heavy lump in the Duluth pack. Cotton will not dry. A law of nature proven again on this trip.

Too soon the trip came to a close. And of course the weather was very nice as we made our way back from Knife Lake to Moose. We did get the pleasure of watching another group shoot all the rapids out of Knife. And they would have gotten through alright and in record time if they had been able to keep their canoes upright in the rapids. Nothing is more satisfying to guys who have just portaged, than to see 4-5 guys chest deep in water cutting their packs out of their sunken canoe at the bottom of a rapids, while fishing gear, coolers and assorted flotsam slowly makes its way into the lake. It reaffirmed in my mind that the portages aren't there just as a form of torture. "We do this every year," they said. Some old dogs can't be taught new tricks. Break an arm or leg in the rapids would maybe cause a passing thought like, " Is this really worth it?" But as always one must fall back to the maxim, "To each his own."

I did find Makers Mark, and found it to be a nice improvement over the Jim Beam. Unfortunately one of our party decided there was a rule that no liquor could be carried out of the park, and downed it on the last night, in addition to his remaining Beam. Not a pretty sight. But no apparent ill effects on his performance on the way out, although I doubt he could have been sober until around 10-11 AM.

I will make a separate post regarding the Vexilar BW Fish Locator.

Posted by Dwight on May 28, 2001 at 22:05