High Falls on the Namekagon
- a destroyed canoe and lessons learned
by Bryan Whitehead

45 minutes or so later, the straining engine was again heard and two heavily laden canoes were pulled onto shore. (The borrowed Provincial canoe had been returned to its resting spot under the trees)

Our contribution to the base camp gear now provided us with 4 coolers packed with ice, steaks, eggs, thick sliced bacon, and more. Old banana boxes were opened to display a half a dozen two liter bottles of soda, several bags of russet potatoes, rice, pancake mix, cooking oil, loaves of fresh bread, boxes of cereal, cocoa mix, instant dessert mix, gallons of milk, pots, pans, griddles and lids. That was just what I could see on the top layer.

The portable stove was set up and the propane tank was attached. Tents sprang up and sleeping bags were unrolled.

Huge plastic tubes disgorged uncounted rods and reels, all of which were set up in a matter of minutes. Just then the wind shifted and I could now hear the falls which had to be over a mile away.

Breakfast was quickly prepared - several pounds of bacon, three dozen eggs and a box of pancake mix were used as two full sized heavy aluminum griddles were laid across the roaring five burner stove.

As we cleaned up I noticed that the murderous mosquitoes were completely absent from this windy river island site and the bright sun was rapidly warming the day into the mid 70sF.

Soon we got our fishing gear ready and headed to the canoes. Each of the five canoes had an old 3 or 5 hp. outboard attached. Extra premixed bottles of fuel were tossed into the aluminum canoes and we headed upstream to the roaring falls, fishing poles cocked and ready.

High Falls is a really big waterfall. (My pictures somehow shrink it by at least 60%.) We approached it from downstream, landing our boats well out of the turbulent pool at the base of the falls. The smooth water of the Namekagon bent and shattered as it crashed onto the rocks - the height of the falls appeared to be at least 35-40 feet high - Broad, rushing and powerful, this was nothing to be trifled with.

The fishing that early June day was nothing short of amazing. All fishermen - from 70 something Bob to my eight year old son caught walleyes and bass on almost every cast. Floating raps seemed to be the bait of choice Even a short cast into the boiling pool produced a keeper sized walleye. I spent much of my time taking fish off hooks and placing them into a floating mesh basket for safe keeping. Soon I walked over to the basket and began to release the few smallmouths we'd caught to make more room for still more walleyes.

Soon we'd caught as many fish as we could reasonably keep and eat. My friend Steve sat down and after sharpening his filet knife, made short work of the catch. Filets were placed in a bucket of cold water and we headed back to camp for a walleye lunch.

As I'd been up for 30 hours or more at this point, I took a nap as Steve fried up potatoes and fillets. All of us ate our fill and washed down the feast with bottles of soda with chunks of ice in the cups.