Of Wind, Water, & Wilderness
Bill Kuntze
We departed in the morning for the planned layover on Little Jean Lake. Although not far in distance, the continuous fishing action enroute delayed arrival until the late afternoon. Jean Lake is a gem to behold. Impressionable is its cool clear water and grand panoramas. Camp was set up and the remaining daylight spent exploring the islands and coves in the narrows between Jean and Little Jean until an hour after dark.
Minimal time is spent getting out of camp the following morning. The itinerary was set for a full day of fishing. We picked a location and set up for my favorite method of canoe fishing. Paddling stern, I keep the canoe within casting distance of shore. John fires one cast after another into each likely spot. My rod trails a leech suspended off the bottom behind a spinner blade. The stop and go movement that enables John to work the shoreline, also gives the deeper fish time to pick up my bait. We catch and release numerous bass throughout the day including a pair of largemouth. A side trip into Yeh Lake yields a twenty inch smallie, my first of this size. I cannot remember a more enjoyable day in the canoe country. Back at the campsite, the sleeping bags are rolled out under the pines. I stare up through them at the stars before drifting off.
The second half of our journey begins with a crossing of lower Jean Lake toward Burntside, arriving on its western section via the portage out of Ceph Lake. The plan had been to camp near the narrows and explore, but I had a mindset that a day had been lost on Quetico Lake and saw this day as an opportunity to make up for it. Thus we decide to continue onward to Bentpine Lake.
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