Nym Lake / Batch entry May 19-27.  From there . .  . ?

Going to Lac La Croix-Snowbay area July 6th, swim and catch walleyes in the same spot from shore.
So far only 4 happy campers

In (and likely out) at Bottle Portage of LLC at the end of May (exit about 2 weeks later).   Swinging up thru Rolands, Argo, Darkwater and maybe meander east thru William, Conmee, Suz, then back thru Brent to Darkwater (otherwise basing at Darkwater and day tripping in several directions).  This is slated to be a "kick back" trip with lots of fishing and leisure time.

Any site I'm on for more than a day, I'll likely hang out the "welcome mat" (flamingo beach party banner) so feel free to drop in for a cup of coffee (or maybe something a wee bit stronger if its the right time of day).

dd

8 days on Beaverhouse and Quetico in early September. Going in and out at BH, of course.

Juneau, AK, sometime in late July-early August, to welcome our 3rd grandkid. Knocked me out of a long-planned WCPP trip. Guess I'll 'settle' for a little halibut fishing, since they don't have waldos. Just one of the 'sacrifices' we make for our kids.

Looks like Northcountry Ben wins, for length of time on the water! I'm a little envious    Here: some hiking on the Sioux Hustler (western BW) in early July; a ten-dayer with California canoe buddy in second half of July up to Mugwump PMA in the BW; a week camping on the North Shore (Cascade State Park) with the wife, in August.

Just got my permit for July 21st entering the Quetico through Cache bay, then up the Falls chain to Kawnipi. Up to the top of Kawnipi then to Heronshaw and Camel on the way to Veron and Delahey. Then the Death March to Conmee eventually working our way south to North bay and the Man chain back to Saganagons and Cache. Two 51 year old men, 4 college age women, only one of which has been to Quetico and she insists we go to the olive jar. 2 big Minnesota III's. I can't wait for these 11 days to arrive.
Jon Bratt Bird Island

Jimbo wrote on Feb 23^rd, 2012 at 8:51pm:


As I clearly recall, you licked the pot clean. You and QP did the 'rock, paper, scissors' thing, and you won the third tiebreaker. 

June: QP from Beaverhouse, looping down to Poobah, and then out at Nym

July: WCPP.  Taking a route suggested by Marten, can't think of all the lakes and don't have my notes! 

August: Nothing planned, yet.

September: Little Indian Sioux up to LLC, east, then out via Nina Moose.

Gonna try something new this year - WabPP in first part of August.  I'm interested to see how accurate the low usage numbers really are.  If true, I don't expect to see hardly a soul outside our crew for 10 days.  Paddle in from Armstrong and train out at Schultz's.  Not a real remote route for WPP, but I don't want to scare off my crew with something overwhelming. We'll do a couple layover days and maybe add some side trips.  According to some trip reviews I've seen, the catching is just as awesome as the fishing, but no smallies.  It's going to be a long drive up after flying into MSP and we should be on the water the next morning. 

pd

PD & DD,
I did a 3 week trip into Wabakimi last summer (August 11 - September 1.)  The park is a place of extraordinary beauty.  Being that it is boreal forest it is quite different from Quetico.  The fishing, for me at least, was phenomenal.  It is wally heaven but, as PD pointed out, too far north for smallies.  In the first 19 days we were out we saw a grand total of 2 other canoes neither of which were close enough to actually talk to.  That being said, the park is infested with fishing lodges.  In fact, in some ways the park is more geared towards fly-in fishing than canoe tripping.  In that regard I found the park very disappointing.  I really don't want to paddle for days only to find myself surrounded by the buzz of motor boars hauling fishermen around looking for the perfect place to drop their line.  I have to say, however, that because of the forest fires last summer, our trip had to be rerouted from the northern portion of the park to the southern - we went from Allan Water Bridge up through Brennan and Lower Wabakimi to Smoothrock and out through Little Caribou - so it might be that in the northern portions of the park there are less lodges and therefore less power boat traffic.  Still, I found it a long way to go only to feel like I was in Muskoka - okay I'm exaggerating a bit.  This year we're trying WCPP (August 9 - 31) which I'm hoping has all the beauty and low canoe traffic of Wabakimi without the lodge traffic.  Harlan tells me that the lodges, such as they are in WCPP, are located north of the Bloodvein so I'm expecting we'll be clear of all that based on a long loop we plan to do starting down at Leano Lake.  Plus, whereas Wabakimi fishing is restricted to Walleye and Pike, WCPP also has Lakers and even bass in a few of the southern lakes.  Last year we took the train instead of driving and boy was that fantastic.  We'll be doing that again this summer - an adventure within an adventure.

In WCPP it is easy to avoid motor traffic. Most of the commercial outposts are on the Gammon and Bloodvein River. Even when you are near the outposts they are not much of an issue. Those people are there to fish and that is what they do, usually very quietly. Check this guide for a map showing the commercial outposts. You can plan to avoid them but also know that in case of dire emergency you may be glad there are some out there.  Donald Lake on the Gammon River has commercial outposts but none show up on the map in this guide.   (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Two trips again this year (as I've been doing since 2009).

May 23-June 6 (2 weeks): In at Little Indian Sioux, up through LLC, across to Iron Lake, back down through Gun-Boot-Fourtown-Horse-Mudro.  Total about 65 miles.  Solo.

Early September (10 days): In and out at Sea Gull, via Red Rock, Kekekabic and points in between.  Total about 45 miles, possibly with company, otherwise solo.

My son and I are going for a week beginning the 4th of July. In at Black Robe then Minn, the Darky River, Darky, Argo, the Roland chain, Crooked, Iron and out at Bottle.

Pat

Sorry, Portage Dog, I actually mis-spoke.  There are a few Laker lakes - Wabakimi and Smoothrock being two of them.  But they're big lakes and I don't travel with a depth finder so I had no idea where to look (especially late in the summer when I was there.)  But anyway, for me Walleye are easier to find and there was never a shortage.  If you let me know your route and what lakes you plan to be on (if it overlaps with where we were) I'd be happy to pass on whatever I know.

Going up north the first week of September.  As it will be the first foray into the BW with my 2 year old and possibly my mother, we plan on hanging around Ely and doing mostly day trips and a single over-nighter.  Having never even  considered a 1 night trip, I'm going to spend a ton of time with my maps and find something we typically would never do.

A recent rumor has it I will land in Minneapolis/St Paul the first week in August. That puts WCPP back on my radar screen..........

I haven't worked out all winter, been to busy workin. Put 20 of the 30 lbs of fat I lost last winter back on. So yea, I'm fat and out of shape. I think the word is "soft". Getting on the bike today. Gotta watch what I eat.......We'll see. SAT phone is on the docket this time.

On a completely unrelated topic the new book "understanding women" is out. (just kidding ladies...... )
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Put in PP Aug 22, heading up to Sarah and surrounding lakes for exploratory fishing for 10 days.

Nym Lake / Batch entry June 3 - June 9 - Same trip as 2 years ago this time with the other twin son. Hoping for some big Pike again. To Sturgeon through, Jesse, Maria, Eiz. Walter, etc. Same cedar strip canoe ....or hopefully the new asymetrical hull design I'm building now.