Fishing & Photography in Canada

When it was asked of me to write an Ink Blot for our new Insty Web site, the task seemed a little daunting. After all, I had heard of blogging and all kinds of stories associated with it but was still uncertain exactly what it was. So I decided to investigate the phenomenon to a point that I would at least have some sense of what it was and how to do it. Do you know what I found? There is seemingly no right or wrong way to do it; I found blogs that covered every spectrum of life and profession that I could imagine and some I couldn’t have imagined. So with that being said here goes…

With the start of school on the horizon—sooner for some, later for others (my wife is a teacher, and when she starts getting ready for school, it’s getting close)—I began to think about the first report most elementary school-aged kids have to write each year, “What I did on my summer vacation.” I don’t remember ever having to write a report like this but it seems to be popular, and this was the subject suggested by our head designer, Grace.

In late June, early July I was gone for two weeks. It’s been a long time since I have taken a vacation that long. The first week I went to the North Central area of Saskatchewan Canada on a father/son camping and fishing expedition. This was my second time to go with my son and his Denver-based church. I flew into Denver to meet up with our group of 23, arriving around midnight instead of the originally scheduled 9:30 p.m. We then got up at 3:30 Friday morning to begin the 23.5-hour drive to Missinipi, Saskatchewan, Canada. Yes, you read that correctly—23.5-hour drive! Why, you may ask, would I fly to Denver and then ride 23.5 hours in a van? The answer is, I don’t know! Camaraderie perhaps?

With all the trouble I had with flights getting to Denver, the last thing I expected once we arrived in Missinipi was flight delays. Yes, additional flight delays! It appears they failed to put our group on the flight schedule. Let me backup here a little; once we arrived in Missinipi we were supposed to catch a float plane to fly about 25 miles into the back country to a lake called Mountney. We were supposed to take off at 5:30 a.m., yet we did not leave until 11:00.

Eventually, we all got to the island and set up camp—we were tent camping, as you might have guessed. The islands are very rocky, mostly granite with veins of quartz running through them. I am sure there are other types of rock as well, but as I am not a geologist, this is about all can offer about them. There was also a lot of tundra growth on the islands. In some areas it can be as much as a foot deep and makes for good padding under the tents. We thought we had mosquitoes in Louisiana—when you step off into the tundra they are everywhere! In fact, you can lay in your tent during the evening and hear the chorus of mosquitoes singing in the surrounding woods. Unless you get off the beaten path, though, they really are not a bother. 100% Deet helps, too.

For years I have listened to loons on those mood, or relaxation, CDs they sell in stores. To hear them in person really can’t quite compare. I enjoyed the evenings when everything got quiet except for the hum of the mosquitoes. That’s when the loons would begin their lonesome songs, occasionally accompanied by a frog or two. During this year’s trip, much like our trip in 2006, we saw a lot of bald eagles, some white pelicans, seagulls (a different variety than I have seen on the coast), several kinds of ducks, and an otter. This year, however, we even saw a black bear. I think the bear was probably the most exciting animal I saw on this trip, primarily because in the 15-plus years this group has been making this trip, this is only the second time one has been seen.

During the time of year we go, the sun never truly sets. It gets dusky dark at about 11:30 in the evening and then the sun pops back up around 3:30 in the morning. I have glow-in-the-dark strings in my tent to find its zippers, though on this trip it only gets dark enough to see the glow for about 45 minutes during the “night”. Sunrise photos have to be taken very early and I was very excited to get a couple of those.

The weather was very pleasant, from the upper 60s to the low 80s the whole time we were there. It is very similar to being on the coast as far as afternoon rains go; in the morning it may be bluebird skies but by midday it is almost overcast. It will rain about 15 to 20 minutes and the sun will come back out. The water is still quite chilly, and with that being said bathing in the lake is quite an experience! This year we brought along solar showers to give them a try—it’s better, but if it doesn’t get enough sun, only slightly!

The fishing this year was a little tougher the first part of week, as far as the walleye go. Within the first hour, though, I caught a 39” and a 40” pike—what a way to start a trip! On our last trip Dustin, my son, put it to me on the pike and walleye, but this year the tables turned a bit. The walleye were a little harder to figure out, but that, too, finally came around.

Each day began with breakfast and Bible study time. The food was pretty good: pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and French toast for breakfast; spaghetti, fish, and steaks for supper; and even a Thanksgiving meal on the last night, turkey and dressing! After supper on the last night, we had what was called a blessing time, where the fathers bless their sons. It really is quite moving, something I think fathers and sons should do more often. We also had a military flag retirement ceremony. The first time I experienced this, it, too, was quite amazing. I didn’t know what to expect or do, but one of our trip leaders collects flags throughout the year for just this occasion. One flag flies over the camp while we are there. When the ceremony begins, the sons all gather with another one of the leaders and they fold the flag properly and then place it on a grate made of wood with the other flags that have been brought. Four of the older sons carry the flags and place them on a fire. During the time the fire consumes the flags there is absolute quiet, and not hardly a move made by anyone. I stood and observed how respectful everyone was of what was taking place and then thought of our military, where they are and the sacrifice they are making and have made both in peace time and in war. It also made me appreciate more what I have in America.

The next morning it was time to leave. The planes began arriving at 5:30 a.m.—on time!—and we began the long journey home. When I eventually got back home after my week in Canada, I had to prepare for my family vacation. My wife, Cindy, and I headed out on our trip to Ft. Morgan, Alabama. We were on the road by 7:00 a.m. Thank goodness, no airplanes! We got there on time.

~Jerry