Sunday, May 24, 2009

As I opened my eyes and heard no wind, I thought to myself it will be a beautiful morning on bald eagle. I nudged Sam and after a quiet growl I decided I would venture out of the tent alone this time. The sun was up and the fog was rising off the glassy lake.

The ground squirrels were racing around trying to find any crumbs they could sniff out. I got the food pack down and got ready to make breakfast. I had chose pancakes for my breakfasts this time to see how they cooked and settled in my stomach. To my amazement they cooked nice and there was nothing really to clean up other than a quick rinse. The grizzly I woke up next to had made it out of the tent to fallow the smell of food in the air. We had an enjoyably breakfast and started to get ready to head to Turtle Lake.
We did a short 3 min paddle to the portage an as I turned around there was an older couple coming towards us in a hurry. It was the day trippers from the previous day we met on Isabella River. They seemed like they could hold their own on a trail so I let them go ahead and portage before us. I gave them what I thought was a good head start before I made the journey to the other side. I was wrong. They were almost to the end when I caught them. I slowed down and let them gain some distance so we would not be tangled up at Turtle lake landing. they had just shoved off when I came to the water. I had the boat in, pack in, Sammie in, and we were off to catch some fish. As we passed by them we made some more small talk and I suggested that they at least walk the portage to Clearwater to get a view. With that we were off! I did not waste anytime getting to the spot I called "Northern Bay". I had fished this lake a few times before always with results. We went over two spots and I thought the fish finder was going to blow up. It was beeping like crazy. Say no more I dropped a line and let it sink for 3 seconds then gave it a good pull to set the spinner in action. Sammie caught a few nice rocks and a tree or two but I felt she had it in her for one good one in this lake. The first time I went fishing with her she got an 8 lbs channel cat out of a farm pond and instead of using the real she took off running with the pole. The line snapped and we got to watch the bobber float around the lake still attached to the fish for the next three hours till the greedy thing bit again. I was hoping she was not going to try that trick in the canoe. We laughed at each other and enjoyed the day while we casted in every spot we could get a line into, and some that we should not have. She got hung on a rock under the surface and as I paddled her up to get free I seen a shadow go under the boat. I felt my stomach drop. we had just chased a huge northern out from where she had gotten hung. I casted a few times while she got settled back in from getting hung. I thought to myself why not, and casted backwards off my shoulder for a hail mary. I heard the Mepps hit the water and started reeling it in. I turned and there was a big northern fallowing it to the canoe. I told Sam to cast out across my line and get to reeling. The northern whirled and took off away from the canoe. I casted out in the direction it headed and after about 4 cranks it felt like I had a barge on the end of my line. My pole bent and my line racing through the water while Sammie was screaming "Its pulling the Canoe!" I took care in landing it and sending it back home after Sammie took a few pictures. I would have rather had her catch that fish but at least she got to see it. We continued to work around the bay and towards the portage to Clearwater when I seen the elderly couples canoe heading to our same destination.
We met up with them at the portage and talked about the fire that scarred the area a few years earlier. the portage to Clearwater was an interesting site.
The forest service had use the portage as a fire break during the burn so the South side of the portage is burnt and the north is green as can be. We reached Clearwater and got off the very buggy landing ASAP. The water in Clearwater is just that... Clear. You can see down about 15 feet sometimes more on a calm and sunny day. We headed to two large submerged structures I had found in previous years to do some fishing. We stopped at a small island in the middle of the empty lake to eat lunch and enjoy another site of a "Two Face Lake". One side burnt, the other untouched. I joked with her about leaving her on the rock in the middle of the lake if she did not share the food with me. I had made 3 lbs of deer jerky for our trip. This being the third day and it was nearly gone.
We checked the time and decided to head back to camp. Crossing Clearwater and turtle again on the way back to Bald Eagle was not nearly as fun as the first time. We were sunburnt and getting hungry but decided on one quick trip in bald eagle for some more fishing. We made it to a couple spots I located with the fish finder the day before and found it to be productive. With 3 canoes paddling around like sharks looking for food about 350 yards away, I was quick to do a snatch and grab and head back to the campsite with dinner.
We sat on the shoreline and watched the sun fade while we ate our meal and talked about the fun we had earlier that day. Tomorrow would be a short paddle to our next stop on the South Kawishiwii river. With any luck we will get across Gabbro without the wind being against us. We sat and enjoyed the night for a bit and then crawled into the tent for some much needed rest.