Boundary Waters, Trip Reports, BWCA, Stories

Dads and sons- Mudro loop thru Horse, Crooked back thru Gun and Fourtown
by mbeyer

Trip Type: Paddling Canoe
Entry Date: 07/16/2009
Entry & Exit Point: Mudro Lake (EP 23)
Number of Days: 6
Group Size: 6
Day 4 of 6
Sunday, July 19, 2009

We are staying at this site for another day. It is nice not to have to break camp. The kids can sleep as long as they want in their hammocks. I sleep in a bit longer and Dick beats me into a canoe for some fly fishing. He starts a solo path around the island. I get up close to 6 and start to walk the shore with a topwater bait. Nothing biting for me. I run into the fly fisherman in 45 minutes. I jump in the canoe grab the fly rod and catch a few smallmouth. This is always a good way to start the day. We head back and as always, Brian is working on a morning fire for coffee. That percolator has been well worth bringing on the trip. This will be a lazy morning with no set plans. We all go out for a father/son fishing excursion after breakfast. It is late morning. We all have some success and we’ll have to clean some fish for a sampler before dinner tonight. It is turning out to be the best day with the weather. It will be 80 and sunny today. We have lunch and many look to be about to nap. I take a canoe down the island ( no tipping) and load it up with a bunch of wood. I want a big fire tonight. I find some good birch. I get back , unload and swamp my canoe to cool off. This will be my first bath for the week. The water is cool but feels great. Everyone is up from naps and all jump in to cool off and get cleaned up. I conclude my wood pile is not big enough and find a second load. The second load will get us thru a good night and the morning coffee and cooking. We plan to eat a bit early to to get on the water at prime time ….7-9PM. We get a great cooking fire going , eat well with a fish starter and even a chocolate cake provided by the outfitter. We are skeptical but the cake tastes pretty good. The food is not a priority on this trip ( other than a few fish meals) but the food provided by Canoe Country is just fine. Another possible disappointment avoided by the outfitter. We are done with food and chores and can go fishing by 6:30. We leave the three boys behind and I get in the middle of a three man canoe. We want to find some walleye in the channel. I think they must be near the current around the corner, but Dick suggests we head to where we caught one or two yesterday. The water is calm but a small current moves the canoe just enough. It doesn’t take long to find our first fish. We narrow in and both Lindy rigs and jigs with leeches catch nice walleye. I am so glad these guys felt a walleye bite….isn’t that a great feeling? Dick catches a nice 20+ fish. Without a net, we have to figure out a way wrestle it in from my middle position in the canoe. Other good eater size walleye follow. We finish by 9 to have enough light to clean the fish. It is a good fishing session. The great day continues with a big fire, sky full of stars and such, good camp fire conversation. We are all down by 11 AM. Tomorrow is a big travel day …..we’d love to get out of camp early.