Woke to rain hammering the fly of my tent, nearing it’s tenth birthday & still dry inside! We quickly decided on a layover day rather than brave our longest bushwhack in a damp, dripping forest.

I got up & cast off the island with my silver spoon, searching for Mr. Pike to amuse me until Kevin & John were fully roused. A few casts & I got hit, & reeled in...a 17” walleye. I quickly switched over to a Rapala & cast to the same spot & wham! 23” walleye. What a way to start the day – a beautiful, big, fat, healthy walleye on a lake we practically owned for this day.

So we fished & paddled Sterling in the mist, drizzle, rain, & periods of dry. We caught pike & eyes on certain points & shorelines, nothing on other long stretches of the lake. There was a nice bog directly west of our island that looked terribly moosey, but no such luck on this trip. The island is classic, with a low canoe landing on the west point & a high, jagged rock wall on the north looking over the water. On the south face there was plenty of gentle rock, perfect for strolling & casting.

As the day went on the rain tapered off, though the clouds remained, & our tents slowly began to dry. We went to bed happy with our spell of quiet & knowing it was nearly over.