A quick Subway breakfast, a stop at The Great Outdoors to speak with Jim about some laker tips and to grab a pound of leeches, then back to the outfitters for our drop off and tow. We get dropped off at the portage leading into Splash Lake. It's slightly overcast and about 70 degrees with almost no wind at all, very ideal conditions. I took the royalex canoe solo while Dag and Kid took a 17' Alumacraft rented from Spirit. After a quick and easy 25 rod portage (the guys were surprised at how easy it was, since I had told them portages were no cake walk) and then 1 more 5 rodder, we were into Ensign, this one we were just able to carry the canoes with everything loaded. I had a specific campsite in mind, and it was only 11am, so I was fairly confident we'd get it. After about 20 minutes of paddling, Dag and Kid really started to develop that important rhythm between bow and stern and I was quite impressed. Soon the zigzaging stopped and they managed to pass me up.

Finally our camp site was in view, from the back end at least, and I saw no canoes or tents. Awesome! I pull my canoe up, follow the trail to the actual campsite on top of the huge rock. This one will work PERFECT! The guys pulled back over to the actual landing spot and out hops Dag from the bow onto the flat rock extending about 5' just under the water, perfect landing. As Dag and I are looking up the rock at our new home for the next 18 hours, we hear a loud splash behind us and turn around to see Kid completely submerged save for his leather fedora which was resting perfectly with the bottom of the brim on the water, still on his head, flailing his arms about under water. He claws his way back to the landing outcropping with an incredulous look on his face. I guess I forgot to tell him to make sure there is something solid to step on when getting out of a canoe in the water, as the 5' rock outcropping abruptly turned into a 7' drop off. At this point Dag and I are laughing hysterically while Kid has an embarrassing grin on his face and he's soaked from hat brim to toe, but the wet gear holds up and all that is lost is a pair of sun glasses, and maybe a little bit of pride. I now inform them that the bowman is first in and last out.

We're all eager to get camp finished and start casting lines, so we set up shop and head out for some fishing, and Kid strikes first with a small northern, but that's about it for the daytime. I love Ensign, it's a great lake and I haven't been on it in 10 years, brings back a lot of Camp Buckskin memories. After dinner of brats and taters we decide to make use of the of the leeches and head out looking for some wallys. After doing some extreme exploring through an uncharted stream, Dag finds a rocky little bay and says "Hey, I'm gonna drop a leech down there." This bay holds the entrance to a 205 (or 240) rod portage into Boot Lake and we fish just off to the right of the entrance. Dag doesn't have his bobber and leach in the water for more than 30 seconds and BAM, 20 inch wally just like that. Next thing you know, we're slaughterin the eyes. They were biting in 6'-12' of water. Must have caught at least 20 in a 2 hour time period, most between 15" and 20" the biggest was 22." We paddled back across the lake to the camp site with walleye in tow on the stringer, put them in a makeshift live well someone had made on the shoreline, and prepped for a fish fry. MMMM hmmmm, there is nothing like fresh walleye fillets wrapped in tin foil roasting on some hot coals smothered in garlic powder and lemon jui...ahhh crap, I forgot the garlic and lemon juice, then I realized I forgot the maple syrup for pancakes, and the baked beans, and ALL THE CONDIMENTS!!! Which of course are not needed, but still nice to have, so all we got is Franks Hot Sauce and salt and pepper. Still delicious. With our bellies full, and content with a night of successful fishing, day 1 comes to a close.