Turtle Watch !
by toonces300
Trip Type:
Paddling Canoe
Entry Date:
06/04/2012
Entry & Exit Point:
Mudro Lake (EP 23)
Number of Days:
7
Group Size:
2
Discuss Trip:
View Discussion Thread (2 messages)
Part 3 of 8
** Day 3 **
Woke up early – mostly clear – cool – no wind – again, perfect. We decided to cook breakfast before fishing, waved at the early-movers going by as we ate, and unfortunately, the wind also started picking up, as if on cue. (Note: Fresh bacon infused with hot chocolate is NOT good!) The wind also brought over more cloud cover, and as the sky darkened a bit and light rain began, we covered our already packed gear, and climbed back into the tent to just relax, go over the short day’s route, and wait it out.
After about 40 minutes it ended and we headed North, paddled up to and around Table Rock (wasn’t overly impressed with) and over into the start of Wednesday Bay. We made the long Northern strait, then turned towards Thursday Bay. I was surprised that even after the distance we had traveled from the falls, the movement of the current flowing North was still clearly evident.
We had hoped for the campsite on the Southern part of the NE’stern island, but, it was taken. It did look nice though.(Later in the afternoon when we passed by again on our fishing rounds, we chatted with the folks staying there and lo and behold, two of them lived within 40 miles of us back at home! It’s a small world) Instead we took our second choice of camp up around the island, through some neat, unique little rapids, just below the 90 degree bend at the upper corner of the lake/river bend.
It was an okay camp, very open. Whoever stayed before us had completely dismantled the firebreak around the grate – all the rocks laying everywhere – to have what looked like a big, sloppy bonfire. I just can't see someone needing to make a fire that large out here, but, we spent a good hour after setting up camp re-building it, quiet well I would say. It was NOT something you would want to leave the way you found it, but it sure didn’t bother the chipmunks and squirrels from hanging out. There were lots of up-close and personal visits.
We headed out to fish straight off from camp, in the water coming down from the rapids in that 90 degree bend. Matthew hooked a nice Smallie, then immediately had 3 or 4 strikes in the same cast – “Throw your line in Dad!” – It was a little feeding frenzy around us. No luck for me, but Matthew had fun with it. After the brief flurry, the luck ended. We even fished in a shallow side finger, Matthew literally bumping his offerings against the heads of fish just sitting in the shadows….nothing.
Later, we piddled about camp for awhile and had a light lunch. I napped again – funny how the middle-of-days up there have that effect on me – Matthew explored around near camp, and we made two more trips out to try our luck on the line again. We had a bit of fun paddling up the rapids coming down from the North side of the island…let it float us back down a couple of times before we meant business and pushed up through the choppy water. On the Eastern “backside” of the island we had better luck, or rather, Matthew did, in the shadowed shores along the little inlets.
Along one of these nooks we were working the bank, when something on the shore, about 8 feet from our canoe, slightly moved. We couldn’t tell what it was at first, until it moved again. It was two beavers, nestled up in a little alcove at the water’s edge. They seemed fine we were there, until we slowed and then backed up to get a better look. I thought it was a male and female, and she looked either really well-fed…or quite a bit with baby beaver. We moved on so as not to disturb them anymore, even though the male swam in, stalked us for a few minutes, then emerged about 20 feet in front of us and gave us the big tail-slap. At that, Matthew and I both agreed the other must close to birth and he was letting us know it was time to go.
We ate dinner around 6:45-7, caught a few more Smallies on one last fishing run, and turned in while barely still light, only because the mosquitoes had gotten really bad. Thank goodness it wasn’t ticks, like the first day.
As we laid there rehashing the day, we got one of those nice loon calling-shows you hope for to lull us to sleep. Life was good. *** Crooked Lake ***
Woke up early – mostly clear – cool – no wind – again, perfect. We decided to cook breakfast before fishing, waved at the early-movers going by as we ate, and unfortunately, the wind also started picking up, as if on cue. (Note: Fresh bacon infused with hot chocolate is NOT good!) The wind also brought over more cloud cover, and as the sky darkened a bit and light rain began, we covered our already packed gear, and climbed back into the tent to just relax, go over the short day’s route, and wait it out.
After about 40 minutes it ended and we headed North, paddled up to and around Table Rock (wasn’t overly impressed with) and over into the start of Wednesday Bay. We made the long Northern strait, then turned towards Thursday Bay. I was surprised that even after the distance we had traveled from the falls, the movement of the current flowing North was still clearly evident.
We had hoped for the campsite on the Southern part of the NE’stern island, but, it was taken. It did look nice though.(Later in the afternoon when we passed by again on our fishing rounds, we chatted with the folks staying there and lo and behold, two of them lived within 40 miles of us back at home! It’s a small world) Instead we took our second choice of camp up around the island, through some neat, unique little rapids, just below the 90 degree bend at the upper corner of the lake/river bend.
It was an okay camp, very open. Whoever stayed before us had completely dismantled the firebreak around the grate – all the rocks laying everywhere – to have what looked like a big, sloppy bonfire. I just can't see someone needing to make a fire that large out here, but, we spent a good hour after setting up camp re-building it, quiet well I would say. It was NOT something you would want to leave the way you found it, but it sure didn’t bother the chipmunks and squirrels from hanging out. There were lots of up-close and personal visits.
We headed out to fish straight off from camp, in the water coming down from the rapids in that 90 degree bend. Matthew hooked a nice Smallie, then immediately had 3 or 4 strikes in the same cast – “Throw your line in Dad!” – It was a little feeding frenzy around us. No luck for me, but Matthew had fun with it. After the brief flurry, the luck ended. We even fished in a shallow side finger, Matthew literally bumping his offerings against the heads of fish just sitting in the shadows….nothing.
Later, we piddled about camp for awhile and had a light lunch. I napped again – funny how the middle-of-days up there have that effect on me – Matthew explored around near camp, and we made two more trips out to try our luck on the line again. We had a bit of fun paddling up the rapids coming down from the North side of the island…let it float us back down a couple of times before we meant business and pushed up through the choppy water. On the Eastern “backside” of the island we had better luck, or rather, Matthew did, in the shadowed shores along the little inlets.
Along one of these nooks we were working the bank, when something on the shore, about 8 feet from our canoe, slightly moved. We couldn’t tell what it was at first, until it moved again. It was two beavers, nestled up in a little alcove at the water’s edge. They seemed fine we were there, until we slowed and then backed up to get a better look. I thought it was a male and female, and she looked either really well-fed…or quite a bit with baby beaver. We moved on so as not to disturb them anymore, even though the male swam in, stalked us for a few minutes, then emerged about 20 feet in front of us and gave us the big tail-slap. At that, Matthew and I both agreed the other must close to birth and he was letting us know it was time to go.
We ate dinner around 6:45-7, caught a few more Smallies on one last fishing run, and turned in while barely still light, only because the mosquitoes had gotten really bad. Thank goodness it wasn’t ticks, like the first day.
As we laid there rehashing the day, we got one of those nice loon calling-shows you hope for to lull us to sleep. Life was good. *** Crooked Lake ***
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