Once again I awoke to the same sound that I fell asleep too. Howling gusts of wind were blowing across the lake and right into our campsite. After yesterday’s adventure we didn’t even think twice about packing up camp and heading out to Glen Lake. There were two 275 meter portages with waterfalls at the end of each one. I had to get my line in the water, first cast and I had a fish on! It was a Walleye, this time I kept it. We named him Walter and he was a good eater size. We were going to have walleye for dinner tonight! Setting out on Glen Lake with the wind to our backs, Greg said there was a campsite to check out about a mile in. From a distance it looked flat and unoccupied. Closer and closer we paddled and I noticed a wooden log bench. The campsite became more alive with each paddle as I imagined what it would look like with a tent.

When landing on shore, it was easy to get out of the canoe; so many other landings have been steep. This was a dandy of a campsite and someone had made log benches and a nice long table top to place your gear on. The site was wide open and spacious with plenty of trees for shade and cover. Greg and I talked about our options and it was unanimous, we stay on Glen Lake to camp and fish for a couple of days. This was a campsite to get excited about! Felt like a little kid discovering new areas of the campsite with every turn. We set up camp and had beef jerky and bannock for lunch. I ended up burning the bannock but Greg said it turned out alright. When making this treat out in the wilderness for next time I will use more oil in the pan and less sugar. The key is to cook it nice and slow and not to let your appetite get in the way. With full bellies, it was time to head out for an afternoon of fishing! Tied up our lines, threw in the day pack and prepared for launch. Now up till this point I had stepped into the bow of the canoe first and Greg in the stern second. I steadied the canoe while Greg stepped in. There was practically no weight in the canoe and I was trying to get the canoe closer to shore. Greg took one step in the canoe, grabbed both gunnels and gave out a “Whoo-Ohhh” sound! The canoe rocked left and right and then tipped Greg right into the drink. There was a sudden splash similar to someone doing a cannon ball off the diving board! I thought for sure he would be mad but while sitting in the water, Greg looks at me with a huge smile and starts to laugh! HaHaHaHa! I told Greg he should get some dry clothes on and we can head out later. Nope, Greg said “I’m already wet and it will dry off as we go”. We both had a great laugh and I stepped into the bow and Greg pushed us off on our way. There was a slight wind so we hugged the shore and let our lines out. Started catching Walleye and Northern with ease!

I seriously think it didn’t matter if I had on a jointed shad rap; the fish were very aggressive and hitting on anything we tossed at them. We paddled into a small bay and stopped to look at a potential camp site and admired the step rock cliffs surrounding the north side of the bay. The plan was to do a loop around the bay and head back out into Glen Lake. There were trees down in the water just to the south and Greg landed a nice Northern Pike.

My line was still in the water and I told Greg to guide us around 2 stumps straight ahead. “BAM!” I checked my line, nope I’m snagged. Greg starts to back paddle in the canoe when suddenly the drag on my reel goes off the charts. “BZZZZZZZ!” I got a big one on here! Each time I tried to reel in he would take off in the opposite direction. Greg said we will have to land him on shore and back paddled to a sandy beach area, and don’t horse it. Felt like I was dragging him along the bottom. My 6lb test green PowerPro line and light weight Ugly Stick was getting a workout. He is getting tired, I told Greg it’s time to see what we got here and I cranked on the reel. He was getting close to the surface now. I’ll never forget how wide his face was when he showed himself. The water was dark and I realized what we were dealing with here. A rush of panic and excitement came over me and I loved every second of it. His fins and tail cut through the water made a wake with every muscle movement. Greg said, “He looks like a torpedo!” Still paddling backwards to shore Greg was able to land the canoe. I climbed out, rod in hand and used our momentum to pull the fish on shore. Wow, what a Monster of a fish we got here! Wide body, long tail, sharp teeth, defined spots on its sides. I was looking at the largest Northern Pike I have ever encountered. Took 16 minutes to get him to shore, Greg was timing me. We held him up, took pictures so our friends wouldn’t think we were telling fish stories and got the Monster back in the water. Adrenaline was flowing and I again felt the love and respect for Woodland Caribou. Greg and I finally had our fill of fresh walleye for dinner. I couldn’t get the image of that Monster surfacing and it played in my head while trying to sleep that night.

Day Four Done