Wednesday, August 20, 2014 This was going to be a layover day so we took it easy in the morning, lingering over a breakfast of pancakes with syrup and dried fruit. Once the dishes were cleaned, we packed our lunch, bait and tackle and headed over to Henson Lake for some fishing with thoughts of trying out Otto Lake as well. The portage from Omega to Henson was kind of a muddy mess but pretty short so we arrived at Henson still quite full of energy and eager to wet our lines. Too bad the fish weren't eager as well.

After an hour or two with little luck, our thoughts again turned to Otto Lake. The portage looked a bit steep so I decided to scout it out before attempting it with any gear. After walking its entire length and back I convinced the others that it was difficult enough that Otto Lake probably wasn't worth it and that we should stay on Henson. We decided to try fishing again after a lunch break.

The western-most campsite on Henson was good enough for lunch but did not appear good for much else. We did not find a decent tent pad here and the site seems little used. Getting to the latrine requires a long, steep hike. We did try a few casts from shore here and were able to find that a northern or two hangs around so that is a plus.

Once we were re-energized with lunch, fishing resumed in earnest. Kirby and I would try for some bass near a deadfall hanging off shore while Matt and Stephen were going to check out a promising bay for northerns. After a couple casts, I got a big hit and my rod was bent 180 degrees! This fish was a beauty and certainly did his part to bolster the smallie's fighting reputation. After a few minutes I managed to get this trophy-sized bass to the canoe and I reached down to pull it aboard. Then, with one last flip, it spit the hook and was gone!! So close and yet, nothing! Oh well, try again and on the next cast I hooked another one that felt just as big. This one was also quite the fighter and I got to watch it breach to put just about a foot between its tail and the surface. I did not let this one get away and measured the fish at 19.5 inches. About that time, Stephen and Matt paddled up to us showing off their success with a couple of nice northerns on the stringer. We were eating fish for supper! We decided if we ate just a bit early, we would have time to check out the waterfalls on the south shore of nearby Winchell Lake so it was back to the campsite on Omega for our fish feast.

After our early meal, we did head out toward the falls on Winchell and one short portage from Omega brought us to this big beautiful lake. Thankfully, the breeze was very light providing for flat water and we were able to find these hidden falls after a quick, scenic paddle to the southern cliffs on Winchell. These falls are a thin, pretty little series of cascades and you can climb right up them to the top for a great view of the lake. After a few pictures and snacking on some wild raspberries that Stephen found, we headed back to our Omega Lake camp so we could get there before dark. Again, this evening we enjoyed a nice fire before calling it a night.