Dehavilland Beaver warming up at the dock
The opening of Spring fishing is near…
Part of the annual list of chores here at Vermilion Bay Lodge in order to get things ready for the arrival of Spring fishing is to get the boats geared up for the guests on the 3 portage lakes we fish (Clearwater, Highrock, Caribou). I usually do this in March when the snow is half melted, the ice is still good, and travel through the bush on snowmobile is easy. This year Mother Nature had a different plan. Now what to do? To further complicate matters I was planning on swapping out 3 of the older Johnson motors with some much improved Yamahas. Even though they aren’t that big, carting them across the portage trails was not sounding appealing. Oh, did I mention the water levels are way down as well? No creek travel this spring….
The options: days of work, or a 7 minute flight….
I chose the latter and I even did a bit of amateur videoing from take off to landing. To help you get your bearings as you watch this, the takeoff was from the air base just north of Vermilion Bay and as we head south to Clearwater Lake you will see Vermilion Bay (Eagle Lake) off to the left. If you’re quick you will notice Strawberry Island and Burnt Island. After that there will be a view of Sportsman’s Bay and Fifth and Broadway off to the right. Culminating the trip is the view of Clearwater lake dead ahead. With some of us getting a bit older a person might want to consider a flight on a Beaver as an alternate to the nature walk….. although I did do the trail today and I must say it is darn nice…..no bugs and pretty dry!
Here’s the link….my flight into Clearwater
Good luck everyone on opening day, and during the spring fishing season.
Charles is right of course. We should all be celebrating the 20th anniversary of VBL. Kurt is right. It’s a bitch thinking about opening day when work is getting in the way of fishing. As an extension of the olive branch, we have brewed up a special batch for the arrival of the Perchmaster and Bamboo Mark. Now share some comments about your favorite brew. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, an empty bottle of your favorite libation will be displayed in the fish house.
by charles W. Weiss on May 7, 2012
My artwork Celebrating 20 years of Vermilion Bay Lodge! I know the bloggers on this Electric Beaver site are sharing in this anniversary! I hope for 20 More!
The slow death hook…
In the spirit of sharing, let me say that the professor and I are about ready to depart on a walleye trip up to a destination near Perchmaster Kurt and Bamboo Mark. We are on a mission to try some new techniques….one known as the slow death crawler cork screw technique.
I have never really seen conditions on Eagle Lake where the walleyes are finicky, but the use of the slow death hook is meant to be a slow presentation of a crawler (or artificial bait like gulp), for just these kinds of situations. The troll is done behind the standard bottom bouncer, but the speed is done at less than 1 m.p.h. The twist of the slow death hook, armed with 1/2 a crawler threaded on the hook, mimics a corkscrew action due to the strange twist in the hook.
If you search “slow death hook” on cabelas, you will find that they have the #4 size clearance priced right now. If you search on Youtube, you will also find a number of instructional videos. I am going to try this method with a very small blade known as a smile blade. You can search youtube by: “slow death hook with smile blade” and find some interesting videos as well.
Will the slow death method work on Eagle Lake?
A number of us including Gord have been thinking about this technique for a while. We are going to put it to practice this weekend. We will try to report back, complete with photos. If this experiment fails, we will try to use these hooks to remove the corks from our wine bottle. If we are successful, it will be put to good use on Eagle Lake this summer.
Now Perchmaster…how about a post detailing the infamous crop circle technique?
Look out walleyes…….here comes Slow Death!
by Gord on April 25, 2012
More water bomber activity over Vermilion Bay Lodge!
These big yellow birds that fly over the lodge are pretty amazing. Let’s hope that all the practice runs are not foreshadowing a bad fire season.
What happens when you get buzzed by a water bomber?
by Gord on April 15, 2012
Beginning of open water fishing on Eagle Lake
“Early Spring Fishing”
Trolling for lake trout...
It seems we have been monitoring the ice melt for way too long……..it’s time to get out on the water!
Susanne & I spent an hour on the lake this weekend to check things out…and run one of the Yamaha 9.9′s that I will be putting on my boats on Clearwater Lake. I’m surprised how fast they moved us across the water…..the adventurous guests of Vermilion Bay Lodge should be pleased! Early Spring fishing is one of my favorites, plus combined with trolling (another favorite), you just can’t go wrong. Our target….shallow water lake trout.
The gull's are sharing their island with an ice pack....cold beer anyone?
When you fish the early spring on Eagle Lake, you never really know what you’ll catch!
Susanne with the 1st open water fish of the year
It’s definitely not the lake trout we were expecting but that’s what makes early spring fishing so interesting. This walleye was likely in the slot and went back into the lake for future reference.
Even I'm allowed to catch one.....pretty nice looking walleye!
Another nice walleye (released) and we realize that our lake trout strategy is not working today…….but not bad action for an hour on the lake. We seem to have stumbled upon a shoreline where the walleyes are likely congregating to spawn, so we opt to leave them to their duties. I’ll keep this location under my hat, and no it’s not Gull Rock. The lake trout will not escape us on the next early spring fishing adventure!!!
The action is just beginning….
Early spring fishing and the fish on Eagle Lake are on the move!
by Gord on April 13, 2012
Eagle Lake Ice Out Contest WINNER!!!
Friday the 13th, 2012 declared “Official Ice Out Day” at Vermilion Bay Lodge!!!!!
Yes, folks, the day has finally arrived. The earliest on record and one day earlier than the previous “early year” of 2010……..Friday the 13th and the ice is GONE!
Early morning and the "Strawberry Island ice pack" has drifted over to VBL
At noon the winds pick up and the ice is on the move
By 1 p.m. it's all over......ice is "out"
28 People submitted guesses to the Eagle Lake Ice Out contest……..who won??
Yes, 28 people picked dates ranging from March 24th to May 10th. Amazingly very few dates were duplicated. Many were close……..Dean Spychalski, April 12th…..ohh so very close……Joe “the professor” Moskal, April 14th….damn, what a kick in the balls….a second vote for April 14th by Peggy Schultz….damn, another kick in the theoretical balls! If only the wind had piped up a few days back then Mark M. (Mr. Bamboo Room) might have won big on April 11, but like I said earlier…….NO BANANA MARK! No banana for Keith Mitchell (April 11) either…..but perhaps a nice VBL signature cocktail this spring (rye whiskey, diet ginger ale, and a squeeze and wedge of lemon).
O.K. Gord, who is the winner of the Eagle Lake Ice Out Contest………
….the winner of the 2012 ice out contest is….
The "Blue Man"........
Yes, folks….as amazing as it may seem, nobody picked April 13th (I did ask for submissions on my update #9). Therefor, in view of this, I have awarded the first prize to Mr. Mucho Caliente……….a fabulous VBL shaved beaver skin Speedo. Wear it in good health my friend, my amigo!
Thank you for your participation in the Eagle Lake Ice Out contest of 2012. Stay tuned for the 2013 version in 12 months.
by Gord on April 12, 2012
The Eagle Lake Ice Out…”Will it ever end?”
Ice pack between Mitchell's and Strawberry Islands
It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that yet another day has past, and yet, off in the distance (the black line north of Strawberry Island), a hold-out ice flow has taken permanent residence. After two days of calm winds, the Eagle Lake Ice Out is really dragging it’s butt!
What you can’t see from this vantage point is the remnant of ice that has drifted to the Johnson Point section of the lake. Now, as the contest is not over until it’s over, there is still the open invitation to take a wild stab at the ice out date…..assuming you haven’t already done so. Make yourself known soon!
Eagle Lake Ice Out fly by celebration…….
Sparing no expense, a fly by from one of Ontario’s water bomber fleet was the least I could do to celebrate the upcoming winner of the Eagle Lake Ice Out contest….
- Water bomber on an Eagle Lake approach
For a better view of a water bomber picking up and dropping water over Vermilion Bay Lodge check out this video link.
The Eagle Lake Ice Out continues………….
