Electric Beaver

Spring Fishing & Flying to Clearwater Lake

Gord — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:07:54 +0000

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

Flying in the Beaver

Good luck everyone on opening day, and during the spring fishing season.

A special treat for the Perchmaster and Bamboo Mark

Andy — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:12:06 +0000

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.

My CELEBRATION of Vermilion Bay Lodge’s 20 th Anniversary!

charles W. Weiss — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:34:00 +0000

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!

Slow Death

Andy — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:28:05 +0000

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!

Water Bomber Targets Gull Rock!

Gord — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:55:25 +0000

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.

Check out this video link!

What happens when you get buzzed by a water bomber?

Early Spring Fishing on Eagle Lake

Gord — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:24:02 +0000

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!

Eagle Lake Ice Out: Update #10

Gord — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:14:47 +0000

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.

Eagle Lake Ice Out: Update #9

Gord — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:36:19 +0000

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………….

New Vermilion Bay Lodge Hats for 2012!

Andy — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:41:02 +0000

Shawn recently broke in his new Tilley hat on a recent trip over to the big pond with the professors. He wanted to fit in with the rest of the crew at VBL.

Shawn showing off his new Tilley and Laker

When the fishing slowed, he started reading the Tilley literature and was amazed to learn that the hat comes with a lifetime warranty. The Professor explained that he recently got a replacement Tilley hat because some of the stitching had burst due to his swelled head from a few too many nice fish. Shawn began to think, and that can be a dangerous thing. “My VBL cap is getting a little soiled. I wonder if Gord has a lifetime warranty on his hats?”

This VBL hat has seen better days

It was a brief conversation with Gord on the phone. I believe he said, “no”.

But, this did get Gord thinking about new hats for 2012 that would hold up a little better than the old ones. At first he was rather secretive about the new hats .

The top secret 2012 VBL hats have arrived!

While I told him to try to get a custom Tilley with a VBL logo, Gord went the cheap route, but they do now come with a lifetime warranty.

Eagle Lake Ice Out: Update #8

Gord — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:17:38 +0000

“Bamboo” Mark M. from Green Bay, Wi…close but no banana!

Eagle Lake Ice Out delay also strips Keith Mitchell a chance to take theoretical second place (there is no second place).

Ice pack as seen from near the scenic lookout

View of clinging ice.....Strawberry Island is to the left

Yes, like a piece of toilet paper stuck to your shoe, the ice is hard to shake…

….and NO, the first place prize is not a banana. Things are looking pretty sketchy in terms of “ice longevity”. I’m sensing a winner any day now……..

The Eagle Lake Ice Out is almost over…