The real ice pilots

We are trying.  May 15 we have open water on Agimak Lake.  Unfortunately, the little ice left on the lake drifted (blew) into our break wall last night.  We are ice bound.  In anticipation of walleye opener this Saturday, we spent the morning breaking ice with the boat and finally got come airplanes moving.  In the video, Randy is taking our Beaver out for a test flight.  It is slow going through the ice to open water. 

We have lots of work to do moving motors, gas, propane and getting cabins ready.  After all our efforts in getting airborne, we found all our lakes still frozen.  We will continue our annual training and as soon as we can get into the lakes, it will be pedal to the metal getting things ready. 

Tourism Facilitation Action Plan

I recently received a note highlighting the initiative at the Canadian border to help those who may be denied entry to Canada due to minor criminality. Here are some high lights from our local Member of Parliament MP Greg Rickford's office on the Tourism Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP).

“This initiative was introduced last season in an attempt to reduce the amount of visitors deemed inadmissible as a result of only one minor conviction. The idea was to grant a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) with a waiver of the fee, and at the same time educate those customers that did take advantage of the process, on what is required to complete the rehabilitation process should they qualify.

… Visitors to Canada that have not already taken advantage of the TRP waiver fee, may do so this year, should they qualify.

The phone # for the Fort Frances office is (807) 274-5281 and your guests may call there with questions if this is the crossing they will be using. They should call during regular business hours, and well in advance of their anticipated crossing date.”

As well, if you have concerns about admissibility or procedures, you can contact our Tourist Association.  NOTO  Ask for Laurie. 

Running it up

On Monday, Randy stopped by.  Probably trying to get rid of a little cabin fever.  It has been a long winter.  So in anticipation of open water, we ran up the Otter.  We have to do the ground run after winter maintenance to do the last minute tweaking and to ensure the the gremlins have found a new home. 

Getting ready

It won’t be long…

Happy 80th!

Many of our guests know him as Bud.  I’ve been calling him Dad since I could talk.  Today the master fisherman turns 80.  Happy Birthday Dad! 

And yes he has his Ignace Outposts fishing trip booked for this summer.  He says 80 is not too old for a fly-in adventure however, he is thinking twice about making a May date to supplement his July date. 

A Bad Day of Fishing?

Besides running our own fly in business Ignace Outposts we operate Ignace Airways as a charter air service.  This means we also fly for others.  One group of avid anglers from Wisconsin have a club which has several of their own cabins.  One of these cabins is on Bell Lake.

The last fishing party we usually fly at the end of the season goes to Bell Lake for the fall Lake trout fishing.  Lake trout season ends on Sept 30 so these guys end up with a mixed bag of weather.  Jim, one of the hardy fall anglers has posted a short video of his trip from a few years ago.  Here is is.  Fall trout at Bell Lake

We also have some great fall lake trout fishing on Irene Lake and Gamble Lake.  Seseganaga Lake is no slouch either. 

13 days til opener.  See you this summer eh.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year on April 4, we posted a slideshow of the ice going out.  May 4/2012   Last year it was open water more than a month early.  It looks like this year we have a few weeks to go.  What me worry?

Opener is May 18.  Our first guests arrive on May 17. 

Let me do some calculations… May 1 lots of ice.  May 17 fishermen arriving.  Two weeks to melt a winter’s worth of ice.   The temps better start rising or Karen won’t have access to her hairdryer for a while and I am going to have one heck of an electric bill. 

Un-natural environment

This bird is all dressed up and has no place to go.  In early May, the Beaver and his airplane friends start getting a little anxious to begin flying anglers into our remote lakes for a little fishing vacation.  It is a working aircraft and it wants to work. 

Today it sits with the snow banks but in a few weeks it will be in its natural environment soaring above the wilderness doing what it does best.

April 20/2013

This morning we took the dog out for a walk.  This was our thermometer reading!

I really think someone needs to rethink this global warming thing.  My suggestion: we stop fighting it and try to sign up for some more.