A long way to a nearby fish

Dean Setser behind our outposts on Irene Lake with a 18 inch smallie
You can see our dock and cabin over his left shoulder



James Setser within a stone's throw of our cabin on Irene lake

Dean and James Setser drive over 30 hours from Arkansas to fish smallies on Irene Lake. I picked them up this morning and they reported countless small mouth bass over 17 and 18 inches with some in the 20 inch range. Dean actually figures a trip longer than a week would be too hard on his arms.
It seems funny that after a drive from Arkansas, they would fish in sight of the camp.

Some vacations last a life time

You've tried the rest...



Now try the best













The smiles that come with catching and releasing a trophy fish at Ignace Outposts can make the whole trip.


There are always alternatives ... but nothing else compares

Another Saturday... More Rain

We woke today again to rain. It must be a weekend. This has been one of the wettest seasons I've seen in this area. We were tempted to check the atlas to see if we had been moved to the West Coast.

Travel tips to Ignace

Access to Ignace Outposts’ base is quite simple. We are located just off the Trans-Canada Hwy in the town of Ignace, Ontario. Aside of a shortcut or hwy construction, your travel will be on paved road right to our driveway. If by chance you are delayed on route, please contact us by phone to let us know your new estimated time of arrival. It certainly helps in our planning to know when you plan to arrive. It is advisable that you contact us a few days before your departure from home to advise us of your arrival date and time and to ensure there are no surprises ahead. I hate to say it, but we’ve had guests show up on wrong dates simply because of travel plan mix-ups.

For most American visitors arriving by vehicle, the two most convenient border crossings are Pigeon River near Thunder Bay and Fort Frances/International Falls. From Duluth, Minn, it is a 6 hour drive to Ignace either way.

A few considerations if you are traveling from the USA.

IT IS THE LAW IN ONTARIO TO WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS.

RADAR DETECTORS ARE ILLEGAL

CELL PHONES DO NOT ALWAYS WORK IN OUR AREA - You leave coverage near Thunder Bay or Fort Frances. There is a small area of coverage near Dryden and Ignace.

June 26/2007

It was one year ago today that "The Storm" hit Ignace. Straight line winds which topped 140 km per hour (almost 90 mph) ripped through our town. Our base was hit hard with two aircraft damaged. The Outpost at Irene Lake on the point also suffered from downed trees.

These are some pictures of that storm.



The storm's approach



The Otter being lifted form the water







The scene at Irene Lake after the storm




Irene Lake after some clean up





We went in to the camp in the winter to burn the tops.




Even tho' most of the mess is cleaned up, We still have much to do and will be working on the yard for some time yet.

Metionga Success

Metionga Lake is well known for walleye and northern. The rapids at Metionga Lake is one of the best overall places on the lake for walleye and northern. Dave Trcka and his wife, long time guests and friends, return to Metionga Lake year after year. As usual they catch and release more nice fish than they can count.

At the base of the rapids in site of the cabins, Dave and Dee spend quality time teaching each other the finer points of good angling skills.




Dave with a 26 inch walleye



Dave with a 39 inch northern


I am not sure why Dave lets Dee take all the pictures. I know she is more photogenic than he is.

Burnt Almond Encrusted Lake Trout

One of the best parts of fishing is eating your catch. Hunting and gathering quickly translates to cooking and eating. Last week I managed a couple of trout in the creel while doing camp checks. See Wed June 18. Actually, Al caught the fish while I performed admirably as guide and boat operator.

We agreed to postpone the eating until Karen was back from Vancouver when we could share our bounty with our wives and show off a bit of our expertise. Al reminded me that he had completed his expertise in the harvesting of trout so it was my expertise on the line in the cooking.

I like to experiment. I saw a recipe for some pumpkin seed encrusted rainbow trout and I adapted it to a “Burnt Almond Encrusted Lake Trout. Needless to say my expertise is still in tact.

Fine Fishing

Three fine northern Pike caught and released by Rich Hansen and his sons on Seseganaga Lake.







Without a doubt, fishing is the primary reason our guests return to Ignace Outposts year after year. Walleye, northern, lake trout and smallies are the prime targets. So far, Seseganaga Lake has kicked out the biggest northerns.

The walleye factory Metionga has not disappointed either.



We've had many nice fish and satisfied guests at Irene Lake, Flindt Lake and Hilltop Lake as well but since I don't get much opportunity to fish myself, I must wait for pictures to arrive of fish caught on these lakes. When they come, I'll post them.
If you've been up this summer and have any "great" shots, fire them up and I'll post the pictures.

Marcel, our Beaver pilot, just returned from Metionga Lake where he reported that between loading and unloading the airplane he took three casts off the dock and caught 3 walleye. Maybe I'll have to market that as an economy trip. No boat and motor, just fish.

Norway to Antarctica

Quite often I am asked about our aircraft. How old are they? What kind are they? etc., etc.

Both our Otter and our Beaver are Canadian made De Havilland aircraft. The Beavers where first made in the late 40's. The Beaver and Otter were designed for bush flying and in my opinion, are irreplaceable in that role.

Our Otter C-FAPR was made in Canada, delivered to the Norwegian Military and served a short time on "Operation Penguin" in Antarctica. Randy has often wondered about the eggs that sometimes roll out from under the seats.

Our Beaver C-GZBR was first delivered to the United States Military and spent a few years suntanning in the Arizona Desert. It even went to school! It has only been on floats in Canada since 1980.

Here is a link to a site, you may find interesting, which has a little of the history of our Otter and Beaver.

Bushplanes in Northwest Ontario.

There is also a little blurb on this site about the old Beech 18 in the town plaza. Some old time guests will remember that we used to operate a twin Beech here in the late 80's.

Give a man a fish...

Seseganaga Lake Walleye

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for the weekend!”

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Unless he doesn't like sushi, then you also have to teach him to cook.”

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to sell fish and he eats steak.”

the Liberal version:
"Give a person a fish, you feed him/her for a day. Teach a person to fish, and run the risk of overfishing, contravening EU fishing policy, reducing the biodiversity of the world's oceans and risk an ACLU lawsuit for depriving him/her of an entitlement." "All we are saying, give fish a chance."

“Give a man a fish and he'll have dinner. Teach a man to fish and he won't be home for dinner.”

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll likely begin coming to Ignace Outposts on a regular basis for the experience of a lifetime.”

More Seseganaga Tails (Tales)

Rose Schulte on her first trip to Seseganga with her husband Ted and two other couples shows off a nice walleye. She also lays claim to the biggest walleye (28 inches) of the group during this trip.




Not to be out done, Ted poses with an eater of his own.


Dave Mooney caught and released a large northern on the same trip. Being a first time fisherman with us Dave was a little unaware of requirement to have a picture as proof of his expertise. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I have neither the time nor the inclination to write the thousand or so words needed to accurately represent his fish. He did however describe the fish to me and below is an artist’s best rendition of his trophy as he described it.

It is interesting that as much as we are troubled over the colder than normal weather, the Schulte crew from “Hotlanta” Georgia were so enthralled with our cooler weather that they wanted to bottle some and take it home. I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

High Water

Our dock at Irene Lake is almost all under water. Normally this dock is a good 2 feet out of the water.

More Seseganaga Northern

Bruce Fritzsche



Mark Fritzsche


Brothers Mark and Bruce Frtizsche managed rather nice northerns while on Seseganaga last week. One fish was 47 inches and the other was 46. I don't believe it is my place to tell which is which. There is no doubt that Seseganaga produces some great angling opportunities.

Walleye fishing has not been the greatest any any lake so far. Lots to eat and a few monsters, but just not the slam-bam action normal for June. On Hilltop Lake the walleye catching has been in 26 to 29 feet of water and on Flindt Lake in 4 to 6 feet... go figure. At least I'm getting a lot of new spots to mark up on the maps. There is no consistency yet, but once the fish are located the catching is fantastic. I expect a real turn on of walleye as temperatures begin to hit seasonal norms... soon... I hope.




Yesterday, I got out for a camps checks and had a little extra time so I managed to get a line wet in Gamble Lake. One of my suppliers, Al came along for the ride and we (meaning Al) landed 3 nice trout with several more hits and follows. Not bad for a couple of hours drifting around the lake.

Our guests at our Irene Lake beach camp reported catching a lake trout off the dock two days ago. This is off the dock behind the cabin in the little bay. Normally we catch bass there but not lake trout in mid June. Reports from the lakes are that the small mouth bass are just beginning their pre-spawn action. This is a little late but water temps are just nearing the high 50's. I recorded 58 to 59 degrees surface temps on Gamble lake yesterday. The bass will be awesome these next few weeks.

With Karen in Vancouver visiting the grandkids, she commissioned me with one very important job - keep the tomato plants alive. In mid June this should be a no brainer. But last night was only one degree above freezing so I hope they are OK. Randy lost his tomatoes last night due to frost. That is the third time this year he has had to replace his tomatoes.

Seseganaga Slam

Seseganaga Lake is and has been one of our best producing lakes. Over the years, our repeat list of guests grows continually. Once you are "hooked" on Seseganaga, it is hard to get away to another lake. Bill Heston and his dad as well as the rest of their group of 7 to 8 have been regularly coming to Seseganaga for about 18 years. There is a good reason for that.

Fishing isn't always about catching the biggest or the most. Fishing a variety and challenging your skill and luck against the elements, your group and seasonal variations makes this a sport that you can develop for years. This is not a sport you can enjoy in front of a computer or TV. Wii doesn't even come close to the real thing.


A note from Bill Heston. A Seseganaga Slam in his own words.

Brad, Karen, & Crew,

Thanks for another great trip. Here are some pictures of my Seseganaga Slam last Tuesday.

We rolled up on a spot and I got the 25" Walleye on the first cast. Caught the 27" Northern about an hour later, then followed up with the 26" Walleye right before lunch. Decided to try for the laker later in the day, but forgot my laker rod, so with the combination of the wind and bumping the motor, I got a little walleye spinner down to 35' and up comes the 28"
laker. What a day!

At least it wasn't a hammer handle Northern to complete the slam. I threw in the 35" Northern, caught in a torrential downpour on Thursday, for effect.

Even though it was windy, rainy and cold we were all still able to catch several good sized fish. I caught at least 10 20"+ walleye.

It may take me until Monday a work to thaw out.

Regards,

Bill Heston





38 inch Northern



27 inch northern



28 inch Laker




26 inch walleye

Happy Father's Day

The Rorabeck Group ready for departure home

Father's day is a special time for dad's and kids. This weekend we saw several groups of fathers and sons. Today on Father's Day, the Rorabeck group finished a week at Metionga Lake. What an experience for these kids to spend quality time with their dads. This group started as a "guys" trip but evolved into a group of 20 fathers and sons with one father/daughter in the mix. (When we took the photo 4 had already left Ignace for the ride back to Wisc.) Ignace Outposts is one of the few fly in outpost operators which can accommodate groups as large as twenty in an outpost setting. Both kids and adults relayed stories of big fish, laughter and great fun at the lake. Memories that will last a life time were made this weekend. We will have more pictures and notes about this trip later.

If you want to do something special for your dad or for your kids - spend time with them. It is the one commodity that is free but is worth more than gold. The true measure of the value of time is how you spend it.
There will come a day when you will not wish that you had spent more time in the office or making another buck but instead you will value the time you spent with your dad or kids.

I can't count the number of times guys have told me, "Oh I can't go then, it's father's day" Why not bring the kids and make it father's week?




Cal Rorabeck and his dad (and illustrious guide) Dave on Metionga Lake

Karen is heading to Vancouver this week to see our new grandson. A week in June away from Ignace is not something we can do easy - we must make hay when the sun shines - but there things more important than work.

Happy Father's Day Dad; I know you are reading this.

The Trout are hitting on Seseganaga Lake

Bill Heston with a 28 inch Laker. None of these in Arizona!




Bill Hansen with a 31 inch trout. Quite the battle on light walleye tackle.


This week the northerns, walleyes and trout all fished well on Seseganaga in spite of the weather. The trout are being caught mostly by accident by guys jigging for walleye. Latching onto one of the fighters while in shallow water expecting an eater walleye, will make your day.

Seseganaga Lake Monster

It is hard to believe it is already mid June. The Hansen party from Wisc. just spent a cold, wet week on Seseganaga Lake. They flew out today with tales of monster fish. Rather than me write a few thousand words describing their adventure, here is the proof:



This northern measured out at 48 and 1/2 and 3/4 and a little bit. Eric Hansen live released the fish to fight another day.




As I often tell our guests, the fish don't care if it is raining. They kind of like the water. Often the best fishing is when the fishermen don't care to be out. If you make the effort on a lake like Seseganaga Lake, the payout is fantastic!
This was a "father and three sons" trip that will be hard to beat... until next year eh guys!

Crispy Potato Walleye

This is a simple walleye recipe from a guest which makes a nice change from a heavier beer batter:

Of course a chef such as myself would never be caught dead with a measuring spoon so use the following measurments as a guideline.

Crispy-Potato Walleye

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
lemon cut into wedges
walleye or pike fillets
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
1/3 cup vegetable oil or lard

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs.

Dip both sides of fillets in flour mixture
Dip fillets in eggs
Then coat with potato flakes.

In a large skillet, fry fillets in oil at med high temp on each side until a fork easily pushes through the fish and coating is crispy. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Serve with baked beans, salad and corn.

A little tartar sauce, lemon or maple ginger sauce goes well with the fish.

There are no stupid questions... just stupid answers.

A father and son went fishing one day. While they were out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, "How does this boat float?

The father replied, "I don't really know son." A little later, the boy looked at his father and asked, "How do fish breath underwater?"

Once again the father replied, "I don't really know son." A little later the boy asked his father, "Why is the sky blue?"

Again, the father replied. "I don't rightly know son." Finally, the boy asked his father, "Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?"

The father replied, "Of course not, if you don't ask questions, you never learn anything'."

Great Opportunity!

We just got a cancellation for the last week of July on Flindt Lake starting July 25. We normally are sold out this time of year. Now is your chance to visit us here in beautiful Northwestern, ON.

If you are looking for your first experience at a fly-in fishing outpost, or you just want to try a great walleye/northern lake, give us at Ignace Outposts a call at 807-934-2273.

Darryl Choronezy, host of Going Fishing TV reported on his website A

“Here’s a hot tip for all you fishing fanatics. If you’re looking for some of the finest trolling,jigging or casting for trophy sized walleye, northern pike, lake trout and smallmouth bass get on the phone and give Brad and Karen Greaves a call at Ignace Outposts Ltd. at Ignace, Ontario.

A little over a year ago... I discovered some of the finest fishing for walleye that I've come across in more than 50 years of fishing...

In fact, get ready for the fish you’re chasing to actually wear you out before the fish ever say surrender…

Again, I found Ignace Outposts to be one of the finest fishing paradises that I’ve ever had a chance to bring my fishing gear to.

Don't pass it up!"

Read More:

Map and/or GPS

Today is another miserable rainy, drizzly, foggy day. It is forecast to go to 4 degrees C tonight. This weather will have to break eventually. But I suppose many folks would have nothing to talk about if it wasn't for weather.

Looking out over a foggy lake, I can't help but think about how tough it is to navigate an aircraft in poor visibility. When we fly, we not only have a GPS to assist us, we have maps of the area. One nice thing about maps is the power never fails like it may be prone to do in a GPS. Maps do not require batteries or charging units. Even though we fly over the same area daily, we do not rely on a GPS. For some reason however, many of our guests rely exclusively on their GPS to navigate a remote lake and sometimes end up pondering a night under a 14 foot boat when the power goes off.

Here is a hint about navigating a remote lake. Firstly, have a map and use a map. We will provide a map for each boat before you venture into the camp. A GPS is a great father's day gift and there is no problem owning one or using one, but they are not fool proof.

There is a phenomenon, which I refer to as “Daniel Boone syndrome”, which requires fishermen who have just flown into a remote lake to want to go the furthest end of that lake as soon as they can. When this urge hits, check the map and know where you are on the map. It does help to know which way is North and a compass certainly makes finding North rather easy. No need to wait til dark to find the North Star. Darkness opens a whole new can of worms in regards to navigation. Do not go all the way to the far end of the lake until you are sure you can find your way back to the cabin. It is kind of like finding your way around a large city. At first everything looks the same. I feel this way in Chicago, but after a while I am able to venture further and further from the security of my hotel.

I get many requests for maps. I have maps of our lakes available on my web site. If you might be looking for a map of some other area, I can't help you much. There is a site I came a cross which has free maps for North America however.

Touratel is a great site for checking out a lake or area. Check it out.

"With a little help from our friends..."

Our yard filled up quickly with trailers and trucks. Our thanks to our guests who all understood the weather is out of our control.

Friday and Saturday combined to be two of the worst days weather wise we've seen here in a long time. Not only was this our busiest weekend of the year, Friday brought torrential rains, fog and high winds that grounded us after 1 and 1/2 trips north. The Otter could not make Metionga and turned back at Sowden... again. Saturday was a no fly day due to high winds. I was thinking it was deja vu all over again from last weekend.

Randy did make it back and stayed put for the rest of the day. The Beaver stayed at Metionga over night. Friday night the wind blew and blew. On Sat morning it continued to blow at a gale force - enough that we felt it was unsafe to fly. On Sat morning hoping for good weather Karen and I were in the office at 5 AM to meet guests. Our aircraft did not move until about 5 PM when the winds subsided. By then we had several Friday folks still waiting as well as all our Sat folks. By the time we flew on Sat we had over 70 people waiting to fly.

In the 4 weekends so far of this season we've fought severe weather elements each weekend.

In over 23 years operating this business I can count on one hand the number of times we've had two days of non-flying weather such as this weekend. Our guests on Irene Lake reported 4 to 5 foot waves rolling down the lake on Saturday. One of our docks was destroyed by the pounding wave action.


The wind pounding the shoreline at Ignace - The brakewall certainly helped break the waves.

Randy, Marcel and Derek flew til dark to move people and gear. We hired our competitor Rusty Meyers to help out. They provided a twin Beech to assist us. It is nice to know that even tho' we are competitors, our small industry is such that we can count on each other to help out when needed.

Karen and I locked up the office at 10:10PM on Saturday after a grueling 17 hour day. I wore a pedometer and without leaving my yard recorded 16,115 steps. That is over 10 miles, up and down the docks and back and forth across the yard with guests.
Our thanks to Rusty Meyers. And our hats are off to our guests who patiently waited both in Ignace and at the camps until flying conditions were safe.


Rust Meyers' Beech - helping us out moving guests - arriving moments before official dark.

The extra help allowed us to catch up by noon on Sunday and get on with Sunday flying.

We are grateful for experienced and skilled pilots who value safety as much as we do. When the decision is made to not fly, there is no grumbling or second guessing. Safety is first and the over 80 safe years of flying experience we have between us, in this area on these aircraft, speaks for itself.

On Friday evening, we were privileged to join a 50th birthday a party for Pete Elftmann, a member of the Rorabeck party, hosted our office.

Happy birthday Pete!