Au revoir Deer Horn Lodge, À la prochaine!

Once again this year's trip is at a close.

Hopefully we will be back next year with the boat all fixed and with knowledge we acquired with one day with the guide we'll be better at fishing for Lakers!

La Fin du Monde

We headed down to Burns Bay figuring it was about the max distance we could handle if we had to come back on the kicker

Fishing for Lakers at the Big Water with Andre

Desperate to catch a Lake Trout on this trip and knowing our current situation with our boat meant there was no way we were going to risk trying to go to the Big Water, we hired a guide today. 

Back to Waskega

Even with the main motor's unreliability we were still able to run back to the Waseka Channel

Consolation Prize

 

There was an outstanding sunset this evening.

Not again?

A fine misty and overcast morning - perfect for fishing!

Drove to Maniwaki to get the boat fixed

 

The next day we pulled the boat out of the water and drove to the Mercury Dealer in Maniwaki. 

Finally on the Cabonga Reservoir after a two year absence

 

On arrival day we headed over to Iroquois point.

Driving to Deer Horn Lodge

Not much appears to have changed since the last time we were up here two years ago.

We have a new fishing Buddy!

My sister left her dog Holly with my Dad while she and her family went overseas this summer so Dad brought Holly with us to Canada.

Trailer Fail

 

Four weeks before we were supposed to leave for Quebec I was taking the boat out for a test ride when the trailer started making this awful noise.  I brought the boat back to my house and my dad had someone come over to look at it.  It took two weeks to the parts and finally fix the trailer. We took the boat out for a quick test spin and all systems were go!

Second Trip to Lake Champlain during COVID

We paid another visit to Lake Champlain and went a little earlier this year, which was probably a mistake because it was a lot windier and there were a few days where we didn't even go out.

Last day on Lake Champlain

 

Headed back down to Valcourt Island with some nice weather and caught some equally nice fish. Caught this 3 pounder in the morning.

Finally Lake Trout

 

When we got back to the cabin the day before we the owner asked us how we did and we told him we got skunked again. He called his son-in-law to have him ask his father, who is an avid fisherman, for suggestions that we might try. He got back to us and told us to fish south of Plattsburg Bay and along Valcourt Island. We did just that and dad finally ended his lake trout drought of two years!

Skunked at Cumberland Head

We trolled with downriggers around Cumberland Head and got skunked again

 

Blown off the lake

 

We headed over to the Vermont side to fish the Gut because I had read this is a good place for Walleye. We still got skunked, though.

A new lake and no clue where to fish

 

Waking up this morning and looking out the window there were clouds off the to east.

As we were getting ready to leave it started to rain

2020 Lake Champlain

 

COVID happened! It was touch and go at first on whether or not we were going to be able to get into Canada this year to go fishing but by the time our date for Deer Horn Lodge came up it wasn't happening so we decided to try Lake Champlain this year.

Au Revoir Deer Horn Lodge!

Sunrise at Deer Horn Lodge

The Moose is on the loose, last day on the Cabonga

Last day of the trip and since we had done so poorly this time around we didn't go far as our hearts weren't into it.  However, we did a learn a few things.  Northern Quebec had a really cold winter this past year and there was a lot of snow and the Cabonga water temperatures was a lot colder than what we have seen in the past around this same time.  We should have been fishing shallower water for Walleyes and we need to get flashers for Lake Trout.  

Seagull Snack!