The biggest Lake Trout (La Truite Grise) of the 2014 Trip

My Dad caught this 8 lb Laker on the west side of Stern's Island

Sunday on the Big Water

At the big water we trolled for Lake Trout all day

It was pretty slow but with the occasional fish and satellite radio it makes it pretty relaxing

Never seen so many boats in one place on the Cabonga

This guys was pretty rude by trolling near us the whole time

Can you get any closer?

Funny thing happening here.  There are clouds all around the this body of water but not over it.  I wonder if it has something to do with the sun reflecting off the water creates some sort of warm air inversion which keeps the clouds away?

I had a few hits and eventually caught a laker but my father caught this 8 pounder

Kind of ironic but I camped on that island 32 years ago with the YMCA on my first visit to the Cabonga. Who would have known that I would continue coming up for so many years afterwards?

Motoring home

Trolling

Feet Wet!

Got in the water around 11 AM and headed up 3 Mile Bay

Then over to 5 Mile Bay where I lost a nice Walleye at the boat

Then we headed over to 7 Mile Bay

And all we caught were little Walleyes

After fishing, tied up the boat and had dinner

Walked around the camp.
Our cabin is on that peninsula! 

Cabonga Reservoir Surface Level Graph

I emailed the The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board and asked for the historical water levels of the Cabonga Reservoir and they were kind enough to send me the last five years worth of data!  You can see a definite pattern here:  they drop the reservoir in the fall in anticipation for a lot of run snow melt from winter and then start letting it out in late June to meet the power consumption demands of Ottawa as it gets hotter and hotter in the Summer. 

I remember coming up to Deer Horn in 2010 when the water was really, really low and continually dropping throughout the week.  That was the trip when we were coming into Sterns Channel when we hit a big rock with motor at 20 mph that chipped our prop and broke the skeg!  That was scary!

Water was down so far that all the boats had to be tied up on the other side of the camp!

But look at how high it is on our 2014 trip!

The Drive to Deer Horn Lodge, Day 2 - Getting there!

Crossing into the Parc du La Verendrye

Turn off at 379 KM on Trans Canadian Highway 117

25 MPH on the Rock Road?

UFB!

Smooth as butter, with a little gravel mixed in!

Holy High Water!

I haven't seen the Cabonga this high in years!

Time to celebrate!

The Drive to Deerhorn Lodge, Day 1

Our 2014 Trip to Deer Horn Lodge started with an earlier than normal departure at 8:45 am from my house in Newtown, CT.  

Besides a NY Thruway top off and a bathroom break in the Adirondaks the first major stop before crossing into Canada is at Buck's Plaza just outside of Plattsburg to get gas for the boat.  It's around $240 to fill the boat and the extra gas cans.

We were making great time, that is until we hit the border.  We have never had to wait so long at the border to Canada before.  It was incredible.  I think they were looking for terrorists or something because when I told the Control Agent where we were going and why, he asked for the type of fish and I said Walleye and Lake Trout.  That's when he asked if we were fly fishing, which is a stupid question, you don't fly fish for Lakers, you down rig for them.  Told him no and he let us go.

After the buzz kill at the border it go worse when we hit Montreal Traffic.  If you can avoid it, do not get caught in Montreal Traffic.  It was like 2 million people all trying to get out of the city on Friday afternoon at the same time.  It took us two hours to get through Montreal and looking on the map, there is no way to get around without having to go way out of your way.

We got up to Mont Tremblant around 6 PM, when we should have been at Mont Laurier at 5:30 PM!

Many, many years ago I went skiing here but it was so cold it was barely enjoyable.

We got to Mont Laurier around 8 PM as the sun was starting to set

This sign was at the gas station where we were topping off.

I guess it means please respect us by not pissing or letting or dog crap here.

The Mont Laurier Tim Hortons Donut Shop is still there!

Been passing this place for 30 years

At the Quality Inn, seeing this sign made me miss my bike

but knowing that it's black fly season quickly changed my mind

Still, sometime I want to ride the Le Petit Train du Nord

Of course, these two guys I really missed already.

We Facetimed!

Father's Day Fishing on Lilly

I took the boys out to Lake Lillilonah late Saturday afternoon because Sunday there would be no time to go fishing.  I can barely get a line in the water and someone hooks up!  Elliot got the first fish, a little sunny.

Or course, since he got the first fish he is all cocky now.  

Not a minute goes by and Brodie is pulling a nice perch out, too!

Then Elliot gets a nice sized Smallmouth Bass!

Elliot thought he had the Loch Ness Monster on this one but it turned out to be a snag.  I ended up having to break the line.  Then they were done.

Always time for a little tomfoolery on the way back

A nice sunset for the run back to the ramp.

Awesome day!