June 28, 2007
Dateline: Grassy Narrows Lodge, Morson, Ontario
Story Line: The Last Day
It was your typical morning at Grassy Narrows Lodge (GNL), the guides and dock hands were bustling about arranging fishing gear, filling minnow buckets, and gassing up. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget they were checking props and making sure all boats were equipped with paddles, nets and gloves.
It would be a long ride out to the western islands of Lake of the Woods. A big breakfast was in order, Bob was perched in his customary seat and AJ ordered up the rice krispies. Lucas had five creams, seven scoops of sugar and two fingers of freshly brewed java. Jimmy had a copycat of Johnny B’s order of two over easy, bacon and toast. David was inhaling two scrambled with french toast. Lastly, Alicia delivered a double order of french toast to her new fifteen year-old friend Ryan.
As we all left the table, we commented on how much we were missing our good friend Scott who set up this outstanding trip but was laid up with a serious ankle injury.
It was a beautiful morning with an abundance of sunshine on tap for the day. Bob was already lathering up with number 45 sunscreen, turning down an order of 48 from Johnny B. Ryan was quickly changing into his shorts to assure he would be nice and cool. We had a new guide join the crew for the long journey ahead. Oliver, Al and Glenn were to lead the charge as we bid good day to Betty and Jerry. As we shoved away from the dock we left just one request…. “One case of Blue on ice when we return”.
The last day of our trip became memorable very quickly as Bob and David landed three walleye within ten minutes and that would be a perfect complement to the shore lunch. Jimmy was once again netting fish as AJ, Lucas and Al were hauling in ten walleye. Jimmy needed no assistance tossing back another couple perch. Johnny B and Ryan were losing lures and cutting line just as fast as Oliver was tossing fish into the boat, eh. Ryan, disinterested after his late night of fun and games, finally retired and took a seat waiting for the much anticipated shore lunch.
As high noon was approaching, all boats were speeding toward North Island to feast on the fresh catch of the day. As the boats were nearing the landing zone it was apparent Bob was in much pain. Turns out he picked up some allergic reaction and he could barely keep his eyes open. This development would lead to some eventful change in plans.
The fish and sizzling bacon cast off that distinctive aroma. All fishermen quickly lined up behind Johnny B for the feast and much to the chagrin of the circling pelicans a few of us went back to the trough for second helpings. You would have thought it would be the last meal for them, eh.
As we cleaned up the surrounding area, we made a plan that would result in Bob returning to the lodge and Glenn would then take David and AJ fishing in the Grassy Narrows vicinity after the 40 minute return trip. Bob spent the afternoon catching up on the sleep he didn’t get the four previous nights.
Jimmy decided he would fish with Ryan and have a bass contest as they ventured with Oliver out to Firebag Island. Ryan kept his cool and was patient as he limited his lost lures and bagged several bass nosing out Jimmy with a late rally with a count of 10 to 9.
Meanwhile, Lucas was stuck with Johnny B and would have the guiding services of the most patient and ingenious Al. Lucas and Johnny B worked three or four areas around North Island and Rubber Island with minimal success. It was excruciatingly slow and the action was tedious at best. Johnny B and Lucas had gone nearly 90 minutes without a single strike. The patience these two men showed was nothing short of miraculous. They thought Al was in a trance as he stared aimlessly into the mid-afternoon sun with the occasional swat of an annoying passing black fly.
Both Johnny B and Lucas were fishing a #3 black and gold Mepps ---- courtesy of Jimmy. And, both were using rods provided by GNL after some mishaps earlier in the week rendered their equipment as mere tomato stakes. Lucas had the vision of a cat on the prowl thanks to Ryan’s sunglasses. As the afternoon temperatures rose, Lucas and Johnny B could only wonder where all the bass had gone?
Suddenly, in an area that did not present itself as “fishy”, the unexpected occurred. Was it just a submerged log rolling by uprooted by the high winds earlier that week? Oh no, the underwater behemoth started to rumble in the opposite direction. The hook was firmly secured. Would the eight pound test mono and house rod be up for the fight that was about to unfold?
As the beast moved away from the boat, drag was whirring and our vessel was just tagging along for the ride. Lucas, with one hand on the borrowed rod, passed his camera over to Johnny B to get proof of the fast approaching battle. This fish was a real mover and shaker trying to make the struggle even more difficult for Lucas.
Johnny B was barking instructions to keep calm and be patient, eh. Al only said, “ ooooh big fish and that’s a fifty, eh.” In the midst of Lucas’ focus and calm, chaos was all around him as Johnny B and Al cleared the deck moving all the clutter out of the way as the twenty minute fight was nearing an end.
Al was trembling as he grabbed the net already wearing his steel lined reinforced gloves. Lucas forced the defeated goliath toward the boat and with a mighty swipe of the net Al secured the prized muskie and it crashed to the deck barely fitting between the walls of our trusty vessel.
Measuring Mr. Muskie quickly at 52 inches and weighing nearly 39 pounds a few final photos were taken to capture this memory for prosperity and Uncle Scott, eh. Al and Lucas then gently revived the fish and returned this admirable foe to his watery sanctuary to provide another memory and more stories at a later date. Just think some twenty five years earlier Uncle Scott had returned a smaller muskie to this lake. One wonders if there is any sort of connection, eh?
As the massive muskie lunged back to the depths, Al looked up at us and only said, “Well now we know why there were no fish here, eh.”
Al, Johnny B and Lucas were now on the top of the world. A few more obligatory casts and customary snags along with sure handed/footed retrievals by Al, and the crew were headed back to the lodge to await the return of their fellow cabin mates. As we approached the dock Betty was there to greet us and assure us the case of Blue had been delivered. The remaining two boats came roaring into camp. There were high fives all around and a glorious hug from father to son as Jimmy met up with Lucas.
This was the first trip Lucas has made to Lake of the Woods and GNL. I have a funny feeling there will be a few more in the years to come, eh.
John Burns