Splake Hunters 2013

(left to right) Dr O, Wrong Way with Jake the Snake, Tight Line and the Brent Giant.

Missing: Fast Eddie, Strider and Stinger who had other pressing commitments, but were with us in the stories we told around the fire.

Thank you all for another memorable adventure into the wilds of Algonquin Park in pursuit of the ever illusive Splake.  Cheers!

Splake Hunter Champion 2013

And the trophy this year goes to the Brent Giant. We would have measured and weighed the Gigantic Laker that won the award, but Dr. O was too quick with the fillet knife.

Time to depart

Yes we packed up wet, but with a little effort we all safely made it back over the beaver dams and out of the Park.

Light Art, by Jake the Snake

Not sure what he called this piece of art, but Jake the snake sure can swing a flash light.

Ghosts

We don't know why, but the fire acted odd on the last night... perhaps it was the lack of blood, but we started seeing strange things like faces in the smoke.

Evening once again

The warm days blended into warm nights, all the while we were constantly assaulted by swarms of blood thirsty insects. I can still hear the buzzing.

Fish Whisperer

Dr. O tries to get some information as to where the other trout are hiding... bush madness takes many forms apparently.

Wrong Way Special

They say everything tastes better in the wild... well, almost every thing.

Trophy Laker

Caught by the Brent Giant near the shore, amongst heavy structure...in the 'Pork Barrel' just as the surface of the water started to dance under a heavy down pour. The little pan fryers were caught by Tight Line.

We maxed out our limit that day.

Some things you just can't unsee...

Sheesh Wrong Way. - that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Eye of the Tiger

Dr. O had his game face on this year, but apparently he has yet to discover a gadget that will catch fish for him.

Hehehe

"Tight Line! What's with the large ripples in the water behind you...?" Here we see Tight Line scrambling back up onto the rock he fell off of...yes, he fell in to the lake! :)

We had plenty of rain...

The best time to fish is when the leaves are the size of 'mouse ears'... well we busted that myth.

Added protein

Frequently the black flies and mosquitos would land on our food... here we see Dr. O waiting for the buzzing in his mouth to stop.

Calm before the Storm

Three spring thunder storms rumbled through the Park. We used the bailing bucket on many occasions. Wrong Way told us that we were about a half hour away from having our boat float away as the end of the boat (the part in the water) filled up and lifted the remainder of the boat off the shore... but that might just be the Irish Cream talking.

Refreshing

The streams leading into the lake were warmed by the flat rocks they flowed over as they meandered over the forest floor.

New territory

We tried our luck on another lake. There we found gorgeous waterfalls, but no trout.

Under Pressure

As the competition entered it's final day, Tight Line broke down when the Brent Giant landed a huge trophy Laker.

Dr O feasting

Don't even attempt it... Dr. O "DOESN'T SHARE FOOOOOOOD!!!"

MMMmmm?

Apart from the black bacon, this meal was inhaled through my mosquito netting really quick.

Yep! We have GEAR!

Our site frequently looked like the aftermath of a category 5 tornado on a MEC store.

Breakfast

Wrong Way served a fine Breakfast this year... the propane was running low so the meals were almost cooked through... yeah!

Dr. O

Dr. O is seen here working on his latest batch of "Bush Coffee". The kettle he uses is 60+ years old and has been handed down through the generations. 

Buzzing clouds of misery

These lovely ladies were waiting for us every morning. They hummed their displeasure at us for making them wait all night for our blood. The lucky couple dozen that made it into the tent were gorged to their complete satisfaction in the morning.

Just so you know... Deet only makes them angry.

Evening in the Park

Here is Tight Line trying his luck near shore. We found that the lake 'turned over' late this year and the biting bugs don't equate into biting fish.

Warm Spring night

The air vibrated with the electric hum of a billion mosquitos, and yet the sunsets were awesome.

Jake the Snake hunts the shallows

Jake the Snake was back with a vengeance this year. He took home the trophy for the most fish caught.

At it again

Tight Line shows why his name is on the trophy in years past... after the Brent Giant's expert netting of this tasty treat, this trout was made into a "delicious" fish cake.

First catch of the trip

We hooked into a few White Fish before the Trout came to dinner.

Nature at it's finest

Spring time in Algonquin Park can be very beautiful... 

Huron Paddle

The Brent Giant brought his magical "Huron Paddle" again - those trout don't stand a chance.

Tight Line is distracted

The trip in was warm and dry. The water level was up a little in the lake and we needed to paddle over 3 beaver dams to get there. Here is Tight Line watching a bird of prey stalk a heron? ...not sure of the types of birds but they were fighting!