The Calandrino Trip

When I met the guys, Gino, Bill, Ryan and Eric, I knew they were excited. As we were getting the permits and fishing licenses, they were peppering me with questions. It was the type of hustle and bustle you would see before a great trip. When we left the shop they followed me over to the cabin on Burntside Lake.

 Bill jumped in my van for the ride and during the drive he told me that he had wanted to come to the boundary waters for a long time and that they really like to fish but the solitude and wilderness experience is what they were all looking forward too. Now that is an attitude I really…really respect. He knows that this is much more than a fishing trip; it is the ultimate outdoor adventure.

Day 1

I was at the cabin by 4:30 am and all the men were ready. We were at Mudro Lake within 20 minutes and on the water by 5:30 am. The travel was pretty good that day; we made it to lower Basswood Falls by 11:30 am and while we were shoving off a UFS ranger came over the portage and asked for our permits.  Gino obliged, and while she was looking over the paperwork she asked me where we were heading to. When I told her the Thursday/Friday Bay area she looked at me with amazement and said, “That’s a pretty good day.” I replied proudly, “yes it is!”

After a short lunch of sausage, cheese and crackers we headed to the fishing grounds. After an all day 20 mile travel we arrived in the area at 3:30 pm. We were able to get the campsite right on Thursday Bay. By the time we set up camp and had dinner the winds kicked up and we all were sleeping by nightfall.

Day 2

The morning was overcast and in the 70’s. We fished Thursday Bay and caught 70 fish. Ryan caught his 1st Walleye and Eric caught his 1st Northern. I knew we didn’t have enough for dinner and they would never last on a stringer, so when I made it back to camp I started to make a live well right at the edge of the water.  I used small, head sized rocks and built a wall where the fish couldn’t escape. The men are impressed and we placed the fish in the live well. We saw eagles, ospreys, otters and beavers and caught 70 fish…not bad for the first full day at our destination. We all had a case of canoe lag and were sleeping early.

Day 3

 We hit another bay and I tagged along with Bill and Ryan down the east side while Gino and Eric went down the west side. The fishing was tough for us but I was able to catch my largest Walleye of the year: a 24” fat 6 pounder. When Bill contacted the others via walkie-talkie, the others told us they were catching fair numbers but the quality of the fish was impressive. It didn’t take us long to make over to the others and have lunch while we listened to their stories. They both did well and Gino was able to catch a 19, 20 and 21 inch Smallie. When we saw a storm rolling in we all decided not to waste any time in getting back to camp.

 After a long rest and meal, we headed out for the evening fishing, and with all of us scattered across the bay, I decided to troll down to the beach. It was a beautiful evening and all was still. The sky was what I call “boundary waters blue” and all wildlife was out in force.

I slowly paddled down the shoreline; it was just me, my canoe, and the sound of the water dripping off my paddle. Then, that’s when it happened…like most large Northerns I catch, I was trolling in an area where I would never expect to catch one. The rod bent, the fish was coming, and then it stopped like I had snagged one of the many boulders that line these waters. I opened the bail on my reel and started back paddling. Then, I reeled the slack in and when the line was taught I felt what seemed to be a big fish! My heart started racing as I was very excited. I dropped to my knees in the canoe and I was able to get the fish right under the canoe. Like most big fish, she was reluctant to release the bottom. When I pulled her off the bottom, I could barely see the fish and she was respectable. I looked at her mouth to see where the lure was and I couldn’t see it but I saw something else.  That’s when I realized it had happened again. I had caught a 12” Walleye and a carnivore came up and swallowed my catch.  All that was sticking out of her mouth was about 5” of the tail. I was confident I could land this fish and when I was just about ready to gill her she flailed her gills out and opened her mouth wide.  With one head shake I saw the Walleye fly out of her mouth and that’s when I saw the lure. It was just about out of her mouth when the very last hook nailed the corner of her jaw.  The fight was on and I had this fish right where I wanted her! After a brief but exciting battle I boarded her and she was a 34” 12 pound brute. I took a photo and gingerly placed her back in the lake, and after a short rest she swam to the bottom. This was my largest Northern of the year, but how was I supposed to know? It was a sign of things to come. The Firetiger Rapala was my best producer.

Day 4

These men love to fish and I could tell by how early they were waking up. They would barley wipe the sleep from their eyes before grabbing a rod and throwing a lure in front of camp. After breakfast we were out on the bay fishing by 7:30 am. I tagged along with Bill and Ryan and as we made our way across the bay, I was blinded by the rising sun but I could make out some sort of animal swimming across the water. I saw Bill & Ryan stop and stare and Ryan was taking photos as I approached.  I could not believe my eyes!  I had heard that they migrate through this area to their nesting grounds in Canada but we had stumbled upon a small flock of 4 white pelicans. When I was within 150 yards they took off and glided down the shoreline. This was one of my best boundary waters moments and I realized that it might not ever happen again. It was a moment that I will remember forever!!! We all celebrated and continued with our fishing expedition. The fishing was a little slow but the fish were all good size.  I was able to catch 3 nice Northerns including a 30 incher, a 17” Smallie and 6 Walleyes. We met the others at the beach where we had rib eye steak with mac & cheese for our shore lunch. By the time the day was over we had caught over 40 nice sized fish. We had the Walleyes for dinner and we also had an eagle visit us. While we sat around camp waiting for nightfall, Gino started talking about another trip in the future. Once again we have done our job! It’s when the clients start talking about another trip when I realize that they are having a great time!!!

Day 5

The weather was calm and 62. I cooked up some of my boundary bagels and we were moving over to the falls area for our final night.  It was a short 2 hour and 40 minute paddle. When we arrived the rain set in and it fell hard. We set up camp, had a quick meal, and decided to take a nap till the rain quit. When I woke the rain had subsided and we all headed out for our final, and what turned out to be my most exciting, day of fishing of this entire trip.

The men fished the islands and the falls while I trolled over to big current for some Walleyes. As I was trolling, my rod bent and I had another big fish on! This was probably the hardest fight I’ve ever had and when I finally pull the fish off the bottom I am shocked. This 40 plus inch Northern had tried to steal my 10” Walleye and I had no chance; she had it T-boned and all I could do was hold on. When she grew frustrated she released the Walleye and swam away, and I was left holding the remains of the Walleye. Yet another boundary waters moment.

I continued on to big current where I caught a nice 20” Walleye and a 17 incher. The sun was setting, so I trolled back to the campsite. As I made my way down the shoreline my rod bent and I grabbed it and pulled hard and find another monster on the other end. When I got this monster next to the canoe I reached down to gill it when I saw that this was not just a large Northern but it was a dangerous fish!  She had a 4” Daredevil with a 9” steel leader hanging from her lower jaw and my J-11 Rapala in her upper jaw. I made my decision and grabbed her with my right hand through the gills. When I brought her out of the lake next to the canoe, I swung my left hand over to settle her down and in a split second she shook her head and impaled the Rapala into the meaty part of my hand.  There I was soloing by myself in the middle of nowhere with a Rapala impaled in my hand and a monster Northern attached to the other end.  I was in a predicament.  I couldn’t let go of the fish and I couldn’t paddle. As I sat there for a few moments going over my options, I looked over and there were two people making their way towards me. I asked them to come over to help me and they wasted no time in coming over. When they arrived I was still very excited and so were they.  They were more interested in my Walleyes and monster Northern than the hook in my hand! I laughed and they cut the hook off the Rapala. I immediately asked them to take a photo and I returned the fish to the lake. I thanked them, and then rewarded them by spilling the beans on some of my local fishing holes.

I made the 3 mile paddle towards camp with the hook in my hand. Along the way I ran into Eric and Gino.  Gino is a physical therapist with some medical knowledge, and after I told them my fish story we hit the shoreline for a quick hook extraction. First I had them take a photo of the hook and then we looked over the situation we decided to drive the hook all the way through the skin. Since it was almost there anyways, Gino just had to make a little slit in my hand and as he made the slit Gino is repeating the phrase “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I was so full of adrenaline from the great fishing story I didn’t feel a thing. We pushed the hook through, Gino cut the barb, and I thanked them and jumped into the canoe to gather firewood on the way back to camp. By the time I reached camp the word was out and they all congratulated me. As it turned out Bill also had a large Northern on but he lost it. He said it was like an alligator attacked his lure! He saw it race over to his lure from 5 feet away. We had Walleyes and Northerns for dinner and then sat around going over all that had happened over the trip. Bill said it was truly a trip of a lifetime and there was more talk of another trip.

We had a final campfire and watched the sun go down and the full moon rise. I was the last around the campfire as I use this time to meditate about this area, the group, our business and life in general. As I sat there listening to the falls, I was witness to another incredible sight. We had an island in front of us and the fog was rolling around the island and pouring into the area right in front of camp it was if it were alive.  I took some photos and slipped off to the tent.

Day 6

This was such a great day! It was 75 and sunny. All went well this day and we were back at the truck at 2:30 pm. We met for ice cream at the local Dairy Queen and talked over the trip. Once again the group was grateful.

 

This was a group that had the right attitude. They were fishermen who were not only interested in fishing the boundary waters but also wanted to enjoy and experience everything the boundary waters has the offer. I really enjoyed this trip and these are a great bunch of guys. They all should be proud of themselves because I am proud of them!

Now that the season is in full swing, we will be featuring trip reports every month. Since we have very busy schedule the newsletter might be sent to our readers on an erratic schedule. It will be sent within the first week of every month.   New slideshows later as well.
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Ramsey Dowgiallo