Fall! ... Already?

WOW! where did the Summer go? I had a look at this page the other day and was astonished to see I had not written anything since July 16th! Much has happened since then, ...

I've had the opportunity to meet some great people, see some HUGE fish caught and released, share in a few shore lunches and have a few good adventures along the way. You'll recall my adventure with the prop, ... Anyway,

Not long after the prop "incident", I went to get gas for the boats one morning only to discover nothing coming out the nozzle. I climbed the tank, opened the top and dropped in the dipstick and was truly shocked to see that we were indeed out of gas! "Oh Oh!" I thought to myself, ... this isn't good! Remember, ... we're on an island out in the middle of Lake Athabasca and the logistics of getting ANYTHING here are never easy. In the Spring we used our Barge to go and get fuel from Uranium City, ... a 10 hour return trip! So, seeing as I have never piloted a vessel the size of our barge, we decided to take a 1000 litre container in our transport boat to Uranium City for gas.

Our lead guide, Quinton, piloted the boat and I, along with my trusty pup, Sasha, rode alongside in a separate boat, ... just in case! ..... Just in case of what?

In actual fact, we had a great day! Totally uneventful. The journey took about 1.5 hours and the scenery is spectacular!, ... Reminiscent of the Gulf Islands off Vancouver.

You actually cannot take a boat right to Uranium City, ... the closest you can get is a place called Bushell, an abandoned Uranium Mine about 8 miles from the actual town site. The fuel truck met us at the waterfront and filled us right up. After about an hour, we were bound for home, ... travelling a bit slower with a load on and a small head-wind. About 2 hours later we were home, ... safe and sound.

After transferring the fuel to our tank on shore, I made a serious commitment to take the Barge back to Bushell for a full load of fuel or we were sure to run out again before the season ends! So, I called our office in Ft McMurray and spoke with our owner, Doug Golosky, about getting his friend, Harrold to come up and pilot the barge. "Harrold's busy!" Doug says, "Can you take the barge?" ... Inaresting question!, ... Yes, ... inaresting!!

"No problem!" I say, ... "Do you trust me to take the barge?"

"Yes, ... Just be careful!" was the reply.

That was that! I was nervous, excited, ... scared, ... but I WAS taking the barge for fuel! I love stuff like this!

That all took place back at the end of July! We were about to go into a 3 week period with no clients, ... my plan was to let all the guides and the lodge staff go out on days-off, ... spend a couple of weeks here with my Grandson, Christopher, and do some work around the lodge. After that, Tyler & Jessika would be back from days-off (5 days ahead of everyone else) and Tyler and I would go with Christopher and, ... trusty pup, Sasha on a barge adventure to Bushell for fuel. Sounds like a good plan huh?

In the meantime, I spent two wonderful weeks with my Grandson, Chris! We flew in together from Ft McMurray and were met at Gunnar by all our outgoing staff. "Are you sure you guys are going to be OK?" Jessika wanted to know. "You're probably going to starve." one of the guides quipped. "We'll be fine!" I said, ... "You guys have great days off and we'll see you later in August!"

We watched the plane take off and then headed off in the school bus for the shore and our short boat ride to camp.

After giving Chris the grand tour, we set about making supper together, ... our first of what became a daily event for the next 10 days!

Over the next few days we worked a little, fished a little, explored the lake a little and had many, many great discussions about quads, snowmobiles, school, what I want to be when I grow up, and, ... over a period of days a transformation took place! I created an enthusiastic fisherman. Christopher, who always loved being in a boat but was easily bored by fishing and frustrated by not being able to get the hang of a spin-casting rig, was suddenly catching fish after fish and casting well-away from the boat! It was soooooo Cool! One afternoon, after we had been out for a few hours, I suggested we should go home and start supper. The reply was that of a true fisherman, ... "Awww, just one more cast Papa?" I laughed out loud and we stayed for another 2 hours!

The day Tyler & Jessika came back Chris and I went to the airstrip and met the plane. Suffice to say that for the ride back to camp and, ... for the next several days, Christopher regaled them with story after story about all the fish he caught.

Tyler and I checked the weather on the computer and based on what we saw, we planned to go in 2 days. It was Saturday, ... we would go on Monday! We spent all day Saturday readying the barge for the trip, ... cleaning out the cabin, pumping the bilges, changing the oil, topping off the fuel and putting aboard all the things we would need for a safe trip, food, sleeping bags, flashlights, flares, marine radio, sonar & GPS. Oh yeah, ... and our satellite telephone!

On Sunday morning we planned to start the engines, ... yes, engines plural, ... it has 2 big six-cylinder diesel engines, and let them run, warm up, and charge the batteries. If all went well, ... we were "good to go" the next morning.

After a couple of splashes of ether, the big engines roared to life and the cabin promptly filled with thick, diesel exhaust. After we opened the side doors and the rear door, the wind cleared the cabin and we proceeded to check the instrumentation and confirm that all the gauges worked. They did ... and, after about an hour we were beginning to feel comfortable in the wheelhouse of the huge vessel. We finally shut everything down and planned a 6:00am departure the next morning.

I didn't sleep well! I was nervous! It was time!, ... I tossed and turned, ... 5:00am came early but the adrenaline was flowing and I was eager to go. We ate breakfast together in relative silence! Even Christopher was unusually quiet. At 5:30am we boarded the barge and started the engines. Tyler went to work releasing the cables that anchor the barge to the shore. I hauled the cable over the sides and let them rest on the deck 18 feet below. Tyler lifted the hydraulic landing door with the winch and secured the door with cable. He then joined me in the wheelhouse and, along with Christopher and trusty pup, Sasha, we moved the gear shifts into reverse and put power to the throttle, Then, .... nothing happened! We sat motionless and, ... I thought about checking the prop! Can you believe that?

We were high-centred on a rock on shore and, nothing we attempted seemed to be working. After a quick discussion, we decided to hook up "Big Blue", our transport boat to the rear of the barge and try to assist in pulling the boat off the rock! Long-story-short, ... it worked, I floated free, backed up slowly, turned toward open water and plowed forward very slowly! We were on our way, ... finally!

Tyler, having docked "Big Blue" caught up to us in one of our aluminum boats, lashed it to the side of the barge and joined us in the wheelhouse with a big smile on his face.

Our journey would take us through the islands that make up Crackingstone Peninsula. We would head for Gunnar and follow St Mary's Channel to Crackingstone Point at the tip of the peninsula then round the point head for open water and follow the shoreline to Bushell. I had the exact route saved on my GPS having done the same trip weeks before in smaller boats.

I went slowly on the way to Gunnar. It is a route I travel often and I used the time to familiarize myself with how the big vessel handled. I grew comfortable and, ... as long as I stayed on course and watched my depth, everything would be good!

Along the way we chatted about how "cool" this was, drank coffee/hot chocolate, and snacked. Three and a half hours later we had the entrance to Bushell Channel in sight and we began to slow down. We entered the channel and slowly made our way towards the small bay at the end and, ... the docking area.

Now, ... the nerves came back! I had to dock the old girl! Tyler went below and readied the landing door by releasing the cables and using the winch to lower it to an almost horizontal position. We planned a slow approach, a 90 degree turn and a slow lowering of the door onto the shore. It all worked! Buddy on shore said I made it look easy! ... It wasn't!

We were expecting the fuel truck to be waiting for us when we arrived, but it was not there. Time to use the satellite phone! Only one problem, ... satellites are only overhead for about 15 minutes every half-hour or so and, ... we were between satellites, ... so we waited! When the time was right, I called our office in Ft McMurray, asked them to call the fuel man and get back to me with their ETA. A few minutes later, the phone rang. It was our pilot, Richard McIver telling me that something had come up, ... the fuel man was delayed and busy, ... we would have to wait! It was 10:45am!

Just after lunch I called the office back and asked for an update. Richard called back a few minutes later to say we might have to wait until late afternoon to get fuel! Late afternoon? What time IS late afternoon? ... Bottom line, ... we were going to wait, ... no matter how long! We needed the fuel and we could not go home without it! Have a nice wait!

Tyler lay in a bunk and read, ... Christopher, Trusty pup Sasha and I went fishing in the aluminum boat. After a while, the satellite phone rang. As I turned to answer it, I knocked it off the seat onto the floor of the boat. The floor of the boat had water on it! Not much water, ... maybe a quarter of an inch! As I watched the phone drop face-down into the water, a small puff of smoke rose from the floor, ... the phone fried!

No phone! No fuel truck, no way to contact anybody and, ... not a soul in sight! What next?

While I was pondering our situation another, much larger Barge entered Bushell Channel. We all took time out to watch she pulled up just past us and came to rest onshore just beside us. These guys, from Camsell Portage Freighting make regular runs on the lake from Stony Rapids to Camsell Portage, ... stopping along the way to drop off or pick-up freight at Fond Du Lac, Gunnar, Bushell and Camsell Portage. As we watched them dock a guy on a quad came down to the wharf towing a boat trailer full of lumber. I introduced myself. His name was Jacky Hanson from Fond Du Lac, ... he worked on the big barge that had just landed. The lumber he was hauling came from abandoned houses in Uranium City. He had singled one out and was taking it apart piece-by-piece and hauling it all back to Fond Du Lac to build an addition on his house! ... No kidding!

I told him about our situation and he said he would ride back into Uranium and tell the fuel dealer we were still waiting. He returned a short while later only to tell me what we already knew, ... they were busy and would get to us when they could, ... Hurry up and, ... wait!

While we waited I inspected our Satellite Phone. I took out the battery, placed the body of the phone face-down on dry paper towels and proceeded to soak the paper towel with the water that leaked out from inside the phone, ... it looked pretty hopeless!

Finally, ... at about 3:30Pm the fuel truck showed up. The delivery guy was Scott, ... a nice young guy we had met a few weeks prior. He apologized for the delay (without saying what the delay was) and proceeded to fill our 15,000 Litre tank with both gas and diesel. The whole process took about an hour and a half. We were full and ready to set sail on our return trip.

It was 5:00PM and we had about 4.5 hours of daylight remaining to get back to Indian Head Camp. No problem, ... we were just happy to be moving once again. I exited Bushell Channel and headed into open water retracing our route on my GPS. At about 7:15Pm we approached Crackingstone Point. I slowed down to round the point and enter St Mary's Channel, ... Christopher was sleeping on the lower bunk in the cabin and Tyler was reading on the upper bunk.

We entered the channel with no problem and I went about turning the barge to head for the far side of the channel. Suddenly, the shallow alarm on my sonar unit went off followed by a large BANG and, ... we ground to a halt!!!

Tyler and Christopher were in the wheelhouse in seconds with looks of shock and disbelief on their faces! We had run aground on a rock reef! I was approximately 25 yards off course! That short distance was the difference between 40 feet of water (where I should have been) as compared to 4 feet of water (where I was)! What now? ... What next?

I put the massive boat into reverse and gave full-throttle to the engines, ... nothing happened, ... we just sat there! You'll recall that the same thing happened about 12 hours earlier as we attempted to start this incredible journey. It looked like it was going to end the same way it had started.

We employed the same tactics, ... full-throttle in reverse, ... tug with the little aluminum boat, ... we must have looked like something out of a bad movie.

Somewhere near dark, I made the decision to quit for the night! Bottom line, ... we were good and stuck and we were going nowhere! I asked Tyler to take Christopher and Sasha back to Indian Head Camp, ... it was long-past supper and everybody was tired and hungry. Like all good Captains, I elected to stay with the ship! You never know, ... the wind and waves might come up in the night and blow us off the reef!

Christopher was worried about me staying but I told him everything would be OK so he and Tyler and the dog piled into the aluminum boat and set off for camp vowing to return early in the morning with the transport boat, "Big Blue" and resume our attempts to free ourselves.

I watched from the bridge as they sailed off for home and, when they were out of sight I lay down on the lower bunk. Sleep came quickly! However, the squeaking and moaning of the boat woke me up often and going back to sleep was difficult.

Morning came! Then, ... after what seemed like a long time my marine radio crackled and Tyler informed me that he and Chris and the dog were about 5 minutes away with a thermos of hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich. They were a welcome sight!

Christopher told me he had not slept very well, ... he was worried about me he said. When they were leaving the night before he had asked Tyler if he thought I would be OK? Tyler told him I would be fine, ... as long as no "Ghost Ships" came in the night! That did it for Chris! He was convinced the "ghost Ships" were going to get me and I would be captured and gone when they got back in the morning! But there I was, safe-and-sound and he said he felt better.

Our plan was to lower the front landing door on the barge, step out into the water (it was only about 2 feet deep) and use a 20-ton bottle-jack to lift the front end enough to free us when we applied full power to the engines. We knew it would work, ... it would just take time and, ... we had all day! What we didn't have was the 20-ton jack! It was at Gunnar, ... just a short boat ride away. Since I had been on the barge for over 24 hours, ... I volunteered to go get the jack. Chris and the dog came with me, leaving Tyler on the stranded boat by himself.

We had been gone about an hour when the radio in "Big Blue" sounded. It was Tyler informing me that the Camsell Portage Freighting barge was visible and rounding Crackingstone Point. Chris and I dropped what we were doing and headed for our barge.

Gabe, the Captain of the Camsell Portage Barge was out in an aluminum boat inspecting our situation. "Need some help?" he asked. "Sure do!" I replied.

After about a half-hour of careful inspection Gabe decided he could assist us and, went to get his Tug-Boat. He anchored his Barge several hundred yards away and the Tug approached our barge. Once we had secured a very large rope to our Stern Posts, he headed out, tightened the rope and, ... off we came just as slick as you please! It was almost anti-climatic, ... effortless for the big Tug Boat!

We were free and floating on our own once again! After a quick inspection of our Bow and undercarriage we determined there was no damage done, ... no leaks, ... no hull repairs required! Can you say, .... "Bloody Lucky!", ... because that's what I was, ... Bloody Lucky!, ... and embarrassed and, ... humbled by the whole experience!

We said our thanks to the crew from Camsell Portage Freighting, shook hands, ... even had a laugh or two about the sight we were when they rounded the point and saw us stuck! It was OK to laugh now! But, ... I was still Bloody lucky!

You know, ... they say you learn something new every day! Well, ... I learned a lifetime's worth of lessons during that 48 hours! Why is it that I always seem to learn best by doing things the hard way?

We made it back to Indian Head Camp without further incident, ... unloaded our fuel and, parked the barge. In a couple of weeks I will take her over to Gunnar and park her for the winter in a secure, shallow bay, free of ice for the Winter! Believe it or not, ... I am looking forward to that trip! Hey, ... what could go wrong???

Since then, I have had a few day's-off of my own. I took Christopher and my dog back to St Albert, ... attended 2 days of the Edmonton Labatt Blues Festival with good friends and had a relaxing couple of days at home.

I came back to work last Sunday and will now be here until we close at the end of September. That's only 35 days away! What could possibly happen between now and then?

Stay tuned!

In the meantime, ... travel safe and, ... be nice to one another!

You CAN teach an Old Dog new tricks!

Let's start by saying that if I didn't have BAD luck, ... I wouldn't have any!

So, it goes like this, ... At Indian Head Camp we have a large, diesel powered boat that we use to transport passengers and luggage from the Airstrip at Gunnar to the lodge, ... about a 15 minute boat ride. We affectionately call this boat "Big Blue".

So, about 2 weeks ago, I make the trip over to Gunnar in "Big Blue" to pick-up a group of 8 people. Everything goes smoothly and I deliver them dock-side at Indian Head Camp without any problems.

4 days later, this same group is departing in windy, rainy weather. We load the boat with all their gear, they jump in and we push-off the dock. I put "Blue" into gear, apply power to the engine and, ... nothing happens! The motor revs-up and, ... we just sit there!

So now, I am drifting out into our bay with a full load of people and luggage, ... the plane is in the air enroute from Fort McMurray and we're just floating around. I request help from one of our guide-boats and I get a tow back to the dock.

We have a guest staying with us who has a pontoon-style houseboat. So, ... with all our clients sitting in "Blue", I race up to the lodge, ask Dale if I might use his boat to take customers to Gunnar and he says "Sure!"

So now, we transfer everyone and their luggage to Dale's houseboat and off we go to Gunnar, ... exposed to both the wind and rain, ... it was NOT a pleasant ride at all.

This transfer went smoothly, everybody got on the plane safely and I was now on my way back to Indian Head Camp to see if I could solve the mystery of "Big Blue"!

Once back at camp, the guides were working on "Blue" and the general consensus was that it appeared to be a transmission problem, ... with the boat not going into gear when we moved the shift-handle.

We lifted the covers to the engine compartment and traced the throttle and shift cables back to where they connect to the engine. The throttle cable appeared to be functioning properly, but we could not tell if the transmission was shifting as the shift-cable went directly into the lower leg of the engine.

Now, ... it's important to stress that I am NOT a diesel mechanic. However, I have been around diesel engines for the better part of the last 15 years, and, ... I am not shy about taking stuff apart. So, we decided that tomorrow would be a good time to take the back end of the engine apart to see if we could trace the problem to the transmission.

Sometimes a good night's sleep helps you see clearer! What seemed like a good idea the night before now seemed like we might be in "over our heads" ... so to speak!

So, I called the office in Ft McMurray and explained our situation to Owner, Doug Golosky!

Doug told me to sit tight, and he would get his 2 crack mechanics, Harrold and MacNeil to come up and fix the problem!

So, ... the next day I am off to Gunnar to meet the plane and bring Harrold and MacNeil back to Indian Head Camp to have a look at "Blue"!

They crawl around inside the engine compartment and fiddle around with the shift mechanism up front by the steering wheel and determine that the shift mechanism is "sloppy" and needs to be taken apart, cleaned, and reassembled. NOT a fun job, ... working on your back in a small space fighting with a control mechanism that probably has never been taken apart. Can you guess who got delegated that job? ... Uh-Huh!!

So, while our two crack mechanics drank coffee and ate fresh-baked pastries, ... I took apart the shift control, cleaned all the parts and, reassembled the mechanism. When I was done, the mechanics did a formal inspection, we fired up "Blue" fully expecting the problem to be solved and, ... we just sat there and listened to the engine rev-up while we went nowhere!

"Well?" says Harrold, ... "Looks like we have to take her apart!"

We decided that it would be best to move "Blue" closer to shore as we would need access to the back end of the engine. This required moving 3 of our fishing boats to the other side of the dock before pulling "Blue" into place with her stern facing the beach.

None of us was looking forward to this as we knew we would not be able to get the boat as close to shore as we needed to so as to avoid having to go into the frigid water to do the repair.

After the last job I had been given, I was pretty sure I knew whose feet were gonna be getting cold and wet!!!

So, ... we untied the boat and began to pull her around to where we needed it to be.

As we started to pull her backwards into the beach (read rocks!), Harrold said "hey Paul, ... better lift the motor before we run the leg into the rocks!"

I jumped into "Blue" and hit the trim-switch to lift the motor. Then, ... I heard Harrold and MacNeil having a bit of a snicker!

Now, ... you gotta understand that these boys mean well! Harrold has been working with Doug Golosky for a good, long time. Came here from Newfoundland, and still has his Newfenise accent.

I say, ... "What's so funny boys?"

Harrold says, ... "Well bye, ... I don't thinks it's a transmission problem we're dealin with here!"

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because ya got NO PROP bye!!!" he says through the laughter.

Well folks, ... we all had a good laugh at my expense! If there is a moral to this story, it should be, ... ALWAYS check your prop! Or, ... in my case, ... "You CAN teach this old dog a new trick!

Can't tell you all how embarrassed I was/am! Here we went and flew 2 guys, ... seriously good mechanics, all the way up here at the expense of Indian Head Camp only to discover that I had spun-off a prop.

I promise you this! ... If I stay in this business another 15 years, ... this will NEVER happen to me again!

As my mentor, Homer, would say, .... DOH!!

Until next time, ... Travel safe and, try to be nice to one another!

Cheers!

Paul

Can you get a ticket in the air?

Howdy my friends,

First, ... and foremost, ... HAPPY CANADA DAY!

I have a burning question? ... Can you get a ticket while flying?

Last Sunday, I flew out to Fort McMurray quite late in the evening. We have contracted our flying this summer with a new carrier, and I am just beginning to get to know our pilots.

I need to tell you that while I am not a real frequent "bush flyer", ... at least not until this year, ... and I am not a queasy flyer, ... I actually like a bit of turbulence and bouncing around in the clouds. But, ...

A few years ago I had an experience with a float-plane pilot that led me to develop a "theory" about bush pilots.

I fish every year with two very good friends and we usually always go to the same fly-in lodge. This particular year we were flown in by a pilot we had all flown with before. Good pilot, nice guy, and always did a good job! When our trip ended and the plane came in to get us, we commented to each other that we thought the incoming landing looked a bit rough from our vantage point on the dock.

We helped tie-up the plane, assisted with off-loading the new passengers, their gear and miscellaneous cargo before beginning the process of loading our own gear. As we were going back and forth on the dock, I happened to notice the pilot who came in to pick us up was wearing a polished leather pair of "Penny-Loafers", complete with shiny new pennies in them! So, I nudged my buddies and said "Boys!, ... check out "Buddy's" shoes!" ... at which point one of my buddies said they had never seen a "Bush Pilot" wearing Penny-Loafers before! For some reason, ... it became cause for concern.

So, ... when we taxied out into the lake for take-off and began our acceleration for take-off, we commented to each other that we did not think he had given himself enough room as we were hurtling toward shore at break-neck speed and we were running out of room to lift off. We truly started to get nervous as he was trying to lift-off and we were sure we were not going to make it!

Well, ... long-story-short, ... we did make it, ... but I could have reached out the window and picked leaves off the tree-tops!!!!! Way too close for comfort!!

Our "theory" became our reality! ... "NEVER trust a "bush pilot" who shows up on your dock wearing "Penny Loafers" or polished leather shoes!!!

Now, ... back to last Sunday's flight. ... the plane shows up at the Gunnar Airstrip, out jumps the pilot and, ... guess what? ... He's wearing Black, polished leather loafers!! Oh-Oh!

So, we taxi, take off and, ... I'm thinking that we just tossed-out our leather shoe theory. But wait! ... we no sooner get to altitude and "Buddy" puts us in auto-pilot mode. At that point he reached down on the floor, took a hand-held GPS out of a bag and, proceeded to "fiddle" with it for about 10 minutes! Then, ... out came the I-Phone and we proceeded to "text" for a few minutes, ... between the GPS and the I-Phone, our guy was pre-occupied for the better part of an hour!

In the meantime, I am sitting in the back watching this and thinking to myself, "On the ground, if the cops see you texting while driving, you can be given a ticket! And, rightfully so! Now, does that mean you should be ticketed for the same behaviour in the air? Or, ... is this type of behaviour directly related to wearing polished leather shoes??? Think about that for awhile!

Anyway, ... since then, I have learned "Buddy's" name is Richard. He is a skilled pilot who spent the last few years flying in Africa and the Congo! Simply put, ... this guy knows his stuff! So, ... after a couple of additional flights together, I shared my "leather shoe" theory with him. When I was done, he managed a dry smile and said "we're pilots! We wear uniforms, ... black slacks, golf shirts and, ... leather shoes!

So who knew? (You learn something new everyday!)

It's a beautiful day as I sit here and write this, ... calm waters, little wind and temperatures near 20 at 9:00am, ... we have 14 new guys who arrived yesterday following 3 days of really rough weather. They are indeed in for a great day!

Well, ... I had better get back to my real job! Take good care, play safe, ... and try and be kind to one another!

Cheers!

Paul

They're yelling "Fish On!"

Howdy folks,

For the 2 or 3 of you who are regular followers, (and you know who you are), I apologize for not getting back to this sooner. The death of my Mom really took a toll and, the fact that we're really busy, ... you know how it goes.

Anyway, we are most definitely up and running! Our first official group of clients arrived on June 4th and the pressure was on, ... could the guides find fish? BIG fish? Well, ... the answer was "yes!". We found both big Pike and big Trout. This group of 12 guys went home happy, ... having caught several fish over 20Lbs and, ... 1 fish over 30Lbs. A Fabulous start to the season.

Since then, we have had 9 other groups ranging in size from just 2 people up to 12 people. So far, all of our clients have caught and released literally dozens of fish between 20 and 30 Pounds, ... Seriously!!

Our weather has been stellar, with no rain since we arrived on the island and temperatures in the mid to high twenty's. However, that changed suddenly on Thursday, when the wind started to blow and the waves came up followed by thick smoke from forest fires burning on the Southeast side of the lake near Fond Du Lac, Saskatchewan. We've had 3 days now of big wind, big water and big smoke!! (Does that mean everything's bigger in Saskatchewan?)

Since taking over the day-to-day management of Indian Head Camp a couple of weeks ago, I have tried to focus on getting to know the members of our team and, at the same time, learn the in's-and-out's of the physical plant side of the operation. I think I am reaching a comfort level on both fronts.

I have a great team!

Our owners are Doug & Carol Golosky from Fort McMurray, Alberta

Our Head Chef is Josh Holder who hails from Swan River, Manitoba.

Jessika Myyrylainen is our Cooks Helper and Housekeeper, ... Jessika lives in Thunder Bay, ON

Tyler (Burt) Lancaster is a new guide ... also from Thunder Bay, ON

Quentin Husak is a returning guide who calls Edmonton home

Nevin Checkly is a returning guide from Pilot Mound, Manitoba

Kevin Diggles is a returning guide from North Bay, ON

Matt Morreau is a returning guide from Fort McMurray, AB

Jordan Nagy is a part-time returning guide also from Fort McMurray, AB

Mackenzie Eastwood is the newest member of our team and hails from Lamont, Alberta

This group of talented individuals all work cooperatively together, get along well with each other and, most importantly, get along famously with our clients! These are the folks who make me look good and I am proud to be their "Coach"!

Now that I am finding my groove, I commit to being back on the regular blog schedule, ... weekly, ... if not daily, ... Yes, I did say daily. I'll give it a try and we'll see what happens.

So, ... bookmark this URL and stop by once in a while and see what we're up to. Feel free to comment, ask questions and, ... you can even book your own trip if you are inclined.

http://www.fishtales1.blogspot.com/

I look forward to hearing from you.

In the meantime, ... play safe and try to be nice to one another!

Paul

On a Personal Note

Howdy Folks,

My apologies for not blogging this past week, but circumstances beyond my control kept me from my keyboard.

You'll recall that my last entry saw us preparing to fly-out to Colin Lake to begin the process of opening our Mikisew Sportfishing Camps for the season. Well, ... we did indeed fly out last Wednesday, May 19 and we arrived at Colin Lake without incident. However, ... things kinda went South from there.

No sooner had we landed the float-plane when the weather "socked-in", bringing wind, rain and cold along with it. This made unloading the Cessna Caravan quite difficult and took cooperation by our team of 8 highly skilled individuals.

Once unpacked, we set about the task of building a fire in the cabin, getting the generator started so we had power and turning on the propane so we could heat water and, most importantly, make coffee. Then, our attention turned to the other tasks requiring our attention; ... getting the Solar System up and running, getting 3 boats and motors in the water, cleaning the cabins and painting the floors, getting the water pump up and running and the shower-house functional.

As we did all this, ... the weather got worse, whitecaps covered the lake and the float-plane bobbed and heaved up and down against the incoming waves. We had only planned on being at Colin Lake for 1 day and, because of the weather we knew we were there for at least 1 extra night.

The next morning, Thursday, the weather was no better and, while we did not think it could get any worse, ... the pilot declared it "worse", with the flight ceiling being non-existent and 500 feet needed for legal take-off. So, as we sat drinking coffee and huddling around the fire, we decided to prepare for take-off and, if the ceiling lifted, we would be ready to go. It was only 9:30 AM.

About this time, we decided to set up our satellite telephone and try to call the office in Fort McMurray and let them know what was taking place. We dialed, the phone rang and our dispatcher answered. "I have an important message for Paul, ... he needs to call home immediately!" So, ... a few minutes later I called home only to find out that my Mom was gravely ill in hospital in Winnipeg. The message from there was "You need to come home right now!" Easier said than done!!

I discussed my urgent request to go with my colleague and good friend, Tim Gillies and with our pilot, Seth. Bottom line, ... it was the pilot's call! If the weather improved enough to get us off the water, we would go, ... if not, ... we're stuck here at the mercy of Mother Nature.

We busied ourselves with other chores like raking the camp area and cutting firewood. A couple of the guys attempted to do some dock repairs, but with the waves being so high and the water so cold, it was a gargantuan task. Then, ... at about 3:30 in the afternoon, the clouds looked like they were lifting. We had a group meeting. The pilot had enough fuel to get us back to Fort McMurray, but not enough to stop and drop our crew at another camp along the way. So, it was decided that I should get out to McMurray and get on my way to Winnipeg as fast as I could. The pilot would come back the next morning to pick up our crew and resume the task of opening additional camps.

I won't go into detail about our flight back to Fort McMurray, ... but suffice to say I am forever indebted to our Pilot, Seth for his incredible skill and nerves of steel!! Enough said!

I made it back to Edmonton by 1:00 AM and was on a plane for Winnipeg by 6:30 AM, arriving by 9:30 Friday morning. My Mom was not in good shape and her prognosis was not good. She had celebrated her 80th Birthday just 6 days prior to this and, without going into great detail, all of this had started that day. All of my family was there by Friday afternoon including my Wife, Jerelyn, my Brother, Greg and his Daughter, Kaitlin, and Mom's only surviving Brother, Darragh and his Wife, Kathy, from Ottawa. We spent a wonderful afternoon in her hospital room telling our best and favourite stories about her, holding her hand and praying for her. Sadly, my Mom died last Saturday morning.

Today, I am back to work in Fort McMurray getting ready for another flight out to our flagship property, Indian Head Camp, tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to getting there and busying myself with the task of getting the lodge open and ready for our first guests next weekend. They say stuff like this is therapeutic and helps us to move forward after a tragic event like losing a parent, a sibling or a loved-one. We shall see!

There is a hole in my heart where my Mom used to be! I love her and I miss her terribly, ... but, ... in the back of my head I can hear her telling me to get back to work, look after my family and always do my best! God bless you Mom, ... I promise I will!

Until next week, ... Play safe and, ... try and be kind to one another

Hurry Up and, ... Wait!

May 17th, 2010 - Fort McMurray, AB.

What is it they say about "the best laid plans, ...?"

Last week I was waxing poetic about being so excited to get out there and get those camps open and, this week, ... I am still waiting to go! As with most good plans, ... something always seems to happen to keep you grounded just a little longer than you planned. For Tim and I, it is the availability of aircraft. The one we need is down for maintenance until Wednesday. So, ... we wait!

In the meantime, I travelled to Edmonton this past weekend to visit my family and pick-up the last remaining things on my list that I seem to have forgotten up to now. My Thermacell Mosquito machine, Bug spray, my Bear-Gun (just in case), coveralls, rubber boots and, my integrity suit (just in case I take a premature dip)!

Trying to get out of Fort McMurray on a weekend can be a bit challenging to say the least! As I left late on Thursday, I encountered a Police Check-Stop! ... 30 some-odd police cars stopping every vehicle heading South! Now, ... I would like to think that we are all responsible drivers, ... BUT, apparently not! There were many vehicles being marshaled to an inspection area and many drivers who did not look very happy! Following a quick check of my Driver's License, Insurance and Registration I was on my way thinking "GOOD!" I am really pleased with this tactic by the local RCMP! All you need to do is listen to the radio, watch the local news or listen to the radio in this province to know just how dangerous driving on Highway 63 can be! It almost seems as if there is a serious accident or a death on this highway every week, so, the odd Check-Stop here-and-there has to be a good thing! Once through the Check-Stop, it was clear sailing all the way to Edmonton.

Returning on Sunday proved to be a challenge too! It is so very dry in this Province that grass fires are starting to be a problem. I encountered a road-block just north of Redwater because of a fire burning near Opal, Alberta. The smoke was so thick, I could barely see the fire information officer standing just outside my truck window telling me I had to detour around the area. So, ... after a scenic tour of a few back roads in the area, I was back on the highway and headed North. The remainder of my drive was uneventful and I arrived home in time for supper.

Today, ... I'll dust-off and blow-up my water wings in anticipation of being airborne by Wednesday.

Until next week, ... travel safe and, try and be kind to one another.

Cheers!

Paul

Gentlemen, ... Start your engines!

Howdy Folks,

As I sit here in my office, plans are well underway to begin the process of opening Mikisew Sport Fishing's 11 outpost camps.

Tim and I have made our list of supplies, the plane is booked and the weather forecast looks great! This Monday, it's off to Charles Lake North, then Colin, then, ... you get the idea!

At each camp we will assess what needs to be done, prioritize the tasks and, ... "Get to Work!!!" With the help of 4 other people, we should have everything shipshape and ready to go by the last week of this month. If everything goes according to plan, we will be fully functional a full 2-weeks earlier than year's past.

Our "scouts" up in Uranium City, Saskatchewan tell us that the ice has pretty much gone from Lake Athabasca, meaning that we can get into Indian Head Camp by May 28th for sure and begin the 4-day challenge of opening the Lodge for the season. Once that is complete there are new guides to train, equipment to tune-up and then, ... we're open and "going hard" with our first guests arriving on June 4th.

As "the newbie" this year, I am anxious to get in and get my hands dirty, ... I look forward to this time of year, readying the physical plants for your arrival. There's nothing like the sound of an outboard motor roaring to life after a long winter, or the sight of migrating ducks and geese cruising the shoreline with their new brood in tow, splashing around and learning the ropes of swimming and flying and foraging for food. You never get used to that first "ice-cold slap in the face" caused by water spraying up over the side of the boat reminding you that the ice has not been gone for very long! It's really pretty cool being the first ones out on the lake, being the first one to get a line in the water to see if the fish are hungry and, ... nothing beats the taste of fresh fish in the morning before a hard day's work.

This is the time of year when you, our valued customers, start getting the urge to get out in the garage and dig-out your rods and tackle boxes, re-spool your favourite reel, make a list of hooks you just have to buy before the season starts and get together with all your buddies and practice up on telling your best stories.

Yes sir, ... Springtime is a wonderful thing! ...

We look forward to seeing all of you this summer! And, ... for those of you who have not yet booked your "Trip of a Lifetime" with Mikisew Sport Fishing & Indian Head Camp, ... it's not too late, we have openings available during prime-time, ... just give us a call and start packing!

In the meantime, ... Play safe and try and be kind to one another!

Cheers!

Paul

http://www.mikisewsportfishing.com/

http://www.indianheadcamp.com/