Fishing can be different things to different people, for me (Angelo) it’s food for the soul—especially when I share it with a good friend or loved one. Nothing nurtures a relationship like a trip to the perfect fishing hole.
North to Adventure’s Lodge 88 is just such a spot. Situated at the bottom end of the 27-mile Esnagi Lake, and accessible only by float plane or rail, this extraordinary place in the heart of the Canadian Shield is home to some of the best Walleye, Northern Pike and Speckled Trout fishing I’ve ever experienced.
In the past, those experiences have been shared with my good buddy and co-host Peter Bowman. But this time I’m cranking up the volume! I’m fishing with grandson Niki. He’s a year older and, according to him, a lot wiser. And he’s eager to experience his first Northern Ontario fly-in Walleye adventure. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for a teenager and something I’ve been waiting to set up for a long time.
THE CONDITIONS
Timing is everything in life, but never more than when planning a fly-in trip to a remote location like Lodge 88. Mother Nature can sometimes seem to be heartless. What started out as ideal, comfortable conditions quickly declined into frigid “I didn’t bring enough clothing” weather.
I was worried about Nik. I told him to bring lots of warm clothes but, you know, he is a teenager. They know better than us, right?
Long story short, Nik and I survived the nasty cold front and all went well.
THE FISHING
One of the funniest moments of this trip was when I told Nik we were going to use live leeches—and that he had to put his own leech on the hook. Naturally, the look on his face was priceless!
After a quick (yet squeamish) leech-handling lesson, Nik got past his psychological barrier and was jamming his hand into the leech pail like a champ.
We meticulously worked the breaks and humps of Esnagi Lake with jigs tipped with leeches and caught tons of fish. “Man there are a bunch of fish here, eh Grandpa?” said Nik. That was an understatement.
After countless hook-ups, I decided to teach Nik an odd fishing tactic for late spring and early summer: jigging ice fishing lures in open water. This crazy-sounding technique can put some slab Walleye in the boat if you stick with it and get the right feel for it.
I set Nik up with an ice jig and within minutes he was executing the technique like a pro. As a matter of fact, he caught some of the biggest fish of the whole trip, all despite being a newbie to this type of fishing.
I can’t stress enough just how good Lodge 88 and the fishing on Esnagi Lake is.
CONCLUSION
I’ve said this countless times before: Fishing is a powerful platform to build and enjoy friendships. I believe a relationship that has a foundation rooted in the outdoors and fishing is a relationship for life. I encourage people reading this to take any opportunity to go fishing with a friend or a loved one like I did on this trip with my grandson Nik; it will fulfill you beyond words.
LODGE 88
Situated in the Algoma region of Ontario, North To Adventure’s Lodge 88 is truly a diamond in the rough. Nestled on the southern shore of Esnagi Lake, “88” is the perfect getaway for the hardcore angler that wants to feel a sense of luxury at the end of a long fishing day.
The fishing at Lodge 88 is second to none. Twenty-seven-mile-long Esnagi Lake is famous for excellent Walleye, Northern Pike, Perch, and Whitefish. The fish are not only plentiful but big with many trophies caught every year. In fact, on our first trip to the lodge, Pete and I boated a bunch of 4-7 lb Walleye capped off with a 10 lb+ monster!
If that’s not enough, you can portage to nearby Rock Lake for world-class spring Brook Trout fishing!
18-foot cedar strip is a standard boat included in all of Lodge 88’s fishing packages. They’ve been using these boats since 1958. Originally known as the “Peterborough”, they now purchase them from the Giesler Company in Powassan, Ontario, manufactured in the old-world tradition.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS AROUND THE AREA
THE FAMOUS GOOSE OF WAWA – Mention the word Wawa and most people automatically think about that famous Goose at the Trans-Canada Highway and 101. So many pictures have been taken here. The Goose marked the opening of the last link of the Lake Superior section of the Trans-Canada Highway more than 50 years ago!
WHITE RIVER: HOME OF WINNIE THE POOH – Bet you didn’t know that White River in the Algoma region of Ontario was home to Winnie The Pooh, did you? Read on for more: History of Winnie The Pooh
HOW ABOUT A TRAIN TOUR? – During the peak of fall colours, a unique tour takes place through the heart of Algoma. The Agawa Train Tour takes you through breathtaking landscapes of lush Ontario forests with new and stunning sights around every corner.
SPECIAL THANKS
- Go Fish Ontario
- Algoma Country
- Lodge Eighty Eight
- White River Air
- Johnny “Y-Bone” Yukich – Lodge 88 Pro Fishing Guide
