Here is our journal of our St Patty's Day trip... even though it isn't March 17th, yet.

We left with a picnic packed this morning to explore the area.  I put my tackle box and an axe in the back of the van as this was potentially an ice-fishing trip, although we were really going ice fishing; just checking out some spots in the area that locals tell us are good.

As you know, Fort Frances is located on Rainy Lake, and we had heard of a Birch Point Lodge up on Northwest Bay that would fix one up for ice fishing, summer fishing, or whatever. So we headed west out town, for about 10 km, then, at Devlin, turned north on Hwy 613 and followed it about 20 km to Birch Point Lodge.  We checked out a possible cabin to rent for a few days in August. We were told how, in the winter, the owner plowed an ice road down the lake for about 10 km and for $5.00 people could use it to access the lake for ice fishing.  We could rent a canvas, portable, sled-type ice hut, or just drive out there and fish from the van.  Probably, somebody out there would auger us a hole if we asked.  Well, we just wanted to take a look.  So, out we drove.

We stopped to talk to a few groups.  They were fishing crappie, a fish that, to me looked like a big sun fish.  They're about the size of a rock bass but are more colourful, like a sunfish.  They told us they are wonderful to eat; more of a sweet taste, like a pickerel than the fishy taste of trout.  The limit is 15, at least for US tourists.  I  don't know if Canadians have a limit.  Buddy caught some while we chatted.  They had been there for two days and went back to the lodge to sleep.  Notice how each of them have this approximate $300 fish finder apparatus that shows the depth, where your lure is located, and whether or not there are fish there.  To me it was just some lights flashing.  I'd have to read the manual for a winter or two.  They also had the gadgets; a portable fishing hut, ice augers (they said there was 42 inches of ice), propane heater inside the huts, lawn chairs.  It looked like a tough way to spend a few days in the sun.

On the way off the lake Fran stopped for some pictures of a rock study.  She wanted pictures of the moss on the rocks and shadows on the snow to use in some possible watercolour.  Of course, she does this on a regular basis - I mean stopping and taking pictures of potential, future master pieces she will paint.  We save them to the hard drive when we get home and maybe someday... but I find it really interesting when she describes what she is looking for and why we delete most and save a few.  She also took one of a knot in a poplar that she found fascinating.

However, there were more lakes to explore and maybe some fishing.  We went further west and took hwy 71 north to Nestor Falls.  There were lots of lodges, guides, and motels in town but we had heard about a place owned by Gordie and Lee Schrumm.   Gordie plows a road out on to Lake of the Woods, and for $8.00 one can use his road.  Well, I had never been on Lake of the Woods and this was my chance.  I had seen it from Warroad in Minnesota and from Kenora.  You can't see across it and it's a Mecca for fishermen and tourists. We rode out and had a look and, again stopped at some groups and asked about their equipment, tackle, bait, how far they were off the bottom, etc.  Again, they all had these fish finders and described how "there's the bottom, and that's my minnow right there (you can see it's about six feet off the bottom) and there, there's a fish, Oh you can see he's only four feet off the bottom, let me just lower this a bit... Nope, he's gone now.  But you can see how great this gadget works."  Of course, I had to agree but, trust me, it was just some lights flashing around this circular dial.

Buddy told us of an eagle perched over in a tree and how he had thrown a fish in its direction and it flew out and picked it up.

On the way home we stopped for some more potential masterpieces.  Fran's guild is doing a series on Wild and Woolly so she's been trying to get a photo of something to fit into that theme.

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