The Voyageurs: Ainsley Raymond, Bojan Milo, Brian Lui, Daniel Ansari, Darren Wolfe, Lawrence Jong, Paul Blud, Phil Ferguson and Scott Smith

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5:30 am – We spent the night in Huntsville which gave us the benefit of a good sleep and an early departure. A few members of our contingent stayed at a friend’s place, while others opted for hotel accommodations. This also brought us strategically closer to Algonquin and Access #3, our point of entry. After a brief stop at McDonald’s, we were on the road, headed up highway 11 to the town of Kearney.

7:00 am – The rendezvous was at the permit office in Kearney, which is located in the town’s recreation centre on the main drag. You can’t miss it. As we went through the routine of securing our permits I took some time to admire the trophy 21 lb. Lake Trout mounted on the office wall. It was caught on Ralph Bice Lake and it made me anxious to get the trip underway. With permits in hand, we drove a short distance down the road to Canoe Algonquin to arrange for our canoe rentals. Rob, who I believe is the owner, offers a convenient canoe drop off service to any of the nearby access points for a flat fee. It’s very reasonable and I would highly recommend this service. You simply pick up the keys and your canoes will be waiting for you at the put in, saving you the time and effort of car topping. You simply unlock your canoes and away you go.

In the parking lot at Access #3 we met a Leader of a Scout Troop from Thornhill, Ontario. Their group was headed into Queer Lake to escape the congestion on Bice. We wished them good fortune and at 9:00 am the trip was underway, as we paddled clear of the dock. Magnetewan Lake was like glass as we pointed our canoes towards the far corner and the portage to Hambone. The weather was absolutely perfect with mild temps and only a slight breeze. Our planned route for the first day was to navigate the Tim River en route to Big Trout Lake. Quite an ambitious proposition, but I had confidence in our brigade.

Magnetewan Lake

After closing off Magnetewan and Hambone Lakes with ease we reached the shore of Ralph Bice Lake. Conditions were perfect for traversing this expansive body of water. The lakes surface mirrored our canoes as we paddled in unison up the middle of the lake towards the far horizon.

Ralph Bice out from Hambone

Most of the campsites in plain view were occupied, much to our dismay. I realized it might take a few hours of paddling to finally feel isolated from the outside world. After fourty-five minutes of steady paddling, we reached the narrows at the east end of Bice. We crossed over a shallow rocky ledge and entered the bay towards the portage to Little Trout. We met up with a group trolling along the shoreline from their canoes. I asked how the fishing was and they said the bite was slow. Contrary to this, I noticed a nice Lake Trout on the stringer in tow behind the canoe. Never believe a fisherman. Suddenly I was anxious to wet a line but given our itinerary, we decided to press on to Little Trout Lake.

The portage to Little Trout is well groomed and well traveled. It’s only a minor inconvenience. As we loaded our gear into the canoes, it appeared that Little Trout was also very populated. We headed across Little Trout, dipping our paddles in a perfect rhythm. Our 16’ Scott Prospectors were now abreast and just a stones throw apart. As we approached the portage, we noticed several canoes closing in on us from behind. They eventually passed us with ease. As they unloaded at the portage, it became evident that they were only carrying fishing rods, with no heavy packs to load them down. We exchanged greetings with these men who were part of a large contingent. They were headed over to the Tim River for some fishing.

"Where are you headed?" they asked.
"Big Trout." was our response as they looked at us in disbelief.
"You can’t be serious . . . in one day?"
"Yup!" was our reply and we continued onward.

They obviously thought we were not of sound mind and that we had probably spent too much time in the sun. We managed to turn the tables on them on the portage as we single carried the 175 m distance over to Queer Lake.

We eventually met up again at the 1,500 m portage from Queer Lake over to the Tim River. They left their canoes on Queer and headed down the path to the Tim to fish the lower rapids. They had a sizable group. One fellow said 41 people consisting of family and friends. They were staying on campsites on Bice and Little Trout. So that clearly explained the traffic over on Bice. We wished them well and continued on our way.

The Siege on the Tim

I2:00 pm - We launched into the infamous Tim River, with our spirits running high. I thought I knew what to expect of the Tim from my previous excursions on this river. Little did I realize what the day had in store for us. On the map the Tim does not look all that imposing, but rest assured, as the rest of my voyageurs will attest to, the meanders of the Tim are unprecedented. At least as far as park rivers are concerned. The first half of the river is a narrow passage with lots of overhanging alders along the shore .. just a warm up for what lies ahead. The second half opens up into a wider slower moving river, but the meandering seems more severe. The day was a long grinding affair and a very humbling experience that left us broken. I could sense the strain on my team.

At the 275 m portage, Phil and I stopped to do some casting in the upper pool. Phil caught a nice Brook Trout on his first cast into the current. I quickly followed with a nice Bookie of my own. The bite was non-stop and this seemed to lift our spirits. Here, the landscape opens into a clearing where the others took time to stretch, lay out in the sun and catch their breath. We must have caught and released about a dozen trout from this pool although nothing noteworthy in terms of size.

Spunky Tim River Brookie

This portage also featured the remnants of a log cabin. The structure was badly deteriorated with only the walls remaining. At the bottom end of the portage we took some time to fish the outflow for Bookies but without success. It was late afternoon and Big Trout Lake was slipping just out of our grasp. The group was weary so I suggested setting up camp. But my brigade would have nothing of it and they decided unanimously to continue.

Cabin Ruins at the 295 m

As the afternoon wore on and with no end to the river in sight, I realized it was time to think of a contingency plan for the first night. We landed at the next portage at about the half way point. We then closed off the 460 m carry and returned to the battle on the Tim. We were engaged in a marathon and we hoped the misery would end with each passing bend in the river. The only thing keeping us going was the anticipation of the rivers mouth and the tree-lined horizon of Shippagew Lake. So we continued to dig in deep with a steady, rhythmic paddle. Along the way we managed to surprise a family of six otters playing in the current. They seemed oblivious to our presence but stayed well clear of our canoes. They didn’t like Ainsley, Bojan and Paul much as they barked a warning at them as the canoes slipped by. Watching these magnificent animals helped break the monotony of the river.

Time Out on the Tim

It was nearly ten hours into a grueling day before we reached the final portage before Shippagew. Suddenly there was a glimmer of hope. As we approached the 125 m carry, we carefully surveyed the passage. I got out and walked the distance and made the decision to run it. Soon after we were tobogganing down the "white horses" and seconds later flowed out at the lower end. We all laughed, nervously realizing what we had just done. After completing this portage, the Tim continues a short distance before terminating at the entrance to Shippagew. At this point, the lake opened up before us and presented a safe haven and a welcomed change from the river. It was 8:00 pm and we decided to claim the first campsite and set up camp. Exhausted, we turned in shortly after.

Reprieve on Big Trout Lake

Day 2 – May 5

We awoke to a perfect morning glow on Shippagew. Rather than take time for breakfast, we decided to push to Big Trout and enjoy our breakfast there. I for one was anticipating the bacon and eggs Darren was going to prepare. We broke camp, loaded the canoes and headed over to the 950 m portage into Blue Lake.

The surface of Blue Lake shimmered in the sunlight as we launched the canoes. What a charming body of water. I decided to troll a line behind the canoe as we waited for the others to catch up. In no time, I hooked into a nice Lake Trout .. just out from the landing. This particular fish had a darker purple colour and seemed like a much older fish. What a pretty little lake and if it wasn’t a travel lake I would have gladly stayed for a night. This is the most direct route to Big Trout from Shippagew.

Scott’s Laker – Blue Lake

As the portage descended into Big Trout I couldn’t help but be enchanted by the vast blue sparkling water and magnificent vistas before us. We finally arrived and suddenly all our efforts the day prior seemed well worth it. The island campsite we selected was a special one to me, from past adventures. It had all the amenities of home including the most comfortable, well-constructed benches surrounding the fire pit. It also included a well made table which was perfect for cooking and organizing the campsite kitchen. Not to mention a picturesque view of Big Trout’s splendor. I took a moment just to take everything in and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Big Trout Lake

Landing at Big Trout Site

After an enjoyable breakfast of bacon and eggs, it was time to do some fishing. The wind was up and extremely powerful. Relentless gusts blew out of the NW and long, un-easy rollers cascaded down Big Trout. To escape the perils of the wind, Paul and I decided to do the 300 m carry to Longer Lake, thinking it would offer more protection. Phil and Brian decided to join us. Upon our arrival on Longer, the wind was still up. We took refuge beside the outflow of rapids just out from the portage and began casting into the turbulence. After a few casts a nice Brook Trout engulfed my spinner and danced in the current. I suddenly felt better. Soon after, the bite turned cold. As such, we decided to make our way back to camp. Along the way, Phil and Brian did some casting behind an island on Big Trout just out from the portage. It was protected and out of the wind. Phil was quickly rewarded for his efforts and hooked a nice sized Lake Trout of about 3 lbs which Brian quickly netted. It was a memorable afternoon of fishing.

Phil’s Catch on Big Trout

Back at camp, the guys were preparing dinner. Darren made some bannock baked on a rock oven in the campfire. This was 'oh so good' and filling too. This was the first time I had ever tasted bannock and it was a real treat. At the same time, Phil was skillfully filleting the fish which were left to soak in fish mix. They were left to cook in oil soon after. This was a phenomenal meal and definitely a highlight of the trip.

Island Rock on Big Trout

Later we headed out in front of our campsite to do some fishing. The strong winds that persisted for most of the day were beginning to subside. We trolled around the shore of our campsite for a few hours without even a bite. The sun was disappearing over the horizon and there was just barely enough light to see. It was at that moment the action began to heat up. First it was Darren’s turn as a nice 3 lb Lake Trout latched onto his EGB spoon right in front of our campsite. His drag screamed in defiance. I later used my trusty landing technique which does not include the use of a net. As we resumed trolling my line had barely hit the water when my rod slammed back. I knew immediately it was a good fish. I was anticipating a nice Laker as it began to thrash at the boat and roll in the line. It was then I noticed the square tail. It was a beauty of a Brook Trout which was 19" and all of 2.5 lbs. I was fortunate to have landed this fish with my bare hands. It was a perfect night and a great way to end a successful day.

Darren and Scott’s Catch

Back at camp Darren volunteered to clean the fish and did so under the cover of darkness. Despite the cold air and limited lighting he did a masterful job of cleaning the trout. I’ve always considered myself to be very good at filleting fish until I witnessed Darren’s technique. Nothing was wasted on the fish. I am simply not worthy. After enjoying the warmth of the campfire and reflecting on a great day we all turned in.

Continue to Part 2