Splake Hunters 2012

Thank you guys for another memorable adventure into the wilds of Algonquin Park...
(left to right) Brent Giant, Strider, Stinger, Fast Eddie, Wrong Way, Tight Line, le Snake
and Doctor O.

Due to parental duties we are missing Black Bean; due to canoe issues we are missing Dunk-a-Lew, Spear and Lunch-box; due to distance issues we are missing Shark Bait. Take care all and hope to see you next year. Cheers!
post from:  http://algonquinparkfishmen8.blogspot.ca/

Splake Hunter Champion 2012!

Tight Line takes home the First Place trophy! He netted the largest Laker of his life on this trip.
Well done.

Another 2nd Place Winner!

Stringer shares 2nd place with the Brent Giant (see victory fingers). Stinger takes time out from his compulsive teeth brushing to accept the award. Hint: only time can remove the taste of Wrong Way's cooking.

2nd Place Winner!

The Brent Giant shares 2nd place with the Colgate Boy (Stinger). Who would have guessed that two fish could be exactly the same in length? ...I could have sworn my fish had a tail just before weigh in though.

3rd Place Winner!

Strider stays on the leader board for another year with his 3rd place prize fish. Spying on his uncle is starting to pay off it seems.

4th Place Winner...

Le Snake takes 4th. Something tells me that this cunning angler will be back to battle for the top prize and bragging rights.

Another HUGE Laker!

Yes, Tight Line hooks into yet another HUGE Laker! This one is indeed larger then the other two he caught (5 lbs., 24 inches). Apparently we discovered a new Honey Hole, one that we'll visit again next year. This catch is the Splake Hunter Championship winning fish for 2012! Well played Tight Line.

Confidence

Stinger looks smug as the competition draws to a close, he knows he's landed a prize winning fish.

Something on my plate just moved!

Fast Eddie is cautious when it comes to eating off the Wrong Way grill. Well, after his emergency gastric surgery he is cautious.

Strider Spy

My telephoto lens caught this scene back at camp while we were ropin' em in our favourite pork barrel (East Coast slang for fishing in a good spot). Strider is slowly learning all our secrets.

Wrong Way to cook fish...

Apparently some trout carry a certain parasite that grows when exposed to heat. Luckily they are easy to spot on the plate so Stinger had little trouble eating around it; however, they are able to lay tiny eggs very rapidly in the cooked flesh so one must eat quickly.

Breakfast of Champions?

Well not a breakfast of champions this year, but there is always next year Fast Eddie.

Tin foiled chairs

We are field testing a few foil chair cover designs. MEC will have the winner in their fall catalogue. The purpose of the covering is to provide wind protection and heat reflection. They also double as ground sheets.

Brisk sprint to the Thunder box

This caffeine rich drink had the boys blindly dashing around camp in a frantic attempt to get to the thunder box. Sadly Stinger didn't make it into the woods on time, much to Striders dismay. The consumption of Brisk dropped off when Stinger discovered he had only one pants left.

Spy

Positioned as we were on the lake, Strider took avantage of the vantage point to scope out where his competition were landing fish.

Costume night

First place goes to Doctor O for his unsettling story telling technique and dedication to a theme. Le Snake left camp with a new found respect for gramps.

LOL

Tight Line finds out time and time again throughout the day that apparently you can choke on a tiny black fly.

Bush Fashion

Yes, they are wearing the latest in bush fashion. Some would laugh, but you better not... these guys have a tinge of red hair and sling shots...not to mention strategically placed bottles of Brisk ice tea.

Huron Carol

Inscribed with an ancient Huron fishing bird of prey, this artifact actually sings under water a song that lures the trout in. They even follow the canoe back to shore, swimming beside it.

Solitude

Le Snake silently fishes the shore while enjoying nature's splendore. The drop off is quick near our camp and the bait fish abundant. Many huge lakers patrol close by and drive schools of fish that boil the surface every hour of the day.

Doctor O prepares for the day

Seen here preparing a white fish for some secret purpose... he claimed he chummed the waters with some of it and used other parts as bait.

Morning of the next day...

Strider got up 5 times last night and it looks like he stepped on Stinger each time.

Fire side tales

Many stories, some true, most not...were told around the fire as we consumed vast quantities of nutrient rich food and healthy beverages.

Stinger's signature

Well...it is hard to write backwards with a flashlight during a long exposure shot of unknown duration, but cool just the same.

Evening has fallen

Our site has a commanding view of the lake... and the stars at night were amazing.

Under pressure

Strider and the infuriated Stinger prepare a battle strategy to take the trophy from Tight Line...Strider just needs a little more fibre and he'll be alright.

Calm, cool and collected

Le Snake is seen here dining on a Pork Chop laced with the signature carbon flavour of Wrong Way's new grill. The can fresh limp and soggy wax beans are a perfect compliment to this flavourful bush meal.

Team work

Fast Eddie and Stinger prepare to hunt the calm cold waters for a prize winning fish. We had only a slight breeze some days which didn't last long.

What the...

Tight Line hooked into this beautiful Laker which further solidified his first place position... Our scale was lacking in precision so we estimate about 4 lbs. and the length at 22 inches. The lure use was a  Soviet made KGB.... apparently they are very expensive.

Nice catch Stinger!

Placing him firmly in second place, this 14+ inch Splake was hauled aboard by Stinger.

Umm

Strider is seen here with a rig that was set up by Fast Eddie... not sure if a Muskie lure is the right approach though.

Game face

When the black flies are biting...so are the fish! Tight Line scans the surface for fish sign...a practice made all the more difficult while looking through a mesh hat.

Tight Line strikes early

It wasn't long (or far from camp) until Tight Line netted the first Laker of the trip... this was a prize winning fish by previous year's standards, so the bar was set high.

le Snake

New to the Splake Hunter clan is "le Snake". He took some time trying to separate fact from fiction, but if you know the players involved, your head will be spinning as well.

Wrong Way to pack

It wasn't until the Wrong Way barg pulled ashore and the camp set up did the competition begin.

Sweet Victory!

It was an amazing race into the lake this year. The Camp office was busy and since camping spots are limited on the lake we had three canoes tie up traffic at the launch as Tight Line and the Brent Giant sprinted ahead to claim the best site on the lake for the Splake Hunters.

We later found out that our competition managed to wrestle through the canoe traffic in an attempt to have the best site for themselves only to have Wrong Way tell them with a smile on his face that they were too late.

Snicker snicker

This just in from Fast Eddie... Dunk-A-Lew came by today... he's not coming on the trip again this year. He now has a very damaged canoe! Apparently, Lunchbox and Spear wrapped it around a rock while heading down the rapids (not much more than a trickle) from Allan Lake to North Depot.

They used an entire roll of duct tape to repair the damage. 

Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures

Wrong Way has mailed us all his menu for this up coming trip...this was enough to make some Splake hunters consider alternative food sources.