Fall, Pasha Lake, Unquestionably Great Fish’in

Driving north on the 801 yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice the changing leaves. Almost overnight the Pasha Lake region was showered in trimmings of orange, red and yellow. With falling water temps and even cooler air, it’s a safe bet to make the official call… Fall is here.

I absolutely love this time of year. I still place July at the top of the list, but second only by a miniscule margin is Fall. Why you ask? Its pretty simple. Most of the summer fam commitments are over meaning the boys get a chance to break loose and play. And with every one of God’s creatures preparing for lean times ahead, boundless opportunities are within easy reach. Fish, especially the recently elusive BIG fish are putting on the heavy feed bag. Walleyes, pike, white fish, brook trout… all are easy to target. This time of year also means hunting. From birds to bears, moose and wolf we have a pretty big playground to work with and lots of playmates to … ahh,hemmm … find!. Yes, Fall is the grand finale of the current years outdoor pursuits, the last big push before winter rears its ugly, cold head. MAN I LOVE FALL!

So I had the great pleasure to meet a very unique crew from Southern Ontario this week. Their fly in trip was cancelled due to low water conditions, so they booked with us last minute. Ganady (Russian) and the crew are on the extreme end of hardcore fishing fanatics. They have been there and done that, with one tiny (or vary large) exception… Lake Nipigon. When he called me up and asked if I could take care of him, I jumped at the chance.

The day came and Ganady was very specific about what he wanted to fish for on the big pond. Brookies and pike were the top of the list and he could care less about the walleyes. When I explained to him how good the walleye fishing was, he hesitated a little and said we can fish them at the end of the day. I added that I had low expectations for the specs, but he insisted and we fished them. After two hours of washing lures, I coughed under my breath and may have slipped the word “pike” out, but I am not sure. Doesn’t matter though, Ganady took the hint and on to chase swamp gators we went. Man ooooo man… fall is here. After the fourth pike that was landed over 40”s, I could tell we made the right choice. Biggest of the day was over 43” and Ganady was one very happy man.

Also this past week the Nuss crew from Iowa (http://www.nusschiro.com/), returned for their 2nd trip of the year. Travis told me in emails and on the phone that he wanted new adventures this year. New adventures you say? Ok, so I sent him out on Lake Nipigon without a guide and surprising he returned. So I figured I take another crack at it and send him to Jonny Fickert’s secret lake and wouldn’t you know it? Travis made it back from there as well. No matter what I threw at him, he somehow managed to make it back to camp with sore arms, smiles and begging for more. They ended their trip on Onaman yesterday boating a 27” to cap the entire week off and boasted they landed over 250 walleyes for the week. I’ll fix him next year!

Archery moose season opens today. Big fish are on the move. Air temps are cool in the morning and absolutely perfect by mid day. How could you ask for anything more!

Until next time….