Seine River Lodge / Wyteki Outfitters

Canoe Trip Info & Web Log

(plus some random observations & ramblings).

 

June 16, 2008 – Finally An Update

 

Well, here we are….a month or so into the season, and the weather still feels like early May…..that’s been the deal this year so far…..cold, fairly windy, wet….

 

Speaking of wet, as of this writing, water levels are high – very high. Some creeks that may have been impassable may be good to go this year…

 

The downside….some dams have burst and changed some areas…..paddling / wading vs walking….or sometimes walking / portaging vs paddling…..AND – we’re in the perfect conditions for bugs. Had lots of blackflies….hopefully they’ll be over soon, mosquitoes just started – looks like they’ll be very healthy this year/ Plus lots of wood ticks – but hey – that’s part of the adventure right?

 

Due to the weather all the spawns were late…up to about a couple of weeks. Overall though, fishing’s been good. Walleye & pike have kicked in post spawn, lakers are still pretty shallow and smallies are pre spawn and hitting topwater.

 

Quick Quetico policy update – as expected, now we can’t use live bait in the park & any barbs have to be pinched…..you don’t have to pinch your whole tackle box, just the one you’re using…..no limit / slot changes yet.

 

2008 Quetico Park fees…..

 

Non Resident – per night CDN $

$13.85 adult & $5.90 youth

 

Resident

$9.90 adult & $4.20 youth

 

2008 Fishing Licence Rates – Non Resident – CDN $

 

8 Day Conservation                    $24.55

8 Day Sport                              $42.22

Seasonal Conservation                $40.26

Seasonal Sport                          $65.77

 

As usual, we issue fishing licences at the camp. Also can book / pick up your permits for you.

 

Overall, things are going good……a lot of our canoeing resvervations have been coming in late, but really starting to fill up – particularly mid July – mid August.

 

Already had several groups in on Quetico or White Otter Trips…will have pics up soon & some details of fishing / adventures….just thought I’d quickly update our blog (I’m gonna be better at keeping it updated this year!).

 

Quent

 

July 3 2006 – A Little Rapid Fire Info For Ya’ll

 

The first part of the year for the most part was great weather for canoeing, but the downside to that is that, despite some rain lately we are very dry and the fire hazard is high. No fire ban right now, but we do recommend using camp stoves over fires in this current climate. Also, water levels are pretty low, so check out any shallow creeks that you were planning to paddle down – they may be low & you may wind up portaging….

 

Road conditions are good – Beaverhouse & Stanton are the two we get a lot of questions about. As of this writing they are fine.

 

Quetico plans to ban any live bait as of ’07. If you fish with leeches or crawlers, you may want to research / experiment with artificial this year to be ready for the upcoming changes. I know some won’t like this, but you can do great with lures / plugs / plastics etc once you learn how & this will help ensure Quetico remains pristine with no alien, invasive species messing up the ecosystem.

 

Sounds like lead tackle will also be on its’ way out….we are actively testing alternatives to lead jigs etc & will have some selections for sale at our HQ in the near future.

 

More to follow….

 

 

July 01 2006 – Some Updates etc!

 

OK – a little change in format…this here blog will tend to deal more with canoeing stuff – Quetico / White Otter & everywhere in between. See our fishing blog for Seine Chain & other local (boat based) fishing stuff.

 

Anyway, here it is – a month and a half into our season & I’m just updating it now…

 

The 1st group in wasn’t until May 20 when the Forst Group entered via Lerome Lake / Sue Falls and tried the angling on the north central part of Quetico. The guys did very well fishing wise for checking out waters for the first time, and have a few hot spots in the Cirrus / Soho Lake areas.

 

Steve Hagewood & the boys also checked out the Cirrus & Beaverhouse Lake area in late May / early June & had a great time as usual.

 

Fred S., a veteran of many Quetico trips went in solo in early June and despite high winds and an injury to his heel (?) persevered and made it through his trip on schedule.

 

The Schultz’ / Monsrud group headed up in the White Otter / Wasp Lake area and had a great trip – our first group in that area this year. The youngest of the group seemed to be the guy who caught some of the nicest fish,

 

Of course, we don’t really feel like our season has kicked off until the Hartnet / Godfrey groups set out on their annual adventure. 9 were in the group this year and out for about 12 days. As usual on this trip – their 11th – they were all over the place although not doing as strenuous a route as they usually do (like the Wawiag River the last couple of years right guys?). Fishing was a little slower than usual for them, but they still did well, and had a great trip as usual. Once Megan sends us some of her pics our photo gallery should be considerably larger (& more entertaining). The guys must have been a little delirious when they came out of the park as Dave volunteered to build our new lodge for us. I think we should take advantage of his fatigue!

 

The 1st big group of the year was Boy Scout Troop 199 came all the way from Kansas to experience Quetico for the first time. The 21 guys seemed to have a great trip doing a  Nym / Batchewaung / Pickerel / Dore / Twin / Sturgeon / Lonely / Walter / Elizabeth / Jess / Maria Lake(s) loop. Good fishing (including some monster pike action) & for the most part good weather. Can’t wait to see the pics guys!

 

The Merical Group made it up again and had a good trip…headed in at Stanton Bay & towards Art, Beg & Buckingham Lakes. Didn’t get much of a chance to talk to the guys after their trip, but they’re already planning their next adventure so that’s usually a good indication of a good trip!

 

The Stewarts’ had a good time on the parks’ west end …

 

The Steensby Group was a hybrid of folks from Australia & Minnesota. They headed up to the Wasp Lake area and spent several days base camping up there. Sounds like a good trip – no one really fishing, but enjoying the wilderness. The loons treated them to a natural “opera” near the end of their trip.

 

 

And after one of our busiest May / June canoeing seasons we’re really looking forward to seeing all of you scheduled to come in over the next few months!

 

April 1 2006 – Some early & Late Season Openings for Camp Based Fishing Packages

 

Just a quick line to let you all know we still have a few openings for the “walleye opener” week – May 20 – 27.

 

Of course we’ll be in the middle of our Great Canadian Pike Hunt at that time as well. The pike are usually excellent that time of year.

 

The walleye can be great too. If there’s a late ice out, all the spawns tend to be late & the ‘eye’s action is sporadic. It looks like we’re going to have an early ice out this spring (it’s going already!), so it’s looking good for the opener.

 

Plus – if anyone likes topwater smallmouth action late May is usually wild. I’d like to see some people come with fly fishing gear to try.

 

You can count also on the lake trout not being too deep. So no matter what your species preference is, there are great possibilities for everyone!

 

Also still have some cabin openings for September fishing trips. Fall fishing can be great, albeit different than spring fishing – fish are deeper, lakers are in “pre-spawn” mode etc.

 

Still some openings scattered throughout the summer (although certain periods are full or filling up fast), so let us know what you’re interested in.

 

I’ll try & update this more frequently in the weeks ahead – let me know ( qvbbbb@aol.com ) what type of info you’d like to see on this page.

 

Still lots of possibilities for Quetico / White Otter canoe trips this summer. With the weather warming up, we’re starting to get a lot of canoe bookings. Remember – if you’re planning a trip into Quetico, entry is limited &  you should book early to ensure your preferred entry station & date.

 

Jan 18 2006 – New Rates For Fishing Licences & Quetico Park Camping Fees

 

Hi everyone – just a quick blog update to advise you of some new rates for licences and camping in 2006 from the Ontario MNR …

 

Non-resident of Canada

Seasonal Fishing Licence                                $64.00 CDN

Seasonal Conservation Fishing Licence            $39.00 CDN

8 Day Fishing Licence                                   $41.00 CDN

8 Day  Conservation Fishing Licence               $24.00 CDN

 

For the rates on the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Website visit:

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/ocnonresopt.html

 

Quetico – Non-resident of Canada

 

Age 6 – 17                                                    $6.00 CDN / night

Age 18>                                                        $13.00 CDN / night

 

For Entry at the Southern Points (Prairie Portage & Cache Bay)

 

Age 6 – 17                                                    $8.00 CDN / night

Age 18>                                                        $14.00 CDN / night

 

Remember – there is still a $12.00 CDN fee to book your permit and the park requires this upon making the reservation plus a $100.00 CDN deposit.

 

You can call Ontario Parks at 1-888-668-7275 to book your permit (up to 5 moths in advance) or, if we’re helping you with outfitting, we’re always happy to set up your permits for you.

 

For further info on Quetico’s new rates and other questions you can visit the Ontario Parks website:

 

http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/pdf/fees2006.pdf

 

Jan 1 2006 – Finally an Update! 

 

Wow – another year goes by. I hope 2005 was as good for you and your family as it was for all of us.

 

Although Lori began cancer treatments early in ’05 and had quite a rough time with them, she finished them in August and is feeling a lot better. She just had her 1 year (from diagnosis) check up and everything looks good!

 

Thanks to all of you for the kind words and prayers throughout the year. I’m sure that had a lot to do with her recovery.

 

We had a very busy ’05 season. It was easily the busiest in our camps 38 year history. As a result, I didn’t get this blog updated like I had hoped – but it’s a new year and that’s near the top of my resolution list.

 

We helped with some wonderful Quetico & White Otter canoe adventures from our camp this summer including the Hartnett / Godfrey 10th anniversary canoe trip, Earl B’s solo trek, Craig J’s canoe and wilderness surgery adventure and many more. I’ll be updating our Newsletter to let you know about some of them.

 

The spring through late June was very wet, but after that we had some great weather.

 

We’ll be adding some new gear to the equipment list – nothing drastic – some good new bent and straight shaft paddles for the complete trips and supplementing our tried & true gear such as Souris River canoes, Ostrom Packs, etc etc.

 

We’ll continue to tweak the menu here and there. We’ll be sticking with the core of it though - Richmoors, Natural High, some Harvest Foodworks and still lots of fresh stuff. We’ll continue to offer one of the most flexible Menu Plans in Canoe Country.

 

Our webmaster Gary is having trouble with the message board. Please bear with us. There were some great comments and suggestions in there. Hopefully it’ll be back up and running soon.

 

Word from Quetico HQ is that Quetico camping rates will go up a little bit in ’06 – likely about $1.00 CDN per person per night. We should know more very soon.

 

We’ll be renovating / expanding our office / store this spring. With the extra room you can expect more outdoor products and souvenirs for sale as well as lots of maps and a counter to review them on.

 

But anyway, I’ll touch on more of that as time goes on – I really just wanted to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We really are looking forward to seeing all of you again this summer along with any new groups who make the trip!

 

Quent

 

 

May 23 2005 – First Seine Chain Fishing Groups & The Return of Brian Milley!

 

Into the last week of May – 3 cabins of anglers, and a couple of campers kick it off this year.

 

The Anderson group from Minnesota is at our camp for the first time, while the Shackelford / Scholl group representing Missouri & Minnesota are up again.

 

It’s been lousy weather since all the guys arrived on Saturday – loads of rain. Water levels are high and fishing has been slow, but is starting to look up.

 

After a couple of days with minimal action, Curt S. brought in a 42” northern tonight, and Paul S. brought in a 15lber. By the way – we’ll be putting up a video from one of their previous trips showing some good walleye action and Paul hauling in a big pike (around 44” I think) of his own. Watch our “Galleries” page for this & other new videos.

 

Some of the Anderson group tried Miranda this a.m. – caught some but slow by Miranda standards. Some went back this p.m. and hopefully will see some better action. Almost everyone who has fished the Miranda / Milk Lakes knows that when they kick in, they kick in big time.

 

Spilchuks from Atikokan are spending a week or so - great to have some local Atikokanites out at the camp.

 

Garry & Dianne Demchuk have been out a lot as usual, and have been helping us in a big way – cleaning cabins, hooking up the water, helping renovate our office etc etc etc. Hopefully they get to spend some R & R time in their trailer & on their pontoon boat soon.

 

Also – some of my best friends have been out - from town, Clint Riding & Andy Gushulak and all the way from Saskatchewan Brian Milley.

 

Mainly Andy & Brian have been fishing – caught some walleye for some fresh fish dinners; while Clint’s been nursing an injured back.

 

I wish I could be there with you guys – we’ve had a lot of fun over the years both on & off the water. Catch a few for me.   

 

Brian & I used to practically live on the Seine Chain in the early ‘80’s and have literally hundreds of  “fishing stories” (rather than “fish stories” – but we have a few of those as well).

 

Actually, those with long memories may remember a picture of Brian & I on one of our old brochures with a great stringer of everything – pike, walleye, bass & perch – now that was a wicked morning of fishing, but that’s a story for another time & place.

 

It’s hard to not be at the camp – especially when there’s new groups in who I may be able to help, but my parents have loads of experience there.

 

The main thing right now is to make sure Lori recovers from her chemotherapy treatments (last one was Friday May 13 – YAY!), and I’m eternally grateful for everyone for all the help & support.

 

Extra special thanks goes to my parents, Garry & Dianne, Lori’s Mom Jackie, and siblings / siblings in law Kevin, Wendy & Marcel for helping us through all this. It just wouldn’t happen without you folks.

 

I’ll be up by late May / early June and Lori & the kids will follow sometime later in June or July.

 

We’ll see y’all then!

 

 

May 20, 2005 - 1st Quetico Group of ‘05

 

Well, I’m back down in S Ontario now – a quick trip up, got Earl packed and set up for his Quetico adventure.

 

Unfortunately I missed Earl as I had to go back down to S Ontario just before he left. My parents took care of the rest of the arrangements for me. Sorry I missed you Earl – we’ll do dinner at the Atikokan Hotel next year for sure!

 

Anyway it sounds like he had a great trip – fishing a little slow, but he still managed to get some meals.

 

Haven’t got many details or pics yet, but he’s back down in the heat of FLA, so I’ll post any interesting trip stories once I hear.

 

 

 

May 7 2005

 

Just heading up to camp tomorrow – start getting set up as things really kick off around May 21.

 

In the meantime though, Earl Blackwelder from FLA will be flying in for a Quetico trip on May 12 marking his 2nd year as the first group in (he loves the cold!).

 

Plus Jim & Ron are coming in on the 12th as well for a tent based trip staying at the camp.

 

I’ll be back & forth for a little while. My Dad & Mom will be helping out in my absence here & there while we’re coordinating moving my family back up to the camp for the summer. One of these years it’ll be permanent (then watch for some winter trips!).

 

Our new septic field was completed last fall and should improve the yard a lot. There’ll be a nice, big flat lawn in place of the old weedy field that has been there for 35 years or so.

 

You’ll just have to watch where you drive as we had to put some tanks in some new places. We should have the “no drive zones” roped off soon.

 

Looking forward to a great year – bookings are up, and we’re planning some more improvements by season’s end.

 

New outhouses this year (I promise!), plus completing renovations on our 3 large cabins - #3, #5 & # 6.

 

We’re tentatively planning some renos to Cabin #1 – the smaller LHK cabin nearest the Fish House. New windows, doors, siding, fix up floor – including beams, joists, some tongue & groove pine inside. An overall facelift but nothing drastic – it’ll still be the same cabin that was once a Quetico Ranger Cabin before the construction of Highway 11 moved the borders of the park back to the south.

 

Speaking of the Fish House – look for a new counter there – and higher so you don’t get that kink in your back after filleting your 2nd or 3rd walleye.

 

And a lot more grounds keeping – under brushing certain growths of alders, more lawn area and some more strategically placed trees.

 

We got 2 docks functional last year and are hoping for 1 or 2 more this year. Any “owner’s boat” fees charged to groups bringing their own boats will go directly to the docks this year.

 

We’re doubling the size of our office so we can better display maps & souvenirs.

 

We’re looking forward to having Jordan Stus back again this year keeping the yard looking good and doing a bit of everything else – part time ‘til schools out & full time after that – and perhaps another 1 or 2 helpers.

 

Just bought 2 new 16’ Lunds and a pair of 15hp Honda outboards for them to compliment the existing fleet of Nadens, Lunds & Hondas. We were maxxed out on boats & motors last year and had to turn away a lot of people as although we often had cabins, we ran short of boats & motors.

 

Of course they’ll have swivel seats mounted on the benches and portable fish finders to compliment them.

 

As far as canoeing gear goes, we’ll be adding some bent shaft paddles to our myriad of straight shafts, odds & ends of more gear including more packs (Ostroms, maybe some Duluths’ Kondos’ and / or Granite Gear as well) – compressor sacks, food packs, regular canoe packs and more Thermarest mattresses.

 

We’ll also upgrade our tarps for the canoe groups and we continue to improve the selection of food.

 

Ambitious eh? Time will tell how much we achieve, but we’ve had a pretty good batting average over the years – thanks in no small part to all the help we receive from all of our friends.

 

Speaking of that, we will be doing our “Appreciation BBQ” in August or September again as well. A way of saying “Thanks” to all the friends, families, guides, employees, contractors, suppliers and guests who help out year after year.

 

Plus it’s a great reason to get together and have a few beer and some great food.

 

Watch this spot for further details on this and let me know of any suggestions you may have! 

 

Quent

 

 

May 6 2005

 

“What the heck’s a blog!?!” Lori (my wife) asked with a strange look on her face.

 

I explained to her how I’m trying to change our annual Newsletter (which I still haven’t completed for the ’04 season -yet) to a more current, ongoing communication which will hopefully inform and entertain readers be they past, present or potentially future guests of ours.

 

I’m hoping to update it regularly throughout the year with comments on things like what’s biting, where and on what, weather, local news pertinent to travelers in our area, news from groups that are at or were at the camp (I get lots of “What’s Dave from Topeka up to these days – does he still come up?” and things like that), funny stories, vacancies, specials, etc etc etc.

 

And of course I hope to brag about the great fish you all catch or the great adventures you have. Just me living vicariously through our guests again!

 

Gary Skrzek, our Webmaster extraordinaire, is as usual, coordinating the technical aspect of it since I have long wish lists for our sites and haven’t a clue how, or if any of it will work.

 

I hope you all enjoy this endeavor and I hope it proves useful.