Scott Smith's 'Out of the Mag' - May 11, 1993

Magnetawan Lake, Butt Lake, Little Trout Lake, Queer Lake, Tim River, Longer Lake, Big Trout Lake, White Trout Lake, McIntosh Lake, Timberwolf Lake, Misty Lake and Daisy Lake

Co-paddler: David Mazurkiewicz

Day 1 – May 11th

Our long awaited trip began at 8:00 a.m. on an absolutely gorgeous day with no wind and not a cloud in the sky. as we departed. Magnetawan Lake is a very small but quaint little lake that is basically a travel lake to access the Tim River corridor. It was a short paddle east from the dock at the access point on Magnetawan Lake to the portage and an even shorter carry (135 m) into Hambone Lake, which one can handle with ease. After a short paddle across Hambone and a 295 m portage we slipped into Butt Lake (now called Ralph Bice Lake). After paddling the calm tranquil waters of Magnetawan and Hambone, we were met with whitecaps and strong winds on Butt Lake. Butt Lake is a very long and wide-open lake and the wind tends to gust at times. I recommend paddling close to shore when traversing in rough conditions, especially in the early Spring when dumping your canoe in the frigid waters could be very costly.

After paddling about three-quarters down Butt Lake to the north east, before the lake begins to narrow, you will see a large rock protruding from the surface. Just out from this rock there is a shoal running along the north shoreline. Do take the time to fish the drop-off along this stretch as this has produced some nice catches of Lake Trout on past trips. As you pass over the shallow narrows towards the portage in early spring you may also notice schools of Lake Trout scattering at the sight of your canoe. On this trip however, Butt Lake was a travel lake only and we did not attempt to fish.

After an exhausting two-hour paddle down Butt Lake we finally reached the 435 m portage into Little Trout Lake. We took the time to hydrate and regain our strength before the carry into Little Trout. After the carry we dumped our 16' kevlar canoe into Little Trout and immediately noticed schools of Lake Trout in the water immediately out from the access point. Dave and I tried several fan casts into the large schools of fish. However, they weren't interested in our offerings and we eventually gave up. I contemplated whether or not we should take the time to fish Little Trout, but it was a travel day and we were already well into the afternoon; so we pressed on.

The portage from Little Trout into Queer Lake is a minor inconvenience at only 175 m. We only passed along the northern end of Queer directly to the portage in the northeast corner of the lake. The 1500 m portage to the Tim River was a long and challenging ordeal, which we ended up double carrying. It would be an easy carry for experienced, light packing Voyageurs. In hindsight, we were still novices back then and had a lot to learn about portaging efficiency. Travelling lightly always makes for a more enjoyable trip, so plan carefully. There are some nice rapids besides this portage, with some pools that I have heard yield nice catches of Brook Trout. Our time was limited with minimal daylight left, so we didn't stop.

As we headed down the ever-meandering Tim River, the sun was setting rapidly. With only minutes of daylight left we were approaching the only reachable campsite on the Tim, located adjacent to the outflow of Little Trout Creek. Much to our dismay, the site was occupied. We had no choice but to set up our tent in a clearing nearby. It is not recommended to do so, but in this case it was unavoidable. Always leave a campsite as you found it and only have campfires on designated sites' firepits.

Day 2 – May 12th

After some much needed rest, we embarked on the second day of our expedition. We quickly packed up our gear and paddled off trying to put some distance between us and civilization. After some rigorous paddling, we stopped along the shore of the Tim for a breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon and hot chocolate. I also tried some fishing from shore but only managed to catch a perch and few chub. As we paddled along the Tim we met up with a few canoes that were headed west. The one fellow asked, “How are the Maple Leafs doing?” I believe they were in the quarterfinals at the time, against the St. Louis Blues. The group had been in the park for a few weeks and were disconnected from the outside world. When I the fellow the news, I think he almost fell out of his canoe. He was so excited. Yes, we did bring along a walkman in order to follow the Leafs.

The Tim River seemed to go on forever with all of its meandering .. especially the second half of the Tim, before you reach Shippagew Lake. Make sure you give consideration to travel time when you make this journey, even though you are going with the current.

However, we did manage to see three moose along the shore, which made things more exciting. I also continued my luck at fishing the Tim but only managed to catch chub. After a short carry into Shippagew Lake (125 m) and a short paddle across, we reached the portage to Longer Lake. After a challenging 1,335 m portage, we slipped into Longer Lake early in the afternoon and quickly grabbed a campsite on the opposite shore. The campsite on the southeast corner of Longer is a real beauty, with a stream and rapids flowing down from Big Trout Lake .. no doubt a good location to cast for Brook Trout. We set up the tent far up from the shore in a secluded area overlooking the lake. The day was wearing on and I decided to try my luck at fishing.

I tried fan casting over the sunken boulders, where the stream empties into Longer and hooked into a nice Brook Trout that managed to shake the hook free. After that I had no more bites and decided to call it a night. The cold air was creeping in and our fire would be the only thing to keep us warm. Besides some sore shoulders, sun burnt ears and minor aches the trip has been great so far.

Day 3 – May 13th

We slept in as we were broken from the day before. We packed up camp sooner than expected for two reasons. One, the wind would not subside and the fishing that had so much promise had slowed. We proceeded to paddle south into Big Trout Lake, which is where we were going to stay the night and it was worth the effort. It's an awesome and humbling view of Big Trout when you come over the hill on the 300 m portage. Looking out onto the sparkling waters of Big Trout, I can put myself in the shoes of the fist people ever to see this magnificent site.

We only saw about five other canoes pass by all day long, from our island campsite on the north west portion of the lake. We decided once again to try some fishing as our food supplies were dwindling and we were very hungry from the fresh air and from expending so much energy. If was about 4:00 p.m. and we trolled some of the calm bays adjacent to our campsite. No bites! And to make matters worse, my line got fouled. In the mean time, my spoon fluttered towards the bottom and was quickly engulfed by a large Laker that much to my dismay broke me off. Although initially disappointing, this was a pick-me-up and we were now on to the pattern of vertically jigging spoons. Dave immediately hooked onto a nice Laker as well, but it broke him off right at the boat. I even had my hands around it. Talk about frustration .. and with hunger setting in as well.

Right then I had two concerns; we were running very low on food and also running low on fishing tackle. We one more night ahead on Big Trout. we hoped some fishing redemption was in order.

Day 4 – May 14th

The day started out with a lot of promise. We awoke around 9:00 a.m., after a good night sleep, to a third consecutive nice day. I was anxious to hit the water with hopes of redeeming yesterdays fishing failures. Our persistence was quickly meet with success as Dave hauled the first Lake Trout of the day into the boat. It would make a nice shore lunch and we were both relieved. About an hour later I landed a 4 lb. Laker right off the front of the campsite, which I quickly released. I was on top of the world. We then came in for breakfast at 11:30 a.m. and cooked up the fish with onions and potatoes. It was a perfect Algonquin shore lunch and definitely the highlight of the trip.

Our fortunes changed once again as the clouds rolled in and the rain came down hard. We quickly scrambled for the cover of our tent and were confined there for several hours. It's a good idea to bring a tarp to erect next to the campfire as a portable shelter. Ever since this experience, we always have one handy on our trips. I also highly recommend bringing a journal to log the events of your trip. For example dates, lakes, people and experiences you might otherwise forget. One can take the time to capture the memories of the trip, especially on rainy days. Finally by about 8:30 p.m., the rain had subsided and Big Trout was like glass as night fell. Good thing it did or it would be a very long night.

We set a campfire to warm ourselves and try to dry our clothes. We even managed to dry the inside of our leaky tent. Dave dug some temporary trenches in the ground to lead the standing ground water away from the tent. The rain stopped but the cool northern wind continued to chill the air. The frogs were chirping and everything was still. The lonely call of a distant loon was ever present as we sat and reflected on the day’s events. By 11:00 p.m. it was time for bed.

Day 5 – May 15th

We packed up and shipped out of one of the best campsites we have ever stayed at. Needless to say it was difficult to leave. We paddled along the west shore of Big Trout toward White Trout Lake. The cliffs along the narrows into White Trout Lake are breathtaking. Ospreys used to nest on the cliffs. We planned to camp on White Trout for the night but after we passed the cliffs, we did not see any decent campsites. We decided to press on towards the marshes at the delta of Grassy Bay and MacIntosh Creek. The rain started again, progressing from spitting to a harder rain. We contemplated staying on the island site before the delta, but decided to press on despite the rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.

We paddled up the MacIntosh Creek towards MacIntosh Lake, which was our destination for the night. We met up with two guys on the portage who had enough camping gear for an army. The one fellow had a huge crate with a leather strap that he wore around his head to support the load. I’m sure he will be making a visit to his chiropractor after the trip. Careful consideration should be made when packing your gear to limit the weight in your pack. Stick to the essentials and distribute the load amongst your team. This will make your trip more enjoyable and allow you to portage more efficiently, with fewer aches and pains.

We dumped into MacIntosh and negotiated several boulders (“hippopotami”) protruding from the surface. Luckily the lake was like glass, otherwise paddling would have been treacherous in choppy waters. We paddled half an hour to a campsite on the southeast shore of the lake. It was secluded and protected from any prevailing winds. I decided to try some fishing in the secluded bay adjacent to the campsite. I tried jigging off the bottom and managed to snag the tail fin of a nice 3 lb. Lake Trout that seemed more like 20 lbs. as a result of the hookset. I quickly landed and released this fish which was probably more surprised than I was.

Day 7 – May 16th

We packed up our campsite on MacIntosh and proceeded on what we thought would be a short journey to Timberwolf Lake. We were very dissatisfied with the campsites on Timberwolf as we contemplated staying on the site in the clearing on the northeast shore. However, we decided to proceed to Misty Lake.

Misty Lake was a travel lake for us this go around, so we didn't wet any lines. After paddling through Misty and up the Petawawa River, we hit Daisy Lake .. our destination for the night.

Daisy is a small and narrow lake that is well protected from winds and is often a travel lake for most canoeists. We decided to stay on the island campsite on the south west corner of the lake. We set up camp and turned in.

Day 8 – May 17th

I awoke around 7:30 a.m. and went fishing. Dave was still sound asleep after a day of hard paddling. The previous night the temperature had dipped well below zero and it was hard to escape the chill in the air. This particular campsite had limited exposure to the sunlight and it was cool, even in the daytime. So, around noon we decided to pack up camp and move to the rock campsite immediately across the lake that had excellent exposure to the sun and was warm. It was actually short-sleeve weather and we got some sun.

I went fishing 3 times by myself for approximately 5 hours combined and didn’t get a bite. I enjoyed escaping the shadows along the shoreline and being able to bask in the sun on the open water.

That evening I went out fishing with Dave, which seems to always bring good luck. I’m usually a better guide anyway. We trolled along the tips of the fallen pines jutting out into the water on the east shore, which brought success. We both caught Lake Trout and we had shore lunch later that evening. It was a good thing as our food supply had all but disappeared. It was a good way to cap off our second last night in the park. It sure goes by fast, so be sure to savour every moment of your trip. I don’t think Dave and I are sick of each other yet although we are both anxious to hit the McDonalds in Huntsville afterwards.

Day 9 – May 18th

Our last day on Hambone was spent at a leisurely pace paddling the lake, doing some fishing, relaxing and exploring. I was so hungry that I actually drank a bottle of liquid honey .. as there were no fish to be had that day. It was a chance to reflect on what was truly an enjoyable and memorable trip. It was with a heavy heart that we packed up and crossed Magnetawan Lake one final time.

Scott Smith .. SSmith2@saputo.com