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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The Cliffs of White Trout

Day 3 – May 6

5:30 am - Phil and I decided to try some fishing out in front of our campsite before we had to break camp. It was a travel day and not one of us was looking forward to leaving our beautiful Big Trout Lake site. We decided collectively that leaving Big Trout and making it all the way to access 3 on Magnetewan Lake on our last day would simply be too much distance to cover. Our contingency plan was to travel to Misty Lake while enjoying the day with some leisurely paddling and fishing along the way. My first cast towards the shore in front of our site and I latched onto a nice 2 lb Lake Trout which was quickly released to the water. As luck would have it, we never even had a bite after that.

Morning Glow on Big Trout

Tranquil Morning

10:00 am – We broke camp and left our Big Trout campsite with much regret. It was like leaving an old friend not knowing when you would see them again. We pointed our canoes along the south west shore towards the narrows to White Trout Lake.

Camp view on Big Trout

Big Trout Vistas

Along the way we met two gentlemen in a canoe returning from a morning of fishing. They reporting a productive morning on the water and a fine catch of trout. I believe these guys were staying in the site adjacent to ours. As we approached the narrows to White Trout, I couldn’t help but notice the magnificent view of the many islands dotting the shoreline and the numerous back bays that would take days to explore. I couldn’t help but feel a little depressed to leave such a beautiful lake. As our four canoes entered the narrows, we had a perfect drift and began to pepper the shore with cast after cast. We met up with another canoe and two guys fishing as well. Between our canoes we clogged up the narrows.

The Cliffs of White Trout

As the gentle wind pushed us out into White Trout, we started fishing the shoreline which featured some perfect structure for trout. The rock cliffs along this section are most impressive. Darren and I were a ways down the shore when Bojan, Ainsley and Paul radioed "fish on". Phil and Brian quickly headed over with net ready. It was Bojan’s fight. As the fish was netted, the initial report was a nice Laker, but after careful inspection it was a beautiful Brook Trout, 21" in length. Bojan, who is not an avid angler, had caught the fish of a lifetime and we were all happy for him. Then to make up some time, we began to paddle hard towards the south end of White Trout.

Bojan’s Fine Brook Trout

White Trout to Grassy Bay

After carefully negotiating the marsh of grassy bay at the mouth of the Petawawa River, we noticed the sign on the shore reading Petawawa to Misty Lake, confirming that we were headed in the right direction. At the first portage, there were a few gents fishing the lower pool. So we decided to complete the carry and try fishing the upper pool. We launched our canoes and immediately noticed several large shadows cruising just below the canoe. After only a few casts we began catching fish. These were not Brook Trout however, but a variety of chub and suckers who would take any offering we would throw out to them. These fish were in the 14 – 20" range. We spent about 1 hour in this pool and caught and released about a dozen fish each. It was a great way for those who are not avid fishermen to experience catching some fish.

We pressed onward down the next section of the Petawawa River. This proved quite challenging as we encountered several beaver dams and we had to get out to haul our canoe overtop. Along the way there were a few curious Gray Jays which followed us up the Petawawa to the portage into Misty Lake. The falls at the landing to the portage to Misty are very beautiful and we took some time to fish it. Unfortunately, there was no success to report. The portage to Misty is well groomed and we completed this carry with ease. We launched into the east arm of Misty Lake in search of the first available campsite. We passed on the first one, as it was quite small for our group. Eventually, we found a winner close to the portage to Timberwolf Lake.

After setting up our tents and making a fire, we simply lounged around the site, resting our aching muscles. Collectively, we prepared a large meal consisting of fish cooked in Cajun and honey Dijon mix – potatoes, onions and curry rice. It was very gratifying as we reflected on the days events and enjoyed the magnificent sunset. Soon afterwards we turned in.

Sunset on Misty Lake

Solitude on Misty

Day 4 – May 7

5:30 a.m. – As the sun burned the mist off the lakes surface, Phil and I headed out for some fishing. We trolled the shoreline without any success. We then headed over to the 150 m portage to Timberwolf Lake. We fished the rapids which looked like a great spot with no luck. This confirmed to me that, if it looks like a great spot, it usually isn't. However, Phil caught a glimpse of a large Brookie which darted off in the upper pool before he could get a cast in. We also spotted a moose in the distance, grazing in the marsh. Without luck, we headed back towards camp. In the bay adjacent to our campsite, we spotted yet another moose and Phil managed to get a close-up photo. After breakfast we broke camp and headed west down Misty Lake.

Misty Lake Sunrise

Daybreak – Misty Lake

Early Morning Moose

We faced a strong head wind all the way to the portage. Along the way, we past a few guys casting from shore. They reported catching a few Brookies which I thought was amazing, considering I’ve never had fishing success on Misty before. The landing to Little Misty was a muddy and rocky affair but we managed nicely. We encountered the same headwind as we traveled east on Little Misty. We surged forward eventually entering the Petwawawa. This section of the river is easy paddling in May and we even ran the 135 m portage without incident. If it were July or August we would be painting rocks with our canoe.

Falls – Petawawa to Daisy

The final portage before entering Daisy Lake features a pretty waterfall. We spent a few minutes of down time casting for Brookies, but without any success. We pressed on for Daisy Lake, hoping to get in some quality fishing time. However, as we approached the SW section, the gale force winds were pushing white caps down the lake. It was all we could do to keep the canoe edging forward, let along attempt to fish. This was a major disappointment, but there was simply nothing we could do as we were at Mother Nature’s mercy. At the NW corner of Daisy, you make your way through a narrow river-like passage. You eventually come to a dock at the landing of the portage headed towards Hambone Lake. This is an easy carry. At the other end, you launch into a small body of water until to come to a short 55 m portage into Hambone. Once again we were able to run this portage after carefully navigating a few rocks.

As we slipped silently through Hambone, everything was completely still. Everything was serene and I took a moment to reflect on our adventure that would never be dimmed in our memories by time. The challenge of the wilderness makes me feel alive, but most of all it’s the companionship, beauty, silence and timelessness that is Algonquin. As we launched into Magnetewan Lake, with only meters to the dock, I tried to take everything in. One last breath of Algonquin for another year! This marked the end of our trip and I felt sadness, as I would not see my old friend (The Park) until next spring. After gathering our gear, we took a few moments for a group photo. Then we reluctantly headed back to the vehicles and packed everything away. Shortly after, we began the long journey home.

The Voyageurs

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