Algonquin 2010

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Top 10 Quotes from Mancation 2010

10.  What's you story

 9.  Partiers huh?

 8.  Road House?

 7.  Who? Him?   Don't worry about him.

 6.  It'll be alright.

 5.  Scooooootty Boy (in falsetto)

 4.  That hurt when I fell down that cliff.

 3.  Anyone want some banana chips?

 2.  Shaken' my hips like yea.

And the #1 Quote is:

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#1.   Who are you?  Chuckles Norris?

Gone Fishin'

We'll be on the water by Sunday and off on Friday.   Temps should range between 50 to 68.



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This Time Next Week...

We'll be back country experts with 2 whole days to get our sea legs.

Guess that means...

Everyone can now rest easy

Schilling's passport came in the mail last week. Jeff now owes him $5 and Matt will no longer have to dress up like a Mountie at the Canadian border as his man-cation comrades leave him at the border.

Weather conditions update

This 14-day forecat gets into the first few days of our trip.

Algonquin weather conditions

Highs in the 80s this week with lows down to 50 F.

Jeff told me he plans to try this on Butt Lake

Guillaume Nery base jumping sous l'eau
Uploaded by yom_. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.

First Planning Meeting at the Tip Top

Time to get together and make sure we have the bases covered. You should plan on consuming some beer so that management doesn't throw us out.

Happy Birthday Matt

51 Days to Man-cation!!!

Trailside Adventure

Wilderness Canoe trip rentals and Outfitting in Algonquin Park (access #2,3,4) .

Renting some 16' Souris River Canoes.   Plan on staying in the new hostel going in and coming out.

Currently planning on 6 + Obi Wan Kenobi, trail dog.

What to eat? Packing Food for 5 nights

Looks like we should plan on bringing 1.5 to 2 lbs of food per person per day.

Food Types:

• Food breaks down into freeze dried and dehydrated,
• Food that needs a little cooking like couscous
• And dry grains.

Some Resources:

• Wilderness Dining covers pre-packaged meals thoroughly.
• Mountain House makes freeze dried meals (including stuff like eggs) that only requires water and no cooking.
• There are freeze dried beans, vegetables, and fruits,
• supermarket items such as granola, energy bars, M&Ms, instant soups, raman noodles, and meats in tin foil packages.

There are plenty examples of a packing lists out there as well.

I plan on sticking to things that don't require any cooking. I'll probably pick up some Mountain House for dinner and make my own breakfast and lunch.

"...I think of a Cree friend with whom I travelled early in the century.  I wonder what he would think about the modern day luxury of this food budget.  We had a canoe, fish line, rifle, two rabbit skin blankets, flour, tea and a bag of salt.  We slept under the canoe, and lived largely off the country - on fish, game and berries."

Sigurd Olson

Trip Advisor Forums on Algonquin

Looks like an active discussion.

How to Handle a Paddle

Here's somebody who actually knows what they're doing providing a good example of the J-stroke, Sweep stroke, and Draw stroke. He gives some good pointers about hand position and ergonomics. The J-Stroke is a must know stroke. Study this page because there is a week long test in August. Also notice the good looking canoe he is sitting in because I'm pretty sure that is a Souris River.

(Check out Red Rock Wilderness Store)

The guy above is who you want to look like. Below is what we will probably look like...

BTW, this is not a J Stroke...

Scott and Schills! Come On Doooooooown!

Scott and Schills will be joining Matt, Paul, Jeff, and Gordon on the Mancation to Algonquin.   Are they manly enough keep up with the rough and rugged outdoorsmen?   Or will they fold like wet origami at the first sign of Bear scat?   We shall soon see.

Maps of Algonquin

All the map info you could want.

August Temps in Algonquin

Looks like it could get as cold as 32 F. and as hot as 80 F.

Daily Data Report for
August 2009

D a y	Max Temp °C	Min Temp °C	Mean Temp °C	Total Precip mm
01†	27.1	9.4	18.3	0.0
02†	22.9	8.7	15.8	0.0
03†	23.5	6.7	15.1	0.0
04†	26.0	13.3	19.7	1.5
05†	21.7	8.3	15.0	0.5
06†	21.9	10.4	16.2	0.0
07†	21.6	6.8	14.2	0.5
08†	23.7	4.9	14.3	1.0
09†	26.0	16.5	21.3	28.0
10†	25.7	14.6	20.2	0.0
11†	26.0	15.5	20.8	0.0
12†	27.2	13.2	20.2	0.0
13†	27.5	11.5	19.5	0.0
14†	28.6	10.8	19.7	0.0
15†	29.7	14.5	22.1	0.0
16†	30.4	15.6	23.0	0.0
17†	28.4	18.0	23.2	5.5
18†	25.7	15.1	20.4	7.5
19†	24.3	11.5	17.9	0.0
20†	28.2	13.3	20.8	23.0
21†	26.7	17.1	21.9	1.0
22†	23.6	13.8	18.7	0.5
23†	22.0	11.8	16.9	0.5
24†	22.5	8.7	15.6	0.0
25†	26.5	7.3	16.9	0.5
26†	21.3	5.4	13.4	0.0
27†	19.3	3.2	11.3	0.0
28†	19.1	7.2	13.2	6.0
29†	19.3	11.3	15.3	12.5
30†	14.5	4.4	9.5	0.0
31†	19.0	1.9	10.5	0.0
Sum				88.5
Avg	24.2	10.7	17.43
Xtrm	30.4	1.9

Tips on Spin Fishing for Trout

The general idea in fishing is to get the bait or lure to where the fish are. When the water is warm or the sun is bright, trout head for coolest water they can find — deep shade covered holes.

Trout are efficient feeders. They expend as little energy as possible when feeding. This is especially true when the water is warm. The warmer the water, the less oxygen that it can hold and this means less oxygen for the fish. When the oxygen level in the water is low the trout will reduce their energy output — even at feeding time.

Trout let the current do the work for them by bringing food right past their feeding station. Trout move very little laterally when feeding, yet they let the current move them up and down to intercept food. A trout won't spend more energy on food than it will get in return. That fact makes it important for you to get your spinner as close to the trout's feeding lane as possible. One of the most effective ways to do this is to run your spinner with the current. This allows you to get the spinner down deeper in the water, particularly in swifter water.

To work a hole, run your spinner through the feeding channels, the areas where the current runs along an undercut bank, around a rock, or around other debris in the water. The trout hold in these areas because they provide cover and the current sweeps food to them.

Try to keep your spinner on the edge of these holding areas, the idea being that the trout can take the spinner without expending excess energy.

When fishing with the current don't let your spinner sink — start reeling as soon as it hits the water. If you let your spinner sink, you'll be wading through the hole trying to get it off the rocks.

To run your spinner with the current, you will need a good spinning reel. One that operates smoothly and retrieves more line with fewer turns of the handle. A good reel will allow you to vary the speed of your retrieval to match the speed of the water and the depth of the hole. If you have to crank the handle like a madman just to keep the lure off the rocks — you've got the wrong reel.

When it comes to the spinners themselves, I've found that I have more control over my retrieve with a larger bladed spinner such as a number two Mepp. The larger blade seems to provide more lift, even when retrieved at a slower speed. What I mean by that is, the larger blade helps keep the spinner off the rocks.

Running your spinner with the current is a technique that anyone can master. You'll be amazed at how quickly you pick up the skill.

One last tip — When fishing a river or stream, don't skip those long holes against the bank, the ones with all the overhanging branches. Running your spinner with the current will allow you to get the spinner right next to, and sometimes even under those branches, down where the lunker trout like to hide.

Algonquin Privy

The wooden seat is highly anti-microbial.

If you desire privacy, close your eyes.

Idea for ballast in high winds

Lighter is better except in high winds. I keep some empty gallon jugs on board to fill as ballast when conditions get nasty. Each gallon is 8.3 pounds. If you wipe out, the water jugs won't take your boat to the bottom as rocks or other heavier-than-water ballast will. In the Boundary Waters the wind can appear unexpectedly, and that accounts for most of the deaths there - a sudden wind or storm when a party is crossing a lake. So carry the empty water jugs. Four or five will stabilize a small, lightweight canoe.

Fishing in Algonquin Park

Fishing in Algonquin Park - Canon HG21 (HD) from Jonathan Wagner on Vimeo.

Pack Light and Go Far

http://www.bwca.cc/tripplanning/packlight.htm

Things You Need For Your Mancation. On Sale Now!

NRS sale looks good. If anyone orders anything, I want a pair of gloves. Maybe we could all go in together and split shipping?

NRS Rigging/Boaters Gloves

On Sale: $13.75

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2430&deptid=2256

NRS Dry Round-Bottom Sea-Stow

On Sale: $18.95 - $24.95

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2973&deptid=2256

Canoe Algonquin Outfitters

http://www.canoealgonquin.com/index.html

Ontario Fishing License Information

Fishing Licence Options for non-Canadian Residents

What is a non-Canadian resident Outdoors Card and who needs to purchase one?

It's Por-taj, not port-edge

Google route map

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Principle Fish of Algonquin Park

Speckled (Brook) Trout - Specks are among the most sought after game fish in North America. Extremely sensitive to pollution, the range of speckled trout has narrowed considerably in recent years. Algonquin Park is indeed fortunate to have strong naturally reproducing brood stocks of these beautiful fish in its interior lakes. Found in both streams and lakes, speckled trout are widespread throughout the park. Trout season opens on the last Saturday in April and closes on September 30, with the best fishing in May or June. They can be taken on fly or spinning tackle with lures like small spoons, spinners and flies. Expert fly fishermen enjoy success in streams all season long.

Lake Trout - The "laker" is possibly the most widespread fish in Algonquin Park. Many people think that the only way to catch them is to troll deep with specialized tackle but during May and June lakers can be taken at or near the surface with spinning or even fly equipment. The best method is trolling spoon lures along rocky shorelines or over shoals. As the water warms, the laker goes deep, specialized tackle is required and only 10% of a lake is likely to be productive. The season is the same as for brook trout.

Smallmouth Bass - The Smallmouth was not one of the original piscine inhabitants of Algonquin Park. Introduced at the turn of the century, "smallies" are found in more easily accessible lakes than trout, often with road access. Bass season opens on the last Saturday in June and continues through November. The Smallmouth is a surface or near-surface feeder and can be caught on light tackle throughout the season. One of the most exciting methods of fishing for bass is with a fly rod and popping bug.

Walleye (Yellow Pickerel) - Walleye are also a relatively recent addition to the Algonquin fishery. They are found only in the northern part of the park, in lakes near our Brent base, on Cedar Lake, and downstream from there in the Petawawa River system, in lakes like Radiant. The season opens on the third Saturday in May and continues through November, with the best fishing in late May and early June. Yellowish jigs and lures seem to be the most effective.