North of Superior

[Tig]

Saved this report from last spring (2013). Thought it might help pass the time during the winter months. We left Wiarton Ont. at the end of the first week of June and headed to Sault St. Marie Canada. Since we knew that it would be after midnight before we arrived we decided to stay at our usual campsite (Walmart parking lot on highway 17.
The next day we headed down to the Sault rapids. Spring was a little bit late
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and we had good luck with the steelies still being in the river in June. Pete landed the biggest (and most)
TB2013 003.jpgbut I think mine was the mostest beautifulestest.

We continued north on highway 17 for another 5 hours until we reached the Steele River. So far, every time we come here we seem to only have time (and energy) to make the 1 1/2 mile trip upstream through the bush (uphill both ways ) to one of the best holes. The river runs into a magnificent granite wall about 200 feet high and forms a large pool. All of our fish were caught at the head of the pool just at the end of the rapids.
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[Tig]

These smaller fish are resident bows on the Steele. We didn't get any larger ones this year so I inserted a pic from 2012 from the same spot.
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[Tig]

From here we went west another 2 1/2 hours to the Jackpine River. This is just over an hour east of Thunderbay. We had fun with some smaller but very lively resident steelies.
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At the mouth of the Jackpine on Lake Superior. TB2013 020.jpg

[Tig]

The second part of our trip was dedicated to pike and walleye. We came back east from the Jackpine to Terrace Bay to fish the Auguasobon river and Hayes Lake.
All of these pike were caught on flies. Some on large articulated and others on smaller maribou. The problem with the maribou is they don't last long. If you want a good idea of what the teeth are like in these beasts, look in your cats mouth, keep the fangs and then replace the molars with teeth that are shaped like arrow heads. These guys will literally without any exaggeration shred your hands if they get a hold of you while you are trying to remove hooks.

TB2013 025.jpg The first and smallest of the trip.

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[Tig]

TB2013 042.jpgTB2013 037.jpg We used 32 lb leaders with 52lb pound flourocarbon tippets. Should have gone a little heavier with the tips. They managed to bite through one.

TB2013 036.jpg This walleye was caught on a Williams Wobbler while used to search for any pike we might have missed on the fly while in this back bay. In the evenings we jigged for walleye with minnows and jigs on light spinning rods. We ate our limit every night and released approx 60 to 70 every night.

[Tig]

I almost forgot a little side trip we did into a small inland lake. This is one of only 4 or 5 speckled trout that we got. Lots of work and not much return but it was fun.

TB2013 032.jpg Maybe two pounds (?)

Counting travel time the trip was two weeks with eleven full days of fishing. Won't be going this year but I am planning a bass tour somewhere (or everywhere) in the province.

P1010007a.jpgP1010006c.jpg Our accomodations for the trip and a look at the Auguasobon.

[FishnDave]

Great trip! And you're right...this was a good time to post it. Really activates "the itch"!