The Flies are Not Too Bad (1973)

I was on a guiding trip last week. Seldom now is there a party in the woods that is using guides, where forty years ago nearly all parties were in charge of guides. Being in the woods then meant using canoes, and people could not fish and paddle a canoe. Too, many of the people who went into the woods for a holiday did not paddle, and not many were capable of carrying the heavy packs need when going on a fishing or camping trip. Now with the use of motor boats, and so many roads, almost anyone can have a trip into the woods.

This party is one of the old time parties, in fact any party you see now with a guide or guides is usually an old time gang. Too we used canoes as this bunch dislike motor boats. Fishing was fair, the flies were not nearly as bad as we had anticipated, and the weather was fine. Only thing wrong, the feeling that you were back in the woods, and “away from it all” is gone. So many motor boats and so many people. Guess this is what they call progress, and we have got to get used to it. But the woods and the lakes are a far cry from what they were when I first went camping and fishing. Wonder what Tom Holland, who had a hunting camp on the western tip of Butt (then called Eagle) Lake would say if he could see all the people who were walking past where his camp once stood.

Notice that the size of the lake trout is much smaller than a few years back. This has been showing for several years, but much more this season. I do not think that other sections of the Park are as heavily fished as in the area just east of Kearney, but if they are, fishing is headed for trouble.

There was an accident while we were there. Not on the lake we were camped on, but on Butt. Seems like a chap fell on a motor, and either broke or badly damaged his knee. There were four in the party, and we had talked with them that day. Two walked the old road all the way to their car, and then drove all the way to Kearney to phone for a plane, which came in the next morning and took the injured man out. Hard to understand as there are but two small portages to get to their vehicle, and lots of help at our camp. The man should have, and could have been in hospital a few hours after he was injured, instead of the next day.

Nice to see the herons have a rookery of several nests on Scott or Magnetawan Lake this summer. Years ago there was a rookery there, as well as one on Dewfish, but they faded away, and seemed to concentrate on the two larger rookeries on Little Trout (now totally abandoned) and Islet Lake, where there are still one or two nests.

Looks like there is a loon’s nest, in view of the road, at the north end of Beaver (Bethune) Lake. It will be interesting to see how many young loons show up which should be early in July. Still a lot of loons, but from what I have noticed there is a slight decline in the numbers we saw other years.

Very few signs of bears, which from a camper’s viewpoint is fine. Last year they did a lot of damage around David and Butt Lakes, but last week is the first time the garbage has been bothered by a bear. The man at the gate on the Butt Lake Road has seen one a couple of times, but I guess the bears like everything else left last fall for some place where the pickings were better.

Speaking of garbage, I mentioned a while ago how nice and clean portages and campsites were looking. I spoke too soon. Looks like someone dropped a case of beer at the portage going into Hambone Lake. There was much broken bottle glass, right where people had to walk, and no effort made to clan the mess up. There are always some like that, but now when the Department is trying to keep areas clean of trash, it is too bad everyone would not co-operate.

There are a few deer being seen, and too a few tracks, so deer are beginning to return. Only thing, if there does not come a whole lot more the hunting next fall is going to be even worse than 1972. There are a few moose, in fact quite a few, but this is an off year, that is unless Fish and Wildlife gets a bit generous and lets us hunt moose again this fall. But then if those animals pull a disappearing act as they did last season it will not be much good to hunters.

A few small broods of partridge have been seen, but they too are going to be scarce. Too early to look for flocks of young ducks.

Why do these nice days go by so rapidly? In a few days, in fact before you read this the sun will be headed back to the short days. And still the chores I did not get done last summer have yet to be finished.