Wilderness North's Lake Miminiska Lodge, NW Ontario
22 July 2008
Six months of planning and fund raising finally came together to make the first annual Healing on the Albany event at Wilderness North's Lake Miminiska Lodge a huge success. Not only was this the first foray in to international waters, but it was also the first time that Project Healing Waters has included troops from Canada.
The troops were flown in from all over the US and Canada thanks to a very generous donation from American Airlines and the efforts of private pilots Ed Newby and Bob Buttgen. Despite one weather delay (which resulted in a killer BBQ in Aurora, IL) the travel to Thunder Bay went fairly smoothly. Once in Thunder Bay the troops were greeted by the Thunder Bay tourism board and a military contingent including bagpipes. A reception and luncheon followed and we were back on the planes to the lodge.
The fishing got off to a rapid start once the rods from TFO were rigged with the Orvis reels loaded with RIO lines. The sponsors for this trip were very generous and the troops were very well equipped for the hundreds of walleye, pike and brook trout that awaited them. The soldiers were a bit skeptical when they were told to expect fish numbering in the hundreds but after about ten minutes on the waters of Lake Miminiska they knew they were someplace special. They fished well into the night and enjoyed the 10:45pm northern sunsets and dusk that lasted until nearly midnight as they pulled in fish after fish on conehead rabbit strip flies.
The next day was a flurry of pike-on-the-fly activity as the troops quickly patterned the smaller pike on the south shores with topwater flies. They used large streamers for the bigger fish off of the rock points. They were all shocked by the sheer number of fish and their eagerness to hit the flies.
One group got the opportunity to pursue the enormous brook trout in one of the feeder rivers that spills into the Albany. Despite the summer heat they managed to coax a few lunkers to their streamers and landed some dream boreal forest brookies.
As the week progressed the anglers got into the rhythm of chasing pike during the day and then relaxing at the "honey hole" into the night as they pulled out walleye by the dozen. Shore lunches and walleye feasts were a daily event as was the evening happy hour where the troops would trade stories and jokes.
The week ended with a Pow Wow held by the First Nations community of Fort Hope where the warriors were honored and got a chance to meet the Ojibway people. This was arranged by their native guides who really took a liking to these brave heroes.
Numerous sponsors came together to make this international event possible they include: Wilderness North, American Airlines, RIO Products, Cabelas, Korkers, St. Moritz Watch Company, The Fly Fisherman, We Tie It, TFO and Orvis. In addition to these corporate sponsors we need to thank Wayne Blackmon, Ed Newby and Bob Buttgen. Gentlemen, without your help this couldn't have happened.
You can read more about his event at http://www.nativebrooktrout.com
