# U.P. trip report w/ Master Angler brook(pics)



## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

I lived a share of my life in "God's Country". Unfortunately there came a time for me to have to move on from the place that I came to love. Every year I go back as often as I can to fulfill my needs of being in the land of Yoopers. I often find that there are not enough days in a year to satisfy my hunger for the north. Instead I'm often left with nothing but dreams and memories of times past. 

I made my way up past the boundaries of hurried people and responsibilities. I've been yearning for this weekend since last season when the leaves touched the ground and crunched under my feet.

The drive up brought great anticipation. The possibilities of large trout, bears, and wild sounds that keep kids up late into the nights in their tents. As the miles went by and stop after stop the excitement grew. At one gas station stop, not far from our destination, things boiled over. There had been no reports of hatches and fish looking up yet. But when the fish truck stopped and the door opened this was the view.








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Sulphers! There were tons of them everywhere. We were in and out of that gas station as if we were coming out of pit row at Indy. My thoughts raced as well, "Could there be these kind of bugs a bit north where we will be" and "Could the trout be sipping these right now?"

We arrived at a familiar destination. Our camp site, which is like a home, was available. The sun was long gone and it was time to jump out and pitch our "home". Before I even got the fish truck door closed I could hear a barred owl "hooting". My wife and I stood there motionless and quite with big smiles on our face. Then we heard another owl respond. We stood there only for a few moments before we heard a loon on the lake. We decided to walk down to the lake and look at the stars and watch the moon shimmer it's light by reflection on the water. The wind was blowing nicely through the giant white pines that line the lake and it pushed lapping waters to our ears and feet.

In the morning we slowly lumbered around camp.







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The lake was looking magnificent in the daylight as well. Very vivid like in my winter dreams.







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We walked the shoreline for a short spell to stretch out the legs. We came across a great advertisement and we decided it was time to take it up on it.







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We hit a secluded trout lake with our canoe. It's a lake that has treated us well in the past and was to treat us well again. We started to paddle out on the copper colored water. With in just a few short strokes we saw signs of life. There were rings and splashes happening way our in front of our bow. 

I like to let my wife get a few fish before I start waggling the fly rod. We got into position and she took out her line and worked a few double hauls and softly laid our her fly. She was patient and let it sit for what seemed like and eternity to me. Then bang! She winds up catching a 10" brookie. 

She quickly released it and then laid out another cast. BANG! 15" brookie! The largest one yet to date for her. 

I could not resist any longer. It was like watching someone eat fried chicken while my stomach is growling. I had to dig in! I found a good ring on the water and casted a few feet away from it. BANG! After a bit of a battle I landed a 15" Brookie. Cast again. BANG! 16" Brookie. 

We sat there laughing as we were catching nice brookie after nice brookie. Then I saw a nice sip and flung the feather just short of it. BANG! After a very nice fight a 17", Master Angler, trout came to hand.







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In between catching trout and laughing we noticed there was someone else fishing. They were getting a bit unusually to close. We like to keep our distance from others that are fishing and typically they like to keep their distance too. But I guess fishing was too good.....heck it was and so neither of us minded.







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At times the loon would swim right under the canoe. The loon didn't need to fool the trout but we did and we would use hennie and sulfer patterns. Both on top and below. The light was getting low and it was time to head back for a fire and some fresh trout.


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

The following day found us on typical U.P brook trout water. It's water that is cold, broken, and remote. You can "whoop" it up when you have a fish on and not worry that you'll sound and look foolish. You usually have the river to yourself. But I would still have no problem sharing views such as this.







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Along the banks there were shrooms. False morel 








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And plenty of trilliums amongst other blooming flowers that brought color and life to a bank that had been devoid of it since there was white on it.








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There were some nice stream brookie mixed in to. They also added vibrant colors to the land and water.







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While taking a break from fishing I had a visitor from the south and found my creel to be interesting.







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After getting back into the water and walking upstream I noticed I almost stepped on something shinny on the rocky river bed. It seemed out of place so I picked up to see what it was. 







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Is it a goose egg? It was good size but I couldn't be sure. I took a picture and then placed it back in the water.

There was a good sulpher hatch in the afternoon and there were spinners above the water in the evening but they never fell. There were plenty of brown caddis and olive caddis in the air. There were plenty of decent brown and brookies caught on caddis, sulphers, hares ear, and prince nymphs. 

The following day it was time to pack the waders up.







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and head for home. 

It was another great trip, as they all seem to be up there. It was a trip that will give me vivid memories for my nights at the vice until I can head back U.P. again.


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## geojasstef (Jan 23, 2005)

Great report.......living the dream.


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Very nice report and very nice brookies. I'm headed up for 4 days tomorrow morning. How were the biting bugs doing?


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## Rustyaxecamp (Mar 1, 2005)

Nice post.

I'll also be heading up Fri afternoon for a weekend of wandering about the property. Forecast is highs in the 50's and cloudy. Nice.....:coolgleam


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## TheDuke33 (Jul 16, 2007)

Sweet report man. That Brookie is huge!


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Thanks for the great report w/photos. It was a joy to read and take in the "eye candy".


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## bigrackmack (Aug 10, 2004)

Wow some nice fish......Great pics also..........Mack


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## Carpmaster (Apr 1, 2004)

Very awesome!! Great pics!


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Nice pictures and fish. Thanks for sharing.


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## NickAdams (Jul 8, 2008)

AWESOME report wick, made me beam with pride for being a native of "God's country", and got me jonesing very, very bad for some trout fishing.


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

I wish the EUP looked like that.....I may have to move!


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## UPJerry (Dec 14, 2006)

WILDCATWICK said:


> The following day it was time to pack the waders up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those lantern poles do make nice wader hangers, don't they? 

Thanks a lot for the report and pics. I'll be taking my own camping trip out to the west end in a couple weeks but don't expect to catch anything that big!

I imagine you found, as I have, that the bugs have been quite tolerable-- one nice thing about this cool weather!


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

It was cool and breezy most of the time. There were no mosquitoes at all. I'm sure that will not hold true for long. So anyone planning on coming up or going out. I would be carrying a thermacell as it will be bloody murder anytime now.


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## brookies101 (Jun 23, 2008)

NICE fish!!! I"m jealous..... Thanks for the photos


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## HarleyP (Mar 4, 2004)

I don't venture out of the upland / bird dog forum to much. Glad I did today. That was nice. Thanks.

btw, this is a great line _"I made my way up past the boundaries of hurried people and responsibilities"_

perfect.


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## Wellston (Dec 28, 2000)

Thanks for the great report! I'm hoping to get up that way soon.
Jim


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## UPHAWKEYE (Apr 15, 2009)

HarleyP said:


> I don't venture out of the upland / bird dog forum to much. Glad I did today. That was nice. Thanks.
> 
> btw, this is a great line _"I made my way up past the boundaries of hurried people and responsibilities"_
> 
> perfect.



Got a good chuckle out of that as well due to the fact I lived in the Chicago area for 15 years before moving back.

Great story and fish.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Very nice, thanks for the story and pictures.......lucky man, living the life.


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## Pike Eyes (Jul 9, 2008)

That is one nice fish. Great report and a great read. Thanks for sharing.


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