We have been staying busy and staying as positive as we can during this time.  Aaron and I have been up north 5-6 days a week since the ice went, opening up the camps, cleaning, cutting brush and using up lumber that we already have.  With no income forecasted for a while yet we are being creative and diligent as to not spend too much but also enjoy life and maintain our sanity.

We do not know any information on the border opening yet and remain hopeful that it is going to open up.  Rena has been busy working with our guests daily to reschedule for next season as well as moving many guests later this season.  Our people still need to get their fishing trip in!  When the border does open, we will be busy! And busy late into the season.  Regarding this so called “Virus”, we still cannot believe that the world economy has been shut down for something that has a 98 or 99% survivability rate.  Governments have gotten drunk with power and are now afraid to let go of it.  There are a lot of things going on in the world and keeping people locked up for 3 months was probably the worst thing that ever could have happened using Fear as the weapon.  There is no “Virus” here.  I could go on and on but it is too maddening.  A common sense approach and we could open things up again, but COMMON SENSE doesn’t exist much when it comes to government.  All we hope for is that we can get back into business soon and do what we do best.  

We all attended a Protest/Rally in Vermillion Bay on Saturday.  Almost every outfitter in NW Ontario was there.  They are all pissed and distrust our government as much as I do.  We have become very good friends with many of our colleagues in our 25 years in business.  NW Ontario has a small population and we are forgotten about all too often.  Tourism supports almost every industry in Ontario.  Thousands of jobs and Billions of dollars are generated in our small region.  We are all hurting since we cannot have our guests come across the border,  associated businesses are feeling it as well.  If you want to look it up and follow on Facebook the group is “Tourism Matters”.  Here are a few pictures from the Rally.

This my cousin Darrell from Sioux Lookout Ontario.  He is also a second generation outfitter.  

Staying away from the internet and my cell phone has been the best thing this spring.  When you are in the bush, you forget about all the negative stuff.  We have been working but we have also been doing some fishing.  Quitting time has been around 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon, happy hour starts early and then we go fishing.  We have been staying at Cherrington and travelling to each camp from there to clean and do what jobs we can and more since we have the time this year.   Taina and Jack came up with us for a week and my Nephew Kale has come to work for us for a couple months.  A real family affair.  It was  cold at the beginning of the week but once it got warm the Blackflies came out!  They were bad enough I would classify them in my Top 5 worst Blackfly times. Lol

Spruce Beetle Jack
I couldn’t get far from my shadow, and Dustee was always near.  She was always keeping an eye on Jack too.

We caught fish everywhere we went.  Below the rapids in the beginning and now they have moved to some of the bays and narrows.  Fishing was better on the warm days versus the colder days.

The poor seagulls……  they are waiting around each camp.  Hungry.  No fishermen, No fishguts.  

The slow spring has allowed for Aaron and I to train in the 185 a lot.  He is a good pilot and I have had a pretty easy time training him.  Pilots either have “The Touch” or they don’t.  Aaron seems to have it.  Now is the time for getting experience.  I will continue to show him everything I can and hopefully he will work his way into the Otter in the coming years.

This is what our guests are probably missing the most.  The silence and views the bush offers.  

I will do my best to keep updating the blog with any information we get as well as the pictures of what we have been up to.  Thanks to all of our guests who have been great in supporting us and willing to make things work looking forward.  We appreciate you.  The fishing will be as good as ever and the camps will be in tip top shape when you get here.