It was a long shift. I am back from the North for the first time since last fall.  Like many outfitters we have had to take on another job to ensure survival as the Border Closure continues to plague our Industry.  I was fortunate to find a job that I enjoyed, kept busy at and was right where I belong, in the bush.  

We had some warm weather at times this winter but it was -38 C when I left on Saturday. Pretty normal amount of snow, almost up to your waist in the bush.

Dustee and I saw a Lynx and got to watch it for 15 minutes. It was not concerned with us at all and Dustee knew that she did not want to tackle that cat 🙂

I had a friend stop by on skis to say Hi a couple of times and to bring me some essentials.

As we are approaching 90 days or so from the start of our season, we are in the dark as anyone as to when the USA/Canadian Border will reopen.

It is impossible to make any kind of a long term, or even a short term plan when the government moves the goal posts further away month by month.  Please do not hesitate to email or call us if you have any questions.  As soon as we have any information regarding Non-Essential Travel across the border we will pass it on.

Please bear with us as we wait anxiously for better days.  I think there are plenty of people who need some time in the bush away from civilization right now…..

The melt is slowly starting…… March is coming in like a Lamb, I hope not out like a Lion.  I prefer to go with 3 snows after the crows 🙂

We had a fairly nice and easy winter this year.  Cold (-25 to -30C) a few times but it didn’t stay for too long.  Moderate temperature for the most part by our standards.  We even had some calm stretches, which is the best part of all. There is quite a bit of snow in the north where the camps are but nothing excessive from what I have heard.  Red Lake has snow but not as much as up north.  Hopefully we have a nice spring to follow…….

My brother and I are still out commercial fishing on Lake Manitoba, it is pretty slow right now.  It has been pretty cold and the fish are just sitting there.  We are catching a few, enough to keep us out there getting some exercise as we say.  Dustee is out there with us for the last 8 years.  Only missing a stormy day here and there.  She used to be able to fit on top of a boat cushion.  

Now Dustee casts a pretty big shadow!

She is always with us out on the lake and is constantly watching and hunting.  Staying close on the stormy days and wandering pretty far on the calm days.

Here she is trying to get to an Otter, that is long gone but she thinks she can get it.

Our schedule is changing all the time as we book people.  We only have a few holes left here and there and then some openings later in the season as well as a date which opened up due to a cancellation.  Here are what we have open at this time.  Please feel free to ask for specific dates and we can do our best or add you to a waiting list in case of a cancellation.

Shearstone Lake, May 30 – June 3, 2020 (5day)

Cherrington Bay, May 28 – June 1, 2020 (4 day)

Shearstone Lake, July 2-7, 2020 (5 day)

Findlay Lake, July 22-28, 2020 (6 day)

Cherrington Point, August 3-8, 2020 (5 day)

Cobham River, July 30 – August 3, 2020 ( 4 day)

Jeanette Lake August 6-13, 2020 (7 day)

Please click here if you would like inquire about one of these dates.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Christmas is fast approaching.  We hope that everyone is getting ready for Santa and that you plan to spend some quality time with family and friends.  

Our days are very short now.  The sun doesn’t get up until well after 8am and is down just after 4pm.  

We started out cold this fall, but as the entire USA was in the grips of winter for awhile, we were warm and dry.  Once we had about 8-9 inches of ice on the lake and very little snow it stayed beautiful for 2-3 weeks.  It was almost too warm for working out on the lake.  Especially when you are catching 6-900 pounds of fish a day.  Each one has to be handled numerous times before it even gets to town and then to market.  

It has since cooled off (-25 C) and we are snowing now.  It was beginning to look like a brown Christmas up here.  The lake has 13-14 inches of ice and fishing is still good.  Our third man, the Bombardier is out on the lake now.  Our lives just got easier, it pulls the nets out for us and then back in once we have taken the fish out of the net, keeps our fish warm,  gives us shelter from the wind and has a radio 🙂

Dustee is out there with us each day.  She loves to run, eat frozen fish and try to catch the ravens.  A couple of weeks ago, she went off on an adventure near Long Point and awhile later we heard a weird howl from where she went.  I took off on the snowmobile to find her.  She fell through the ice near the point.  We never go near the point as the ice is always unpredictable there.  I walked towards her to help, and it started cracking under me.  I was still 15 yards away.  I told her I couldn’t help her.  She had to do it.  She tried one more time and then she popped up and came to me.  She had broke through the ice for about 30-40 yards before she called for help.  She has used up a few lives on that point.  But she was right back there the next day!  She was soaked but scrubbed herself dry on the snow.  She had a ice cold bath!

Dustee also gives new meaning to the term sled dog…  “let’s go”  she jumps on the sled and rides.  We bounce across the lake at 35-50 mph.  She hangs on as best she can.  She hasn’t fallen off yet 🙂  The orange thing behind her is the Jigger.  That is what we use to get our lines under the ice.

The ice makes for some great pictures.  

We went to talk with our mechanic the other day and plan the winter maintenance.  I just could not resist taking a picture of the old girl at rest.  It will come into the hangar in the New Year and the inspection will be done.

We continue to book people for 2020 and if you are interested in an excellent fishing vacation next season, please contact us.  If you have never fished with us before and are on the fence about which outfitter to choose.  The only thing we will say is that we have more experience at showing people a good time than any outfitter in the area.  Our fishing is first class, we are very organized, everything at our camps is in great shape and works, and most of all, we appreciate our guests and treat them like family.  We know what we are doing.  

Our schedule is ever changing with dates and numbers of fishermen, so please enquire about any dates you may be interested in and we will let you know if we have anything open.  Here are some dates that we have open for our 2020 season.  We look forward to hearing from you.  Please click here to email us.

Cherrington Bay June 1-6, 2020

Jeanette Lake June 6-9, 2020

Shearstone Lake June 28- July 2, 2020

Loree Lake June 30- July 5, 2020

Vee Lake July 5-9, 2020

Cherrington Point July 4-8, 2020

Black Birch Lake July 18-21, 2020

Loree Lake July 21-27, 2020

Findlay Lake July 22-28, 2020

Cobham River July 30- August 3, 2020

That is all of the holes that we have at this time.  Please let us know if you have any questions or if you would like to reserve one of these dates.  We do have some availability in later August if you need some alternate dates.

Take care of yourselves. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us.

John and Rena

Aaron, Taina and Jack

Rena and John,

We have been busy and life is good.  Our fishermen are catching lots of fish and everyone has been coming back from the bush with some great tans on their face and hands, some with racoon eyes and some like me without.  Fishing has been very good, lots of fish and quite a few big ones.  Not too many 27″ plus walleye yet but quite a few in the 24-26″  range.  The pike are still active with 40″ plus fish being caught and released at most camps.  I think the walleyes may finally start to settle down on some depths but until now they have been in various depths from 2 feet to 15 feet.  I saw the Cherrington guys yesterday and they had them thick in 7 feet. Which is where they would normally be at this time of year.

It has been hot, cold and everything in between lately.  We have had some rain as well which was much needed as we had a few fires burning that were getting out of hand.  They are out now and the bush is turning greener by the day which slows the fire risk down now. 

The fires so far have all been set by kids on northern communities or by logging crews. In the pic you can see a Water Bomber picking up water on the lake.

We have had some pictures coming in from some of our guests who were up recently to back up the big fish stories I have been telling 🙂

The Patenaude Party returned to Jeanette Lake.  They caught lots of fish as they have every second year for many years.  They gradually got bigger each day as the water warmed up.

The Caribou live around the cabin at Jeanette most of each summer. They may calve there or just feel safe near the rapids, being able to observe them is pretty cool.

The Grindstaff party made the trip from North Carolina for their second time to Loree Lake.  They have fallen in love and are already booked for next year.  Once the solitude of the bush and good fishing get ahold of you, you are hooked 🙂

The Szablewski party fished Shearstone Lake and did great for their first time.  They caught lots of fish and loved the new boats.  Walleye fishing was great and they caught a number of big pike.  Here are a few pictures from their trip.

The Berg Party were back at their favorite lake. Cherrington.  Fishing was great with the usual amount of big fish,  Lots of them.  This year they went after some lake trout and caught a few.  Jeff was very impressed at the big fight that they put up.  Here are some pics from their trip.

We have been going hard, getting ready for the season.  The camps are all open and people are enjoying the bush.  The weather has been dry and sunny most days with temps on the 60’s and 70’s almost every day, but the nights are very cold.  We have had frost right up until the last few nights.  The mornings are very cool so our fishermen and the fish do not get moving until later in the morning each day.

The fishing so far has been good, great at times, but generally good.  The water temperature is still quite cold and the afternoon fishing is much better than the morning.  The fishing at dusk has been phenomenal!  That is when the water is the warmest.  The best fishing reports have come from the guests who would go back out fishing after supper for the evening bite.

George almost had the biggest pike during his stay at Loree Lake. His son Mike beat him by 1/4 inch. 🙂

During the first week the temperature warmed up at the end of the week and so did the fishing!  There were a number of BIG fish caught and released in the first couple of weeks with a 46 inch pike being the largest so far from the Cobham River and multiple 42 inch pike caught on Loree lake, Jeanette lake, and Cobham Daniel.  Rick M. who was at Daniels had the best hour and a half of his 30 years of fishing Canada.  He had a 39.5,  40, 41 and a fat 42 inch pike in one spot!

Walleyes have been numerous but the big ones have not really hit their stride yet with the cold water temps.  Although there has been more and more large walleye caught each time I pick up happy fishermen.  The largest so far has come from Loree lake at 29 inches.  All of the other camps have been catching a few walleye in the 22-26 inch range but not quite as many as usual.  Lets hope it warms up at night soon……

Here are more pictures from the Seal party who countdown the days until their next visit!!

Skip H. has a new personal best! A 29 inch Walleye!

Mike took home the crown for the biggest Pike.  There has been many comments already on how thick and healthy the fish are!

We have had a bit of a delay in the mornings so far this year due to frost but the weather otherwise has been great for flying. 

Cobham Morley recently had a makeover!  A new floor and a new kitchen.  It turned out great!  Except one countertop was too short.  The new one is on order but at least it was big enough to put the old sink back in 🙂 The new one will have a double sink.

All 3 Cobham camps also received a new 16 foot boat.  The larger boat is great for odd numbered groups like 3, 5, and 7.  More room and a more stable boat.  Much needed when there are triple headers being caught!

Shearstone lake also had some upgrades this spring.  There are 3 new 14 foot Lund boats to accompany the new motors we put in there last season.  We also installed a new larger hot water tank, paired with a new shower and vanity in the shower house.

We are always doing our best to make your experience the best it can be with good running equipment and comfortable cabins.  We added a new futon mattress at Jeanette, an entire new futon at Blackbirch, a new BBQ at Findlay as well as new stoves at Jeanette, Vee and Blackbirch.

We have filled most of our openings and holes for the season but have some availability here and there.  If you are still interested in coming fishing later this summer please let us know.  We may have a spot for you.  

We have been waiting for this time to come!  The ice is going and we are opening camps.  We will have just enough time.   Like always…… 🙂

We have been fairly cool at night so the ice has taken its time leaving.  Plenty of lakes are still iced over too much to get in but almost all of our lakes are open or will be shortly.  The ice has gone out up north before the lakes east of us.  A fairly common occurrence and ice out being May 9-10 is pretty normal.  Fishing should be awesome!!!

This was BlackBirch this morning on our way to Cherrington to drop of motors etc.  The ice will be gone from there in another day or so.    We will be busy for the next 2 weeks getting camps ready for the season.  Rena and Taina will be at the base getting the next load ready and the boys will be up north getting it done.  

From what I have seen so far, the water levels are perfect on the camps to the west and a bit lower over by Findlay and Loree.  I couldn’t get into Shearstone, Jeanette but DarkWater was perfect also, just up to the dock.

And I saw a few mosquitos today!!!! 

If you are still looking for a fishing vacation for this summer, please send us an email or call us.  Our schedule is ever changing and we can do our best to accommodate you.  Click here to inquire about a LAST MINUTE FISHING TRIP.

25 years ago Rena and I began working with my parents at Amik Lodge and Outposts.  Since then we have grown into a great team who have tons of experience in the outfitting business and know how to keep our guests happy and coming back year after year.  Pictured below is the first Cessna 185 that I used to camp check in.

The Outfitting business has seen a major turn over in the past year or two.  Many outfitters are getting to the age where they are ready to hang it up and sell to a new owner.  The flyin outfitting business is a small community and in our time with Amik Outposts there has not been many changes.  There will be many new faces at the Sporthows this winter behind some well established companies booths.  Amik Outposts on the other hand has not been doing many Sportshows in the past 8 years, we have been putting our dollars towards improving our cabins and equipment.  Our philosophy is that it is easier to keep our guests happy so that they want to come back, not find new ones.  We want to be your only Outfitter. 

Whether you are a first time flyin fisherman or an experienced group of fishermen looking for a better outfitter, you can not go wrong with choosing Amik Outposts.

Here are a few things to consider when you are booking your Fishing Vacation to Canada.

Experience in the business.  We have operated on the same lakes for our entire career.  We have started at the bottom and worked our way through every job that needed to be done and have learned to be efficient and provide a First Class Experience to our guests. 

Organization.  Rena and I have taken pride in our work and want to make sure you have a great time.  We look after the smallest details in all aspects of your trip right from the planning, having a well outfitted camp, the flight and the fishing.  We offer assistance with many factors of your trip planning , Groceries, Bait, Beverages.  Many outfitters have stopped doing these extra items, we have not.

Your Pilot.  With Amik Outposts, the pilot flying you to your camp is the owner.  I have been flying this area of Canada since I was 19 years old and strive to make every flight the smoothest flying experience  of your life.

The Fishing.  Having been in the business for a long time we know how our fishing compares to the rest of Canada.  We can honestly say that our fishing is World Class.  We have had fishermen who have fished all over the World and Canada, after fishing with us, their search for the best is over.  Our Conservation policy, a healthy gene pool and a pristine environment ensures that our fishing will stay great forever.  We are fortunate to be able to share this awesome renewable resource with our guests.

Comfortable Cabins.  Our cabins are not fancy.  They are functional and comfortable.  Breathtaking views of the lake, screened in decks, new mattresses, a Sat phone for emergency use, dry boats with good solid seats and reliable motors.  We do our best to ensure the small details are looked after also such as a new grill every 2 seasons, having 2 refrigerators at each camp and many other small items to make sure your trip is uneventful and enjoyable.

When you are researching outfitters for your next Fishing Vacation look at the map of Ontario and have a look where the outfitters are located.  If you look up into the far Northwest corner of Ontario away from everyone else.  That is where you will find us.

Please click here to enquire about fishing with Amik Outposts in 2019!

The Clark/Herrington boys have been fishing with us for many years and look forward to their fishing trip more than Christmas.  Fishing the same lake for this many years, they started out pretty green and have seen their size and quantity of fish increase immensely since they fell in love with the North.  Here is their fishing report for 2018 Cobham Daniel.

“Rena,

Our 20th anniversary of staying with Amik did not disappoint!  In fact, our group set a number of new records.  We caught 4 pike over 40 inches, including a couple of 43 and 42 inch monsters.  We have 2 new members of our famed “40 Inch Club”:  Scott T. from St. Louis and Dan R. from Minneapolis. 

The number of pike over 35 inches was simply amazing.    Some of the photos are attached. 

The walleye fishing also set new records for our group.   The big walleye was 27 inches closely followed by a number of walleye 25 inches and over.   In only his second year Dan R. took home both the big walleye plaque and the big pike plaque. 

My son James once again reclaimed the Undisputed Angler of the Year belt with a consistent 6 day performance of catching the most walleye over 20”, the most pike over 27”, catching the most “monster” fish and winning nearly every daily fishing contest.   

It was another great fishing trip and everyone is already looking forward to getting back next year.   Thanks again to you and John for providing such a great experience. 

We had a number of other firsts this year.   Perhaps the most unusual was fighting a forest fire down toward the trapper cabin north of the Daniels Cabin.   Not long after a number of lightning strikes we noticed fire on the shore that was rapidly expanding.   We used the bottom of our leech tote to put out the various fires which started at a tree struck by lightning.  We had to kick fallen trees and burning branches into the lake and eventually Dan R. joined in with his boat cooler.   After a lot smoke and steam we got everything out!  See the picture with me standing next to the burned tree.  

We also had one pike who tried to steal one of the walleye on our stringer tied to the boat while we were casting in a back bay.   The 35” plus monster just didn’t want to let go and I had wrestle the stringer away from him.   But then he refused to hit any of our spoons!   We also caught one pike that had both the lure in his mouth, but also another 18” pike.   Apparently he attacked both the lure and the smaller pike at the same time!  

More pics to come.  

Brent”

The Undisputed Angler of 2018!!!  On the right……

The Maranville Party fished Jeanette Lake and had a blast with their family.  Fishing was awesome and they caught some big ones!  Here are some pictures from their fishing vacation with us.

We are over the hump and past the summer solstice the days will begin to get shorter soon. Before then we have lots and lots of fishermen who need some sore hands from catching so many fish.  Every hand I have shook has been covered in cuts and bandaids from walleye after walleye.  The gill plate of a walleye has a thorn on the end and as you grab them they flare their gills and eventually you are going to get some cuts.  Especially with the numbers of fish our guests have been catching lately!  Fishing continues to be outstanding.  We have had a number of first time flyin guests recently and they have caught a ton of fish as well, one group which returned today from Jeanette lake said everything was beyond their expectations.  

We have had big numbers as well as some trophies being caught and released.  A number of walleyes have been caught greater than 30 inches and the pike continue to be very aggressive in attacking walleyes by the boat.  Almost every group has come out of the bush reporting catching 2-7 pike over 40 inches.  43 seems to be the number lately with many trophy pike being caught and released measuring 43 inches in the past 10 days or so.

Here are some pictures from some of our guests taken in the past couple of weeks.

The Knip/Cradduck party have been with us for many years and fished their second home Blackbirch Lake.  They had an awesome time and caught lots of fish and welcomed a new member of the family to Blackbirch as well.  Burt’s grandson Justin.  During the first day he was already making plans for next year…..

The Pusateri boys also fished on Blackbirch the week before and also caught some great fish and saw some beautiful sunsets.

The Jorgensen Party fished on Cherrington and caught some nice lake trout measuring almost 30 inches.  They put up a great fight!

The Erickson Party made their annual journey to Cobham Daniel.  They had a great time and caught some huge fish in the heat!  

We have 2 prime August dates available on the Cobham in August!

Cobham Daniel August 9-16, 2018 7 day trip

Cobham Morley August 7-12, 2018 5 day trip

Please click here to email  or call us to inquire about rates on these trips 807-735-9968.