The Mountain River Lodge
2007 Season 
Reservations - 1800-267-0737 Main Lodge - 1-613-584-2861
email - tmcarlin@webhart.net
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The Mountain River Lodge Reservations - 1800-267-0737 Main Lodge - 1-613-584-2861 email - tmcarlin@webhart.net
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Mountain River Lodge "The Reports" tmcarlin@webhart.net
If You are looking for the most current report on weather and water, Fish and Game
2007 Jan 29 First couple of shows are done and Harrisburg is coming up quick. We finally got our wint up here but are still light on the snow but heavy on the cold.
The Fall fishing was just fantastic and so far the closing of the lodge has gone over smoothly. Things are locked down for another season and next year looks to be busy and promises to be just as fun. Thanks everyone for making the 06 year just great! Aug 23 rd 2006 - Colorado and Willow leaf spinners on the mark right now for the Muskies Observations from the Deck. While driving back from the Bay yesterday, the wash lines in the sky were incredible - against a mountain back drop, the river and a lake. Just a little time out to enjoy the view. Sometimes you take things for granted and it takes someone else to point it out for you. Thanks Cliff, cabin 14 and Grace too, see you next year with the 14 grand kids.. Time on the back waters, on the River and Lakes is good, fishing is swell but the company with, is what really makes a trip. A close friend of my wife past away last week, my mom turned 30 ish, and a best man of Ed's died this past week at 32 years, life is not fair, Just kind of makes you think, time is still on our side - enjoy, we are still reading- God is, and God Bless but believe and know -.we are on the same side, same page and.... here we are... I apologize for the inconvenience... Bristol This Week August Ending and the Mc Cotter group is coming ( why do they put that darn "S" key next to the "D"?) I hate re typing, - keep the open side up, Folks, looking forward to see you in camp soon, some folks do not get my humor... and well, I like it. Butterfly Effect. Rainy Days and Thursdays, High temps are finding the walleye bite right now at 24 ft in the mid day. We are catching 3 and 4 to one on the bottom bouncers! Under the Mid Night Sun, it has just begun... There is a place where adventures unfold, sometimes it's hard work, or not but what you catch and what you see, is what it is all about and well the journey too. I am Still trying to get my rail tracker back for a slide down to Ronny Lake. Tight Lines, T.C. The week of Kyle's -Sometime around mid August and no dates need specified. Well the Northern Lights have seen strange sights, but the strangest a guide could ever see, was the night we put Jesse, yes Jesse up that old darn tree. And What we heard told would make your blood run cold, but we will hear it again and again, you'll see. And that is what the hunt is about, right, - good friends, stories told (warm or cold) and the adventure that is soon to be. Sept. One - so, so looking forward to it! Trust your guide , but remember, there are times when not to
believe him, -, like when his lips are moving . Thank you, Colonel M. W. Blackledge, U.S. Marine Corps The Flag you raised in honor of the Carlin's and Staff on July 5 th at Camp Commando, Kuwait, is held high here now. The K/O and Mountain River Lodge is greatly appreciated, Thank you Frank, it is nice to have you home. Stars and Stripes, T.C. - Always Faithful Gulp - Fish eat them! Also Senko's, Do nothing, Wacky Worms and Jersey Rigs- they are all working! Dog Patch, The Walleye bite is on right now! Ask Jimbo and company as they tore up the lower River, found Dad's hump and limited easily on each outing. Thanks Donny, for the great two week stay and the time on the Dumoine River trip and the photo with the kids is, well ... priceless. thanx August 16th, 2006 No Secrets Lost Hey, do not tell too many people about our little piece of "paradise found" along the Ottawa River, but between you and me, the plastic Gulp, and the Spittin Image - well we are kicking the fishes butts!
An evening with the Pleacieds! a great meteor shower came across our Northern skies the last couple of nights which rivaled the Northern Lights and made for great conversation and viewing while also enjoying the Hot Tub and other constellations. And then, drinking in the sound of wolves from across the waters edge. This was Good Stuff! No this was better, It was the "Right Stuff" Non Fish Fries! Yes Lee, they are happening every week now, sometimes twice. You started something. They have been totally AWESOME! and a special thanks to some good conversation with the Flew party and their ten day stay from the U.K. ( couldn't understand half of that was said and they speak English, well - Welch ) but we had some good jokes, great walleye, bad card tricks and Awesome moose meat. ( yes that was for you Lee.) How goes that NASCAR anyway. Michele is happy after Watkin's Glen. She is still the points leader in the house. I would like to thank the Hendricks folks, Chevrolet, Dupont, Pepsi,. Ridingers, Bass tracker, Ranger and ........ etc. Wing Man Aug. 8th / 06 It is always good to have a wing man, he looks after you, covers your back and catches that ace at 2:00 high. Well two a clock is a good time to head home for before an early guide trip, but I did drag my wing man with me and we had ( the fog of war) a good Summer fest weekend that was followed up by a great day on the Dumoine, Holden, and Bass Lakes. (Coyote' Lake is doing very good too! ) We have to re name it " Ugly" as my partner "Young Mark" did his best but took a fall on the way in. Everyone is A O Kay at the K/O River Lodge and we are back into the fishing big time now, And I'm still looking for a good wing man that will direct a cast, tie a line and take his buddy in... at the appropriate time. Zoo Keepers Daughter This book is due out soon and is a must read, and if anyone has read these chronicles of fishing trips in a Northern town, will know of the story of the "Moose and the Caboose" Thanks Laurie & Doug Day, Space Farms, (Worlds largest privately owned Zoo) and all of Sussex County N.J. for the the great times had. "For a fisherman, he is one heck of an accountant." Your words, not mine, but repeated several times. Rain and a little wind today but the docks are tight. and Steve and Matt are guiding above and below the river systems today. Collin is setting sights for bear season so I'll type and plan the trips for tomorrow. Riddles in the Light - End of July What has a mouth but never speaks, has a bed but never sleeps?.... the river Another nice trip up river. Moose seen, Fish Caught and the light in the eyes of " Fisherman in Training" made for some life long memories. Jeff and I had the pleasure of guiding The Houser's -Thanks Leon , Tim Houser and Company for a very swell time. Hobbit riddles and freshly cooked fish mixed the day nicely between the catches. Klack Attack, July ending - Ladies rule, I need not say anymore. Well I just don't know where to begin. wink Rowers of the Aug. Long Week End Thanks Vincent, Hi Brenda, (Barbara) and Wendy - I'm still paying. My hand was all Ace's and Eights that night. We had some great fishing again this week with the klackowicz party that Steve, Mark, Jeff and myself set up for the fantastic 7. Normally a grand slam is the big 4 - " a Musky a Walleye, a Pike and a Bass" But we managed the Super 7 with a couple of Muskies, Pike, Walleye, Sm. Mouth, Lg Mouth, Channel Cat. Blue Gill, Gar pike and well that's 8. That's right we don't count the Rockies. Good times had by all. Tail ends! The tail end of June fishing prior to opening bass kept up the big, big action along with the walleye hook. Ron and Lee along with Mike and Cathy Ridinger ( too many stories that can not be told) I could be poetic but some( including my wife) folks do not understand my jokes and say I'm just not funny, Tim. Anyway the boys found lure, the where and the presentation, and the walleye holes through out the narrows and managed a few days on the Lakers and Muskie waters too. They are still up and enjoying a 3rd week of fishing already this year. Bass counts are into the the couple hundreds for Bill Rust and Ken Edwards with only two days of fishing in this week. Mike Thomas fished up with over 500 for his stay. (those were fat round pike, crappy and blue gills) and this month has shown us a mix of warm days with very cool nights. A couple of midnight storm fronts this past week helped stir up the fishing too. Pike over 42 inches are credited to six anglers so far and 15 over 40 inches with Matt Carlin's 45-1/2 inch Northern being the one to beat so far. Overcast skies today with wind coming in at 5 to7 miles per hour from the North West. it's race day today at 3:00 pm Sears Point, so a little time off fishing and back at it in the A.M. Tight Lines, Terry Jr. Tripping.06/06/19 Waters from the Algonquin interior, into the Laurentians and along the Ottawa River Valley has marked me with a little more than 20 trips so far this year and counting. The Walleye have started slow above the Dam this season but right on - on the lower side it's right on. Post spawn Smallies were easy to see in under four and five feet of water. Walleyes in the park at Radiant and Traverse were great as was the Pike fishing in SecWet. Traverse and Montgomery gave the largest Muskie so far as well as the Chalk out side of the Park. Canoe ventures along the Barron Rivers 300 foot cliffs have become weekly outings. 6 to 8 hours trips for Small Mouth and Walleye with a few carries around the falls and rapids made for tired trekkers at days end. June 15 - All guides are out for six straight days this week with Stuart Korn and company as we fished the works with a group of 12 anglers visiting on his 9th consecutive year. (sometimes when your cast fades a little to the left it only takes a small piece of tape on your shoe to straighten it out, right Allen T. Willie Harzula with Paul Pear and Joe Vittali set some record catches on the military lakes as well as Holden but their high light after 20 years of coming up was another 20 Muskies landed in one day on the Chalk. Game play and retirement coming. I don't know, I've been retired 3 years now since setting up office at the River, good luck my friend, enjoy Colorado and I'll see you in the Spring! T.C.
June 10th - Muskellunge Hunt. Three River systems and 11 lakes have just opened this week and the great Muskie Hunt is on. pike are still a hot topic out front on the river as Bill Slavick and Matt Tagged a few good ones from Boom Creek to the Schyane River this week with the end stretching out over 45 inches. some large ones were taken straight from under the River docks just out front by Collin and I as each time we shifted the docks out, the fish moved with it. Jeff and I took our fill this week with a heavy pay load of River Run Channel Cats. Most came in between 3 to 7 pounds and made for great eating. A few walleye found their way into the batter too! Mid May 2006 Season began during mid May starting us out with great pike fishing on the Ottawa River. Yogi and his group nailed the opener at prime time on the river with Mark taking the biggest northern at 44 inches. APRIL 28th 2006 Everyone is back and we open up in just a few weeks. It's going to be a busy Spring, Summer and Fall. The show circuit was quite eventful and it was great to see everyone. Looking out across the River this morning was quite enough to really get that feeling of making that perfect cast again. Skies are blue and the River is clam today although it is still a bit cool. Cabins are opening up and the docks are soon to go in. The water is quite cold so Collin and I not so looking forward to that last part. Weekly reports will start soon so visit often. Water levels are a little high now but it has been dropping slowly and the winds have dried up most of back lake roads pretty well. keep the open side up! Tight Lines, Terry Jr. March 31st All shows are over for the winter 2004, and it's looking bright and
busy! Michele and I took our finale snow shoe escapade yesterday, ( yes we still have
snow) and the woods were beautiful. Still can not wait for the first cast into open
water as the Ottawa River is frozen over but the creeks and rivers are running fast and
the break up is coming soon. We picked up a nice moose shed from out where they were
herded up for the winter but couldn't find the match. Wolves are still feeding on
the rivers edge and the raccoons have broken their winter hibernation which means the
bears are soon to follow. My folks are back from the sunny south and the schedule is
busy as we start to reopen cabins and setup for the coming season. A few new cabins are
being brightened up and we have 6 busy weeks to get the docks in, pool and hot tub opened
and the hooks sharpened! Bring up some "Gulp" Soft plastic
lures as the were the the hot commodity of last years season and are expected to do as
well this year too. June 5 is opening musky and in line Blue FOX # 3 to 5's in
the orange colour was a great great hit on paralleling the weed lines while throwing the
weed less or fast spinner baits into the pad cover starting close to shore. See you
on the water soon, Tight Lines T.C. The M January 3 / 06 Hello everyone again! We hope all had a great holiday season and have brought in the new year healthy and a little heavier and enjoyed the days with friends and family. Mom and Dad did a little traveling this year while Michele the kids and I held down the home front. Snowmobile season is upon us which makes Dave busy in the shop and keeping the River Lodge plowed out as we have about 15 inches of the white stuff now. Shows are starting soon and you can expect to see us at Edison, NJ and Fort Washington, PA first, followed by Chantilly, VA. My first show will be in Harrisburg in early February at the same location in the Main Hall and plan on bringing an old sea dog with me this year (River Guide, Mark). I will also be in Suffern and Hamburg too in March and plan to have representatives in Monroeville and Rochester. That's the schedule to date and the pre new year bookings look to make 2004 a very busy year for us and the guide bookings have already locked out 2 weeks so if you are interested in seeing new water with a guide or travel to your favorite spots with a guide please let me know as early as possible. T.C. December 2003 We are shut down now for the Fall and soon the sport shows will be upon us. We look forward seeing new and friends again soon. Wishing everyone happy and healthy holidays. The Carlin's October 9th 2003 - 49 degrees this morning and a bright sunny Autumn day ahead. Fall colors are at their peak, geese are heading south and the ducks are flying low. We just had our first frost which is late for us, and the whole region is looking awesome. Arlean, Justin, Pop and I are just closing up the boats and storing them for the winter. Cabins are shut down but we left the Bungalows and River Lodge open for awhile yet. We are all staying busy and Diane is closing up the office but still has the phone line open, but to reach the River Lodge please call 613 584 2861 or me at home at 584 1368 - Thanxs September is gone. Seasons are going too fast. Again the fishing and hunting was great all the way through. we had a great Archery moose hunt and tagged a big bull up in Quebec and two more Bulls in the Gun season. There is always a story and I look forward to sharing it with all at the shows this winter. Next is gun season then closing up camp, just can't believe its October already. Mark and Steve are closing out the year with a trip into Montgomery for walleye and Musky today and then we're done for the fishing. Tight Lines T.C. Aug. 30th "the ROAST" After finishing an awesome summer fishing season we set our sights on the Fall Bear season. This starts out with a great Moose and Walleye BBQ and then followed by a day long Pig Roast. Someone had a beer too. Both first and second weeks proved great with a 98% success rate! We had some pre season Bear problems at home too as one tried to gain entry to our house after devouring the porch BBQ. Problem taken care of via 300 win mag and a 190 silver tip. I can not say enough of the fun we had and how great it was to have old friends and a few new ones in camp, I so look forward to those weeks and I'm looking forward to next season already. PS - Thanks for the truck Paully!
August 15th Aaron's Day Heading back to the North Country with a cool breeze in my eyes, just glad to be back again and looking forward to fishing that one special back water pool that needs revisiting. Grey Owl / T.C. Aug 3, 2006 Cow Paddy time of Year! Yes this is our August long week end and the Valley entertainment is at it's finest. In keeping with the local traditions Michele has taken the Kids to the one room school house for three legendary races, hotdogs and waiting to see where the cow relieves himself and award the owner of the pasture ticket a cool $500.00! the suspense is killing me. All came home with Ribbons but the Cow has failed to relieve itself ... yet Terry Stone and his clan took 3 boats into Center yesterday and blew out the Bass with incredible catches on soft plastics and a little live bait for the kids. This is canoeing season for several groups as they are voyaging to some of the less accessible waters on Algonquins interior lakes ( the Barron Canyon, Sec, Lucky and the James). The Eckard / Blikle Family crew of Nine from Rochester N.Y. who worked over the guides, Mark and Steve on the River for some really successful Walleye takes and a couple Sturgeons some great 36 inch Northerns. Bill Davis scored the Biggest one last week while forcing his friend Henry to give his up as they Doubled in the 1st Persquille. Scott still has them beat at 44 1/2 inches and 26 pounds. White Mudlers, Sinko's And Rapalas was all that we needed Monday July 7th. Mark Pecora with his buddies Mike and Brian along with myself had an amazing out back adventure that caught us over 80 Bronze backs with 5 going over 4 pounds. We were Small Mouth fishing in under 6 foot of water where we could look right down into the schools of fish and literally watch the bite. Temps are still in the high nineties and clear skies on call for the next couple days. July 5, 2006 BASS - TASTIC ! and it was... What an awesome week of fishing, The Dragonfly hatch sent the Bass on the lakes into a frenzy and the quote of the week goes to Jason Shane "This is CRAZY, They are everywhere!" And they were. Several dozen bass made that dramatic "Sub Surface to Air Jump" Deep, Shallow, in the Pads, Timber and on Rock Shelves. Along with his uncle Lou and the Help of Lee and Ron Ridinger, we managed to boat 201 Bass in under six hours on the water. The week was extremely good for everyone for both new time guests and the returns as we saw action on over 16 lakes in only 6 days on the water. If your planning a trip next week be prepared for more warm weather as this past week saw temps move into the mid 90's. Mark and I both saw our best action on the River and the Tributaries but the lakes turned on mid week and produced the numbers. I'll stay in touch, Guiding Algonquin, T.C.
Blue Lizards Everywhere - June 25/06 Mike Thomas and Family kicked Bass all week long in our on going heat wave of the year. Tossing jigs and blue Lizards were #1 with all lakes from Bissett Creek to along the Algonquin edge down to the Barron Canyon. Seconds Lake on the Interior gave them over a hundred good bass and the best pike fishing yet. Wilkins Lake was awesome for Mark Stellini and company as an annual trip for over 10 years. Finding the Rip Rap along the south shores was were the Pike were and the Bass were just one lake over in Gunny. Young Rachele is still looking for the cover photo to make the front of our news paper for the fourth consecutive year. Frank Ciardi's Grandson is holding the big Pike for the week at an even 16 pounds from across the River along with a big 10 pound Channel Cat. Temps are still in the mid and high 90's through out the days but cooling off nicely at night. Opening Bass on the Lakes comes this weekend and we are all looking forward to the new waters, hope to see you on the water soon - Tight Lines, Terry J.R.
June 20 "Back at the Tail Race" The fish have been shallow on the lower side and the "Narrows" have been producing the big scores. Plastics and live bait have done well while few have had fun with the Fly Rod and poppers. Mid June Young Blue jumped the tracks and saw Stu Korn and company make the 1st season trip into the edge of Algonquin. After a couple of warm days things turned cooler but the Small Mouth were there. Jeff and I guided a double trip and came up dozens of hefty 3 to 4 pound Smallies. A truly awesome trip came the following day while guiding Stu again and his buddy Allen Tobacman. We starting the morning slow along the North shores and spillways of Holden on the Ottawa but a change of tactics at 11:00 a.m. started us on a day to long remember. This was Bronze Back fishing at its best. Earlier in the week we caught numbers in the same areas but today we caught numbers and size. Over 35 fish over 3 pounds another 1/2 dozen were between 4 and 5 and one made 6 pounds 10 ounces! Boy did we take photo's. June Water levels are slowly going down and we can reach the docks without the the help of a boat ferry. Opening musky put a fury on the Chalk waters with nice 8 and 10 toothy critters taken by myself and Phil on the same day. I stayed with the husky Jerks and a big white spinner Bait while Phil thru the Buck Tails and trolled the center line - it all worked! The following weekend found with in the boat with Austin Hewitt working in Ottawa. His family and i spent 3 Days exploring the Northern tributaries, Dumoins, Big Bears and Maraboo along with a trip on the eastern side of the River too. Pike, Walleye and Bass were all found shallow unerd 6 ft of water. We used some live bait but the usual plastics and Rapalla proved themselves again. Back into the Musky waters found Wally Morinto and his friend Dennis Gilpatric found the Musky rhythm this week on their 1st of two week trips scheduled again this year at the Mountain River Lodge. Peter and Doug Lemanski of Worcester Mass. took the big Walley this week at 31 inches and a hefty 12 pounds (Blue Foxes #4)
May 29th Wow! The water has came up last night! We had to rescue the docks as levels jumped up over 18 inches in just two hours. What was looking to be a low river and spring fish has turned 180 degrees. Rain continues to fall and water temps are rising. only half the Walleye have spawned and have moved to deeper water. Some old cows are still holding to 10 and 12 foot off points and and strong current areas. May 27 My new right hand on the River, "Director" Justin Charette and I broke away from our afternoon chores to tend to the calling waters of the River. A dozen Pre Spawn Small Mouth up to 3 1/2 pounds came in easily while just trying to hook up a couple walleye for diner - dark green road kill snozzer tube jigs. Two Northern Pike fell ( 28 and 35 inches) to six inch Rapallas in both gold/black and silver/black combinations. Not bad for an hour and half late afternoon fish. The Walleye were deep at about 35 to 40 feet so we didn't spend time on the drift or vertical jig. MARK ONE - May 18th A great day on the water for River Guide Mark Scott as he netted 11 pike from 5 to 18 pounds, a giant Channel Cat and a full limit of Walleye. First guided trip of the season ended in great success. Sierra, T.J. and Aaron all took their first fishes of the new season as well this past weekend too. It's back to putting boats together and opening up the remaining cabins, Dave is working on a few motors today and talking NASCAR. Time to get back at it, Tight Lines - Terry JR. May 11, Happy Mother's Day Opening Week End proved to be exceptional on the River. By the end of last month we thought we were going to have really high water to deal with but with no rain to speak of and a light tributary run off we will have lower water levels this spring. This early spring effect has made the Walleyes quite easy to locate as Mark, Steve, Jeff and I all had trips out front that all went very well. We are still putting our docks in and cleaning out boats and getting the property set up for another great season, the big kick off starts next weekend. We will be ready! Tight Line - TC April 25 The ice is off of all lakes and river systems, observations from the deck while looking across the River makes the sky look like it's sitting on the mountains both over and under. Dead still high water disturbed only by a few ducks and geese that have set up residence below the deck and on the point. Cabins are being hooked up with water and reopened slowly, while the pool and hot tub will be opened about three weeks from now. No fishing yet but the open water is quite inviting The first cast is coming soon. April 15 th - Happy Birthday Michele! Days of Thunder, April 4th 2006 As the Spring tries again and again to warm things up we are still dealing with cold nights that refreeze the River. This brings on the thunderous groans and cracks that continuously warp across and below the ice. The Rumbling is quite loud and can be heard from indoors. as we go to cabin to cabin preparing for our May opening it's in the back ground all the time. At least you know the breaking and shifting is coming soon. Mark has pulled off the back Algonquin lakes for the time being as ice levels are thinning and slush threatens. We are so looking forward to open water, Lake Trout opens in less than 2 weeks! I'll try to keep you informed, T.C. Hey Folks, we know that your upset with the French but just remember that the rest of Canada gave up on them 130 years ago. "Natures Call" March 23 -All shows are finished! We have wrapped up another winter tour on the roads traveling to sport shows and seeing old friends and making new. As the war in upon us, I have received numerous e - mails and all our thoughts and prayers are for the men and women overseas. Thank you all for the great letters, they are greatly appreciated and a nice distraction from the current events. Just under 5 weeks will see that first cast on the water and we are all so looking forward to it. The Season is shaping up to be a busy one and we look forward to seeing and fishing with you all again soon. Take care of yourselves and each other. Tight Lines, TC
March 21 first day of Spring Then there were Wolves We counted 9 different wolves crossing the river yesterday. The Ottawa is frozen and the wolves come across in small groups from the presquille's to feed along the south shores where winter food has been strategically placed. The River Lodge is still engulfed in snow but we have had a good bit of rain lately and the snow is starting to diminish - should be a high of 38 degrees today. It looks like we are going to have high water through out the early fishing season.
Feb18th 2006 The Big show is over. Yes Harrisburg ended with the storm of the century and sent us heading north on the edge of the northeaster that many of you are digging out of now. So far we have missed the heavy snow at home but we came back to minus 20 degrees. The snowmobiles don't even want to start and I had to change the battery in my truck, find the plug ins, and extension cords for warming the block heaters. I went to the grocery store this morning and the parking lot was filled with running cars. No one dared to turn off their car heaters while shopping, can't blame them, its cold. Any way the sport shows were great and we got to see a lot of friends and the 2006 season is shaping up to be a very busy year. Expect some new special features added to the Mountain River Lodge this summer as Dad and I have a few new projects going on for this spring. For now it's all inside work until the weather breaks. Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw
It's all about change, finding the cheese and moving with it. We are well into the New Year now and I'll tell you all it's pretty cold up here. Jan, 10th 03. Picked up another 6 inches of the white stuff last night and it was minus '20 C or minus '3 F this morning - very cool. The River has frozen over now and the Bite is on now in the Park for speckled trout, so the ice shack is out and we're looking forward to fresh walleye this weekend too! Dec 30th 200 - ( Longitude 79 degrees by Latitude 46 degrees) I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and are having a happy Hanukah! Ice Fishing is starting and the Snowmobiling is awesome. Shows start very soon now that January is almost here and we are all looking forward to seeing old friends again. First show will see us in Edison, NJ and then the road trip begins. Right now it's a cool 7 degrees with just under a foot of snow. All reports from the sunrise strip of the deck on the river has been moved well indoors and close to the wood stove. Michele and I broke out the snowshoes yesterday and tracked deer out back, the Park migration ran late this year and they are still passing through to the feeding yards in Petawawa. Well, 2003 approaches and we all wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks for reading and please stay in touch, Tight Lines - Terry Carlin JR
Sorry folks but about 6 weeks of information has been lost by a computer crash. To roughly catch you all up I'll say we had an awesome September bear season and the walleye bite was terrific. Then there was a great Moose hunt that gave us a couple of the huge noble beasts! November has come and the snow has already started, ( came so fast I didn't have time to rake the lawn, Darn!) soon Michele and I will getting our winter exercise by snow shoeing the back forty and Terry SR and Diane will be heading south shortly. Kelly and Ed are expecting their first child in June - should be a busy month! Everyone up here is healthy and doing fine My buddy Roger and I along with Dave have been exploring the Laurentians again this year and have established some new Moose territory that offers Bow, Cross Bow, Gun and Muzzle Loading seasons - Next Fall will be fun along with a lot of hard work. The Lodges are all closed up now and the new news paper is in the works so if anyone should have a picture or letter for us it would be greatly appreciated. We wish everyone the Best of Thanksgiving and hope everyone is well and spending time with their families and friends over the holiday. A Special condolence to the Families of two different fishing Legends that I have had the privilege to cast a line with over the years at K/O, With the passing of Pat White and Billy Westmorland please know they will be greatly missed but fortunately we have some awesome memories. November, 2002 - Terry JR, Tight Lines Always Observations from the deck Hitchhikers guide to the Ottawa River and Area Wed. Aug. 28 As we wind down our last week of August and prepare for the up coming Bear season (had two on the hood of truck last night) - I 'm looking across the River this morning and enjoying a great view of the Laurentians, high blue skies and placid waters. Mark is Guiding Holden Lake today along with Steve while Phil has chosen an East Island tour. Dave and I are sanding off the edges to be sure of a very successful Bear season starting next week. Temps have been in the mid to high 70's during the day while the evenings have dropped to the mid 50's - good sleeping weather! Chris Mc Cotter's group of 20 have visited us for the summers end again and have reported great catches and the coveted silver paddle is still awaiting the first angler to record the great Canadian Grand Slam of Sm. mouth, Lg. mouth Walleye, Northern Pike - The only thing missing is the Musky, but it should be finished today. Oh and the "other" category ( this includes, Drum, Sturgeon, Gar Pike, Channel Cats, Red Horse, White Fish and whatever!) will soon come also. This will be one of my finishing reports for 2002 season of Mountain River Reports of the Ottawa Valley - information on the area will soon be transferred to ko-riverlodge.com - It has been a different and interesting season to say the least. After our Fall Bear season we have some more Autumn fishing trips followed by a late September search for the noble Moose. Some Small Game and Duck seasons will take us to years end at the beginning of October. If you find yourself traveling in the Northern Algonquin Region drop in for a coffee or diner at the "Restaurant at the end of the universe - err, I mean at the end of the Bass Lake Road, or down by the River and see my office overlooking the water. Well it's been fun, - 17 years of Tight Lines, SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH ! TERRY CARLIN JR. (And no I have never heard of anyone by the name of Douglass Adams) As identified in the Hitchhikers Guide and the Encyclopedia Britannica - the Ottawa River and the Valley - " Mostly Harmless " T. C. P.S. on a finale note, thanks John Perciasepe for the fresh Fig fruit breakfasts, They were great!
Wednesday Aug. 7, 2002 - 9:20 am after a windy and delayed departures on most trips yesterday, we were greeted at the River docks by anxious crews. The Ottawa River has laid down nicely with a slow westerly wind. It's a cloudless sky, mirrored by the River and only separated by the verdant green Mountains of the Laurentians. Expected high today is about 75 degrees. - Hey, special congratulations to Jimbo as he won the Musky tournament on the Chalk yesterday! Great news for the later season arriving guests, Unfortunately because of the tightening security measures on base properties we were not able to access 7 lakes in the military grounds. Now we can (finally) - and Allan and Mike Underwood ( 5 year Mt. River Vets ) will be the first ones on Lake Montgomery since August last year. Targeting Small Mouth, Walleye and Musky - should be great stories tonight! It's Fish Fry today and the weather is perfect. I'm heading out from this amazing office view looking over the River and heading out fishing for the rest of morning. Hope to see you on the water soon, Tight lines T.C. P.S. Hey Jan, I'm looking forward to seeing you and Chet next week! It's been very busy on the water folks and the reports have been hard to keep up with. Let's just say it has been very warm and the fishing as awesome as ever. It's already August and the Deep River Summerfest doubled the towns population in just one weekend. I probably shouldn't get too detailed and technical about local Ottawa Valley traditions but Michele took time out this past weekend to take our kids to a cow patty gamble. Yes it's true, in old Valley fashion you buy a square on a pasture and wait to see where the a newly released cow drops its patty, and well ....winner takes all. ( I'm staying with the Nascar pool myself! ) Back to Fishing Now! Sunday July 14th 7:00 am I cannot see the mountains, or even the river from the deck this morning. A heavy mist has encompassed the waters again and trips going out are being held off for another hour. Lake fishing is fine but river navigation is by GPS only. Trips are mostly out front with Mark heading west and Phil is taking his tour down to island in the east. The Pool is at 90 degrees and the Hot Tub is at 100. Another day in the mid 80's with high blue skies. A lite rain last night has made everything a little greener and water levels have slightly rose. It's race day and Ryan has the Pole position (25 extra points for me!) I know where I'll be this afternoon but his morning I'm fishing the 2nd Pres'quil. A very hard rain in this early morning of July 17th has gotten trips out late. Catches yesterday said to be quite well with both Steve's and Mark's crew landing good 6 and 7 pound Walleye's. Both the Candy Cane Stack Flats and the Tail Race have been producing very well. At 10:43 am, observations from my office (the pool deck) is showing clearing skies (finally) Temps are at 72 and it looks like it will be a great day. Dave and I are going fishing. Tight Lines, T.C. Thursday July 11 - Fire In The Sky Quebec forest fire about 1000 miles away near James Bay have blown smoke through the Ottawa Valley, no fire bans in our area but up North it has been very dry. The Haze on the River proves those water bombers have their work ahead of them. In the mean time there has been a lot of canoeing in and about the Algonquin region these past few days. Terry Stone reports incredible Bass catches on Lucky and Diane's Lakes along with the Canyon tour. 1/2 dozen 4 and 5 pounds along with many more in the 2 pound class have made some great days on the water. Terry's nephew's Jack and Josh caught two of the biggest ones while dangling a worm on the surface with only two feet of line out! We have a tremendous dragonfly hatch and the bass a jumping, dark colors in the "Road Kill Green" and Pumpkin seed are the #1's this week. - Terry JR
July 9th Observations from the Stern. At 9:10 this morning I have company on the deck with 10 Canadian Geese a Mallard hen and 3 ravens. ( Oh and Bob and Ileene Marks too.) They all join me with a gorgeous view of the River and Mountains. A little later report this morning as we (Dave, Tyler and I) had a pretty good Tuesday morning rush at the docks. Everyone is out and I just finished taking my water readings. It's 72 presently and should reach about 84 degrees later on today. Afternoon thunder storms yesterday have raised the water a little and took me off the water early. Before leaving, Illeen managed a nice 4 pound Small mouth on the edge of the Bear River waterfalls bay. The bite stayed fairly shallow and is expected the same today. Today is a green on green day for Michele and I and Tee Off is at 1:45, I'll try to get back soon. -T.C. Fourth of July - happy independence day Another week of awesome weather is happening. Bill Rust along with Ken Edwards have easily netted100 plus bass days on the last thee trips out on Tall Pines, James, and Neil Young Lakes - all on tube jigs and small twisters. Several big Northern Pike stories have surfaced with C#1, while landing nice 16 inch bass a Northern decided to take the catch away at boat side. The 4 foot Pike wouldn't let go of the Bass but refused to get in the net as well. The number 2 cabin share a similar story yesterday with a Walleye as the bait. Never think your lures are too small! It's 7:26 am on this independence day morning, the River is calm again with a light west breeze and highs in the mid 80's to come. Some of the river tributaries have slowed down with the usual post season spawn wrapping up but the action on the lakes and main River is fast and furious. Both Guides Steve and Mark have also recorded great Musky action on the Chalk and lower river this week also. Tight Lines, Terry JR June 30 - 02 - TC - Mt. R Dave's last trip on Friday got off to late start with a couple of mechanical difficulties but after moving from truck to truck to 4 wheeler and down into a little no - name lake. The first Rapala didn't hit waters surface till 1:00 pm and the first cast nailed a 3 pound Bass! Small Mouth up to 5 pounds were caught that afternoon with many more in the 2 to 3 pound range caught photographed and released along with some jumbo perch. Mike and Pete Thomas report awesome catches on the Fly with 6 and 7 weight rods. Their week brought them into over 500 bass and even a 36 inch pike on the same set up. Great, great week! Old home week is approaching with more experience rods than ever as everyone in camp has been up before. I'm looking forward to it, Looking out across river this morning at 8:23 am - it's calm waters with a slight breeze out of the North West, Blue skies and a high of 78 degrees expected, See you on the water, TC Six Feet Under No not HBO but the strike zone on Bass and Northerns right now. That incredible mist from last evening is back this morning. (June 26) At 8:37 am it has come in so thick that when you look at the Mountains across the River in Quebec, you would think they separated overnight. There are a wide variety of trips today - longest consecutive years running guest (27years) Mike Thomas and his son Pete are voyaging to the Musky lakes for the day where they have done extremely well all week. Mark Stellini and his kids, Rachel and Steve are venturing into the Gunning waters west of camp, where their dad 1st fished 11 years ago. Rachel caught a nice 7 lb Lg Mouth off the docks last nite during the fish fry, go girl! Other trips have Dave guiding across the tracks with Bob Reimnitz and his buddy John. Mark has had an incredible week of walleye fishing, his day with the Keller's netted countless walleye's with many 5 to 7 lbs. Look it's 8:42 ( I write slow) but the mist is lifting again. (it is mist - Terry Sr. says "We don't have FOG in Canada!" Well I'll tell you folks, it's MISTIER than hell right now! T.C. J.R. The Mountain River Experience June 25, 02 I'm trying to start keeping up with reports weekly now, the season is awesome and prime time is now - it's been mid 70's and mixing light showers with off and on sun the last couple of days. The water is still quite high on all lakes and the River with water temps kicking in at 52 degrees in the bays while the center River is at 48. I've had a few excellent trips already and Mark Scott along with Dave have had the majority both above and below the dam and a few interior Algonquin Park trips too. Chris and Sam gave me some great "Brochure Shots" for next years paper while fishing the upper tributaries of Holden. Guides, Steve Barlow and Jeff Wilkins took Jeff Gordon's crew for some great tours that netted some huge pike and even a naked chicken. (yes there is story there) My dad guided the golf course with Skip and Uncle and beat me two strokes. Big Pause - I'm writing this on the deck over looking the River, and I just had to get my camera for a few pictures. It's 8:11 pm and their is an awesome mist (not the Steven King kind) advancing across the Ottawa - wow how many offices have this view? This is, as usual one of the hottest times of the year prior to when the weeds start surfacing. Temps are in the high 80's with no real humidity. A few early showers this afternoon brought most boats in early but things cleared and the K/O fish fry went A.O.K. As most of the avid report readers (Um, does anyone read this stuff?) may have noticed Dave is working out of the K/O Lodge on the Lake, while I'm now at the Mountain River property. (early retirement for me) I still guide and fish often but you will find me dock side, pool side, garage side and here on the Deck writing weekly reports. It is an older property down here and it keeps me busy, but oh what a view. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and new in 02. Tight Lines, T.C. The Northern Lights have seen strange sights
June Nine Two Zero Zero Two! Still here. There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; the arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen strange sights , but the queerest they have ever seen, Was the time twelve came together, to spread the ashes of my buddy Larry Landes, On the Island of Sullivan - he rests in peace a true friend Always and Forever. TC Hey keep the Silver Side Up Folks, and I hope that we'll see you on the water soon.
June Seven, - Zero Two Keeping the Silver Side Up! A little from Nickel Back , and now we are lighting up both Muskey and Walleye on the Chalk River and the Ottawa. Shallow with the lightest or no weight is the ticket. The River is just about 10 days late into the season Temp wise with 48 degrees below and 50 above - the Chalk is sitting pretty at 65 degrees and the Toothy Critters are turned on! Any spinners with a silver side has been the best on the Muskeys with a few Rapala's and Jerk baits coming in a close second. Silver Up, Always - T.C.
May 26 th It's a little on the cool side up here with a high today of 14 C or 48 F. Water levels are slowly dropping and surface Temps are around 41 F. below the dam and 43 F. above. The last couple days have seen great pike and bass action but the walleye bite has slowed as they are still pre spawn. A couple days on from now with the water temperature increasing should prove quite promising for the Eye's to turn on. The Candy Cane Stack along with the "Narrows" and the "Presqui'les" have been doing the best, shortly we will be focusing on more current and point related areas. Get ready folks as opening Musky will be here June 1st and all the guides are are waiting with great expectations. (it's been seven months since they have seen a Husky Jerk, Harasser or a Spinner Bait) - The season is upon us and I look forward to seeing old friends and new again very soon. Oh yes, and those early troopers coming up next week - Bring top water lures, the home lake is awesome now. Torpedoes. Zara Spooks and and every thing on the Fly is working! Tight Lines, Terry Carlin JR. April 6, 2002 Sugar bushes are are presently cooking up some great maple syrup as cool nights and wonderfully warm days are now upon us. Snowmobiling is finished for another season and we look, so, so, much for open water. Points on the River are opining up slowly now and the snow is less than a foot here but the Laurentiens still have 3 plus in places. Soon enough we will celebrating our annual May, " Black Fly Bash!" Hope to see you all on the River soon! - Terry JR. Late March Winter came back to hit us one last time. March comes and goes as a lion. There is more snow on the ground now than we have had all winter. The river and lakes are still frozen tight but the days are warming. Michele and I continue our snow shoeing expeditions in and around Algonquin Park and the experiences are most rewarding. Tracking Deer and seeing the impressions of an Owl's wing upon the snow as it lifts a mouse from the surface is most remember able. Dave reports several Moose sightings around the lodge properties this past week and Mark continues his forays into the back lakes for Speckles, Splake and White Fish through the ice. Now that the shows are finished, it's time to turn our attention to preparations for the new season. It looks to be just what happened last week, just skip the pic's and scroll down to the date section below, thanks. The following are some awesome photo's and reports on this region, We'll try to keep it as updated as possible given our busy fishing season and all. Sunsets, Barbecue - Fish Fry's and the latest C P R ( Caught - Photo-Released ) pictures of the local trophies.
Hey, Happy 4 th of July folks. Cal (RIPPEN) Huntzinger takes the walleye up a notch. Pushing Yogi's crew out for the season biggest walleye which now stands at 31 inches. He just brought in a pair of matching hogs early this afternoon between the days thundershowers for some pictures. Five More days out. June 29th The last five Days started my trips with opening Bass season on the Back Lakes and easily boating over 100 Bronze backs and another 35 Large mouth on the same lake was just awesome. Frank La Luma and company attended me into the forestry reserve for the ultimate in bass fishing openings. The same week lead us into the Quecbec backwaters for Northerns and walleye a some great Small Mouths reaching 5 pounds and 22 inches. The musky fishing slowed for us the day picked to fish the Chalk River system but we still managed a few Musky photos and with plenty of follows. Willie Joe and Paul set the record day catch this week with boat 12 and 8 more up to the boat ( they are working on 22 years of trips with us now) A little rain this Morning on the 26 th of June But now that the " Narrows" are open the Sanctuary is just amazing for some dumb fish. No tricky presentations needed today just getting some soft plastic onto the water was enough for fast action. Mike Thomas Our longest running consecutive guest of 32 years even landed a 52 inch Sturgeon up here they day we went as well. When Small Mouth Attack! The best phot shoot of the season was with Dan Coglan (DanO) and his buddy Civ as we caught and photographed a dozzen Bass on one flat - all over 20 inches. The Day saw over the 100 mark again but sign in to www.fishguys.org and clickonto the "Canada Fishing Report" for an idea of what we kind of day we had. Just Pike Fishing June 15th / 06 25 Northerns is all we went for and got hardheadedly as we tracked into a smaller 200 acre lake and through In Lines, Spinner Baits and Slashers. it was enjoyable picking on Apache' Lake while we mostly slung lures at timber and rock all morning before heading out onto the Ottawa for the afternoon. All ranged between 24 and 34 inches, no monsters but very fun fish to catch.
May 30th - Fishes to beat- The records are set early in the Season. Yogi's crew (Dave Sosna and company) have set the Bar high again to start off our season. The Pike to beat thus far is a 49 1/4 inch Northern caught, photographed and released near the docks was caught mid afternoon while rigging up to go Walleye fishing. There crew also landed some of the biggest catches of walleye as well. I got some soon released fish pic's of Eye's pushing the 30 inch mark. Terry Jr.
April is looking sweet. Open water is just now beginning on the River. Our first trip up into the Mountains across the way will be for Speckled Trout while Mark Scott and Steve Barlow are set to do the same near the Park boarder. Steve S. and I will open up his camp about 3 miles into the Laurentians near Cashe' Lake. Looking out the window the Little Carlin Creek is swelling nicely and what's left of the snow is quickly leaving us. We can scratch one last ride on the snowmobiles this week end and then it's 4 wheeler time. At the shows now! We will see our friends and future guests in Harrisburg, February 4 to 12th - There are lot more stories to be told but Michele is the editor and she shakes her head, then, deletes and shakes her head again and says no one will understand this stuff. Nov. 15 / 05 Trips out West A little traveling out to Colorado this Fall with good friends was in order to recharge the batteries after another busy season but we need to thank all our friends for a very successful year on and around the River. Thanks. Close of the season as the cabins are shut down and the Fall colours have come and gone we would like to take this time to thank everyone who made the 2005 season such an incredible year. We saw some awesome catches and had absolutely great times and memorable outings on and off the water. We won't talk too much about the those finale races though, - right folks '06 is is coming! October Run Muskies and Walleyes on the River were the sought after fish of the Month. and we connected on Huskie Jerks and Rappala's along with some red and white Chug R's. September Warm spells and high water found the Smallies deep off the points and called up on deep Divers and vertical jigging on the elevated and craggy shoals at about 20 feet. From the fish to the hunt and back to the fish again, the seasons change sometimes just quick enough. August '05 Just couldn't ask for better weather. Days Above and Beyond on Upper and Lower Rivers - June 23/05 First non fish Fry of the year was Awesome! Mark ran 3 while Jeff and Steve handled a couple and I caught up on old waters for four trips this past week. It all saw some great Walleye, Pike and, Musky and of course Small Mouth action during very sunny and warm days this past week. Mike Thomas split hairs on the fly and worked his white Muddlers along with Black and Blue Lizards from the Mattawa River to the Barron Canyon this week also. Last count for him was well over 400 fish in the boat along with one Sturgeon at 51 inches and 36 pounds! One more day tossing 'Gulp's' and working Rapala's on the sand is in store for me tomorrow and I'm hoping for the promised slight North West breeze to compliment the days outing. Cast and Wind - things are looking good. Quick note, Seymore's 5 - 12 oz Bronze Back was beaten by John's 5 Lb - 15 oz a day later but there is no competition that group - right? Sure.
The Narrows are Open! After a long winter's ice and then a new 30 day spawning sanctuary the narrows have opened in full force with a lot of Dumb fish to prove it. It was easily the high light of the past few days of casting As the Bridge and Penn Creek produced big fish along with the numbers too. In The Heat - June 18 / 05 Yes we had the extreme warm weather up here too. The fronts, mid afternoon storms and gushing tributaries really focused the Walleyes and the Small Mouth Bass which gave all groups some exceptional fishing all last week. Conte's group alone had no problem dropping fifty plus eye's into the boat in one lazy afternoon that was topped off with 4 and 5 pound Bass in the River spill ways. Mark Stellini and company share some time on the water with me also this past week that saw us lite up the Bass action and netted walleyes up to 8 pounds. This has been an amazingly productive spring fishery so far and all things look to continue. I have four more trips lined up this week and I plan on fishing from Maraboo Holden to The Chalk and Black Bays - reports to follow. Huskey Jerks and Rapalas along with a Spitt'N Image were the lures of choice
Fourth Street and the River June 7/05 Catching Walleye's, Awesome Walleyes on the Flop with a Yamamoto and a Drop Shot and a rigged Gulp. Also had to explain, fishing Rip Rap by "Ripping Rapala's" off the rocks of Mackey Bay to Tom Dasher after returning with a 4- 10 and a 4 - 15 Eye. Four days of weather in the 90's with mid days of 1/2 hour storms made the River and feeder Creeks in flood conditions that the Fish love to move into. Bill's 8lb 2 oz walleye was the biggest with un counted limits in the 17 to 24 inch range has made for some great days. A Day with Bill - Just like it was 15 years ago on our first fishing trip on the early June season. A good day of remembrance. I wish that you could see what I see when it's gone. Happy Easter Folks! 2005 The shows were great despite some bad weather here and there. the new year looks quite promising even with a good foot and a half of the white stuff on the ground up here. We are still doing some ice fishing and both Mark and Steve report good catches through the ice for lake trout and splakes. New in camp this season will be a couple of new cottages started on the river front next week as the snow allows progress. The first cast to open water is still six weeks away but the local talk sounds like it's starting tomorrow. I did manage to wet my line between the Suffern and Hamburg sport shows this season on the Cattaraugus and South branch of N.Y. State that netted Scott and I, 4 nice Steelheads ranging 6 to 9 pounds. The water was quite cold and freezing eye tips and lines made for some work but was well worth the experience. Happy Holidays Folks! Dec. 21, 2004 The shows will be starting soon and we are looking forward to seeing everyone soon. November 6, 2004 " what is past was the prologue" Gravy day is here! Congratulations Kurt Bush, but under the old point system, # 24 would have 5 now. But what a great race to the finish and well worth watching the finale ten. Season's end for fishing. Wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving. We closed the year with some great walleye fishing after another great moose hunt. The eye's were in the Fall feeding frenzy off the point out front and on the humps as they moved up the river and feeding with river currents, easy limits with good size and well, now we are done. The Small Mouth bite was also in top form as we landed 3 of the best I have had since the Spring. The moose hunt ended with us filling all three tags in just two days of hunting. Two nice Bulls and a Cow with great company - their will be some to go with the non fish fries next year again! tonight is a Moose Loin dinner at the Stewart Camp and I'm looking forward to hear how the hunting stories have changed. Yes, and I got my Buck yesterday with the help of son "spotter", T.J. and my trackers, my daughter Sierra, and my youngest son Aaron. ( we didn't have to go far from home and I got them on the bus for school on time!) GPS's, Work! weather following a troll line or finding your way back to the spike camp, always trust them. Terry Sr.'s Longitude and latitude map on the River has paid off incredibly this year for putting folks right on the Spot. An evening at the camp. Nice to see the boy's and plan our strategy for the gun season. you have to take a step back in time and imagine the old camps of Maine - you have too step back in time. But the camp is real and we know where the hidden key is and where and how to get the central wood stove started . The "Hunt" - Sort of sounds med-evil doesn't it? A cook, a guide, a caller and a guest, made for a terrific start of a Fall season. Moose's called in and exchanges of arrows with little frost and extremely warm temperatures. the hunt was on and we had some fun and surprises. Thanks Jason and John for sharing the experience. The Laurentian Mountains Land and Fisheries gave up some great animals for us to see and hear first hand. The excitement was best said in the "Quote of the week", when when Roger said, "They were everywhere!" -"We were surrounded!" - I love this time of year even with the high temps and no or little rain. (better weather than the summer) The leaves are changing and the Walleye are biting on the River in this late September, no traffic on the water ways, the River is yours! Observations from the deck, and the back trails of Algonguin. Sometimes when you work with real friends you know when you would like to meet these folks on the trail, again -before the clearing at the end of the pass. Back tracking a Bear Trail A simple non mathematical calculation of a bear coming in TOO LATE! Don't watch his kitchen table, don't get to close to his bed room, but find the living room space in between, and "bang", you have your beer, I mean Bear. Too easy Pauly! ( thanks for coming with your truck this time). And Mike, Colin will not put down that GPS you gave him. Ever lost and never found, - the Colin. and the story *of him and the not too friendly bear! The Stories this week of Gene And Roy - (REALLY) our friends from Rochester N.Y. filled all tags and the Cochrane and co. did amazing with the Flint locks and home made long Bows! 6 out of 7ain't too bad for the five day stay. The muzzle loading 101 course was greatly appreciated and the 1st week as usual was filled with a great hunt in between a great Pig Roast, Walleye and Moose cook out a couple days prior to the opening had all hands shaking and knowing each other before the first stand was sit on and guns sighted in. And Jesse ( with out a range finder went to the trouble of catching an inch worm and set him down in the direction of of the bait and patiently counted out his steps in that direction to know the exact distance, only Jesse could do this. Best Quote of the week, "Now this is is like old times again, just Great!" Bill DeLaney Pittsburgh P.A. Fire in the Sky - a story to be told at the shows this winter. Hunting season for the northern Dark Bruins has arrived, and our opening gambit turned out very well with a good take on the Big Um's. ( yes John) So under sunny skies and mid night rains we did very well ( despite Jesse's theatrics ) " What the @/&*!" - Jim, that was way too easy and Coca Cola Bill's Last night take of a "Big Um!" was not the the first, but worth waiting for. (#16 right?), time goes by fast from our first two tire blow out in Achry, long walk out and some had the gall to eat your cookies too. - This weeks Snapping jaws, trees laid down (not like in Florida ) but still stirring non the less, has made the last couple of the weeks hunt most interesting. Best story told was from Chris Shoemacker, and will be under the chapters of " Noodles and Oodles" & " How Do You Like ME Now!" *See Chapter 9 and 10 Fly Inn's can be most provocative, to say the least. It's alright to camp out, but not in a Holliday Inn's Parking Lot! I have another saved file for the book! Write about what you know. (So I'll not write too much) Thanks for the e - mail Lee But who is the Points Leader NOW! Life in a Northern Town The Life of Ryan - on the River "So am I in the book"? He asked. As I hit my first golf ball into the water, and out of the Sand. (My morning work out) outside my office. "Not yet," I said - "You just haven't screwed up enough yet"... And just days later when I finished Chapter 8, ( pun intended) we sent him on his 1st of two drop offs into the park. He screwed up and is now in the book! Most books of history are about wars and screw ups, not enough about fishing and and hook ups and just the outdoors. Al Lash, you brought back 20 year memories, and when folks ask me, " How long have you worked here?" I still say " All morning". Aug. 27 Diane's Birth Day and a great day on the River Front. Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, I Love this bar, but ... I really Love NASCAR, just,... come as you are. An Extra Special thanks to my Mountain River Rangers, last week that stopped fast traffic, gave fines for littering and just good camp management - (we split the fine proceeds) Kids in camp are cool. Between a rock and a soft place. excellent photo's sent up this week , thanks folks! Bend it like Beckham, ( all puns intended ) Don't know if you have seen it, but it was about going the extra ten feet or in Frank's and my case, ten miles, (long hike) but we do what needs to be done to make things work, work well and always worth while. Coffee with a friend Yesterday. - I do not do the down town too much ( except when I see Earl ) but the other day I sat with an old buddy having a coffee down town at the open outside "Cafe' O Lay" and decided I really was not in a that much of rush that I couldn't hear a tale or two, and the people you meet when they see you out of your element! Well, I should get out more often, but it is tough to leave the River, but sometimes you have too for a Laurentian View Ice cream with the kids. Aug 23 rd 2004 - Colorado and Willow leaf spinners on the mark right now for the Muskies Observations from the Deck. While driving back from the Bay yesterday, the wash lines in the sky were incredible - against a mountain back drop, the river and a lake. Just a little time out to enjoy the view. Sometimes you take things for granted and it takes someone else to point it out for you. Thanks Cliff, cabin 14 and Grace too, see you next year with the 14 grand kids.. Time on the back waters, on the River and Lakes is good, fishing is swell but the company with, is what really makes a trip. A close friend of my wife past away last week, my mom turned 30 ish, and a best man of Ed's died this past week at 32 years, life is not fair, Just kind of makes you think, time is still on our side - enjoy, we are still reading- God is, and God Bless but believe and know -.we are on the same side, same page and.... here we are... I apologize for the inconvenience... Bristol -They may say I'm 24 but the next driver is the 48, or #6 (my favorites). Number 8 Won. August Ending and the Mc Cotter group is coming ( why do they put that darn "S" key next to the "D"?) I hate re typing, - keep the open side up, Folks, looking forward to see you in camp soon, some folks do not get my humor... and well, I like it. Butterfly Effect. Rainy Days and Thursdays, and a fish called Wanda. (my dad didn't get that either) Campfires Held and bad jokes told and , good friends found. Under the Mid Night Sun, it has just begun... There is a place where adventures unfold, sometimes it's hard work, or not but what you catch and what you see, is what it is all about and well the journey too. I am Still trying to get my rail tracker back Terry Stone! Tight Lines, T.C. The week of Kyle's -Sometime around mid August and no dates need specified. It was a great week and I really appreciated the kids, I mean "young men" in camp. we had 38 folks on the roster and with Michele being gone I had to fend for myself. Thank you Gerry and Teresa for cooking me hamburgers and all the good company. ( the Liver and Onions, well I have to draw the line somewhere) sorry Megan. Fish Fry on the River Side is on next year! I had to take off and miss a day on the River, as a friend of mine took ill and I wanted to say Hi and give her a book. Strange thing is the last two books I read were "Tuesdays with Maurry" and the "Five people you meet in Heaven" - Not good books to take when you go and see a friend in the hospital. Now the "Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy", National Geographic, and the "Zoo Keeper's Daughter" are a better choice. Love you Kim, and you know that. Well the Northern Lights have seen strange sights, but the strangest a guide could ever see, was the night we put Jesse, yes Jesse up that old darn tree. And What we heard told would make your blood run cold, but we will hear it again and again, you'll see. And that is what the hunt is about, right, - good friends, stories told (warm or cold) and the adventure that is soon to be. Sept. One - so, so looking forward to it! Trust your guide , but remember, there are times when not to
believe him, -, like when his lips are moving . Thank you, Colonel M. W. Blackledge, U.S. Marine Corps The Flag you raised in honor of the Carlin's and Staff on July 5 th at Camp Commando, Kuwait, is held high here now. The K/O and Mountain River Lodge is greatly appreciated, Thank you Frank, it is nice to have you home. Stars and Stripes, T.C. - Always Faithful Gulp - Fish eat them! Also Senko's, Do nothing, Wacky Worms and Jersey Rigs- they are all working! Dog Patch, Hi Murray, Thanks for visiting, the coffee is on at 6:30 a.m. If anyone really reads this stuff, let me know, T.C. The Walleye bite is on right now! Ask Jimbo and company as they tore up the lower River, found Dad's hump and limited easily on each outing. Thanks Randy and Linda Aman for the great two week stay and the time on the Dumoine River trip and the photo with the kids is, well ... priceless. thanx August 16th, 2004 No Secrets Lost Hey, do not tell too many people about our little piece of "paradise found" along the Ottawa River, but between you and me, the plastic Gulp, and the Spittin Image - well we are kicking the fishes butts!
An evening with the Pleacieds! a great meteor shower came across our Northern skies the last couple of nights which rivaled the Northern Lights and made for great conversation and viewing while also enjoying the Hot Tub and other constellations. And then, drinking in the sound of wolves from across the waters edge. This was Good Stuff! No this was better, It was the "Right Stuff" Non Fish Fries! Yes Lee, they are happening every week now, sometimes twice. You started something. They have been totally AWESOME! and a special thanks to some good conversation with the Flew party and their ten day stay from the U.K. ( couldn't understand half of that was said and they speak English, well - Welch ) but we had some good jokes, great walleye, bad card tricks and Awesome moose meat. ( yes that was for you Lee.) How goes that NASCAR anyway. Michele is happy after Watkin's Glen. She is still the points leader in the house. I would like to thank the Hendricks folks, Chevrolet, Dupont, Pepsi,. Ridingers, Bass tracker, Ranger and ........ etc. Wing Man Aug. 8th / 04 It is always good to have a wing man, he looks after you, covers your back and catches that ace at 2:00 high. Well two a clock is a good time to head home for before an early guide trip, but I did drag my wing man with me and we had ( the fog of war) a good Summer fest weekend that was followed up by a great day on the Dumoine, Holden, and Bass Lakes. (Coyote' Lake is doing very good too! ) We have to re name it " Ugly" as my partner "Young Mark" did his best but took a fall on the way in. Everyone is A O Kay at the K/O River Lodge and we are back into the fishing big time now, And I'm still looking for a good wing man that will direct a cast, tie a line and take his buddy in... at the appropriate time. Zoo Keepers Daughter This book is due out soon and is a must read, and if anyone has read these chronicles of fishing trips in a Northern town, will know of the story of the "Moose and the Caboose" Thanks Laurie & Doug Day, Space Farms, (Worlds largest privately owned Zoo) and all of Sussex County N.J. for the the great times had. "For a fisherman, he is one heck of an accountant." Your words, not mine, but repeated several times. Rain and a little wind today but the docks are tight. and Steve and Matt are guiding above and below the river systems today. Collin is setting sights for bear season so I'll type and plan the trips for tomorrow. Riddles in the Light - End of July What has a mouth but never speaks, has a bed but never sleeps?.... the river Another nice trip up river. Moose seen, Fish Caught and the light in the eyes of " Fisherman in Training" made for some life long memories. Jeff and I had the pleasure of guiding The Houser's -Thanks Leon , Tim Houser and Company for a very swell time. Hobbit riddles and freshly cooked fish mixed the day nicely between the catches. Klack Attack, July ending - Ladies rule, I need not say anymore. Well I just don't know where to begin. wink Rowers of the Aug. Long Week End Thanks Vincent, Hi Brenda, (Barbara) and Wendy - I'm still paying. My hand was all Ace's and Eights that night. We had some great fishing again this week with the klackowicz party that Steve, Mark, Jeff and myself set up for the fantastic 7. Normally a grand slam is the big 4 - " a Musky a Walleye, a Pike and a Bass" But we managed the Super 7 with a couple of Muskies, Pike, Walleye, Sm. Mouth, Lg Mouth, Channel Cat. Blue Gill, Gar pike and well that's 8. That's right we don't count the Rockies. Good times had by all. Tail ends! The tail end of June fishing prior to opening bass kept up the big, big action along with the walleye hook. Ron and Lee along with Mike and Cathy Ridinger ( too many stories that can not be told) I could be poetic but some( including my wife) folks do not understand my jokes and say I'm just not funny, Tim. Anyway the boys found lure, the where and the presentation, and the walleye holes through out the narrows and managed a few days on the Lakers and Muskie waters too. They are still up and enjoying a 3rd week of fishing already this year. Bass counts are into the the couple hundreds for Bill Rust and Ken Edwards with only two days of fishing in this week. Mike Thomas fished up with over 500 for his stay. (those were fat round pike, crappy and blue gills) and this month has shown us a mix of warm days with very cool nights. A couple of midnight storm fronts this past week helped stir up the fishing too. Pike over 42 inches are credited to six anglers so far and 15 over 40 inches with Matt Carlin's 45-1/2 inch Northern being the one to beat so far. Overcast skies today with wind coming in at 5 to7 miles per hour from the North West. it's race day today at 3:00 pm Sears Point, so a little time off fishing and back at it in the A.M. Tight Lines, Terry Jr. Tripping.04/06/19 Waters from the Algonquin interior, into the Laurentians and along the Ottawa River Valley has marked me with a little more than 20 trips so far this year and counting. The Walleye have started slow above the Dam this season but right on - on the lower side it's right on. Post spawn Smallies were easy to see in under four and five feet of water. Walleyes in the park at Radiant and Traverse were great as was the Pike fishing in SecWet. Traverse and Montgomery gave the largest Muskie so far as well as the Chalk out side of the Park. Canoe ventures along the Barron Rivers 300 foot cliffs have become weekly outings. 6 to 8 hours trips for Small Mouth and Walleye with a few carries around the falls and rapids made for tired trekkers at days end. June 15 - All guides are out for six straight days this week with Stuart Korn and company as we fished the works with a group of 12 anglers visiting on his 9th consecutive year. (sometimes when your cast fades a little to the left it only takes a small piece of tape on your shoe to straighten it out, right Allen T. Willie Harzula with Paul Pear and Joe Vittali set some record catches on the military lakes as well as Holden but their high light after 20 years of coming up was another 20 Muskies landed in one day on the Chalk. Game play and retirement coming. I don't know, I've been retired 3 years now since setting up office at the River, good luck my friend, enjoy Colorado and I'll see you in the Spring! T.C.
June 10th - Muskellunge Hunt. Three River systems and 11 lakes have just opened this week and the great Muskie Hunt is on. pike are still a hot topic out front on the river as Bill Slavick and Matt Tagged a few good ones from Boom Creek to the Schyane River this week with the end stretching out over 45 inches. some large ones were taken straight from under the River docks just out front by Collin and I as each time we shifted the docks out, the fish moved with it. Jeff and I took our fill this week with a heavy pay load of River Run Channel Cats. Most came in between 3 to 7 pounds and made for great eating. A few walleye found their way into the batter too! Mid May 2004 Season began during mid May starting us out with great pike fishing on the Ottawa River. Yogi and his group nailed the opener at prime time on the river with Mark taking the biggest northern at 44 inches. APRIL 28th 2004 Everyone is back and we open up in just a few weeks. It's going to be a busy Spring, Summer and Fall. The show circuit was quite eventful and it was great to see everyone. Looking out across the River this morning was quite enough to really get that feeling of making that perfect cast again. Skies are blue and the River is clam today although it is still a bit cool. Cabins are opening up and the docks are soon to go in. The water is quite cold so Collin and I not so looking forward to that last part. Weekly reports will start soon so visit often. Water levels are a little high now but it has been dropping slowly and the winds have dried up most of back lake roads pretty well. keep the open side up! Tight Lines, Terry Jr. March 31st All shows are over for the winter 2004, and it's looking bright and
busy! Michele and I took our finale snow shoe escapade yesterday, ( yes we still have
snow) and the woods were beautiful. Still can not wait for the first cast into open
water as the Ottawa River is frozen over but the creeks and rivers are running fast and
the break up is coming soon. We picked up a nice moose shed from out where they were
herded up for the winter but couldn't find the match. Wolves are still feeding on
the rivers edge and the raccoons have broken their winter hibernation which means the
bears are soon to follow. My folks are back from the sunny south and the schedule is
busy as we start to reopen cabins and setup for the coming season. A few new cabins are
being brightened up and we have 6 busy weeks to get the docks in, pool and hot tub opened
and the hooks sharpened! Bring up some "Gulp" Soft plastic
lures as the were the the hot commodity of last years season and are expected to do as
well this year too. June 5 is opening musky and in line Blue FOX # 3 to 5's in
the orange colour was a great great hit on paralleling the weed lines while throwing the
weed less or fast spinner baits into the pad cover starting close to shore. See you
on the water soon, Tight Lines T.C. The M January 3 / 04 Hello everyone again! We hope all had a great holiday season and have brought in the new year healthy and a little heavier and enjoyed the days with friends and family. Mom and Dad did a little traveling this year while Michele the kids and I held down the home front. Snowmobile season is upon us which makes Dave busy in the shop and keeping the River Lodge plowed out as we have about 15 inches of the white stuff now. Shows are starting soon and you can expect to see us at Edison, NJ and Fort Washington, PA first, followed by Chantilly, VA. My first show will be in Harrisburg in early February at the same location in the Main Hall and plan on bringing an old sea dog with me this year (River Guide, Mark). I will also be in Suffern and Hamburg too in March and plan to have representatives in Monroeville and Rochester. That's the schedule to date and the pre new year bookings look to make 2004 a very busy year for us and the guide bookings have already locked out 2 weeks so if you are interested in seeing new water with a guide or travel to your favorite spots with a guide please let me know as early as possible. T.C. December 2003 We are shut down now for the Fall and soon the sport shows will be upon us. We look forward seeing new and friends again soon. Wishing everyone happy and healthy holidays. The Carlin's October 9th 2003 - 49 degrees this morning and a bright sunny Autumn day ahead. Fall colors are at their peak, geese are heading south and the ducks are flying low. We just had our first frost which is late for us, and the whole region is looking awesome. Arlean, Justin, Pop and I are just closing up the boats and storing them for the winter. Cabins are shut down but we left the Bungalows and River Lodge open for awhile yet. We are all staying busy and Diane is closing up the office but still has the phone line open, but to reach the River Lodge please call 613 584 2861 or me at home at 584 1368 - Thanxs September is gone. Seasons are going too fast. Again the fishing and hunting was great all the way through. we had a great Archery moose hunt and tagged a big bull up in Quebec and two more Bulls in the Gun season. There is always a story and I look forward to sharing it with all at the shows this winter. Next is gun season then closing up camp, just can't believe its October already. Mark and Steve are closing out the year with a trip into Montgomery for walleye and Musky today and then we're done for the fishing. Tight Lines T.C. Aug. 30th "the ROAST" After finishing an awesome summer fishing season we set our sights on the Fall Bear season. This starts out with a great Moose and Walleye BBQ and then followed by a day long Pig Roast. Someone had a beer too. Both first and second weeks proved great with a 98% success rate! We had some pre season Bear problems at home too as one tried to gain entry to our house after devouring the porch BBQ. Problem taken care of via 300 win mag and a 190 silver tip. I can not say enough of the fun we had and how great it was to have old friends and a few new ones in camp, I so look forward to those weeks and I'm looking forward to next season already. PS - Thanks for the truck Paully!
August 15th Aaron's Day Heading back to the North Country with a cool breeze in my eyes, just glad to be back again and looking forward to fishing that one special back water pool that needs revisiting. Grey Owl / T.C. Aug 3, 2003 Cow Paddy time of Year! Yes this is our August long week end and the Valley entertainment is at it's finest. In keeping with the local traditions Michele has taken the Kids to the one room school house for three legendary races, hotdogs and waiting to see where the cow relieves himself and award the owner of the pasture ticket a cool $500.00! the suspense is killing me. All came home with Ribbons but the Cow has failed to relieve itself ... yet Terry Stone and his clan took 3 boats into Center yesterday and blew out the Bass with incredible catches on soft plastics and a little live bait for the kids. This is canoeing season for several groups as they are voyaging to some of the less accessible waters on Algonquins interior lakes ( the Barron Canyon, Sec, Lucky and the James). The Eckard / Blikle Family crew of Nine from Rochester N.Y. who worked over the guides, Mark and Steve on the River for some really successful Walleye takes and a couple Sturgeons some great 36 inch Northerns. Bill Davis scored the Biggest one last week while forcing his friend Henry to give his up as they Doubled in the 1st Persquille. Scott still has them beat at 44 1/2 inches and 26 pounds. White Mudlers, Sinko's And Rapalas was all that we needed Monday July 7th. Mark Pecora with his buddies Mike and Brian along with myself had an amazing out back adventure that caught us over 80 Bronze backs with 5 going over 4 pounds. We were Small Mouth fishing in under 6 foot of water where we could look right down into the schools of fish and literally watch the bite. Temps are still in the high nineties and clear skies on call for the next couple days. July 5, 2003 BASS - TASTIC ! and it was... What an awesome week of fishing, The Dragonfly hatch sent the Bass on the lakes into a frenzy and the quote of the week goes to Jason Shane "This is CRAZY, They are everywhere!" And they were. Several dozen bass made that dramatic "Sub Surface to Air Jump" Deep, Shallow, in the Pads, Timber and on Rock Shelves. Along with his uncle Lou and the Help of Lee and Ron Ridinger, we managed to boat 201 Bass in under six hours on the water. The week was extremely good for everyone for both new time guests and the returns as we saw action on over 16 lakes in only 6 days on the water. If your planning a trip next week be prepared for more warm weather as this past week saw temps move into the mid 90's. Mark and I both saw our best action on the River and the Tributaries but the lakes turned on mid week and produced the numbers. I'll stay in touch, Guiding Algonquin, T.C.
Blue Lizards Everywhere - June 25/03 Mike Thomas and Family kicked Bass all week long in our on going heat wave of the year. Tossing jigs and blue Lizards were #1 with all lakes from Bissett Creek to along the Algonquin edge down to the Barron Canyon. Seconds Lake on the Interior gave them over a hundred good bass and the best pike fishing yet. Wilkins Lake was awesome for Mark Stellini and company as an annual trip for over 10 years. Finding the Rip Rap along the south shores was were the Pike were and the Bass were just one lake over in Gunny. Young Rachele is still looking for the cover photo to make the front of our news paper for the fourth consecutive year. Frank Ciardi's Grandson is holding the big Pike for the week at an even 16 pounds from across the River along with a big 10 pound Channel Cat. Temps are still in the mid and high 90's through out the days but cooling off nicely at night. Opening Bass on the Lakes comes this weekend and we are all looking forward to the new waters, hope to see you on the water soon - Tight Lines, Terry J.R.
June 20 "Back at the Tail Race" The fish have been shallow on the lower side and the "Narrows" have been producing the big scores. Plastics and live bait have done well while few have had fun with the Fly Rod and poppers. Mid June Young Blue jumped the tracks and saw Stu Korn and company make the 1st season trip into the edge of Algonquin. After a couple of warm days things turned cooler but the Small Mouth were there. Jeff and I guided a double trip and came up dozens of hefty 3 to 4 pound Smallies. A truly awesome trip came the following day while guiding Stu again and his buddy Allen Tobacman. We starting the morning slow along the North shores and spillways of Holden on the Ottawa but a change of tactics at 11:00 a.m. started us on a day to long remember. This was Bronze Back fishing at its best. Earlier in the week we caught numbers in the same areas but today we caught numbers and size. Over 35 fish over 3 pounds another 1/2 dozen were between 4 and 5 and one made 6 pounds 10 ounces! Boy did we take photo's. June Water levels are slowly going down and we can reach the docks without the the help of a boat ferry. Opening musky put a fury on the Chalk waters with nice 8 and 10 toothy critters taken by myself and Phil on the same day. I stayed with the husky Jerks and a big white spinner Bait while Phil thru the Buck Tails and trolled the center line - it all worked! The following weekend found with in the boat with Austin Hewitt working in Ottawa. His family and i spent 3 Days exploring the Northern tributaries, Dumoins, Big Bears and Maraboo along with a trip on the eastern side of the River too. Pike, Walleye and Bass were all found shallow unerd 6 ft of water. We used some live bait but the usual plastics and Rapalla proved themselves again. Back into the Musky waters found Wally Morinto and his friend Dennis Gilpatric found the Musky rhythm this week on their 1st of two week trips scheduled again this year at the Mountain River Lodge. Peter and Doug Lemanski of Worcester Mass. took the big Walley this week at 31 inches and a hefty 12 pounds (Blue Foxes #4)
May 29th Wow! The water has came up last night! We had to rescue the docks as levels jumped up over 18 inches in just two hours. What was looking to be a low river and spring fish has turned 180 degrees. Rain continues to fall and water temps are rising. only half the Walleye have spawned and have moved to deeper water. Some old cows are still holding to 10 and 12 foot off points and and strong current areas. May 27 My new right hand on the River, "Director" Justin Charette and I broke away from our afternoon chores to tend to the calling waters of the River. A dozen Pre Spawn Small Mouth up to 3 1/2 pounds came in easily while just trying to hook up a couple walleye for diner - dark green road kill snozzer tube jigs. Two Northern Pike fell ( 28 and 35 inches) to six inch Rapallas in both gold/black and silver/black combinations. Not bad for an hour and half late afternoon fish. The Walleye were deep at about 35 to 40 feet so we didn't spend time on the drift or vertical jig. MARK ONE - May 18th A great day on the water for River Guide Mark Scott as he netted 11 pike from 5 to 18 pounds, a giant Channel Cat and a full limit of Walleye. First guided trip of the season ended in great success. Sierra, T.J. and Aaron all took their first fishes of the new season as well this past weekend too. It's back to putting boats together and opening up the remaining cabins, Dave is working on a few motors today and talking NASCAR. Time to get back at it, Tight Lines - Terry JR. May 11, Happy Mother's Day Opening Week End proved to be exceptional on the River. By the end of last month we thought we were going to have really high water to deal with but with no rain to speak of and a light tributary run off we will have lower water levels this spring. This early spring effect has made the Walleyes quite easy to locate as Mark, Steve, Jeff and I all had trips out front that all went very well. We are still putting our docks in and cleaning out boats and getting the property set up for another great season, the big kick off starts next weekend. We will be ready! Tight Line - TC April 25 The ice is off of all lakes and river systems, observations from the deck while looking across the River makes the sky look like it's sitting on the mountains both over and under. Dead still high water disturbed only by a few ducks and geese that have set up residence below the deck and on the point. Cabins are being hooked up with water and reopened slowly, while the pool and hot tub will be opened about three weeks from now. No fishing yet but the open water is quite inviting The first cast is coming soon. April 15 th - Happy Birthday Michele! Days of Thunder, April 4th 2003 As the Spring tries again and again to warm things up we are still dealing with cold nights that refreeze the River. This brings on the thunderous groans and cracks that continuously warp across and below the ice. The Rumbling is quite loud and can be heard from indoors. as we go to cabin to cabin preparing for our May opening it's in the back ground all the time. At least you know the breaking and shifting is coming soon. Mark has pulled off the back Algonquin lakes for the time being as ice levels are thinning and slush threatens. We are so looking forward to open water, Lake Trout opens in less than 2 weeks! I'll try to keep you informed, T.C. Hey Folks, we know that your upset with the French but just remember that the rest of Canada gave up on them 130 years ago. "Natures Call" March 23 -All shows are finished! We have wrapped up another winter tour on the roads traveling to sport shows and seeing old friends and making new. As the war in upon us, I have received numerous e - mails and all our thoughts and prayers are for the men and women overseas. Thank you all for the great letters, they are greatly appreciated and a nice distraction from the current events. Just under 5 weeks will see that first cast on the water and we are all so looking forward to it. The Season is shaping up to be a busy one and we look forward to seeing and fishing with you all again soon. Take care of yourselves and each other. Tight Lines, TC
March 21 first day of Spring Then there were Wolves We counted 9 different wolves crossing the river yesterday. The Ottawa is frozen and the wolves come across in small groups from the presquille's to feed along the south shores where winter food has been strategically placed. The River Lodge is still engulfed in snow but we have had a good bit of rain lately and the snow is starting to diminish - should be a high of 38 degrees today. It looks like we are going to have high water through out the early fishing season.
Feb18th 2003 The Big show is over. Yes Harrisburg ended with the storm of the century and sent us heading north on the edge of the northeaster that many of you are digging out of now. So far we have missed the heavy snow at home but we came back to minus 20 degrees. The snowmobiles don't even want to start and I had to change the battery in my truck, find the plug ins, and extension cords for warming the block heaters. I went to the grocery store this morning and the parking lot was filled with running cars. No one dared to turn off their car heaters while shopping, can't blame them, its cold. Any way the sport shows were great and we got to see a lot of friends and the 2003 season is shaping up to be a very busy year. Expect some new special features added to the Mountain River Lodge this summer as Dad and I have a few new projects going on for this spring. For now it's all inside work until the weather breaks. Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw
It's all about change, finding the cheese and moving with it. We are well into the New Year now and I'll tell you all it's pretty cold up here. Jan, 10th 03. Picked up another 6 inches of the white stuff last night and it was minus '20 C or minus '3 F this morning - very cool. The River has frozen over now and the Bite is on now in the Park for speckled trout, so the ice shack is out and we're looking forward to fresh walleye this weekend too! Dec 30th 2002 - ( Longitude 79 degrees by Latitude 46 degrees) I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and are having a happy Hanukah! Ice Fishing is starting and the Snowmobiling is awesome. Shows start very soon now that January is almost here and we are all looking forward to seeing old friends again. First show will see us in Edison, NJ and then the road trip begins. Right now it's a cool 7 degrees with just under a foot of snow. All reports from the sunrise strip of the deck on the river has been moved well indoors and close to the wood stove. Michele and I broke out the snowshoes yesterday and tracked deer out back, the Park migration ran late this year and they are still passing through to the feeding yards in Petawawa. Well, 2003 approaches and we all wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks for reading and please stay in touch, Tight Lines - Terry Carlin JR
Sorry folks but about 6 weeks of information has been lost by a computer crash. To roughly catch you all up I'll say we had an awesome September bear season and the walleye bite was terrific. Then there was a great Moose hunt that gave us a couple of the huge noble beasts! November has come and the snow has already started, ( came so fast I didn't have time to rake the lawn, Darn!) soon Michele and I will getting our winter exercise by snow shoeing the back forty and Terry SR and Diane will be heading south shortly. Kelly and Ed are expecting their first child in June - should be a busy month! Everyone up here is healthy and doing fine My buddy Roger and I along with Dave have been exploring the Laurentians again this year and have established some new Moose territory that offers Bow, Cross Bow, Gun and Muzzle Loading seasons - Next Fall will be fun along with a lot of hard work. The Lodges are all closed up now and the new news paper is in the works so if anyone should have a picture or letter for us it would be greatly appreciated. We wish everyone the Best of Thanksgiving and hope everyone is well and spending time with their families and friends over the holiday. A Special condolence to the Families of two different fishing Legends that I have had the privilege to cast a line with over the years at K/O, With the passing of Pat White and Billy Westmorland please know they will be greatly missed but fortunately we have some awesome memories. November, 2002 - Terry JR, Tight Lines Always Observations from the deck Hitchhikers guide to the Ottawa River and Area Wed. Aug. 28 As we wind down our last week of August and prepare for the up coming Bear season (had two on the hood of truck last night) - I 'm looking across the River this morning and enjoying a great view of the Laurentians, high blue skies and placid waters. Mark is Guiding Holden Lake today along with Steve while Phil has chosen an East Island tour. Dave and I are sanding off the edges to be sure of a very successful Bear season starting next week. Temps have been in the mid to high 70's during the day while the evenings have dropped to the mid 50's - good sleeping weather! Chris Mc Cotter's group of 20 have visited us for the summers end again and have reported great catches and the coveted silver paddle is still awaiting the first angler to record the great Canadian Grand Slam of Sm. mouth, Lg. mouth Walleye, Northern Pike - The only thing missing is the Musky, but it should be finished today. Oh and the "other" category ( this includes, Drum, Sturgeon, Gar Pike, Channel Cats, Red Horse, White Fish and whatever!) will soon come also. This will be one of my finishing reports for 2002 season of Mountain River Reports of the Ottawa Valley - information on the area will soon be transferred to ko-riverlodge.com - It has been a different and interesting season to say the least. After our Fall Bear season we have some more Autumn fishing trips followed by a late September search for the noble Moose. Some Small Game and Duck seasons will take us to years end at the beginning of October. If you find yourself traveling in the Northern Algonquin Region drop in for a coffee or diner at the "Restaurant at the end of the universe - err, I mean at the end of the Bass Lake Road, or down by the River and see my office overlooking the water. Well it's been fun, - 17 years of Tight Lines, SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH ! TERRY CARLIN JR. (And no I have never heard of anyone by the name of Douglass Adams) As identified in the Hitchhikers Guide and the Encyclopedia Britannica - the Ottawa River and the Valley - " Mostly Harmless " T. C. P.S. on a finale note, thanks John Perciasepe for the fresh Fig fruit breakfasts, They were great!
Wednesday Aug. 7, 2002 - 9:20 am after a windy and delayed departures on most trips yesterday, we were greeted at the River docks by anxious crews. The Ottawa River has laid down nicely with a slow westerly wind. It's a cloudless sky, mirrored by the River and only separated by the verdant green Mountains of the Laurentians. Expected high today is about 75 degrees. - Hey, special congratulations to Jimbo as he won the Musky tournament on the Chalk yesterday! Great news for the later season arriving guests, Unfortunately because of the tightening security measures on base properties we were not able to access 7 lakes in the military grounds. Now we can (finally) - and Allan and Mike Underwood ( 5 year Mt. River Vets ) will be the first ones on Lake Montgomery since August last year. Targeting Small Mouth, Walleye and Musky - should be great stories tonight! It's Fish Fry today and the weather is perfect. I'm heading out from this amazing office view looking over the River and heading out fishing for the rest of morning. Hope to see you on the water soon, Tight lines T.C. P.S. Hey Jan, I'm looking forward to seeing you and Chet next week! It's been very busy on the water folks and the reports have been hard to keep up with. Let's just say it has been very warm and the fishing as awesome as ever. It's already August and the Deep River Summerfest doubled the towns population in just one weekend. I probably shouldn't get too detailed and technical about local Ottawa Valley traditions but Michele took time out this past weekend to take our kids to a cow patty gamble. Yes it's true, in old Valley fashion you buy a square on a pasture and wait to see where the a newly released cow drops its patty, and well ....winner takes all. ( I'm staying with the Nascar pool myself! ) Back to Fishing Now! Sunday July 14th 7:00 am I cannot see the mountains, or even the river from the deck this morning. A heavy mist has encompassed the waters again and trips going out are being held off for another hour. Lake fishing is fine but river navigation is by GPS only. Trips are mostly out front with Mark heading west and Phil is taking his tour down to island in the east. The Pool is at 90 degrees and the Hot Tub is at 100. Another day in the mid 80's with high blue skies. A lite rain last night has made everything a little greener and water levels have slightly rose. It's race day and Ryan has the Pole position (25 extra points for me!) I know where I'll be this afternoon but his morning I'm fishing the 2nd Pres'quil. A very hard rain in this early morning of July 17th has gotten trips out late. Catches yesterday said to be quite well with both Steve's and Mark's crew landing good 6 and 7 pound Walleye's. Both the Candy Cane Stack Flats and the Tail Race have been producing very well. At 10:43 am, observations from my office (the pool deck) is showing clearing skies (finally) Temps are at 72 and it looks like it will be a great day. Dave and I are going fishing. Tight Lines, T.C. Thursday July 11 - Fire In The Sky Quebec forest fire about 1000 miles away near James Bay have blown smoke through the Ottawa Valley, no fire bans in our area but up North it has been very dry. The Haze on the River proves those water bombers have their work ahead of them. In the mean time there has been a lot of canoeing in and about the Algonquin region these past few days. Terry Stone reports incredible Bass catches on Lucky and Diane's Lakes along with the Canyon tour. 1/2 dozen 4 and 5 pounds along with many more in the 2 pound class have made some great days on the water. Terry's nephew's Jack and Josh caught two of the biggest ones while dangling a worm on the surface with only two feet of line out! We have a tremendous dragonfly hatch and the bass a jumping, dark colors in the "Road Kill Green" and Pumpkin seed are the #1's this week. - Terry JR
July 9th Observations from the Stern. At 9:10 this morning I have company on the deck with 10 Canadian Geese a Mallard hen and 3 ravens. ( Oh and Bob and Ileene Marks too.) They all join me with a gorgeous view of the River and Mountains. A little later report this morning as we (Dave, Tyler and I) had a pretty good Tuesday morning rush at the docks. Everyone is out and I just finished taking my water readings. It's 72 presently and should reach about 84 degrees later on today. Afternoon thunder storms yesterday have raised the water a little and took me off the water early. Before leaving, Illeen managed a nice 4 pound Small mouth on the edge of the Bear River waterfalls bay. The bite stayed fairly shallow and is expected the same today. Today is a green on green day for Michele and I and Tee Off is at 1:45, I'll try to get back soon. -T.C. Fourth of July - happy independence day Another week of awesome weather is happening. Bill Rust along with Ken Edwards have easily netted100 plus bass days on the last thee trips out on Tall Pines, James, and Neil Young Lakes - all on tube jigs and small twisters. Several big Northern Pike stories have surfaced with C#1, while landing nice 16 inch bass a Northern decided to take the catch away at boat side. The 4 foot Pike wouldn't let go of the Bass but refused to get in the net as well. The number 2 cabin share a similar story yesterday with a Walleye as the bait. Never think your lures are too small! It's 7:26 am on this independence day morning, the River is calm again with a light west breeze and highs in the mid 80's to come. Some of the river tributaries have slowed down with the usual post season spawn wrapping up but the action on the lakes and main River is fast and furious. Both Guides Steve and Mark have also recorded great Musky action on the Chalk and lower river this week also. Tight Lines, Terry JR June 30 - 02 - TC - Mt. R Dave's last trip on Friday got off to late start with a couple of mechanical difficulties but after moving from truck to truck to 4 wheeler and down into a little no - name lake. The first Rapala didn't hit waters surface till 1:00 pm and the first cast nailed a 3 pound Bass! Small Mouth up to 5 pounds were caught that afternoon with many more in the 2 to 3 pound range caught photographed and released along with some jumbo perch. Mike and Pete Thomas report awesome catches on the Fly with 6 and 7 weight rods. Their week brought them into over 500 bass and even a 36 inch pike on the same set up. Great, great week! Old home week is approaching with more experience rods than ever as everyone in camp has been up before. I'm looking forward to it, Looking out across river this morning at 8:23 am - it's calm waters with a slight breeze out of the North West, Blue skies and a high of 78 degrees expected, See you on the water, TC Six Feet Under No not HBO but the strike zone on Bass and Northerns right now. |