This is great news for those who have been turned away at the border for minor criminal charges like DUI or shoplifting.

I would take advantage of it and hopefully in the future, the government keeps waiving the fee. The tourism industry is lobbying for the law to be changed and hopefully this will be done by next year.

Double Header 40" Northern Pike

Debbie and I made our way north to camp on Good Friday. The lake was still half frozen. April 12, we took another load of supplies up and all the ice was gone. There was still some snow in the shade but open water for as far as we could see.

Earliest ice out ever?

I am not sure but it is definitely the earliest I have seen in my 23 years on the water.

We have moved into camp and are cleaning and readying all the equipment for the upcoming season. Valerie-Ann has finished her first year of college and has been a great help with cabins too.

We have already had a group of early season Northern Pike / Lake Trout fishermen come and go home with big smiles. Check out the double header of a 40″ and 43″ Monsters! Our phone in camp is now working but I am getting older so I don’t hear the phone ring as well and I sure don’t sprint like I used to so it is easiest to reach us via email.

See you on the water.

Read the full newsletter here

Group of early season Northern Pike / Lake Trout fishermen come and go home with big smiles. — womanriver.com/gearing-up-for…

— Woman River Camp (@womanrivercamp) May 9, 2012

The Eastern Iowa Sportshow is this weekend!

Come down and plan your fishing trip to Canada!

Fishing trips to Canada are a great time for old college buddies to get together.  A parent to bond with a child, a great place to relax and enjoy some of the best fishing and scenery the world has to offer!

The Eastern Iowa Sportshow is being held at the Uni-Dome in Cedar Falls Iowa.

The Eastern Iowa Sportshow

Show Dates and Times

Admission Fees

There are some great seminars taking place by speakers like Dave Csanda and Gary Parson.  If you don’t find me in our booth, I will most likely be catching a seminar!

Debbie and I are looking forward to our first visit to Cedar Falls and a chance to talk fishing and hunting with the guests of the Eastern Iowa Sportshow!

Hope to see you there!

Remote fishing in Canada is a dream for many and a reality for a few. Woman River Camp has lots of opportunity for remote fishing in Canada. More specifically, Northwestern Ontario.

 
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Finding a fishing cabin in Canada can be challenging. Our remote boat-in outpost is a great fishing cabin for the group or family looking for solitude. A great view, spacious cabin with more amenities than you could imagine at a remote outpost.
 
Of course it is near incredible fishing for Walleye, Northern Pike, Lake Trout and Smallmouth Bass. Limited weeks available for the 2012 season!

New Upgrades For Camp

New gas range at our boat-in fishing cabin in Canada

We also purchased a Truper Axe from Northern Tool.  The all steel construction and 12lbs head will provide our guests staying at our remote fishing cabin in Canada with reliability and durability when splitting wood. 

We always like to make improvements to our main camp and outpost.  Enhancing our guest’s enjoyment on their fishing trip in Canada!

Bookings Are Ahead Of Pace

 
The upcoming 2012 season at Woman River Camp is filling up nicely.  Our bookings are ahead of last years pace but group size is down.  This may sound crazy and not very business like but we actually enjoy and prefer to average around 30 guests in camp a week.  Main camp can sleep more than 50! 

The trend to smaller groups fits in well with our home away from home atmosphere!    Where was I going with this?  Our remote Canada fishing trip to our outpost is filling up fast!  Why wouldn’t it.  There is only one fishing cabin! 

Here are the remaining dates available for you to plan your Canadian fishing trip.

Last Chance! Win a Fishing Trip
– Enter Before Feb 29th!

 

Ice Fishing in Canada – a couple days with Paul & Debbie

Back home from the All Canada Shows and with most of the paperwork caught up, Debbie and I decided to head up to camp for a couple days of ice fishing in Canada at Woman River Camp.

Of course winter decided to show up just before we left Dryden. Temperatures were predicted to be around -14C (7F) during the day and -24C (-11F) at night. Not bad but the wind was suppose to be bluster between 20-30 km/h (12-19mph). Holy buckets a brisk windchill.  Not typical of ice fishing in Canada

A Grouse staying warm in the snow

Unable to leave Dryden until Wednesday afternoon, we decided to spend the night with friends in Ear Falls. A nice meal, good conversation, and a great hockey game on the tube made for a relaxing evening. the next morning, we grabbed some bait and headed to Woman River Camp. The South Bay Road is always in amazing shape in the winter.  We spotted three Grouse on the trip. It wasn’t long and we had the sleds unloaded from the trailer.  I gave Debbie the honours of busting trail into camp. I soon followed after loading the boggan with our supplies. There was about two feet of snow on the ground and very grain like.  Which was nice for shoveling off the deck.

When I got to the cabin, Debbie already had a fire blazing, heating up the cabin. It takes about 8 hours to really warm up the walls.  With the gear unloaded and Debbie tending the fire, I headed back out to the road to turn the truck and trailer around and check the gear before heading out to a lake. Debbie had lunch ready when I got back to the cabin. After a quick bite, we changed into dry clothes and headed back to the truck. Ready for some ice fishing.  Timber loves the running in and out of camp!

We trailer the sleds about 10km back down South Bay road to the trail leading to  “The Stomach”. Some days we will sled from camp but due

to timing and Timber tagging along, it is faster taking the truck.  The sled ride takes about 15 minutes.   Lots of moose and wolf tracks crisscrossing the trail. Timber managed to keep up for a kilometer then I stopped and loaded him in my lap. Upon arriving at the lake, I pull out the Jiffy Auger and I punch a bunch of holes. Debbie helps set up the hut and propane heater and I get her settled in and fishing.  I continue to set up the tip ups and before I am done, she is yelling fish on! 4:05pm. We sure got a late jump on the day. For the next hour and a half, the action was fast and furious. At the end of the day it was Debbie 7, Paul 6. Debbie also had the biggest Walleye in at 22″.  She didn’t catch any Walleye under 18″ and only two of mine were small enough to keep.

I caught fish on the tipups using a slip weight and a red hook tipped with a 2 inch minnow. Debbie and I both jigged Northland TackleBuckshot Rattle Spoons, tipped with a minnow. Debbie was bit off once and you

Great ice fishing in Canada

can see the disappointment on her face on Facebook.  It was a cool day but the steady action kept you warm!

Back at the cabin, we had dinner and headed to bed early.  Friday morning the thermometer read -24C and the top of the trees were blowing.  Debbie has an itch to join the 40″ plus ice fishing club.  She came close last year.  We decided to head back to “The Stomach”.  It is actually a bellowed out part of the Trout River and looks like a stomach on a map.  We made it on the lake by 12:30 today.  Set up and of course Debbie is catching before I have the tipups set.  The action was a little slower but consistent.  I decided to use dead Ciscos under one tipup (the siren) and live bait on the other (tinker bell).  Debbie was quite content to fish her line in the hut and I stayed busy managing the other lines.  The Siren, when the tipup goes off, a siren starts blaring indicating a hit.  Great for when the tipup is not visible from your fishing location.  Well they sure liked the Ciscos.  I managed a 30 plus Northern Pike on that line.  I didn’t measure any fish unless in the hut.  With the windchill, it was best for the fish to put them back in the water as quickly as possible.

My last fish of the day was another 30 plus Northern Pike.  I managed to catch it on my new rod and reel.  A medium action rod with a fly reel spooled with 6lbs test.  Yes a fly reel.  When we participated in the St.Paul Ice Fishing Show, last December, I was on the hunt for some level wind ice fishing reels.  I was tired of open face reels with poor drags and their tough reeling in cold weather.  Well Frabill  had a beautiful little fly reel combo.  The only problem was the rod was an ultra light for panfish.  To my surprise, Debbie gave me a fly reel for Christmas and the rest is history.  No worries about a little water freezing things up.  When you leave it in the rod holder to attend to a tipup, the clicker announces a hit and lets the drag out.  Of course I noticed a couple of drawbacks.  Most importantly, you need to hold the reel when setting the hook as your hand is the reel drag.  Since there is no bail, you must pull the line off the reel by hand.  So it is not designed for fishing Lake Trout in 60ft of water.  It is my new favourite reel for fishing anything in depths up to 20ft.

Final score for the day was Debbie 11 (she finally started coming out of the warm hut to grab a few tipups) I ended up with 10 fish.  We saved a total of 5 Walleye and a Northern Pike for a family fish fry with Valerie-Ann back in Dryden.  Timber decided to stay in the warm cabin the second day and greeted us with a wagging tail upon our return.

Our goal for day two was big Northern Pike.  Two in the thirties made it a success.    Due to the Pike being more active, the Walleye were a

little more scarce.  Less jigging and more pausing seemed to work best for the Walleye.  Water depth was between 5 and 8 feet and that includes the 30 inches of ice.

While finding links for this blog, I found a new lure I would love to try.  I will have to search it out in the states when we head down for the All Canada Show in Minneapolis this upcoming weekend.  I’m sure this lure will reduce bite offs and give a  little more freedom to the minnow.  I will divulge the secret bait once I surpass Debbie in our numbers competition!

Overall, we had a great relaxing trip ice fishing in Canada!  With the above average temperatures throughout most of the midwest U.S.A., we

The whole lake to ourselves!

know most of you will not see ice this winter.  If you have the time and want to experience some great ice fishing in Canada, give us a call 1-866-347-4972.  We will put a package together for you!

Keep your line tight!

Moss.

Ice Fishing in Canada is Incredible!

Like us on Facebook for a chance to win a free trip for two!

Ear Falls Ontario Fishing Camp

Remote, drive-in camp located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, Woman River Camp is off the beaten path, resulting in the best of both worlds – remote and easy to travel to.

With 80% repeat guests, few others have the chance to enjoy one of the best kept secrets in the north!

St.Paul Ice Fishing Show

Woman River Camp is participating in the 2011 St. Paul Ice Fishing Show.

The St.Paul Ice Fishing Show is held at the Saint Paul River Centre.  Right beside the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild.  A excellent time to view new products and gear up for the upcoming ice fishing season.

Stop by our Woman River Camp booth and set up an ice fishing trip to Canada.  Ice fish where the monsters live!  We are in booth C1 up in the lobby.  Woman River Camp is running an awesome show special for a limited time.  Come down and book the ice fishing trip you have been dreaming about.  They make a great Christmas gift!

Woman River Camp will also be booking summer vacations and hunting trips.  We already have weeks booked solid so don’t delay and contact us today!

St.Paul Ice Fishing Show

December 2, 1:00pm – 9:00pm

December 3, 10:00am – 7:00pm

December 4, 10:00am – 5:00pm

St. Paul RiverCentre
175 Kellogg Boulevard West
St. Paul, MN 55102

We’ll see you there!

 Ice Fishing Canada Style.

July has come and gone.  A very dry month for Northwestern Ontario.  A beautiful time to be on the water enjoying the fishing and scenery!  The Loons have been very vocal this past month.  Many a moose sitings along with Black Bear, Timber Wolves and even a few Woodland Caribou were spotted.  Lots of Bald Eagles too.  With low water levels comes less biting insects.  Overall a great month to be in Canada!

Water Levels

The Woman River Chain is as low as we have seen in years.  Rocks that haven’t busted through the surface have birds perched on them and the weed growth is amazing.  The low water has given us a chance to clean out some logs on the way into Rosen Lake.  Unfortunately the water continues to drop and we were forced to make Rosen bay and lake off limits.  Water levels will need to rise up dramatically before we can get back in there.  Spot Lake has also become somewhat of a challenge to access.  The mud flat before the creek must be navigated with precision so the boat isn’t beached.  Coreless and Nelson Lakes, a long bow rope is required and sandals or rubber boots.  Boats bottom out on the sand well before reaching shore.  But we are having great success fishing no matter what!

Walleye Fishing

Water is low and the sun has been high and bright.  We have weedy Walleye.  Fish a weed edge and catch fish.  Fish a windy weed edge and catch more fish.  With the bright warm weather, the walleye are in the shade of the weeds.  The fish found on humps and points are feeding more in the early morning and late evening.  Minnows, leeches and crawlers.  Calm days, fish a slip bobber.  We have found some crayfish in eater size fish bellies.  Sparklel blue jigs are key this week.

Northern Pike are too in the weeds.  We have started to see more 40 inch fish being caught along the weeds.  Lots of crayfish in the table size Pike.  Spoons and spinnerbaits have  been working well.

Smallmouth  are on the prowl.  Lots of big bronzebacks being caught.  Beetle spins and smaller baits.  Along with Little Cleos.

Yellow Perch have been on a few fishermen’s table.  They are feeding well with some 13″ers being caught.

We still have a few openings left for the summer.  Short stays or full weeks.  It’s still not too late for a great vacation!

Yellow Perch have been doing well this week.  Fish for Perch and catch Pike and Walleye.  A little chunk of crawler.

Lake Trout – few anglers are attempting their hand at Lake Trout.  So I really don’t have a report for them.

Ear Falls – earlier in the year we reported the Village Corner was out of business.  Well A-1 Foods also closed last year in Ear Falls.  Wilson’s Fine Foods can be found in the Ear Falls strip mall.  They are open Monday- Saturday.  With the extra firefighters in town some perishable goods like milk are hard to come by some days.  Stop in Dryden at Safeway for a great selection.  You could also say hello Valerie-Ann if she is working.

We are praying for rain and hoping August fishing is as good or better than our July bite.

Be safe on the water.  Wear a life vest.

Thanks,

Moss

A great Smallmouth Bass

I got another one Dad!

Wow another 40" Pike for Carol

Canada Fishing Trip

Are you still looking for that great family getaway?  Or maybe a special father/son trip.  Think about a Canada Fishing Trip.  Woman River Camp is the place where you can put your feet up and enjoy Canada’s great outdoors on your own schedule.  Woman River Camp is off the beaten path and remote enough to have great fishing without the pressure of a lot of boats.  On your Canada Fishing Trip to Woman River Camp, enjoy a day trip to one of our many fabulous portage lakes.  Fishing and fun for everyone!  It’s not too late to enjoy a Canada Fishing Trip this year.  A very affordable fishing trip with great value! 

Call Woman River Camp for Cabin Rental dates available.

1-866-347-4972

Let’s take a Canada Fishing Trip this year!  Contact Paul or Debbie and we will put together a Canada Fishing Trip to fit your schedule.  Short stays are welcome.  Even overlapping weeks where available.

Fishing Report

Fishing has been incredible this summer.  Monster Northern Pike, Trophy Walleye, football size Smallmouth Bass.  Enjoy a shore lunch, and view the Bald Eagles.  A terrific way to spend your holidays.  The bite has been hot lately.  The Mayflies are done hatching and the fish are being caught on the windy side of the lake on rocks, points and weed edges.  I haven’t fished any mid-lake structure yet but I am sure the fish are there too.  They are everywhere!  Earlier in the week, we had a boat land 10 Walleye over 25 inches”.  The summer feed is on!  The Smallmouth are moving off their beds and feeding.  The Monster Northern Pike are attacking the smaller fish on your line and the Perch are coming out of hiding.  Plenty of Moose sitings and of course the Bald Eagles are spotted everywhere!  Water temperatures are pushing 77 F and the weed growth is great!

We are busy taking advantage of the great weather.  Staining boardwalks and painting boats.  Water levels are dropping….we are in need of a couple days of good rain.  We have a fire restriction in place at the present time but those looking for a fantastic shorelunch just need to use one of our propane cookers along the lakes.

Cheers!

It’s not too late to come enjoy a great Canada Fishing Trip with us at Woman River Camp!

Canada Fishing Trip

Village Corner in Vermillion Bay, Ontario

Last Labour Day weekend, the Village Corner in Vermillion Bay, Ontario, had a fire and is no longer in business.  Most guests will recognize the store at the intersection where highway 105 begins north to Ear Falls and Woman River Camp.  This is an important spot for the people heading north coming from the east (Dryden).  For a washroom break, there is a rest area on the south side of Hwy 17 overlooking Eagle Lake.  Just as you come into the 60km zone.  For fuel, a person will have to travel past Hwy 105 approximately 3km to Bobby’s, Shell station on the south side of the road.  Otherwise slip into Dryden for fuel.  Have a safe trip up and enjoy Canada!

Thanks,

Moss.