An Outdoorsman's Journal

   Schultz Lake Adventures

Hello friends,

   This week like last week I am writing to you about the very good time I had at Shultz Lake (www.chimolodgeandoutposts.com) which is an outpost camp where we are the only cabin on an entire chain of lakes in northwest Ontario and the only way that you can reach our getaway is by float plane. My family and several of our friends have been spending 7 days at this fly in outpost for the last 44 years and this neck of the Canadian bush is also where I started writing as I was the camp manager at the main camp on Roderick lake.

   Wednesday, June 17th
   High 61, low 45

   Everyone in this gang of 7 is 64 or older except my nephew Trent Schuster who is 33. A go for it outdoor adventure really tests a person’s metal, as this year there was a lot of wind and cool temps, we stay up very late, we are in the boat for about 10 hours each day and sometimes we fall. This year one of our guys fell when getting in a boat off from a slippery rock and it was pretty obvious that he broke some ribs. For the most part we all go to the same duck camp, deer camp and this trip. We are tough and pretty much tough everything out.
   Today I made the 7 mile boat ride with Trent and our good and crazy buddy Roger Frank to Bear Creek where we would make a short portage to Walleye Lake for a day of fishing. Roger is the guy that fell and I have to give him credit for toughing out his injury.
  Back in the mid-90s we were here when Shultz burned and it was truly a memorable experience. About five years ago Shultz burned again and now it is moose paradise with all the new aspen growth.
   The memory of watching the fire creep in our direction for days and then the mandatory emergency evacuation for most of our crew, followed by Jeff Moll and I staying and helping forest fire fighters save our cabin was pure top notch. Two hours before the evacuation the winds had picked up and the fire was headed our way real quick, 30 minutes before it would have done some serious damage a storm put it out. That night we had a big old shing ding in the cabin with forest fire fighters and then Chimo owner Pete Hagedorn and the next morning the rest of our group was flown back to Schultz to finish out our week
   Back in ‘84 my brother Tom and I hunted black bear on bear creek, it was our first experience hunting bear and Tom whacked a good one.
   My brother Bob passed away a number of years ago and we have built a rock tribute on the creek with some of his ashes to honor him.

   Friday, June 19th
   High 65, low 47

   My brother in law Dick Schuster would win our big gator contest with a 40.5 inch beauty that was released. Tom Walters had big walleye with a 26.5-inch fish and today I had a good fish hit my Rapala "Rippin Rap" and it was a half inch short of Tom's so he would win for the week in that category. Speaking of the Rippin Rap, remember this if you are not aware, blue chrome RPR06. If I had a choice of one only one bait that I could use, this would be it, troll it or toss it and work it like a jig, you will be amazed.
   On Monday five of us were in the cabin at about 5 in the afternoon when a powerful storm hit camp and literally blew two of our 3 boats off the ramp as well as knocking two large pine trees over that could easily have taken out our cabin. We watched helplessly as our boats blew across the lake and I was certain they would both sink and we had no idea as visibility was very poor after 100-yards. After the storm we found the boats and everything worked out.
   The fishing this year for walleye was the best in decades and just continues to get better each year and the size average is growing.
   If you are an old timer when it comes to fly in outposts or main camps or brand new, I would highly recommend checking out Chimo, the adventure, the solitude, the quality fishing and most importantly catching your wind for the next 358 days of your life until you return is priceless.

   Sunset