Sylvania Wilderness Trip 2018

Area - Sylvania Wilderness

Wade/Float - Float

Water Level - Up

Water Temp - 60's

Clarity - Clear

Fly/Spin - Fly

CLICK ABOVE TO VIEW MAP

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I have been waiting for this trip since we took out of Clark Lake at the end of our 2017 trip. A week in the wilderness does the body and soul good. This years trip saw three (3) of us (Jude, Mike, myself) heading up to the Ottawa National Forest a day ahead of the other three (3) (Ed, Tim, Daniel), and those other three (3) staying a day after those of us who arrived first.

DAY 1

We began by meeting at the Cherry Valley Cafe for some breakfast and then hit the road for our 5 hour drive. We got to the Clark Lake put-in just before 2pm. and loaded up our gear in the kayaks and began the 2.75 mile paddle to the Birch campsite. We had a strong 20mph wind at our backs as we paddled across Clark Lake to Birch Bay. Once turning into the bay, the wind was in our faces but all made it to the campsite without any problems. After landing we began to set up camp. I scouted they area and slammed my personal flotation device (pfd.) on a plot of land and claimed it as mine. The temporary camp leader (Jude) informed me informed me that the plot I had chosen was too far from the fire pit (Sylvania Wilderness regulation code C524.63b). I then began to search out another spot but was told not to make camp between two (2) certain trees as these trees would be used for setting up the kitchen the following day when the rest of our group arrives. I was also told not to set up camp in an area where our real team leader (Ed) normally sets up camp. Okay fine! I found a spot and got the okay and set-up the Dodge-Ma-Hall. After setting up camp we then began to gather fire wood. After gathering wood, I searched out the latrine and we each stuffed some kind of food in our mouths and then hit the water for some fishing. Ended the day around the campfire.

DAY 2

It got cold last night! Dropped down to 39. Good thing I left my big warm bulky sleeping bag back home in Illinois. I thought I'd be able to get by with a sheet and small blanket. WRONG!!!!

After spending some time on what is referred to as "The Front Porch" waiting for my latrine time to hit me, I ended up launching Brandy at about 7AM.

The fishing was tough, or maybe my boat control skills suck. We still had a fairly strong wind blowing around which kept pushing me closer than I liked to the shore. It's okay though because I'm in the wilderness and I'm not at work. I did manage a couple largemouth and one (1) smallmouth. The rest of the group should arrive by 4PM.

A True Leader Arrives

So it ends up that our temporary fake team leader Jude was a bit confused on exactly where the kitchen would be set up once our real team leader arrives. Ends up the spot I picked to pitch my tent would have been directly in front of the kitchen, and I mean directly in front of. This was a problem as my tent would have blocked our view of the lake as we would gather around the kitchen at chow time. With a bit of an attitude towards our temporary fake team leader (who by the way is no longer in that position since Ed has arrived) I emptied the gear from my tent and Jude assisted me in moving. The kitchen was set, my tent was moved, Tim and his son Daniel gathered more wood and birch bark for the camp fire at night.

View from kitchen without my tent in the way...

The team is all here and camp is set...

Jude takes his rightful position as Fire Pit Manager (FPM)...

DAY 3

Man!!!! It still gets COLD at night!

We're dealing with some morning rain that started to fall at about 8AM. Wait it out and shoot the shit at camp.

Whiskey and coffee go good together on days like these. Actually had to break out the rain gear. Spent most of the morning chatting with Mike either in the kitchen or on the front porch when the rain turned to drizzle.

It seemed as if the weather was going to break, so Tim and Daniel were the first to hit the water at about noon. The rest of us wait until about 1PM.

Today's plan was for some of us to take a shot at Glimmer Glass Lake for some blue-gills to fry up at the end of the day. Those damn little sunfish didn't cooperate so there would be no fry. I think that it should be noted that Daniel (Tim's son) made a comment to Tim while not catching anything on Glimmer Glass that went something like this....... "We should go some place else since we're not catching anything. These are the fish Terry catches, he's going to be mad."

What kind of 16 year old has a mouth like that?! I would have never said such things at that age. If he were 18 I would have showed him what for. HA! He seems to be fitting in just fine.

The nights fire to a change. dealing with damp wood, Jude decided to step aside and allowed Mike to take over as FPM. Mike's ability to grow a roaring fire with damp wood was outstanding. Although the view was not as good........

DAY 4

I learned to pull my little blankie over my head and breathe to keep warm.

Today Ed, Mike Tim, and Daniel are all going to portage to Loon Lake in search of some better smallmouth action.. Jude and I would stay on Clark Lake and visit Glimmer Glass Lake once again for some blue-gills. Once again the gills failed to cooperate. Below is a shot of Jude exiting Glimmer Glass to Clark....

Jude decided to head op to the narrow of Clark and I decided to just paddle around and search out an area that I felt I would be successful in. I paddled back into a little cove that seemed to have some nice chunk rock. As I was scouting the cove, I could hear a small stream trickling in from the woods. I perched myself close to the stream and on the 2nd cast I landed my fish of the outing, a 20+ inch largemouth........

The boys returned from Loon Lake with all kinds of stories of how great the fishing was. Team leader Ed topped my 20+ inch largemouth with a 20+ inch smallouth while on Loon, which ended up being the fish of the trip.

DAY 5

Woke early and began to break camp. Time to return home.

IN A NUT SHELL...

I regret not spending more time fishing with other members of the team, or at least hanging in the same areas.

Once on the lake everybody seems to go their own way. All in all the smallmouth bite was a little off. Everybody got fish and had a good time. I landed two (2) smallmouth for this trip. I don't keep count on the largemouth because they are largemouth. It would be like counting socks.

MORE PICS FROM THE TRIP....

Already thinking of 2019 trip