Fall 2021 – Glad to see some of you again!

As the sun sets over Wabatongushi Lake and the loons make their last calls before heading south, it’s time to reflect on this season.

After facing two trying seasons filled with challenges unlike any other, we were finally able to welcome back American anglers on August 9. It was wonderful to see old and new faces around the lake. We had about half of our usual reservations booked in but it was still so encouraging to have people on Loch Island again. The weather and fishing were exceptional, providing great catches and above-average temperatures all the way through October!

Gerry Liddle
Legendary Guide Gerry Liddle visiting us in late October!

Before we had a border opening date, we were already up at the lake with staff eager to keep busy. The past seasons have allowed us to do some major renovations on the properties that would otherwise be difficult with guests present. Guests who haven’t been up in a few years will be quite surprised to see how much we’ve done, and we want to share some of it with you right now!

We replaced the roof on the small cabin on Otter Island with tin, so now you can fall asleep to the sound of rain gently pattering down. We purchased a new stove for the big cabin on Otter Island.

We replaced the roof and the entire front wall of the Duplex (Cabin 4/5) on Loch Island throughout September and October. This was a major undertaking–– we had staff peeling and grooving logs, nailing the walls back together, and chinking and painting the final construction.

In late 2019, we were working on redoing the left side cabin at Sandy Bay. We’d re-shingled the roof and cleared out the interior, then the pandemic hit. This fall, we started to straighten out the cabin with cables so that we can get the project on track again. We have a wood stove in the cabin now and will be outfitting the interior next spring, and also replacing the dock.

A large amount of our work is not visible, as it is structural work required to maintain buildings throughout harsh northern winters. In 2020, we began the construction of a new pantry for the Loch Island kitchen. We finished that this summer, and replaced the laundry room floor. We also did structural work on our boathouse/staff residence on Loch Island. It was a rush to prepare for the August opening, but we did it!

Otter Small Roof
New Metal Roof on the two bedroom cabin, Otter Island
Cabin 4-5 Log Wall Job Loch Island
Working on the log wall, Cabin 4 / 5 Loch Island
Otter Big Kitchen
New Oven / Stove / Kitchen Table in Otter Three Bedroom Cabin!

In addition to all the new building all over the lake, we also were able to purchase two new cedar strip boats! Our fleet of cedar strip boats keeps growing and getting newer!


As for fishing, August and September were chock full of very happy fishermen! Wabatongushi Lake has had almost two years without major fishing pressure, and we had a number of great catches!

This past season, we had minimal staff, but some familiar faces returned along with some really great new ones. Elorah and Jamie returned, both have been with us for many years. Newcomers Heather, Zach, and Liz started early and stayed through our busy time in August and early September. Halley, Boen and Benoit joined us in August and rounded out the team well. All in all we had a great staff and look forward to working with them all again next year!

Many people have been asking if we are doing any sport shows this season and the answer is yes! So far, we’ve signed up for two shows and are considering adding a third. We’ll announce all the sport shows we’ll be at in the near future, but for those of you used to seeing us at the shows, get ready to come on down!

Thank you again for visiting us this season, and for supporting the lodge in these challenging times. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!
— Andy, Amy and all the staff

Stay tuned for Elorah’s Winter at Wabatongushi blog!

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4 thoughts on “Fall 2021 – Glad to see some of you again!

  1. Chris Nolan

    Amy and Andy and team, great progress in light of the pandemic! Looks like some awesome improvements and great fishing results have been made. Looking forward to returning and rounding up new guests for Loch Island and other of your camps. I look forward to reading Elorah’s blog this winter. Keep up the great progress!

    Reply
  2. JOE VIZZI

    You should do a SPORT SHOW in BUFFALO. HUGE FISHING CITY !!

    Reply
  3. Gary

    Congrats on a great season! We had a great time at the lodge this year and I’m looking forward to next season. CU in 2022!

    Reply
  4. Don Dickison

    Wonderful news. We just hope Canada relaxes the border crossing more without having to give them our personal information on their app and dropping the covid testing requirements.

    Reply

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