We head out on the river and as we are motoring upriver I notice that the color of the trees is just starting to change. Fall comes early to Manitoba, and it almost seems like the amount of color in the trees is about twice what it was only a week previous when I had gotten into camp.
I start fishing from the top of the boat - both because I like fishing up high and it gives everyone else in the boat just a bit more room. I lose the 10 yards right by the boat, but I can cast forever up high and I can also see lots more of the fish strikes.
Fishing in the morning is a bit slow, but not terrible. Our boat has only a few keepers through the morning. I land about four fish, but one of them is a good-fighting 33 inch pike. There are numerous other strikes, but many spit the hook. Barbless Manitoba is both a blessing and a curse. Justin also brings in one good-sized pike.
The weather is intermittently good with heavy rain squalls. We mostly keep fishing through the rain. The fish are already wet and with camp coming to an end, I don't want to miss anything. Once the rain starts, I do drop off the roof of the boat since it can be a bit slippery and a fall from the top might be catastrophic.
Lunch comes with a stop to the same shelter as the previous day and more rain. Instead of the fish and potatoes, lunch is fish tacos which were absolutely amazing. Of course anything with guacamole has to be good.
Fishing in the afternoon gets much better. Both Justin and I hook into a ton of really nice fish. We don't bring in any monsters, but the action is almost non-stop. John even abandons bottom bouncing to start cast for pike as well.
All good things must come to an end and Max calls final cast. We bring in our lures and get ready to head back to camp just as another rain squall stirs things up. The wind whips of the water, but in the covered boat we all stay (mostly) comfortable. Once out of the rain squall we are treated to a stunning rainbow which puts a capstone on the entire bear hunting trip.
We have a final group dinner of ribs before I settle up with Vance. I also book for a future hunt; I am not sure if it will be in 2022, but it will not be soon enough. Hopefully.
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I have a very restless night before the alarm on my phone tells me it really is time to head south. I had packed up most of my stuff the previous day, so it is a quick shower, load up my bear and head out. There are a few light sprinkles, but traveling is easy and traffic is light on Canada's Labo(u)r day.
Crossing the border goes smoothly enough, although I do panic a bit when one of the US guards starts to tell me that bear paws are not allowed to be imported. "I know they can't be brought in detached, but I can bring in the entire in-tact hide." A quick call to agriculture says no issues there and USFW did not answer. A minor incident, and thankfully she didn't insist on being wrong.
I do have a spell where I get pathologically tired. Thankfully this doesn't last too long and I munch on my buffet of unhealthy food during this time. A good book helps keep me alert. I listened to Where the Water Goes by David Own. I had downloaded this book a long time ago but it took a while to get to it. I wish I hadn't waited so long since it is really good. It paints an interesting picture of the history of water rights in the Western US - as well as a scary future. The world is a complicated place. The book also does a really good job of going into how this complication means every potential action (or inaction) has a unintended consequences on top of unintended consequences.
I have a deer run right in front of me not too long after crossing the border into the US. It is a very impressive buck which does start me thinking about the upcoming deer season, even if a doe is the mostly likely animal I'll get a chance to take. There is lots of construction with poorly marked detours through Minnesota. These probably didn't add much time to the drive, but they can end up feeling really frustrating.
I get to Maria's house with enough time to take a walk with her and Liz and the dogs. The park near their house is quite pretty, but with the mix of bikes/walkers/dogs is claustrophobically risky. I'm surprised at how much agriculture there is within the city of Madison. Dinner is some really good ramen. It is a short but good visit.
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Maria and I catch up a bit before it is time for the final leg of my journey home. I listen to a mix of Radio Lab, Hidden Brain and Planet Money podcasts which makes the time pass quickly.
The dogs are happy to see me once I get home. Maybe SO is as well. The rest of the day is hairied mix of unpacking and taking care of bear meat. Everything is separated, cut, ground and in the freezer by the end of the day. But there is still enough to catch up on that I'll have one more day before I need to go back to work.
Getting to Manitoba during Delta/COVID was an uncomfortable exercise of paperwork, tests and stress. In hindsight, it doesn't seem so bad and I'm amazed how everything worked out really well.
I'm very appreciative of Mark for inviting me along. I know I am so fortunate to be able to head north into Canada and go on these kinds of adventures. And I am really glad to have friends, both old and new who keep life interesting.
The world is changing faster than ever before, and it gets easier every year you’re alive to be just a bit more of a pessimist, turning the brightness dial of your perspective down another notch. It takes effort, but I believe it’s worth it, when we can, to squint into a visual field of rain clouds loaded with infinite ways we could be disappointed, unimpressed, and dissatisfied with every little thing in our lives, and instead focus on a sense of awe and amazement. - Brendan Leonard
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