February Blues?

Perhaps February "boredom" would be a better title? The very mild winter and a much slower show schedule this year, apparently is leaving me with too much time on my hands. After hearing from several guests about "keeping the Blog updated" etc., thought I would use a little of this free time between shows to do just that. After being on the road for the Chicago and Madison All-Canada shows, we are in the middle of a one month lull until it's off to Minneapolis for the last All-Canada show on our circuit this year. The shows (as they always are) have been a mixed bag of visiting with new and old guests, booking some new business, and frustration over the number of people who don't even look your way when you know you have a great product to offer them. Well as they say "it is what it is" and camp will be pretty much full by the time we leave in May regardless.

One of the many great visits we had on the road in Madison, was with soon to be first time guest Bob Weis. Bob has a crew scheduled to be with us this year in late July-early August and stopped by for a face-to-face. Prior to meeting in Madison, Bob was kind enough to send me a couple of emails and information about using Powerpoint to prepare these Fishing Report templates that can be used during the season (and offseason) to acknowledge guests with a great catch etc. It's a great idea, and we say thanks again to Bob for providing us the background on how to do it and the templates for getting them done.




One of my first attempts at using the template Bob provided us! Not bad for a rookie?

Some of the templates Bob put together to show me:

We are looking forward to incorporating these templates into our Fishing Reports, Blog, Facebook group etc. as well as being able to provide a copy to selected guests throughout their stay in camp during the season with us. Not sure, as always, how much time will allow during the season--but it's easy to TALK about it now!

March will be here soon and it's never too early to double check those passport expiration dates. You don't want to be caught in a pinch near your trip time. On a closing note, the Ontario On-Line Licensing system feedback that we have received from guests who have used it, has been very positive. I have updated my license and Outdoors Card on-line using the system, and have also found it to be easy to use and hassle free. 

Until next time,



 

Show season about to start

Hi All,

Well since mother nature can't seem to provide enough cold temperatures to make any ice around here, I guess we might just as well go to work! Looks like another poor winter for ice fishing locally.

Although camp is booking up very nicely for the upcoming 2012 season, there are always some spots to fill and even a few really PRIME weeks still available, especially some September dates that always provide a great combination of numbers of fish and many trophies too.

January 12-15, I will be at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL for the Chicago All-Canada show and will leave there directly to Madison, WI where I will be January 16-18th. Maybe by the time I get back home (hopefully with a few booking in hand) there will be some hard water to work with and I will have a chance to wet (or ice) a line as the case may be. If you are reading the blog and are close to one of these show markets, stop by our booth for a visit and fishchat. Like I've always said: "if you can't get out and actually go fishing, might as well at least talk about it"!

Until next time,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sorry I meant to get this posted yesterday but it just didn't happen!

From our family to yours--Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas (season) and the happiest of New Years!

ON-LINE LICENSING NOW AVAILABLE!

After being promised this was going to happen for the last THREE years, it appears to be a reality! So excited for our guests, I haven't even worked my way through the website myself to be honest with you, but from what I can tell it's up and running. Looks like there is also a new license option for 3 year sport and conservation licenses, for those who make more than one trip a year this might be of interest. Will keep you posted as I work through the website, or certainly feel free to contact me with your feedback and/or experience using the system.

Here is the link: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STDPROD_091032.html

Also, since this has taken three years to materialize, many of your Outdoors Cards (like mine) are expiring this year, but can also be renewed in conjunction with the purchase of your license.

Good luck with your renewals and see you on the docks for more great fishing stories from Wabaskang Lake!

Happy Holidays!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know in our household we certainly have many blessings that we are thankful for, and as always, it was great to see family and friends that we don't see as frequently as we might like.

Hard to believe that December is here already. Seems like I just pulled into the driveway yesterday from camp. Wow, where did those two months go? Outside of wrapping up administrative details and loose ends relating to the camp and season's end, I wish I could tell you where all the extra time has been spent. I know where some of it was spent, as I did dust off my deer hunting rust by getting back into a tree stand for the first time in over 30 years! Somehow I had managed to convince myself (as all us good sportsmen do) that supplementing our meals with some venison would be a very cost effective way to help put food on the table. So how'd that work out for ya, Dave? Well the good news is that I was fortunate enough to harvest a small buck and a doe this year. The downside was that after buying a new gun (Remington 11-87 Super Mag), scope, ammo, hunting clothing and licenses, my "cost effective" venison probably cost me about $30.00 a pound. Ok, so throw THAT argument out the window. Regardless, it felt great to start hunting again after so many years, and it certainly was a lot more fun than going to the grocery to pick up some hamburger. Venison back straps, summer sausage, hunter stix oh my!



A small buck-- great for the freezer!

A lot of time has also been spent the last two weeks getting the annual Christmas letters ready to go in the mail. We know that many of our guests really look forward to our one page recap of the entire 18 week operating season, and of course the announcement of this years Catch & Release FREE trip winner. Sorry not gonna spill the beans here, you'll have to wait for the letter to arrive. The letters will be in the mail this week so be on the lookout for them. Of course many of you have reservations for next season, so your reservation form/deposit reminder will also be included with your letter. The 2012 season is really not that far off.....

Until next time, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and joyous Holiday Season!



Time to rest....

The wood has been cut, split and neatly stacked, the cabins cleaned and winterized, the boats all pulled from the water and outboards winterized, no floating docks remain in the water....another season passes at Peffley's Wilderness Camp. Another summer of incredible memories from a special place in the hearts of so many.

We wish to say THANK YOU! to all of our guests from this past season who vacationed with us, making the 2011 season our best booking season ever!! Thank you again for your loyalty, the appreciation you show us for a well run camp, and the many referrals you continue to send our way. It is all very much appreciated.

To wrap up the season, we tackled the BIG project that was originally slated to happen BEFORE the season opened, but for a couple of reasons ended up being delayed. That being the replacement of the ramp leading up to camp. I had mentioned this in last years blog about being a major goal for the 2011 season, so with 6 days remaining in the season we began to tear out the old ramp! The old saying "better late, than never" comes to mind! As suspected, removing the old proved to be the much harder part of the project. I swear that old ramp had been there for a hundred years and I think it wanted to stay for another hundred as it begrudgingly gave way in small, very HEAVY sections. Ray did a great job engineering the project and in a remarkable 2 1/2 days, start to finish, we were done. I had anticipated a much longer period to wrap it all up, but things went smoothly and, well here are some pictures:

OUT WITH THE OLD

AND IN WITH THE NEW

There are still a few finishing touches we have planned for next year on the project, but overall we are thrilled with the look and functionality of the new "gateway" to camp. Feedback from every guest in camp during the last week was extremely positive so we are hopeful that most everyone else will feel the same. Of course, I have already braced myself for the "hey, that's not the ESCALATOR you have been promising" comments! All I can say is, sorry it's (the escalator) STILL on backorder!
The annual Christmas letter will be in the mail before you know it. Until then, have a wonderful fall season!

Bear Down, Temperature UP....

Our first bear hunters are in camp this week and it took Jared VanLanen just three nights in his stand to harvest a beautifully coated sow on his first bear hunt in Canada. His hunting partner Dave Winkel ( a regular hunter with us) passed on two bears last night, but with some good fortune may arrow one this evening.

On the weather front (no pun intended), it is just smokin' hot here again in Ontario. After a brief cool down temps are back into the mid to upper 80's the past couple of days with heat indices into the 90's. Not exactly what you want when it has already been an extremely hot and dry summer. Last week I was in camp and could smell wood burning in the woodstoves for the first time in what felt like forever, it is always one of my favorite parts of the cooler fall season, and by next week, if the weatherman is correct, I should be smelling wood burning in the stoves again.

As far as the fishing goes, it has been very, very good the last several weeks with the big pike starting to put on the feed bags and walleye being very cooperative at different times throughout the day. We haven't had many guests the past several weeks here targeting perch but that all changed with two groups of five from Wisconsin who have been determined to "put a hurt on 'em"! That they have, and lot's of jumbos included. At last count, one of the parties had their five man limit to take home of 250 perch and the other group of five had at least 150. Most all of these were bigger than 9" and many were 11-12" fish. As good as the fishing has been in these weather conditions, I can't help but believe the season is set to finish on a very strong note.

Jared VanLanen took this bear while archery hunting