Peffley's Wilderness Camp-News from Perrault Falls, Ontario

Show season about to start

2012-01-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-12-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-12-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

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!

2011-11-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

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....

2011-10-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

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....

2011-09-08T20:26:00.000-04:00

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

Good Fishing, Good Friends and Good Times

2011-08-25T17:44:00.001-04:00

Another week in camp passes under bright sunny skies and nights cool enough to grab a sweatshirt for the evening. Not quite the fall of the year, but the days grow shorter and the nights are getting long as we approach one of our favorite times of the year in camp. Fishing remains very good (although the big pike have been a real challenge) and with a lot of our regulars in camp including the "Iowa invasion"--the good times continue every week with lot's of laughs, story-telling and even the occasion "fish-tale".

Mother nature has even mustered up a little rain for us in the last couple of weeks. Just enough to green some of the dry spots in the lawn up again, but hardly enough to dent the lake level which is as low for this time of year as we have seen in the last 5 seasons or so. The other very positive side to the limited rainfall and cooler temps is that the area is no longer a restricted fire zone. This has been one of the very worst years in Ontario for forest fires and resulting acreage that has burned in the last 50 years. We feel extremely blessed to have been spared and give our best wishes to everyone in the region who in some way was impacted by the severe fire situation this season.

Still a busy time for us with a lot of fishermen and bear hunters starting to arrive soon. Still a few things on the project list that I would like to see accomplished now that the weather is a little more maneagable (cooler!). The wood pile is in great shape this year after such a HOT summer, so I hope to spend some time on a couple of other projects instead of cutting, splitting and stacking so much wood. Hard to believe it is almost September already. Won't be long and our seventh season will be in the books, but we will be sure to have a few more blog entries between now and seasons end. Until then we will leave you with a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.

The Pinegar Crew-just another stringer of August walleye.Ho, hum.......

Another beautiful sunrise from camp

Ken Ruttledge with a good pike

Somehow we managed to get them to hold still long enough for one photo!

Katrina Getsfried with one of her first ever Canadian walleye

Ron Louck's crew on their first Canadian fishing adventure

Peggy Musch with a nice smallie she later released

(Almost) mid-August update

2011-08-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Yea, I know what you mean. REALLY mid-August already???? Hard to believe another summer has flown by, isn't it? It's been so dry here, some of the trees are changing and dropping their leaves already, which really makes it feel like fall in that sense. The daytime temps in the upper 70's though continue to remind us summers not quite over yet.

Camp is still very busy, keeping us on our toes, and we continue to enjoy meeting and hosting some of our first timers to the lake. Most of our "newbies" are finding the learning curve on Wabaskang to be fairly short. Others are reluctant to give up what has "worked for 20 years for us in Canada", and have found the learning curve to be a little longer. Regardless of how long it takes to figure the fishing out, the cabins are clean, the air is fresh and the scenery and wildlife is incredible. In fact, I have to mention that I had a BIG bull moose swim across the lake in front of me on my way to the landing today just South of Indian Narrows. Of course, I didn't have my camera, and even worse didn't even have my iphone on me at the time either. RATS!! What a great photo it would have been to share with everyone. It was an awesome moment though, 7:30 a.m. and only two of us on the lake right then: Me and Bullwinkle....

Fishing remains very good overall for most everyone in camp, and with a much needed break in the temperatures and FINALLY a few clouds in the sky (for crying out loud) it will only get better. We look forward to a strong finish to what has been another very good year of fishing on Wabaskang. Bear baiting will start next week so I hope to have some trail cam pictures to post on the blog soon.

Smoke on the water, fish in the cooler....

2011-08-03T08:55:00.001-04:00

It remains brutally dry here in NW Ontario, with another 20 fires reported just the other day alone, bringing the active fire total to 140 in the Northwest Region. Most of the activity is well north of us, so when the winds shift from the N or any variation thereof, we are seeing lots of smoke. We continue to be in desperate need of rain and hope we start getting some soon.

Smoke on the water the evening of August 2

On a brighter note, perhaps the smoke has made it easier for guests to "sneek up" on the fish, as fishing continues to be excellent for all species. First timers, veterans, pro's, novice it really hasn't mattered. Even the perch, which some guests have struggled to find, were no match for Norm's crew as they got about 130 of them in two days when they weren't limiting out on walleye that is. Here is a picture of the smaller days catch.

Persistence pays off!

August and September, if at all like the norm, should continue to provide some excellent multi species fishing with bigger walleye becoming more common again too. That trend seems on the rise also, as many guests have released walleyes 20-25" in the past couple of weeks.

We will begin our bear baiting soon for our first hunters this year that will be arriving September 3rd. With all the heat this year I realize more than ever why we don't start our hunts until September. With it being so warm and dry this year the blueberry crop is very thin and that should lead to a very productive bear hunting season for us this year.

I can also tell that July is over as the big smallmouth that were hanging under the docks all month have now seemed to move on. It sure is fun catching and releasing these hogs while it lasts. I will leave you with a picture of Allison with one of the last one's caught before they moved on.

Allison Peffley with one of many smallmouth she caught this summer from the docks

Until next time, good fishing!

Vermilion Bay Dining Options

2011-07-20T17:25:00.000-04:00

Since the Village Corner burned last fall, and with no plan to rebuild in the near future, dining options have become even more limited in Vermilion Bay for those guests who are looking to grab a quick breakfast or lunch/dinner on their way up or on the way home. Busters Barbeque (just west of the junction of Hwy's 17 & 105 about a mile and just past Bobby's Corner) is now open for breakfast. Because of limited space and high demand we recommend calling in advance to make a reservation for any meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner). You can reach Busters at 807-227-5256 to make a reservation.

Restricted Fire Zone

2011-07-18T08:48:00.000-04:00

For those guests who will be staying with us from July 16 and later, you should be aware that as of July 16 our area was designated by the MNR as part of a restricted fire zone. This means that no open fires are permissable for any reason. There are currently 92 active fires in the province.

Shore lunches over a camp stove are still allowable, so if you are planning to shore lunch during your stay, we suggest you bring a portable cook stove. How long this fire restriction lasts is indefinite, pending a change in the extremely hot and dry weather NW Ontario has been experiencing. Please e mail us in advance of your trip if you would like additional information or reference the MNR's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services webpage at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/AFFM/2ColumnSubPage/268862.html

Kids Rule-the week of July 2nd at Peffley's Camp

2011-07-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

What an awesome week in camp it was for everyone this past week. Ten of our guests were kids ranging in age from 6-17 years old. Include our daughters and we had a whopping 14 kids in camp this week! (most likely a new camp record) Also, my apologies in advance to the teenagers for referring to them as "kids".

Although the grownups had quite a bit of fun during the week, it was the youngsters that made camp a special place to enjoy the simple life. Late night fires, smores, games of tag and ghost in the graveyard kept the nights fun and exciting, while swimming, playing catch and fishing from the docks during the day helped occupy their interests when not in a boat. Many new friendships were made during the week and it was great to be reminded by the youngsters just how easy it can be to make a new friend in camp.

Five of the more adventurous girls (along with some supervision from myself and another father) piloted two rafts and paddled their way from camp out to the island for an exploration mission. It was fun walking the island with them and seeing their excitement over finding some of nature's trinkets and just another reminder that there really is a lot more to do here than just fish.

Ready, set.....

GO!!!!!!!

Special friendships, summer memories, and new adventures. There really is more to a Canadian "fishing" trip after all.....

Seriously? Week 6 already!

2011-06-27T10:13:00.001-04:00

Every year we talk about how fast the season goes by and that we should be used to it. Well here we are starting week 6 and I can't believe the season (by weeks end) will be 1/3 over already. As usual, lots of great memories again for many camp guests and us too. It's easy to stay motivated when you hear guests saying things like "I had the best day fishing of my entire life", " I caught the biggest walleye, northern etc. of my life", " I can't believe how quiet and peaceful it is here". We look forward to the last two-thirds of the season with great anticipation as this is the time of the year where we have more of our newer bookings and the opportunity to host and make friends with our "newbies". This is also the time of season where we will have more and more youngsters (the future of our sport) in camp with us too. In addition to providing some playmates for our girls, it is always a treat to see how much fun the kids have while in camp. Makes us think back to our own summers as a kid and all the special memories from those summer trips and vacations.
Enough general rambling for now, we'll leave you with just a few of our favorite pics from 2011 so far.

The Zimmerman/Weaver shore lunch

John Rules with two HOGS

Micah (L) and dad Scott Vande Griend with two dandy smallies

The Vande Griend family

Payton Vande Griend hopes the tooth fairy has a boat to reach us out at camp

Ed Flynn with the largest walleye of his life on his first trip to Canada

Mary and Dave Earll

CJ Widmer-the smile says it all

Don Strafford (L) on his 50th consecutive season to camp with buddy Pete Greendyke

CJ Widmer (L) and Austin Countryman from opening week

Corky Branda and a trophy pike

Jon Earll

Another week goes by....

2011-06-23T10:12:00.000-04:00

and we say goodbye to another campful of happy fishermen/women and kids. The last two weeks have produced both excellent weather and fishing despite being a little on the breezy side this week. In fact, if you previously subscribed to the old adage "Winds from the East, fish bite the least" you most likely would have changed your mind had you been here this week. If the winds weren't blowing East, they were blowing Northeast and yet I would have to say this was probably the best week of fishing we have had overall this season.

A veteran crew of returnees showed their experience fishing Wabaskang, Lost, Wine, Dowell and Mud lakes and reported excellent fishing everywhere they went. Minnows caught fish, crawlers caught fish, crankbaits took fish, twister tails produced...it was one of THOSE weeks. This comes on the heels of last weeks 993 fish effort from Bob Stromberg's Seneca, South Carolina crew of four. Just when you thought fishing couldn't get any better....

No signs of mayflies yet, water temps near 70 degrees and plenty more great fishing ahead this summer. We did have one cancellation for the week of July 9-16th if you know someone who is still looking for a last minute trip have them give us a shout!

It's about to get a little crazier here as Megan, Emily, Sara and Allison will be arriving early next week. I will try not to fall too far behind in the blog updates!

Until next time, farewell from the distant shores of Wabaskang Lake.

Fishing is great, and the weather? Well not so much.....

2011-06-11T18:40:00.000-04:00

To be quite honest they have both been a little on the streaky side. Although it seems both are getting a little more consistent now. Not to imply that the fishing has been bad by any means, but a little more up and down than we are accustomed to here on Wabby.

We had two groups back in camp this year after having to miss last year (quite a painful experience I was told) and we welcomed them back with some pretty good fishing. Cory Dauner and his father Roger brought a friend and newbie with them this year and after shaking off the rust put together a very solid trip. Scott Vande Griend returned with his family after suffering through WLSWD. For those who don't know the acronym it stands for Wabaskang Lake Smallmouth Withdrawal Disorder. Between the excellent walleye fishing on Wabaskang and their great trip to Lost, it wasn't until late into the week before they found a cure. I am happy to report that a fully recovery has been made and we expect to see them again next year.

Joining us for their seventh consecutive season was Mike Yates "the Chief" and Steve Pike "the Scout". What a hoot it is to have these two characters in camp! Pete Paruch from St. Joseph, Michigan was in camp again for over his 20th year with his brother, nephew, two sons and family friend. Last year we had blogged about Pete and Randy's father who at 90 years old was making his last trip with the boys. Just want to let you know we missed you Ed, but I am sure the boys will regale you with their many tales of excellent fishing this week.

Two new groups (both from Indiana) were also with us this week, comprising two of only a small handful of new bookings for the entire month this year. Devon Sherer's crew from the Rochester area made the 18 hour ( I won't go into their travel misadventures that added a BIT to this time) trek north for their first ever Canadian fishing trip. For first timers they did a pretty good job getting past the learning curve...GOOD JOB guys, and see you next year. Same can be said for Bob Cuskaden's crew from northern Indiana. After a slower start they put the pieces together and left camp extremely happy and looking forward to next year. I guess 51 smallies over 16" in just a couple of days will do that to you!

Dave, Mary and Jon (son) Earll were with us for their third year and as always had a great time and continue to be one of our favorite family groups of the entire season. Already looking forward to seeing you next year.

Finally our long time guests and great folks from Wisconsin-Bob and Sandy Bowen and John and Cathy Connor were with us again this year. Unfortunately, Bonnie and Charlie Sparr the other third of the regular group had to miss because of a granddaughters recital. We missed you guys this year, but look forward to your return next year. In their absence, four other family (in-laws) and friends joined the crew and quickly found out all the stories at home through the years from Bob, Sandy, Cathy and John weren't just "fish tales". Now if you guys can just cut the gear back to just one semi load that would be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 4 of the season is already here with many great memories from the 2011 season already with us, and many more await.....

Until next time,

2011 Season Underway

2011-05-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

Grab a cold beverage of choice, raise it high in the air, and say in true Bud Light commercial fashion: HERE WE GO! The 2011 NW Ontario fishing season is (with the walleye opener today) officially underway. Sorry for the delay in getting this posted it was supposed to be posted on Saturday but with the poor weather we had to delay the award ceremony (read below).

Cloudy skies, intermittent sprinkles, and easterly winds around 12 mph did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of guests who have long awaited this week. The fish did not disappoint with good catches being reported from throughout camp on all species ( except perch for which no one fished). Lake trout, walleye, pike and smallmouth were all caught despite the dramatic change in weather from the sunny skies, light winds and 75 degree temps from last week to today's emerging front. It wasn't fast and furious, but with some hunting and pecking most everyone was able to catch plenty to eat. Water temperature is around 58 degrees.

Joining us this year, for his record 50th consecutive year is Don Strafford who wasted little time in getting in some early lake trout fishing and with good success. It is always great to have a kid (Don will turn 81 in a couple of months) in camp. Just like a kid, he and Pete were out right until 10:00 pm (it gets dark about 9:45PM) on Thursday night laker fishing and had me pacing the floor watching for them. I guess if the passion for the sport runs deep in your veins there is simply no denying it.

Don Strafford (L) and Pete Greendyke with some early season Lake Trout

To celebrate Don's 50th year in camp, we presented him the following plaque: (sorry for the rough photo)

This may not be the only 50th year award we present as we have a couple of others knocking on the door.....but until we celebrate the next one, we just want to say one more time "Thank you Don" from all of us, it is always a pleasure to have you in camp.

L-R Pete Greendyke, Steve Strafford, Don Strafford and me

Don Strafford with his 50 year recognition award

We will try to keep the blog updates coming fairly regularly as you look forward to your upcoming trips to Wabaskang. Until then...take care and see you soon.

Feels good to be at camp...

2011-05-13T20:02:00.000-04:00

A sentiment that I know many of you would agree with. We got in late in the day on Monday after a joyous 3 hour "experience" being "processed" at the border. (Please feel free to insert your own words for experience and processed! Of course, there are always a few hiccups (i.e. flat boat trailer tire) to further slow the process, but at that point nothing could stop us from getting to camp. Just enough time to get everything unloaded and into camp and get the generators fired up for some lights. On Tuesday we headed back to Dryden to pick up Ray and Marilyn at the bus stop and to return to camp to get started.

The weather this week has been pretty tolerable overall with the exception of today which stayed in the mid 30's almost all day with some rain and sleet mixed in for good measure. Great day for indoor projects and we took advantage of it! Brand new gas ranges are installed in Cabins 6 & 7 and a new water heater is in Cabin 7 also. On Wednesday we got the floating docks all back in, along with a couple of boats and hope (weather permitting) to put more boats in tomorrow.

The water temperature for you early season bookings is now 45 degrees, but with an excellent forecast over the next seven days I would expect opening week water temps to be close to 55 degrees or possibly warmer which should result in an excellent opening week!

Looking forward to another incredible season, hope you are too!

Ice Out Draws Near

2011-05-05T12:19:00.000-04:00

Great news from Perrault Falls, as it looks like ice out on Wabaskang is now just a few short days away. The last couple of days of temps around 16C ( thats about 61F) and some strong South winds have really started to speed up the ice out process I am being told from our friends in the area. Looks like we will get to boat in to camp this year and not have to fly! That comes as great news to all of us. Rain showers have returned to the short-term forecast also, but I think that is just to "welcome" us back to Ontario.

Lube the reels and grab a stringer, its almost go time!

Rain or shine, the next blog entry will be from the wilderness of NW Ontario. Stay tuned!

Still searching....

2011-04-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

For spring that is. Talk about some crazy weather... on Sunday April 10th here in Granger we hit a high of 82 degrees. One week later, we had minor snow flurries. C'MON!! Unfortunately, this crazy temperature pattern held true in Ontario also, with the last week reverting to daytime highs in the 30's and 40's and overnight lows in the teens. Yeah, I know thats MAKING ice, not MELTING ice. Now the good news is that rain and warmer temps are in the forecast again for this week which will help to get things going again.

Most reports I have from the area are indicating anywhere from 16-24 inches of ice on area lakes and still tight to the shore on the bigger waters. Fortunately, most accounts are also reporting that very little of the remaining ice is "good" ice with lots of slushy layers between. So once things get moving it should (with just a little help from Mother Nature) go pretty fast.

UPDATE: Village Corner

Many of you have asked in emails, phone calls or by other means about the status of the Village Corner (gas station, restaurant and tackle store) located at the junction of Hwys 17 and 105 in Vermilion Bay. There has been no progress made to date in starting any rebuilding and so the likelihood of any reopening for the 2011 season appears slim. Bobby's Corner to the west about a mile is still open for gas, phones, tackle or other last minute supplies if necessary, as of course will be Dutchie's General Store right there in Perrault Falls. Some cell service is available in Vermilion Bay as well, depending upon who your carrier is. If you are calling by cell to arrange pickup at the landing, I would strongly suggest pulling off the highway right in Vermilion Bay to place that call as the reception can get pretty sketchy as soon as you have headed north on Hwy 105.

On a final note and as evidence that spring (despite many outward appearances) is HONESTLY getting here, I have one more local fishing story to share. A friend of mine back from the days of my involvment in the Michiana Steelheader's called me last week to see if I was available for some bluegill fishing. We had actually tried this once before about two weeks prior with little success and left the lake with a consensus opinion that "spring isn't here yet". Well on Thursday, April 14th we decided to try it again. This time with much better success as we caught about 75 bluegill on the day, culling through about 25 of the smaller ones, to keep a two man Michigan limit of 50 fish mostly in the 7-9 inch range. What a treat it was to have fresh bluegill for dinner on Friday night! After not getting in any ice fishing this year, those bluegill fillets sure didn't last long on our table with Milissa and the girls chowing down like it was their last meal (and I guess I probably ate a couple of pieces myself)! May just have to try that again one more time before heading north!

Just a few of our 50 fish limit...gosh were they good!

Until next time--keep thinking Spring and some excellent fishing on the cool, clear waters of Wabaskang Lake.

Spring update

2011-04-06T09:53:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone,

Hope you are enjoying the very slow and deliberate arrival of Spring this year. After being teased weeks ago with some temperatures in the seventies, it has been a treat since to get a sunny day in the 50's. Despite the cooler temperatures, I actually had a chance to get our boat (TrebleTime) out on Lake Michigan twice recently for some early spring coho salmon fishing. After neglecting the boat for nearly the last five years ( being in camp all summer, the home fishing season is pretty short ya know), it sure felt great to get her back in the water. It required a lot of cleanup, mechanical issues to address, new trailer tires and a handful of other things, but on the morning of March 31, we set in at Michigan City, IN for her "maiden" voyage in quite some time.

As luck would have it, the fishing Gods blessed us with some incredible spring salmon fishing which produced a three man limit in just two hours of fishing. It felt really great to be back on the water again, and also to know that I hadn't forgot EVERYTHING about setting downriggers, planer boards etc. that come with fishing the big lake.

With having a such a good time on the shakedown trip, and a favorable weather forecast for the next day, I decided to try to find a boat partner for the next day and return to the scene. Whereas the day before the lake had a pretty good residual chop on it left over from the previous days winds, this trip greeted us with NO wind and a lake as smooth as glass. Not necessarily the best conditions (sometimes) for fishing, but certainly pleasurable to us and comfortable to fish in. Any concerns about the smooth lake hampering the fishing were quickly put to rest as the first salmon came to the net about 10 minutes into the trip. A short hour and 20 minutes later, we were pulling rods to head in with another limit (2 man this time). Not quite the adventure and beauty of fishing Canada, but after a LONG winter it just felt great to be on the water again.

Speaking of Canada....rumors from Ontario also say that spring is SLOWLY arriving. Forecasted temperatures for much of this week and into next are in the mid 40's with some possible rain (come on RAIN!) and snow (yuck!). Still a lot of ice on the lakes, but nothing some warmer temps, rain and winds can't fix in short order if mother nature continues to trend the right way.

Approximately one more short month at home before heading up to open camp and as usual there still feels like a ton of things to get done between now and then to make the transition up north. As always, we are excited about another season drawing closer, as we know all of you are too. We look forward to hosting our guests again this summer and providing you an excellent fishing and/or family vacation with us. Stay tuned for more information regarding the status of ice out on Wabby.

Until then take care and hope to see you all in camp soon!

March comes in like a lamb.....

2011-03-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

At least here in northern Indiana it did, so if the saying holds true can we expect it to leave like a lion? Not sure to be honest exactly what that would mean, but at this point I certainly hope it doesn't mean more snow and cold weather. Yes, you guessed it, we have had our fill of winter this year and are really starting to pull for Spring to show up.

Of course this also gets me thinking about camp (like there is ever a day that I don't!), and what getting in this year might look like. As winter holds on-- I think more and more that we might be very fortunate that this is a late opener (May 21) this year. As of this moment the extended seven day forecast for the Perrault Falls area is calling for a high daytime temp during the next week to only reach 19 degrees and overnight lows this coming weekend still around -15 degrees F. BRRRR!!!!!!!!!!, and certainly not the conditions we need to get some ice melting. Now, before everyone calls and cancels their opening week reservations, please note there is still PLENTY of time for things to warm up and the ice to go out (keeping in mind average ice out on Wabaskang is generally around the first week of May anyway) Certainly, WAY to early to push any panic buttons yet, AND on a bright note, the longer the ice hangs in there the better the lake trout fishing is going to be in addition to our typically excellent walleye, pike and perch fishing this time of year.

We would love to be able to supplement our springtime blogs with some stories of our guests. If you have a great story about a past trip to camp, or would just like to share your excitement about an upcoming trip to camp if you are a first timer, please email it to us and we will include your stories in our spring blogs.

In the meantime, think Spring, warmer weather and another season of excellent fishing on Wabaskang!

Road Trippin!

2011-02-16T12:03:00.005-05:00

Hi All,

Just a quick blog this time from the road. I am currently in Stillwater, MN staying with a good friend dating back to my public accounting days and trying to get a few administrative details handled while waiting for the start of the Minneapolis All-Canada show this Friday (2/18).

This trip has already covered stops in Sioux Falls,SD; Omaha, NE; St. Cloud, MN; and this weekend Minneapolis. As the show circuit goes, it has been typical in that some of the shows have been very good, some average and some downright poor. One thing that stays constant is that for many show guests who do take the time to visit our booth, they learn quickly that we offer a pretty hard to beat package of remoteness, excellent fishing and affordability. Hopefully, this at least gets us on their "short list"!

With just the one show remaining on this trip, I am really starting to look forward to wrapping up this trip and getting back home. The bummer of this trip is that our daughter Megan is competing in the state finals of ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) this weekend and I am going to have to miss it. :-( (Good Luck Megan-you can do it!)

Once back home, there are just a couple of small local shows to attend. One is the Michiana Walleye Association's Sportsmen's Show.

http://www.michianawalleye.org/sportsmansoutdoorshow.com/home.htm

We look forward to maintaining our relationship with this local fishing club and continuing to provide them a free trip to our camp which they in turn raffle off to provide funds for an annual scholarship to a local high school student interested in studying fisheries management or related subject. Great program for which we are glad we can be a part.

Not much left for openings this year, but still some September dates which is a great time to be in camp and experience some terrific fall fishing. Give us a call if you are interested.

Until next time, tight lines!

Winter Wonderland in Northern Indiana

2011-01-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

Winter Wonderland

Timing really is everything. As I pulled out of our driveway in the wee hours of January 7th to head to St. Louis for the first show of the year, who would have guessed just a short 24 hours later our area of northern Indiana would be buried in 25" of new snow. Milissa (due to a military commitment) was not able to attend St. Louis with me. Talk about being a hero (or goat as the case may be), I go off to talk fishing and hunting for the weekend, she stays home and clears 25" of snow from the driveway. Now I know what many of you are already thinking, and I couldn't agree with you more. It IS a tough job marketing a camp with all the competition out there, but gosh darn it someone has to do it! As our girls would quickly follow up with in their vernacular JK, JK, JK!!!!! ( for those of you who are teenage text unsavvy that stands for "Just Kidding") Fortunately, we do have a snowblower and Milissa wasn't left home to shovel all that snow by hand, and bless her heart she did a great job and I even managed to gather some new business for camp too, although with the shows it's never easy (read on).

Yea! More of the "white stuff"

After leaving St. Louis, on Monday I headed to Indianapolis to work the Indy (actually in Carmel) All-Canada Show. Milissa would join me on Tuesday of the show. Of course, it started to snow making the 2 1/2 hour drive down to Indy a little more eventful but otherwise fine. Unfortunately after a good night of attendance Monday night, the shows (I think mostly due to weather considerations) attendance on Tuesday took a huge hit with probably only 40-50 people attending the show the ENTIRE six hours. As the show GROUND to a halt Tuesday night, I was quietly considering the events of the last week. I leave for St. Louis, Milissa gets buried with snow. She drives thru the snow on Tuesday to help out in Indy and there are very few show attendees----I can feel the noose tightening. Fortunately, we salvaged the day/night with a great experience at Mitchell's Fish Market in Carmel with some wonderfully fresh seafood and a couple of cold beverages. While there, we also received some excellent service from our waitress who is a Notre Dame Law student and who was working there on Christmas break. Thanks again for the great recommendations and excellent service!

Now it's home (and just so everyone knows: the snow gods are also willing to dump on me), to about six inches of fresh snow as I pull in the drive from Indy. MY turn to get behind the snowblower! Won't be long again now and the second half of the show circuit will be upon us and it will be time to hit the road for South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota. Let's hope for better weather for travel and at home this time around! Cancellations have been few this year, but a few prime weeks do show a cabin open here or there. Maybe it's the week your looking for!

Until next time--stay warm and I don't think it's too early to (start) thinking spring and that first walleye tap on the end of the line.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

Hey does anyone know if there is a college football bowl game on tonight? Yea, if it's anything like the last 2 1/2 weeks or this coming week, the answer is probably "yes". Don't get me wrong, I love watching almost any team play college football, but I have to admit the bowl season is getting a little out of hand. If you are a fan, here is to hoping your team was 1) bowl eligible and 2) brought home a victory (or will be if they are still playing).

We are getting ready to "hit the road", as they say, and start the sport show circuit. None too soon as far as I am concerned, because if I don't get out and at least talk some camp and fishing, I am going to go nuts. This years schedule will take us to the following locales:

St. Louis, MO
Indianapolis, IN

Sioux Falls, SD

Omaha, NE

St. Cloud, MN

Minneapolis, MN

Edwardsburg, MI

You can see the complete show schedule, along with dates and addresses from our website. One thing that is a BIG change for us is that we will not be in Wisconsin this year. We have had a very strong presence in Wisconsin the last several years including two shows in Milwaukee, two in Madison and one in Green Bay last year. This year we decided (despite the many wonderful guests we have booked from Wisconsin in previous years) to "bite the bullet" and make an entrance in some markets we simply have not been able to get to previously. Those markets this year will be Indianapolis, Sioux Falls, Omaha and St. Cloud. As much as we hate to pass on our Wisconsin swing this year, we just simply can't afford to do all the shows we might like to do every year.

We will most certainly miss visiting with our great Wisconsin guests at the shows this year, but at the same time we are looking forward to meeting lots of show attendees in our new markets this year and hopefully even finding a few who will be willing to give us a try for their 2011 trip. We remain extremely confident that for those who do, they will be quite pleased with the camp and our fishing. As usual, there are not a lot of openings for next year already, but there are still a few really good weeks left here and there that I know will provide some excellent fishing to our guests, especially in September which is truly some awesome fishing! If you have never tried fishing Canada in September we encourage you to give it some consideration.

If you are near one of the areas we will be exhibiting, please stop by for a visit and a little fish chat!

Until next time, take care.

Pre-Christmas Activities

2010-12-13T11:35:00.000-05:00

Christmas time is always such a busy time of the year with all the shopping, wrapping, holiday parties, kids' Christmas plays, concerts etc. Plenty to keep you busy for sure! Sara just had her 5th grade Christmas concert on Friday and wrapped up a volleyball tournament over the weekend. Allison earlier in the week had her third grade Christmas play "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Megan has been busy with the school choir including her Christmas concert and a trip to the local Barnes & Noble to participate in the choir group Archer Voices and some holiday caroling. Emily has been busy writing, editing, re-writing, re-editing, changing, throwing away and re-starting her Christmas list(S)!

We also have a trip planned to take the girls to Great Wolf Lodge which I think is causing about as much excitement for them as Christmas itself. As for Milissa and I, we knocked a little rust off this past weekend by participating in the WAOR Radio-Outdoor Expo. Although the rainy weather kept the attendance down some, it still felt good to get out and talk about camp, fishing and bear hunting. I miss camp so bad already- I really needed a fix! As part of the radio promotion we had decided to offer a free trip for two to camp next year which was won by Sandy Wilhoit of Edwardsburg, Mi. Congratulations Sandy!--and boy is she ever excited about coming back to Canada as she used to go there regularly with her father and family when she was younger.

Hopefully will be able to get out on safe ice pretty soon for some bluegill and crappie fishing too. Best wishes from our family to yours for a safe, and joyous Holiday Season.

Happy Veterans Day

2010-11-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

We often find things to blog about during the "offseason" to be quite challenging. Outside of camp life, I guess we just don't lead very exciting lives! Milissa and I were just talking the other night about posting a wish for a Happy Veterans Day to all of those who have bravely served in the defense and support of our great nation. Milissa, many of you know, is a 22 year veteran (and officer) of the US Army Reserves and who was deployed on a tour of duty to Iraq from June 2008-April 2009.

Barracks in Kuwait

In addition to being extremely proud of her and all our veterans, we as a family, also understand the sacrifices that a military family makes from both sides of the fence. From my perspective, I think back to all the times I have been asked the question "So what do you do during the offseason?" Well the year Milissa was deployed I can tell you I did a lot of cooking, laundry, dishes, homework, taking to school, picking up from school etc. I found it to be a real challenge running a household with four girls between the ages of 7-12. I fully understand this was the easy side of the fence to be on.

Milissa comes home safe!

The soldier is the one away from home and their families and friends who they love. They are the ones who are sleeping in unfamilar places, longing for home cooked meals, and certainly not taking for granted all of the conveniences of every day life that it is so easy for us to do. They are the ones who are willing to put themselves in harms way and many through the years have paid the ultimate price as a proud member of our nation's armed forces.

To try, even in some small way, to show our continued appreciation to current military families and veterans we began offering a military special during the month of July two years ago. We have been absolutely thrilled during the last two seasons to host a number of military personnel (active duty and retired) in camp who have taken advantage of this program and we plan to continue it indefinitely. If you are not familar with the Military Special you can see it at: http://www.peffleyscamp.com/images/militaryspecialflyer.pdf

Milissa and the girls

Comfortable accommodations....

Before signing off on this blog, we would also like to encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices our veterans (and their families) have made and to ask everyone who knows a veteran to take a moment out of your day this Thursday and say: Thank You

2010- A season of memories.....

2010-10-05T06:36:00.000-04:00

Sandwiched between Don Strafford's 49th consecutive year in camp (opening week) and Jim Wertz's group first ever visit to Canada during week 19 of the season, was another incredible season of fishing, friendship, fun and memories at Peffley's Camp. New faces blended in with the regulars week in and out, to enjoy the splendor of the Canadian wilderness 12 miles from the roads left behind. They left their work and worries behind them to recharge their batteries in the peacefulness of the wild.....reconnecting with nature, friends and families in one of the last areas to remain untouched by the hands of man.

For some it was perhaps their last trip to camp, for many others it was the beginning of a new relationship and experience that will (like many before them) become a regular part of their lives. The setting is perfect for many of those, "wow, this is incredible" moments, the serenity ideal for those quiet reflective times and the action on the water always fast enough to keep the angling desires satisfied... in the whole, probably best summed up by many guests who were heard saying in camp: "what's NOT to like about this?".

For us, like our guests, it was a season filled with memories and great times in camp. Despite having to work "just a little bit" every day, we found it easy to be thankful for the beauty of our "office", and the great friendships developed with our guests during the season. Challenges and opportunities were present throughout the year to keep the job exciting as one thing is for sure-SOMETHING will develop every season that is a new challenge. In the wilderness, it's just another facet that keeps the "job" new and refreshing every year.

Many improvements were made to the camp again this year too. From our ongoing commitment to keep our fleet of Yamaha 4 stroke outboard motors all (almost) brand new, to more new comfortable cushioned boat seats-we continue to try to make time on the water as carefree and comfortable as possible. In the cabins- the first installment of new mattresses arrived this year (more to follow next year), the wood floors in several of the cabins were refinished this year, and small convenient nightstands were added to each of the bedrooms in camp. Cabins 2 & 6 also received the new hand-split cedar shake siding leaving only Cabin 1 remaining to be re-sided next season. The permanent dock in front of the motorhouse was re-built from the foundation up this year-- and next season the "master plan" includes the removal of THE RAMP as the gateway to camp which we plan to replace with a series of steps and platforms. Replacing the ramp will be almost like a changing of the guard-as the ramp has been a fixture of the camp FOREVER, but things change over time and the new "gateway" promises to be even safer, more comfortable and much more aesthetically pleasing.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention (as we get asked the question a lot) about Ray and Marilyn and whether they will be with us again in camp next year. We are extremely happy to report that YES, Ray and Marilyn do plan to be with us for the 2011 season, marking their fifth year anniversary as an integral part of the team that is committed to our guests overall satisfaction.

Finally we would like to once again say "THANK YOU" to all of our guests from last season. Without you, there would be no reason for us to "do what we do". Your loyalty and support of the camp is certainly very much appreciated as are the friendships we have developed in this our sixth season.

The annual camp Christmas letter will be in the mail before long and soon enough the May 21, 2011 opener will be upon us. Until next time, take care.

ps. Please note the blog slideshow: 2010-Remembering when.... is updated with many of your photos from throughout the season. If you have more that you would like posted here or on the website photo album, please email them to us.

A time to heal

2010-10-03T08:48:00.000-04:00

My brother Gary, who some of you have met in camp through the years, had an opportunity to visit with me in camp at the end of the season this year. Diagnosed and having been treated for colorectal cancer the last year and a half had made a visit to camp last year impossible for him. Despite a nine year age difference growing up, I could always count on my BIG brother to not leave me (the "kid") behind, and we were very fortunate on short-notice to put an itinerary together that allowed for this visit.

Since camp was for all practical purposes shut down, and it was just the two of us, there wasn't a whole lot to do other than spend some quality time on the water fishing together. By his own admission, Gary isn't an "avid" fisherman, but he does certainly enjoy it and more importantly it provided an ideal setting to relax, recover and reminisce. As we did all that, we also found about four spots very near camp that we could count on to consistently produce good to excellent walleye action. Our time on the water, generally consisted of a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the late afternoon, with most days resulting in us catching about 20-30 walleyes a day, with some northern pike sprinkled in and the occasional hard-fighting whitefish. All said, we had a ball catching and releasing the fat, pre-winter walleyes mostly in the 16-18" range. Most days, I would have to say I caught the most fish, Gary however, caught the biggest of both species: walleye (20") and northern (30"), Neither fish HUGE by any standard, but then again it really wasn't about the fishing anyway.......

Still catchin' fish and killin' bears

2010-09-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

More about the fishing when I get around to writing the fishing report for the website, but suffice it to say here in the blog that the last couple of weeks has seen some continued excellent fishing for our guests. So good in fact, that although camp is "officially" closed, we still have a group of first timers in from St. Louis that are continuing to terrorize the walleye. Our bear hunts wrapped up with some decent success too. After having both of our hunters harvest bears in week one of our season, our group of four bow hunters in week 2 went home with two bears including a smaller but beautifully coated chocolate bear.

In other unrelated news, there was a fire a couple of weeks ago at the Village Corner in Vermilion Bay. The gas station/tackle store (Jiggers) and restaurant were destroyed. Not sure what the intention will be for the future with regards to possibly rebuilding the facilities. This was a popular stop for many of our guests who would call us from Vermilion Bay on the way up to arrange their pick up at the landing. We will be sure to pass along any additional information over the winter months or as it becomes available.

Matt Curtis (L) with his bear and his father Dave

Never too late.....

2010-08-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

To plan and have an excellent trip to camp. Just ask Don Raveling (Minnesota) and his son Steve (Arkansas) who just booked a trip to camp in the two man cabin (all that was available) last week. Don had picked up a brochure of ours at the NW Sportshow in Minneapolis three years ago and decided after two very unsuccessful trips this summer to Canada to give us a try. So at the last minute he called up, booked the "highly economical" two man cabin--and proceeded to have an excellent trip commenting to me on Thursday that "we caught more fish today than we did all week on our last trip". We certainly enjoyed having Don and Steve in camp as we always do with our first timers.

Overall, the last several weeks in camp have been very busy with our wood cutting, bear baiting and of course taking care of a camp full of happy fishermen and women. Still a couple of "extra" projects to do around here the last three weeks of the season also, including getting the new siding on the last guest cabin #1.

Despite some continued warm weather for this time of year, we are starting to see more and more color along the shorelines which provides a constant reminder that fall is indeed not far away. Another cool down is forecast for the second half of this week, which should only help the fishing get even better.

Until next time, I will leave you with a picture of Keith Augustine grimacing to hold a fat 41" northern caught last week while fishing with his son Andy.

Warm enough for ya?

2010-08-12T17:55:00.001-04:00

Chances are if you are from almost anywhere in the midwest U.S. your answer is "yes". It really hasn't been much better here to be honest. Temps in the upper 70's to mid 80's with very high humidity has made it just a little "sticky" the past couple of weeks in camp. The fish don't seem to be minding much though, as even some of our first time guests are making comments like "I can't believe how many walleye we are catching in this August heat". It looks like a change in the weather is coming for next week with much cooler (60's) temperatures forecast and MORE rain. I keep kidding around with our guests that our next major construction project might just be an Ark as our lake levels for this time of year are higher than I have ever seen them.

With our bear hunters coming in soon (Sept 4) we have just begun to bait some of our stations and actually did a little "pre-baiting" in July. Here is a picture of a great looking bear with one of the best looking white crests on his chest I have ever seen.

And you have to love it when a bear is on a bait at 2:24 in the afternoon!

I also need to mention the latest nominee for the "Trooper of the Year" award. Sue Martin is here this week with her husband (to be?) Brian and friends Dustin Masters and Stephanie Mullins from Missouri. Although Brian and Dustin have been on a few Canadian fishing adventures, this is the first time for the ladies. Overall the ladies are having an absolutely wonderful time, but Sue did have a little mishap the other night. It seems while reaching for one of Brian's fishing poles in their boat, she deeply embedded a Rattle Trap in her index finger. Shortly after arriving back in camp, we (Ray, Marilyn and I) had her in operating room #1 ready for "surgery". Sue barely had the words "so how much of my finger am I going to lose" out of her mouth when Ray and I teamed up with the "string-yank" method to have the hook out of her finger almost before she knew it was coming. I know the technique sounds a little crude, but trust me when I say it works and works well. She was absolutely amazed at how quick and painless the process was and I was amazed at how brave she was. I even commented to her that we have removed numerous hooks from many of our male guests through the years, but few of them showed as much poise and bravery as she did. So hat's off to Sue Kendrick-the most recent nominee for the Peffley's Wilderness Camp "Trooper of the Year" award.

Well that's all for now, keep reading our weekly fishing reports on the website too for the latest in what's going on regarding the fishing. If this forecasted cool down does materialize, look out as things are going to get even better around here!

Take care until next time!

Holbrook Family returns to Peffley's Wilderness Camp

2010-08-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. Although every single week of camp is special in it's own way, last week in camp was extra special. The Holbrook family (Adam-Dad, Michelle-Mom, CJ-15, Ben-11, and twin sisters Sara and Tara-9) from Roann, Indiana were special guests of camp again this year. Many of you may recall that the Holbrooks were guests of our camp back in 2008 after CJ was diagnosed with and had been receiving treatments for lymphoma. Through the Indiana chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation-we were able to team up and grant CJ his wish of going on a Canadian fishing adventure and many fond memories for all of us resulted.

This year marked their return trip to camp and how special it was again for all of us! First, and most important of all, CJ continues to test free of cancer and for that we are all grateful. In fact, CJ even did a little "smack" talkin' on the boat ride out to camp about outfishing me in 2008. Needless to say, the gloves came off at that point and I did what any self-respecting camp owner would do--- I ducked him the whole week so we wouldn't get caught up in (and me lose) another fish-off. Actually, I could see early in the week that Adam, CJ, Ben and the girls remembered a lot about how and where we fish as they got off to a good start and it only got better as the week progressed. CJ was able to catch a bunch of walleyes and northern pike during the week, but the best fish of all may have been the beautiful 18 1/2" smallie he caught which bested his 17" fish from two years ago. Not to be outdone by big brother, Ben had the hot hand a couple of days too, one night catching an impressive stringer of 14 perch off the dock and also skillfully battling and landing a nice 30" northern.

Even the girls got into the action a few afternoons and evening, with the twins and Mom finding out just how much fun it is when the walleye bite is on. Of course, when evening came it was time for campfires, smores or games of hide and seek and ghost in the graveyard with the other kids (ours included of course) until finally it was time to come in for the night.

So as another fantastic week of fishing, friendships and fun came to an end, Adam asked his daughter Tara "when do you think we should plan to come back to camp again?" to which Tara promptly replied "tomorrow". Here is to many, many more tomorrows for all of us........

Pictures say a thousand words.....

2010-07-15T12:41:00.001-04:00

That's what they say at least. In retrospect, it would have been easier to just update the slideshow to the right, but oh well, live and learn. Thought this would be a nice way to show just a small handful of the many, many memories that have been created again this season at camp and to share a few of the smiling faces that visited camp so far this summer. With nine weeks to go in the season, we expect there to be many more great photos to come. Please visit the website's photo gallery for recent additions.

Summer slowdown

2010-07-03T18:44:00.000-04:00

Hopefully no one read this and thought I was talking about the fishing! Actually, the fishing has been holding up pretty good with all the sun, heat and humidity last week. Fran and Mary VanHoorweghe would certainly attest to that. Despite losing about a day and a half of their trip to really crummy weather, Fran and Mary still managed to catch 269 fish for the week of which approximately 90% were walleyes. Fran even asked me once while in camp if it was "legal" to fish within sight of camp the whole week and catch that many fish. I assured him it was.

So what does the summer slowdown relate to? Well rarely do camp owners rejoice over only being half full--but in this case that is exactly what we are doing this week. After being very close to full the first 7 weeks of the season, we finally have a slow week in camp and hope to use this time to catch our breath and even get the girls out fishing some. We realize this will be a very short reprieve from the busy schedule as most of the remaining summer we will be full again and this fall we have more bear hunters booked than ever before. This week will give us a brief, (but much needed) chance to "recharge" the batteries. We are looking forward to an exciting and fun second half of the season. It's hard to believe week 8 of the season is already here....hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are!

Bye, bye bachelor life

2010-06-22T17:20:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow (6/23) will officially signal the end of the early season bachelor life for me as the "estrogen invasion" is on it's way. The three girls (Megan, Emily and Allison) are travelling with friends and are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Milissa and Sara will also be arriving this week, but have been delayed just a little by a huge power outage back home. In any event the power has been restored and they will be on the road to camp soon.

This (despite my jokes about swimming in the estrogen pool) signals a joyous time in camp as our family is reunited and the kids all look forward to seeing their buddies in camp who's families vacation with us annually. They look forward to re-connecting with their camp friends and spending a week with new friends most every week. I can remember being so concerned about keeping the girls entertained in the wilderness of Canada when the camp was first purchased. Those concerns were alleviated by then end of their first day in camp nearly six years ago.

It is refreshing to see them in camp and finding ways to entertain themselves and learn about the nature and wildlife here, as opposed to the homelife of TV, Wii games and text messaging. Now if I can just find a way to keep the boys out of the picture for the next 20 years or so. Hmmmm.................

CALLING ALL LADIES:) - YOUR CANADIAN ADVENTURE AWAITS

2010-06-14T19:52:00.001-04:00

Greetings from the wonderful state of Wisconsin, home of the “awesomeest” Green Bay Packers! (Brett who???). It is our pleasure to be the guest bloggers on Dave’s blog this week. Allow us to introduce ourselves….Sandy teaches EMS (very recently retired lucky her) and is the supervising nurse at a girls summer camp (patience of a saint!). Bob does a little bit of everything from electrician to builder and could catch fish in a lake with NO fish! Bonnie keeps all running smoothly in the EMS/Fire section of our local college. Charlie assists individuals re-entering the community to find employment, etc. I (Cathy) keep things flowing smoothly as an Emergency Department nursing supervisor and John educates the future paramedics and also staffs the Emergency Department when his wife (me – the scheduler) puts him to work

It’s been one WHOLE week since our annual Canadian vacation officially ended and I think it’s time to go back. Reality has a way of doing that! One of the things that remains a bit of a mystery to Sandy, Bonnie & I is why more females aren’t in camp.

The comforts of home are all there (hot/cold running water, wood stove, gas cook stove, refrigerator, shower, FLUSH toilets and of course the most beautiful views in Canada), and the peace and serenity rival that of any spa! We would agree that vacations at the beach are great, spa vacations are relaxing and rejuvenating and shopping vacations are…..expensive(), but a trip to Canada is unique and encompasses the majority of what you will find on any other vacation! Why else would we continue to come year after year? (Sandy – 20+ years, Bonnie & I – 14 years). Everyone’s’ lives are hectic and this gives us the opportunity to reconnect with each other and with our spouses! Although we have done this so often we have it memorized, we still have planning meetings and even go so far to plan each day’s menu (each couple cooks 1 or 2 nights)! Although the menu varies from lasagna to steak to hamburger/hot dogs, by far our favorite meal is WALLEYE! We could in fact have walleye every night if we chose – fishing is that good!

So – what is our vacation like? Glad you asked! Here goes----

5 am (Friday) – the journey begins from central Wisconsin. Each couple drives in their own vehicle. Yes – it’s more gas, but it’s also time to reconnect with the other half! AND – we each get to listen to our own genre of music or no music! And if you have the pleasure of not driving – you can nap since 5 am is a bit early!

~07:30 am – Breakfast stop at Norske Nook in Rice Lake. Excellent food with a Scandinavian flair!

~10 am – Duluth, MN – Gander Mountain stop. They may have “just” received the latest – sure to catch fish – lure that was not available in Wisconsin!

~2 pm – International Falls and the border. It’s always hit or miss whether the border wait will be short or longer. In all the years we have been traveling to Canada, we have NEVER been searched! Hallelujah for that as it would be havoc on our schedule! After crossing the border we exchange money and get any pamphlets or brochures at the Canadian version of “Chamber of Commerce”.

~5 pm – FINALLY – we reach our stop for the night. Dryden, Ontario. We have stayed at the Best Western and the Timberland (both nice), but there are many other options. Then it’s supper (Riverside) and off to bed!

~7:30 (Saturday) – “On the road again” to IGA for perishables (eggs, milk, fruit) and Vermillion Bay (Bobbie’s Sport Shop) where we find more last minute essential fishing items we might need and purchase our licenses. They have an awesome gift shop for the shoppers

~0930 – Dutchie’s store in Perrault Falls to order our dry ice for when we come out the following week and any really last minute essentials (there is a gift shop there, also). This is also the central “call” place to alert Dave we will be at the boat landing.

~1200 – We are on the “big boat” with all our gear and on our way. Finally we round the corner and see our “home” for the next week – Peffley’s Wilderness Camp. If we are not already smiling – seeing the camp certainly brings a smile to all our faces and perhaps a flutter of excitement for the week ahead. Rain or shine – fish or read or nap – it’s all good! Dave, “Rafe” and Marilyn make sure our cabin is clean, our boats are ready each day and the minnows are ready to sacrifice themselves! There are so many different places to fish, that we could stay much longer than a week! Others in this blog (and the website) will tell you about all the fish, and you can believe it! A bonus this year was Sienna (camp dog). She is an absolute sweetheart and adds a very homey touch to the camp!

Each day is a different place to fish. Whether it’s Mean, Wine, Beaver, Wabaskang, or Mud we have fun. We don’t ALWAYS catch fish, but darn near! And if it rains, then the books come out (for you Stephen King fans – I recommend “Under the Dome” as it will take at least all week to read!), and the wood stove gets lit. One in our group had a Kindle and that was a real space saver as he could store many, many books in a thin computer “book”!

The end of the week is always a little sad. We miss our families and are ready to go home, but we also know we will miss the atmosphere, relaxation and general feeling of well-being at camp.

Did I mention wildlife? Well…………get ready to see moose, deer, bear, herons, pelicans (yes, I said pelicans), bald eagles, loons (and babies in late June, early July) and even a stray fox or wolf!

So…what do you say ladies?? Doesn’t this sound like the adventure of a lifetime? Want more information? Dave can answer your questions (e-mail on the website). If you want to “talk” to one of us – Dave will pass that on also. Canada (and Peffley’s camp) awaits you with open arms!

Yours in fishing – Sandy, Bonnie & Cathy (and Bob, Charlie & John)

Seneca, South Carolina ROCKS Peffley's Camp!

2010-06-13T11:25:00.000-04:00

It was our pleasure to host Bob Stromberg's group from Seneca, South Carolina again this year. Bob was here for somewhere in the 38th year range and his group of Fred Bailine, Tom Greene and Dave Garrison (all 70'ish in ages with the notable exception of Bob who is only 69) suffered through a week that saw their catch drop nearly 20% from last years trip.

Now here's the deal-- see, last year these guys caught just over 1,200 fish for the week. (walleyes, northern, smallies and perch combined) This year they only managed to boat 966 fish in basically six days of fishing including 709 walleyes, 232 northern pike, 21 perch and 4 smallmouth. Despite the dramatic (20%) drop in the fishing success of the group--Bob assures me that they will still come back next year. Also, I would be remiss (for everyone who thinks I push the live bait sales) if I did not mention that these guys never fished any live bait the entire week. STRICTLY jigs and plastics. And of course as 99% of our guests have found, these guys never fished more than a 15 minute ride from camp.

Hopefully things will pick up for these guys again next year, hate to lose a booking over "poor" fishing!

We'll (try) to save some for ya!

Experience Counts

2010-06-10T12:01:00.000-04:00

Just for fun this week I added up the total fishing experience of the group leaders in our eight guest cabins. Not the entire group, just the most senior member of the crew, and determined that this week in camp we have 135 years of experience in camp in just the "pit bosses". That includes two cabins (the relative newbies) that only have a combined 5 years experience on Wabaskang. If I were to include myself in the figure for the week it would increase to 153 years of experience.

That's a lot of knowledge working for our guests who share info, spots, techniques, and other hot patterns with each other. No wonder this week the "gut" buckets in the fish house are just loaded again every morning. It also says a lot about the loyalty of our guests to this camp, some of whom have come now during four separate ownership eras dating back to the 1960's when the camp was originally operated as Dave's Wilderness Camp. For us, we are honored to be owner's of the camp and do our small part in continuing a legacy of excellence that was established long ago.

Also, a big "THANKS" to a second year guest that has been kind enough to create a Peffley's Wilderness Camp group on Facebook. If you are a fan of camp, and what we do, join the group and feel free to add your trip photos to the group.

Until the next blog, tight lines and see you on the water!

Dave

Fishing Canada-Young at heart

2010-06-03T21:13:00.000-04:00

We were fortunate enough again this year to be hosts to Pete Paruch's family from the St. Joseph, Michigan area. I forgot to ask Pete how many years in camp this was for the family but let's just say this "wasn't their first rodeo." Pete was joined by his two sons Ryan and Jason along with his brother Randy and his son Zach. The elder statesman of the crew again this year was Pete and Randy's father Edward who just celebrated his 90th birthday in April. Edward, who is a WWII veteran and retired (27 years) Michigan state trooper, was making his last venture to camp and had an excellent trip and fished almost everyday with the guys, only sitting out the really crummy days early in the week.

Edward shared with us again this year several stories of camp from years ago, and also mentioned that this was one of his best trips ever. It was truly a pleasure to have Ed and his family in camp with us again this year and we at camp wish to say "Thank you" to Ed for making camp his fishing destination for so many years AND also to help remind us all that youth resides in our hearts.

Both Sides Now-Judy Collins

2010-05-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

These were the coolest looking clouds I think I have ever seen and reminded me of the immortal Judy Collins tune....

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun they rain and snow on everyone

So many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way

Great Weather, Great Fishing

2010-05-27T22:19:00.001-04:00

A pretty good rain and lightning show on Monday night this week, otherwise the weather remained pretty nice for late May. Still lot's of T-shirts, shorts etc. in camp and the need for some sunscreen. The fish have held up their end of the bargain too with many limits this week by both camp veterans and newbies alike.

We have finished re-siding Cabin 6 already and will be starting in on Cabin 2 very soon. Here are a couple of pictures of both the new dock and the "new" Cabin #6!

The propane dryer in camp has gone "kaput", and I have found ordering an LP conversion kit for a gas dryer here to be quite the challenge, but that is another story for another time. In any event, one is FINALLY supposed to be on its way to us, just in time as it looks like some more rain (also known as excellent fishing) for next week.

Three new Yamaha four strokes were added to the outboard fleet this year completing the transition to 100% four stroke motors. As always, every outboard in camp is no older than four years ensuring you very reliable transportation as you motor around the lake. Granted 99% of you never go more than 10 minutes away, but even that would be a LONG paddle back to camp!

The season is already flying by as week three will soon be upon us. For those of you traveling up this summer, we hope your travels are safe and uneventful.

Priceless!

2010-05-21T19:52:00.000-04:00

The smile on a 13 year old boys face who loves the sport of fishing making his first trip to Canada. Ken Wieczorek and his son Hunter along with 6 other relatives and friends including Dan Sr. and Jr. who drove 1,650 miles from North Carolina to be here, were guests of camp this week. And what a week they had!

Although Ken and some of the others are veterans of the Canadian fishing and wilderness experience-three in the group (Hunter included) were first timers. These guys had an absolutely incredible fishing trip and are already planning their return trip.

Back row: (L to R) Dan, Sr., Jeff, Bob, Alan, Eric and Dan, Jr.

Kneeling: Ken and Hunter

I asked Hunter to describe in a word his experience. He got a very thoughtful look on his face for a few brief seconds before responding "Awesome!" His father, Ken asked him what he most liked about the fishing and Hunter responded "the pike!"

For us it is always a treat to meet new guests of camp who soon become friends and also to have an opportunity to visit with our many long-time friends of camp. As we say goodbye to our friends from week one of the 2010 season, we eagerly anticipate greeting our friends coming in for week two tomorrow.

Until the next blog-take care.

Dave

Walleye Season Officially Underway!

2010-05-15T22:25:00.001-04:00

Lot's of walleye dinners in camp tonight as the season started out with a very good walleye bite. Who would have thought it..... May 15th (the earliest the walleye season can open) and the weather was wonderful. A bit breezy in the late a.m., but lot's of sunshine, temps in the upper 60's to low 70's and of course a lot of fish caught to make it even sweeter. Gotta love it when you can fish the opener in T-shirts!

Tom Casper's party (on left) from Wisconsin took about 3 hours to get their 4 man limit of walleye this morning to start the season. Way to go guys! p.s. What time is dinner?

George and Jack from Indiana caught and released a bunch of walleyes and kept this nice mixed stringer of 'eyes and perch for a couple of meals.

Looking forward to another great season of fishing on Wabaskang! Hope you are too.....

Dave

Familiar faces, familiar places......

2010-05-14T19:25:00.003-04:00

Well it is Friday evening about six hours before the 2010 walleye season opens, and the familiar faces (our opening week regulars) are all in camp, settled in and ready to hit the walleye tomorrow am. In the meantime, they have spent some time on the water today fishing for pike, lake trout and perch with pretty good success already.

Don Strafford (left) has made his (yes this is INCREDIBLE) 49th trip to camp this year, and has already feasted on some fine lake trout caught yesterday. Don's probably forgotten more about fishing Wabby than I will ever know, and it is a pleasure every year to hear his stories of yesteryear. We are honored to have Don in camp again with us this year and are already looking forward to next year's 50th anniversary of fishing from this camp!

The weather forecast looks terrific for this coming week and with the experience of our regular guests and the excitement of our first timers, we have high expectations for this to be a great opening week.

The picture above is of Don and his buddy Pete with a fine stringer of 'eyes from opening morning 2010.

2010 Arrival

2010-05-10T07:07:00.001-04:00

We made it into camp on Tuesday afternoon, May 4th. It was really a pleasant day to make the first trip in as the weather was partly cloudy with temps in the low 50's. We had just enough time to unpack, get the electricity on (generator fired up) and a little water hooked up.

In hindsight we sure picked the right day to arrive as the following day was windy and cold with some rain and spitting a little snow on and off. As they say-timing is everything! Despite the change in the weather there is always a lot to get done-so we started in right away.

It was good to see that overall camp "wintered" very well. The permanent dock in front of the motorhouse was another story however. Many of you know this has been on my project list for a couple of years, waiting for a low water year to DIG in and get it fixed. Well this was the year and I am glad to report that the dock is done! Just so you don't think I came in to do some early pike and lake trout fishing, here is just a glimpse of the project while in process.

Well better go for now as still lot's to do before the opener.

Everyone take care and see you soon.

Dave

Let's go fishing!

2010-04-29T10:57:00.002-04:00

I will soon be "blogging" from camp, but for now still at home getting ready to celebrate Allison's eighth birthday with a skating party this weekend. Looks like a pretty decent weather forecast and with some lower water levels (at least for now) this will be a good time to get some ADDITIONAL projects in camp around the dock area done before camp opens.

If you haven't done any advance prep yet for your trip this year, this is a great time for little "projects" like: tackle box organization, fresh line on your reels, a double check of rod guides, new batteries for the fishfinder, some reel lube, locating the passport and outdoors card etc. If your anything like me, this stuff always waits to the last moment and then I regret it.

Also and FYI, we have been notified by the MNR that most of NW Ontario is already under a burn restriction (no open fires). So if you are coming up early in the season and like to shore lunch over an open camp fire, you may need to plan to bring a cookstove instead. We will try to keep you up to date on this as conditions change.

Looking forward to another great season in camp with our many friends and regular guests and also meeting new friends who are making their first trip to our camp this summer.

Until then, take care and see you soon!

Dave

Ice Out and Getting Ready

2010-04-17T21:06:00.002-04:00

In what may very likely be the earliest ice out in recorded history, the ice went out on Wabaskang about April 14th! Although no one has a crystal ball and can predict how this will impact the fishing for the season, I will take a moment to share some of my thoughts. First, the walleye spawn will be earlier and there should not be any pressure on them during their spawn which, while it may not impact this years fishing, it should be a good sign for the 2010 year class of walleyes. Many variables will ultimately decide the productivity of every years spawn, but not having fishing pressure while spawning is certainly one in the fishes favor.

Secondly, pending a reasonably normal temperature pattern from now until the May 15th opener, the water temps should certainly be warmer than the past several seasons which should result in walleyes grouped up in better numbers and increased catch figures during opening week.

Finally, I would anticipate (provided water temps do in fact exceed the past several years for opening week) the walleye to be more aggressive in the relatively warmer water. The past couple of years in very cold water we were fishing VERY slow and deliberate, this year I would expect the fish to be "chasing" baits more with trollers doing as well or better than jigging/casting.

Always fun for us to SPECULATE how things are going to start out every year, but ultimately, as they always do, the fish will let us know how it REALLY is!

Ps. It's not too late to grab a spot for the opener....and be the first to tell me just how far off my crystal ball was!

Oh Canada!

2010-03-22T20:46:00.001-04:00

As the sport show season for another year comes to an end for us, it reminds me of a question that sometimes comes up as we are on the road: "So just what is it that makes Canada so special?" Of course, the answer(s) may vary widely from person to person, but for us the answer often goes something along these lines.

Unspoiled shoreline, wildlife and shore lunches, are just a few of the factors that make you say "Oh Canada!"

It's always easy to start with the fishing, as yes, for many freshwater fishermen it may very well be the best fishing they ever experience in their lifetimes. But what many people don't realize is that the experience actually goes well beyond JUST the fishing. The experience is enhanced exponentially when you add factors such as: 1) The seemingly endless miles of shoreline that remain untouched by the hand of man 2)The incredible scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities that even pictures will not do justice

3)The soul-soothing nature of the peaceful serenity of your setting

(IMAGINE-no skiers or any other PWC's OR like in our setting not even any cars or RR tracks ) 4)The incredible memories of an authentic Canadian shore lunch with freshly caught, delicious walleye, northern pike, perch etc. These are just a few of what could be a truly endless list.

Regardless of the reasons that make it special for you-we are looking forward to another season filled with wonderful memories and great times in camp filled with laughter, stories and lot's of fish tails and fish tales!

Opening week-UPDATE

2010-03-12T08:45:00.002-05:00

The response to our new special for opening week has been pretty good. With the current weather forecast for Perrault Falls, things are definitely looking up and showing more potential for an earlier ice-out. Temperatures for the next seven days (at the time of this writing) are forecast to hit highs of 43-52 degrees F every day during this week. It won't take too much weather like this and the ice will go quickly! Which brings me to the point....There are still a couple cabins available opening week and due to a cancellation a cabin is now available the second week of the season May 22-29th. With the warming weather trend, this is almost certain to provide some excellent multi-species fishing these two weeks, at a time when there just aren't that many people around yet to fish 'em! If you have never fished the opener--this is a great opportunity, so don't be a turtle-- hurry up and call or e mail today!

Countdown Begins!

2010-02-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Photos from opening week-2009. Cold weather didn't stop these guys!

Well here it is March already! Winter is going to be over soon.... or so we hope. Regardless, it won't be long and it will be time to head off to camp and get ready for another fantastic season of fishing on Wabaskang Lake!

It's an early opener this year, but for those willing to brave the elements it provides some of the best multi-species fishing of the year, including excellent opportunities for nice lake trout in shallow water. For those who are willing to brave the POTENTIALLY cooler weather we are offering a special opening week rate to camp of $450.00 per person. That is $100.00 off the standard four person rate and $200.00 off the two person rate! Think of how many extra pairs of stocking caps and gloves that will buy you!