Napken Lake Chronicles: Trip 8 2022- Time to be Moving On.

Planning and Preparation for the Final Trip

For the last 8 trips to Napken Lake there have been 4 of us who have made it nearly every year. Larry, Bruce, George and myself. We came to the conclusion that this would be our last year at Napken Lake – that we have learned many things and explored many of it’s nooks and crannies and that the time has come to move on to another destination. So next year we will find another lake to scratch our itch.

So, this is going to be a short post and one that reflects on the countless memories we’ve made here. This serene haven has been our sanctuary, our escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. But as all good things must come to an end and we find ourselves preparing to bid farewell to this cherished destination we are sad but excited to explore different waters in the coming years. 

But first, one more final trip! 

The excitement of planning and preparing for this trip always adds to the anticipation. We meticulously organized our gear, some of us more than others! 

I was also fortunate enough to convince one of my greatest life long buddies to come along and join in the adventures. Welcome to Michael! We’ve shared many adventures along the way but never one that would take us into the wild. We were Air Force buddies so we had seen wild, just not like this!

In addition, we had 2 surprise guests along for this trip – My cousin Brett and his son Conner. This was a huge treat, Brett and his brother Curt were raised in Georgia and as kids we would see them come up to the farm most summers. Those visits created many special memories and this fishing adventure was something that we were truly looking forward to.   

We checked the weather forecasts, and stocked up on supplies to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience. With each step of the preparation, the excitement grew, knowing that we were about to embark on a memorable adventure with great company.

As usual, we left early on the Wednesday and made it to our usual motel in Sault St. Marie, just inside the Canadian border. A meal at Wacky Wings, a good nights sleep and in the morning we continued north, arriving in Hearst late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

A couple of stops were made along the way though. 

Lake Superior is awesome. And there are several pull offs along the highway that offer stunning views. One of our favorites has been “Old Woman Bay”. There is a pretty beach that gives the traveler an opportunity to stretch their legs and the view across the lake is tremendous. And…

We always stop at Young’s General store in Wawa to purchase a few final things, get an ice cream cone and just generally visit and look around. It’s an interesting place and highly recommended. unfortunately, this year they had temporarily adjusted their hours due to the pandemic and they were closed when we arrived.

Departure and Arrival at Napken Lake 

Hearst Air was ready for us on Friday morning. This year we were actually going two take both of the beaver aircraft, since the turbo was going to continue on north to another camp after leaving Napken Lake. 

A call for volunteers was made to ride in the normally aspirated (slow and loud) Beaver. It wasn’t that I stepped forward but more like everyone else stepped back. So I was the lucky volunteer – not a bad deal though since I love flying and being the co-pilot is a special treat!. We finally made it to Napken Lake and the fishing quickly began.

Fishing Adventures and Successes

Once we hit the lake it was only minutes before Michael had a large northern in the boat.  Very exciting way to start the week. 

We had similar luck as the previous years, a lot of over 30″ pike were caught and the largest of the trip is shown below – a 43″ monster. 

I had left the camp early before anyone else had gotten up and within minutes had hooked into this giant. While getting her into the boat the net snapped and for a few seconds it looked like she might get away before her picture was taken. Once boated, it took only a minute or so to zoom back to the dock and get our picture taken! She was then released unharmed and happy to have been part of my day.

Saying Farewell to Napken Lake. At least for now.

My first fly-in fishing trip was to Napken Lake in 2014. It was now 2022 and we had been back every year since that first trip. (We missed 2020 – something about a flu from china). We felt like Napken Lake was an old friend and we hope to be back someday. I imagine we will. 
A LOT of great memories were made here. I’ll simply leave this story with some pictures of the past. Next year we are moving on to a new lake and a new experience.