It was opening weekend 2015, and our group was headed to Brace Lake Outfitters for what was to be an amazing week of fishing. The lodge was ready, the fish were ready, we were ready…but the weather not so much. A winter storm rolled in that provided multiple days of sub zero temperatures, frozen water lines, and frozen fishing lines! We all made the best of it and still had a memorable week, but we left knowing that we’d have to return. Fast forward to Summer 2019 and it was time for the return visit!
On this trip it would be my wife Carolyn, and our two children Hannah and Jacob (now veterans of fly in fishing trips), joined by my father (who was on the infamous prior trip) and and stepmother (a first for her). July was sure to be a safe weather month as far as snow and ice was concerned. We were booked for 5 days, including a chance to fish with owner Kyle Poleski. We are used to the long drives to these locations (12-15 hours), but the beautiful scenery as you drive along the shores of the Great Lakes make the journey north as much a part of the adventure as your time at the lodge. We would again be flying with Nakina Air, who within minutes of us arriving had us loaded, and after a short 25 minute flight we were on the docks at Brace Lake being greeted warmly by Kyle and his staff.
Normally it take me time to set up camp as I’m most often at an outpost, but not with Brace Lake Outfitters. We walked up to the cabin we were assigned and started to get settled in as the staff brought up all of our gear right to our door. Not only is it a more relaxing experience, but it allows you to get on the water that much quicker, something we took advantage of. Our first day on the water we kept fairly close to the lodge, in part because we were more likely to fish in shorter spurts, but also because you just don’t need to go that far to catch fish. In fact our largest fish of the trip was caught right in front of the main lodge. My goal for the week was to make sure everyone in the group caught some fish. We mostly trolled drop offs and weed edges, using both crank baits and snap jigging grubs. Once we located fish, we’d switch to casting and vertical jigging. As expected, we had a pretty good first day, and everyone was happy.
One interesting thing we learned after arriving was that the mayfly hatch had only ended about a week ago, and while the fishing was returning to normal, the bite was not as aggressive as some would expect. To add to the challenge was that for many of the days we were there, we had some crazy winds and thunderstorms, and anyone who spends a lot of time fishing knows, severe weather swings have an impact on the bit.
Make no mistake, we caught a tonne of fish, we just worked a bit harder to find them! Day two we had the great fortune to fish with Kyle, who took us down to Meta Lake. If you are not familiar with the systems, Brace Lake is connected to Meta Lake, and further down to Ara Lake. Both Meta and Ara are large bodies of water, so when you combine the 3, you have a tremendous amount of water to fish. Meta is a relatively shallow lake, with expansive weed flats, and numerous islands and rock piles, all of which hold Walleye and Pike. Walleye was our target for the week, and we were not disappointed, enjoying a wonderful shore lunch cooked by Kyle.
Brace Lake Outfitters offers both Housekeeping and American Plan, or a combination. The cabin we were in was outstanding, with wrap around deck, wood stove, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom with hot and cold running water, shower and flush toilet. While we chose to cook most of our own meals, we did take advantage of joining the rest of the guests in the main lodge for dinner one night. For the most part I’m prefer cooking my own meals, but when you are served Prime Rib, fresh vegetables and home-made cake for dessert, all accompanied by wine and coffee, it’s not hard to see why so many of their guests go full American Plan.
Our remaining 3 days were just as wonderful as the first two. We’d wake up after an incredible sleep (amazing beds and linens provided), and enjoy a breakfast together. Then it was out to fish in any of our favourite locations, where our 18 ft Cedar Strip Boats made the drive and fishing comfortable. We’d catch mostly Walleye, but went for some bigger Pike on occasion. While the largest Pike was only 36.5, our the Walleye were plentiful, with many a double header keeping us busy. As the weather stabilized in the latter park of the week, so too did the bite become more predictable, and the fishing was even better.
Our second time with Brace Lake Outfitters really showed the potential for this great system. Fishing with kids, and those who don’t want to put 12 hours on the water can sometimes limit your options, but we all caught our fill of fish, and had fun doing it. Owner Kyle and Teri have done an incredible job with the camp. Almost all the cabins are new, the boats and motors are outstanding, and the food and service are second to none. They can’t control the weather or the fish, but I can attest that regardless of the weather, there are abundant fish to be had. They recently opened a new outpost cabin on little Makokibaton Lake, a part of the Albany River. I’ll be heading up there in Spring 2020 with my brother to try the vast waters of this great system. While we’ll be on our own, we know the accommodations and boats will more than meet our needs. Check out my walk through video of our cabin at Brace Lake Outfitters, and as always, if you have any question or comments, reach out at scott@canadianfisherman.ca!