Some of the OWLers on the Canada Fishing Trip.

Six of us opted for the early bird trip on the first morning. We split ourselves two-each among three boats, loaded up our gear and after some basic instruction on starting and handling the outboard motors, set off across the lake. We ended up in a secluded cove that Len had never fished before, but it was sheltered, peaceful and so inviting we couldn’t pass it up. Except for the occasional splashing fish, the quiet conversation between boats, and the "ploop" of lures hitting the water, the scene was a picture of tranquility.

Loading up the boats.

Heading out on a misty morning.

For about an hour members reeled up the occasional and modestly-sized largemouth bass or sunfish, but then out of the blue from across the cove erupted fervent series of cries. "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!" It was Mary Messeroll. She obviously had hooked a fish, and judging from her laughter and squeals, and the bend in her rod, it was a big one. "We gotta see this," I remarked to Laura Zelenka, my boat partner.

Len and his partner, Judy Neff, were already on their way. There were actually two Marys in Mary’s boat. The other Mary, Mary Muehlbauer, scrambled for a net and was poised on the gunwale to scoop up the fish. "Rod Mary" grappled with her pole, shifting her balance to keep from falling out of the boat, while "Net Mary" would make a swipe at the fish every so often when it edged close enough. Just as we converged on the two Marys and pressed the kill switch on the outboards, "Net Mary" netted the fish. It was a whopper northern pike, about 4 ½ pounds. We applauded, we cheered, and we took a bunch of pictures. As the two Marys, now "The Proud Marys," settled into the task of untangling the fish from the net, Len offered an occasional hand and gave some background information about northern pike. "They’ll eat ducklings, and even mice if they happen to fall in the water," said Len. One look at that fish’s mouth and you could see the plausibility of that statement. They have some nasty looking teeth, and Len said they often get away by biting through line.

But this one didn’t. Now it was on its way back to camp to be the center piece of our evening meal. It was an exquisite morning, capped off by the landing of an exquisite fish. And it was typical of events that unfolded throughout the week.

Pike are aggressive predatory fish coated with extra slime to help them move quickly through the water.

The Marys with a northern pike.

Len shows the two Marys how to fillet a pike.
It's a tricky operation because they possess an extra set of bones in the meat.

Members learned many things about freshwater fishing. What lures would be most effective, how to secure lures to line using a palomar knot, how to work a lure to entice a fish to strike and then how to get fish unhooked.

Cathy uses pliers to unhook a largemouth bass.

But describing the week purely as a fishing trip would be like describing childbirth as adding a member to the family. There was more to it than that.

The underlying theme was to apply technical skills to interpreting habitat and its connection to a species’ ecology. Like many lakes in Ontario, Norcan Lake resulted from a dammed river and supports a variety of habitats that appeal to a variety of fish. Deep channels harbor walleyes, "stump forests" shelter largemouth bass, and areas where the water’s current is constricted appealed to smallmouth bass. Catching each species requires a slightly different approach based on their behavior and habitat.

Members used what they had learned about fish, their habitat and fishing to great effect. Everyone caught lots of fish, including a few of notable mention. Along with "Rod Mary’s" pike, "Net Mary" landed several 3 lb. + largemouth bass. After a rough start (probably because she was in my boat in the beginning and I brought her bad luck), Laura Zelenka got in the swing of things and used a Rapala lure to reel up a regal 3½-pound largemouth, among others. Not many walleyes were caught, but one of the few was a 3½-pound beauty hooked by Gloria Blumig while she trolled Norcan's deep channels. Judy Neff caught by far the most fish and the greatest diversity of species, and although many were nice-sized, she had a particular talent for landing fish that were smaller than her lures. This talent inspired a new classification of fish known as "Judy Fish."

Laura landed this beautiful largemouth bass.

Gloria holds up a knockout walleye, a fish characterized by an opaque eye and a golden hue.

Judy with one of many yellow perch -- inspiration for the term "Judy Fish"!

Barbara Ann makes a net specially designed to catch Judy Fish.

Although the outing focused on fish, we learned about furred and feathered creatures of the Calabogie area, too. Len explained the interactions of moose and white-tailed deer, and wolves and eastern coyotes. Numerous "feathered anglers" were observed around Norcan Lake, especially great blue herons, osprey, bald eagles and mergansers. Perhaps the most memorable and captivating were the common loons. Could anyone forget their mournful yodels and wail-like cries that resonated through the air as if they had been exhaled by the lake itself?

A common loon.

Afternoon sky over Norcan Lake.

A birch tree that had been chewed down by a beaver.

An osprey and two chicks in their nest atop a snag.

Red squirrels are common to coniferous forests.
They are smaller and more aggressive than gray squirrels, and will eat nestling birds.

It was a valuable opportunity to be able to immerse oneself in the outdoors without the distractions of phones, computers and other burdens of modern life. We returned to New Jersey freshly charged and confident. Several people were already planning fishing excursions closer to home as a result of the knowledge and confidence they gained of fish and fishing during this trip.

Maria, George and Lenny casting toward shore.

Gloria enjoys a tranquil morning on Norcan Lake.

Another shot of some happy angling OWLs!

Before departing, we left our mark on the cabin graffiti board!