Liddle's Fishing Adventures Inc. Spring & Summer 2002 Newsletter What's New!

As some of you may have already heard, all American Plan guests staying at Miminiska, and Makokibatan lodges this season will have a boat equipped with a brand new fish finder. This is part of Liddle's continuing efforts to improve every guest's stay with us. We feel that this addition will aid all anglers in finding productive underwater structures quickly, and therefore increase the number of fish landed by everyone. For those of you who were thinking of purchasing a new fish finder for your trip, or those who have brought them from home in the past, there is one less item you have to plan on packing this year. Over the years we have been purchasing brand new 15 and 25 horsepower Mercury outboard motors for Makokibatan Lodge, and Outpost, with much success. Last year all 25 horsepower outboards were outfitted with propeller guards, which dramatically increased reliability and peace of mind for our guests. This year, all Miminiska guests will be pleased to know that they too will be provided a boat equipped with a brand new 15 horsepower Mercury outboard motor. We will also offer for an additional charge, brand new 25 horsepower Mercury's on 16-foot boats as an available upgrade. If you are interested in this option, contact the office as soon as possible, as upgrades are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is our hope that these changes will ensure trouble free fishing for all of our guests. Also new for the 2002 season are flight options into Miminiska Lodge. Liddle's Fishing Adventures has decided to utilize Nakina, as its main transportation hub. This will increase cost effectiveness for transportation of goods, and guests into both Makokibatan, and Miminiska Lodges. We will continue using Nakina Outpost Airservice's Air Service into Makokibatan Lodge aboard float equipped Turbine Otter Aircraft. Nakina Air Service will provide us with the transportation requirements into Miminiska Lodge. They will utilize wheel equipped, turbine powered Cessna Caravans. Nakina Air was used mainly for fuel and food transportation last year. Their professionalism, and safety attitude is first rate, and we look forward to utilizing their services for guests who are driving into Nakina. Those of you flying from Thunder Bay will be boarding one of Thunder Air's wheel equipped Cessna Caravans. Although this option was available last year, it is now more affordable due to the increased efficiency in flight scheduling. Our flight days into Miminiska Lodge are Sunday and Thursday. Whether arriving from Nakina, or Thunder Bay, Heather Liddle is looking forward to greeting you as you step off the Caravan at Miminiska Lodge. There will be some renovations taking place at Makokibatan Lodge this season. The lounge in the main lodge will undergo a facelift, providing a more inviting atmosphere and comfortable relaxation area for everyone. A Day on the Lake! - By: Marc Kuzyk I would have to say that mid-July is my favorite part of the season. The long sunny days, warm temperatures, absence of pesky bugs, and incredible northern and walleye fishing make me eager to spring out of bed in the morning. I'd like to let you in on one of those sunny days on the lake at Makokibatan Lodge last July. As my alarm sounded, and I rolled over to shut the buzzing off, it hit me, it's Sunday, Woo-Hoo I thought! Sunday to you our guests, is just another day of your vacation, but to the staff around the lodge; it's our day of relaxation, and adventure. As my morning chores were being completed, my anticipation was growing. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny morning, and I knew the northern fishing would be explosive in the afternoon. I couldn't wait to grab my rods and tackle box, and hit the water. It wasn't long and I was on the lake, along the south shore, turning my fish finder on over my favorite walleye hole. 25 feet, still too deep! I knew I was close. I could see the "Roger's Shoal" buoy parallel to me to the west way off in the distance, and I had the flat rock point off my side about four hundred yards away. Where's the ledge to the drop off, I thought! Sure enough, the depth readings began to decrease. 21, 20, 18, 15, right down to 4 feet! I maneuvered the boat to around 12 feet and cast my chartreuse and silver hot'n'tot in the water. I began my troll to the west, carefully following the contours of the sunken island. A couple of minutes had passed, and I thought "gee,,, I hope the walleye are here this morning". Then sure enough, tap-tap-tug…my rod tip lurched backwards. Fish-on! I slapped the motor into neutral, set my hook, and began the battle. Unfortunately, my first walleye of the day wasn't a trophy. After a quick release, my troll resumed. I finished my pass of the shoal to no avail, but figured there had to be more than one walleye hanging off that ledge. I figured I'd try a pass in the opposite direction. Not two minutes in, I had hooked into another fish. This one would make for a tasty lunch, so on the stringer it went. One after the other, fish gobbled my lure. I landed 5 walleye on that pass. One was 24 inches. I was having the time of my life, and as I looked around I thought, "it's too bad no one else is here to experience this action". Time and time again, that sunken island produces awesome results. I glanced at my watch and realized I'd better get going, if I was going to make staff shore lunch on time. Cruising towards Shore Lunch Island, memories of all the fish caught at that hole over the years flooded my mind. As my eyes squinted at the bright sunlight, a smile came over my face, and I realized that this is truly the life. What job allows you to enjoy the great outdoors, experience amazing walleye fishing, and experience an awesome lunch cooked over an open fire with your friends? The afternoon of pike fishing, you're wondering? Well that's a whole other story, for another day.

CONGRATULATIONS!! We have two contest winner announcements to make. For all those Miminiska Lodge guests of 2001 that took the time to fill out our questionnaire, we thank you. As promised, your names were entered into a draw for a new Shimano Rod and Reel combo. On the 1st of March, the draw was made in our office, and we are pleased to announce that JIM CAHILL of Big Spring, Texas is our lucky winner. Congratulations Jim! We look forward to seeing you and your family at Miminiska Lodge this season. Liddle's Fishing Adventures has been running an ongoing contest on our website: www.liddles.com for some time. It has been exciting to see all of the interest it has generated. Our first draw for a Shimano Rod and reel combo was made March 31, and we are pleased to announce that DAN HIESTAND of Powell, Ohio is our lucky winner. We hope you catch a trophy on your new rod Dan! We are excited to see you and your party at Makokibatan Lodge this season. Our online contest has resumed as of April 1st, 2002. The next draw for a new Shimano rod and reel combo will be held on September 30th 2002. Thanks to everyone who has visited with us online, and good luck to those future contestants. Our western world, and our own lives will not be the same after the tragic events of September 11th. During the times those horrifying events were being shown on TV and across all forms of the media, our immediate thoughts and concerns went out to all of our friends, relatives and lodge guests that were being personally affected. Although we have not heard of any of our guests or their family members that may have lost loved ones, our hearts and sympathies go out to all of our American and Canadian friends that were so needlessly harmed and frightened. Since mid September, there has been much written and considered regarding the effects on the tourism travel industry. Fortunately, our lodges closed this year on September 8th, so none of our guests had to cancel or rush home from the lodges to be with family. Fortunately for those traveling into Canada now, our new border provisions in cooperation with US Customs and Immigration, will make border crossing into Canada secure and expedient. And although some sectors of the travel industry are still hurting, many of our guests are telling us that they are eager to begin to travel again, especially to Canada this coming year, where they feel safe and secure with their friends, in our tranquil wilderness atmosphere. Thank you for your confidence in, and friendship, with Canada. We look forward to your return here this coming fishing season.

Adventure Anyone? Although the fishing on Makokibatan Lake is sensational, we realize why our guided river trips are so highly regarded. The opportunity to wet your line in the cold, oxygen-rich waters of the Albany River, with the anticipation of hooking into trophy brook trout, or spirited river walleye is unequaled. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to experience these adventures will agree that the spectacular scenery and excitement of traversing white water rapids are memories not soon forgotten. To the rest of you, not as familiar with these day trips, we offer three different river experiences depending on time of year and the water levels. From early spring to mid summer, the North Channel that flows out of Makokibatan Lake is traveled most extensively. It offers outstanding brook trout and walleye fishing, with majestic views around each river bend. As the water levels begin to drop, walleye in the South Channel begin to group together. This river experience offers phenomenal walleye fishing a little later in the season. More recently, we have offered day trips to the west of the Lodge. Further upstream, beyond Makokibatan Lake, the Albany River meanders through the boreal forest, joining several lakes, and tributary rivers. There are countless fishing opportunities for walleye and northern pike here that our guides would be more than happy to bring you to. There has been much consideration taken on how to better utilize the vast river expanses surrounding Miminiska Lodge. The Petawanga portage boats are being replaced this year with newer models, as well as improved motors to ensure a more enjoyable day trip into Petawanga Lake. Many guests experienced the unbelievable northern and walleye action in Petawanga last year, and it's our hope that more of you can explore the thousands of acres of water with greater ease this season. We will also be equipping two 14-foot aluminum boats with 15 horsepower outboard motors upstream, more specifically above Snake Falls, and above Lower Eskakwa Falls. Doing so will enable groups to make a day trip in search of trophy brook trout with much greater ease and safety. This adventure will require the accompaniment of an expert guide due to the severity of the rapids in this area. Whether adventuring on your own, or with the assistance of a guide, a shore lunch kit is easily provided, enabling you to enjoy the wonderful taste of your fresh catch wherever you may be.

Conservation! All of us here at Liddle's Fishing Adventures would like to express our gratitude for the positive feedback expressed by so many guests regarding our conservation philosophy. With your help, we can ensure that the Albany River fishery will continue to remain world class forever. For those of you not familiar with our conservation policies, we limit take home fish to 2 walleye (only one may be over 18 inches), and 2 northern pike (under 27 inches). Brook trout fishing is conducted strictly on a catch and release basis, so that we may preserve this very fragile species. Of course, our philosophy on shore lunch has not changed. We encourage everyone to join us daily for fresh walleye, cooked to perfection over an open fire, along with salads, fruit, and homemade desserts. Our staff take pride in preparing this vacation highlight for you, and look forward to seeing you on the island at noon.

This Years Staff! Many of our guests will be pleased to hear that a number of our staff from Makokibatan and Miminiska Lodges will be returning for the 2002 season. Steve Liddle has been busy all winter, organizing new changes to the lodges in order to improve the vacation experience for all guests. He has been able to visit with many of you during the sport shows he has attended in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Pontiac, Chicago, and Toronto. Steve is looking forward to another season at Makokibatan Lodge as manager. Rather than travel after returning from Makokibatan this summer, he chose to invest in a home, and purchased a beautiful place on the golf course in North Bay. Unfortunately, he won't be able to golf this summer, other than taking a couple swings on the Miminiska runway. Heather Liddle has chosen to move to North Bay to work year round for us. She will manage the day to day operations in the office throughout the winter, and will again manage Miminiska Lodge during the summer months. She often comments on how excited she is to catch up with guests once again. Marc Kuzyk, who has worked for Liddle's Fishing Adventures for the past four summer seasons has also joined the Liddle's full time, and has taken the position of Manager of Physical Assets. We are confident that with having Marc with us, our facilities and equipment will be kept in superb condition. Jody Head, our fantastic cook at Miminiska Lodge, has been spending every moment he can with his wife and two children in Newfoundland before departing for the lodge for another season. He dearly misses Sandwich, Miminiska's dog, who is spending the winter in Fort Hope. Pam Liddle has been studying at University to receive her degree in Aviation Administration. She has been flying all year and will be completing her private license and floatplane endorsement before the summer approaches. Pam was Miminiska's shore lunch chef last year and is anxious to return and try out a couple of new recipes. Mark Foster was working at Makokibatan last year and is excited to change lodges and accompany the staff at Miminiska this summer. After learning about the tricks of the trade from our perennial native guides Eli and Walter Baxter, he is planning on guiding and sharing information about all the hot fishing spots on the lake and river system of Miminiska. Matt Liddle has excelled at Western University in his first year of a business degree. He is planning on putting his new skills to work at Makokibatan and become involved with new responsibilities and organizational tasks. Leigh Anne Craig has spent the last several summers at Makokibatan Lodge. She is currently completing her Nursing Certificate in North Bay, and is eager to show off her new skills to the unfortunate few that may require a hook removed. Steve Byrd will be returning to Makokibatan Lodge for his second season. He is currently completing his second year of an Outdoor Recreation Degree, at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. Steve's friendly and informative demeanor is always a pleasure on the dock. Eli Baxter is doing well in Geraldton. Unfortunately his wife, Florence, passed away this winter and is missed by many family members and friends. Eli and Florence lived on Makokibatan Lake year round in their younger years and raised eleven children there. Eli has many fond memories of those days, and is excited to be back home on Makokibatan Lake this season. Once again, Walter, and Little Eli Baxter are planning on guiding for us this year, and promise to make your lake or river trip an unforgettable experience. All of our staff are excited to visit with our returning guests, and to meet the guests new to our lodges this year.

Day Trips at Miminiska Adding variety to our fishing packages is something that we are always looking to improve upon. Although Miminiska Lake offers spectacular fishing, and trips along the Albany River offer brook trout fishing excitement, we are aware that lakes in the nearby vicinity also have great fishing potential. There is also world class brook trout fishing in several of the smaller rivers that flow into Miminiska Lake and the Albany River. Last season, we had the opportunity to explore several of these tributaries by canoe. To say the brook trout fishing was outstanding would be an understatement. Many of the shallow rapids stood out in our minds as prime trout habitat, although we didn't realize just how productive they would be until our flies, and lures hit the water. After battling with many 4 to 5 pound trout in the swift waters, we found our arms to be quite tired, but our hearts were pounding from the excitement. Reaching many of these pools proved to be very challenging, but it was quickly realized that we had to figure a way to pass this excitement on to you our guests. We would like to fly our guests to the headwaters of these rivers, and provide guided canoe trips downstream. By doing fly-outs, we could also offer access to any number of untouched lakes surrounding our lodges This is in our plans for the 2003 season. We first need to purchase an aircraft that is suitable for this type of operation. We are presently in the market for a larger aircraft and plan to have the fly out opportunity available to all of our guests at that time. Some of What Our 2001 Guests Had To Say... We are looking forward to our sixth year at Miminiska. Last year's experience was a pleasant surprise. The food, level of service, accommodations, everything was exceptional. We were really "taken care of". It's obvious the Liddle's know the business. Ted J. Fornetti, Iron Mountain, MI. We have just returned from a wonderful four days of fishing at your Miminiska Lodge. Heather was a superb hostess and we enjoyed the accommodations very much. The fishing was spectacular. Richard L. Brown, Indianapolis, IN. I have been vacationing at Miminiska Lodge for a number of years and I was thrilled with the experience my group had with Liddle's Fishing Adventures. The accommodation, food, boats and service was outstanding. Nothing was forgotten! Landing a 44-˝ inch northern also helped. Our group found that vacationing at Liddle's lodge is the best spot for fishing in Canada. Vince Del Medico, Akron, OH. Shelagh in the Office Any of you that have had contact with our office since the fall will have noticed a new voice attending to your reservation, or special request. Lee Anne Wainman is regretfully no longer with Liddle's Fishing Adventures, however we wish her the best in her new carreer. We are pleased to announce the addition of Shelagh Dykstra to our operations. She has been working in our office since November and has been doing a wonderful job. Her cheerful disposition makes her always a pleasure to deal with on the phone or through email correspondence. Shelagh has operated her own fishing lodge in the North Bay area and brings with her great experience from within the industry. She looks forward to hearing from you, and is ready to assist with any travel plans, or answer any inquires you may have.