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| Kenna with one of her many fish caught! |
Six Lac du Bonnet students enjoy a great day on the water!
By Don Lamont
Nestled on a small bay at the start of the Winnipeg River at Pointe du Bois, Trail End Camp is a favourite destination by anglers in the know. This was the destination on a beautiful August day this past month for some lucky students from Lac du Bonnet and area. Vance and Maureen Hrechkosy were outside the main lodge to greet the six students from Lac du Bonnet that had been offered a dream fishing trip. It was to be a day on the water with Vance in his huge 28 foot aluminum charter boat.
This rig will comfortably fish eight people and is so popular Vance has to turn a lot of business away. This day he donated his charter fee of $700 to give these students a memory they will have for the rest of their lives. Supported by the Lac du Bonnet Wildlife Association and organized by local teacher Anthony Penner, students were picked up at Centennial School in Lac du Bonnet for the short drive to Pointe du Bois. |
| Nice perch! |
Anybody who has ever visited Pointe du Bois and fished the river above the dam will attest to its rugged and wild nature of both the river and the landscape itself. This year, though, record high water levels have changed the landscape, making whole islands disappear under water. It had also turned famous Lamprey Falls into a torrent. Vance started working on the river full time in 1986 and then spent some time in Northern Ontario, returning to the Winnipeg River in 1990 after his family purchased Trail End.
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| Vance holding court at shore lunch |
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| This is what it’s all about! |
He was the guy you would want navigating the river at any time, with an incredible wealth of knowledge about the area and one of the best story tellers you will ever have the chance to listen to. Vance headed us up river to an area called Big Bay to fish an underwater point. Hrechkosy said that the current was so fast in the main river, he has had to fish slack water areas most of the season. On this day it paid off in spades as we caught a number of walleye and pike on the first place we stopped. In fact the fishing was so good we didn’t have to move once all morning. What a treat for the students, catching fish and learning how to operate a jig from Vance, Anthony, Ron and myself.
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| Kayla catches a nice pike! |
One student, Kenna, had never caught a fish before. By the end of the day she would have bragging rights, landing fifteen fish on her own!
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| Cleaning some perch for lunch |
It was a great day for all involved, one not soon forgotten. Thanks for everyone involved, including the Lac du Bonnet Wildlife Association, teacher Anthony Penner and most of all Vance and Maureen Hrechkosy! |
| Vance on left and Anthony on right, made this trip happen! |
