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A New Standard for
Bass Camps
Back Lakes Odyssey
Clear Water Tactics
Back Lakes Odyssey
Bill Rivers, Ontario Fisherman
Picture a small, pristine lake amidst
the rugged beauty of an unspoiled wilderness. An otter
frolics on the lake; a deer slips down to the shoreline
for a cool, refreshing drink. A loon’s call echoes
across a mirror-like surface; the smack of a beaver’s
tail shatters it. Wolves howl out their woes; anglers
escape theirs. Leisurely sunny days are punctuated by
aerial bass; brisk, pitch-black nights are lost to a
sleep of exhaustion. That’s Southern Ontario back-lakes
bass fishing - arguably some of the world’s most
consistent and exciting bassin’.
As often as I have fished in Ontario’s mid-North,
there is always a new experience there to further convince
me that this area offers some of the world’s best
2-species bassin’. Each back lake is a Near North
jewel, blue and shimmering, and brimming with aerial
bass. Summer trips with Stanton Air in 2002 and 2003
again underlined the quality and diversity of the bass
fishing. Sure, I had fished each lake before, but the
camps themselves have taken on a very different look.
Where, a few years back, there were once tiny, cramped,
dark, poorly ventilated and spartan "huts",
there are now spacious, modern, fully equipped, well
appointed and airy cottages, complete with screened
porches. The newly built Stanton Air outposts at Wolf,
Redboat, and Snake Lakes are more in keeping with what
one might expect at a lodge than a bass camp. And, I
understand, that the Boleau Lake camp is also being
re-built for the 2004 season.
The new cottages reflect the changing priorities of
clientele - beyond great bassin’, that is - and
the refreshing attitudes of the outfitter. Stanton Air’s
willingness to better accommodate its guests, invest
in difficult building projects, expand its partnerships
with the MNR and property owners, upgrade camp equipment
and vigorously promote selective harvest speaks loudly
of a commitment to providing exceptional service, comfortable
accommodations, vacation package value and outstanding
fishing opportunities.
It has been my good fortune to have fished throughout
Canada, especially here in Ontario, sampling some of
the world’s best fishing. Admittedly, though, I
am a bass fanatic, and have happily, publicly shared
my bass fishing exploits and misadventures in a number
of regional, national and US fishing magazines for almost
twenty years. It is difficult for me to explain how
I feel about the outdoors and, in particular, memories
of time spent there with others who share that appreciation.
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