Shore Lunch - It gets NO better!

by: Jessica Cegielski, All-Canada Show


This summer I had the privilege to travel to Northern Manitoba and experienced the best fishing of my life. As we were planning our adventure, I was excited to be going to Bolton Lake Lodge and even more excited that I would not have to cook my own meals while I was there (I know there are other moms and wives out there that appreciate this!). Over the years, I have had many opportunities to fish in Canada, but this was only the 2nd time that someone was going to take care of us...and take care of us THEY DID!

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was shore lunch. Our guides, Barry and James were the best chefs in the Canadian Bush, and the best part was the authentic wood fire that they cooked over. They may not want me to share their secrets, but on your next trip for an appetizer might I suggest: skewer your walleye, wrap it in bacon, add a bit of barbecue sauce and coat in breading before you stick it in the frying pan! Bon appetit!

P.S. Here is the proof that I enjoyed the fishing too!

TRADITIONS

By: Steve Cegielski

By now, many of you have spent your week in Canada fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. Some of you are planning your next Canadian hunt and gearing up for Fall travels to the north. Whatever the trip, traditions are a huge part of what we do when traveling to Canada. Whether its where you stop on your drive to get across the boarder, what you bring, or what you do when you arrive at your destination. 

One tradition that was developed by the Cegielski crew for their biennial Canada trip is Steak night . My mouth is watering just writing - Porter House Steak. The steak tradition was started over ten years ago by my cousin Kurt on our first trip north of the border as a group, and now it’s just like Christmas….you bank on the last evening's dinner treat….steak night!

I'm sure you have traditions of your own for your group trips to Canada. Traditions are important…..give steak night a try this year! A

lways looking for new ideas in my Canadian travels….give me some ideas of traditions your group does annually.

Tips Learned

By: Steve Cegielski, All-Canada Show

Every time I travel to Canada I'm always on the lookout for new tips / tricks to add to my arsenal to create a better trip for myself and the Canada crew. Even after dozens of trips north of the border, I almost always come home with a few new ideas.

Guided adventures allow access into dedicated guides way of life...tricks they've been using for years, so I pay close attention. I watched and learned cooking techniques, boat maneuvering, fish cleaning secrets, and maybe the most important bird's nest removal.

Anyone who has ever cast a bait casting type reel knows how demoralizing a good birds nest can be....watching your buddy hit some amazing water while you’re out of the game with twisted line. I've mastered the bait caster, but still 3-4 times per week I forget to change the tension after switching lures and the next cast isn't pretty.

Well last week after one of those so called bad casts I found myself alone holding one of the best bird nest's I've ever created. After a few minutes I located the problem loop and all I needed was to pull the loop free and get back fishing. But the problem was the loop was buried in the spool and my fingers were to big to reach....Here comes the best tip of the trip....The guide tapped my on the shoulder and handed over a special line clippers with attachments including a small hook and pointer. Wow, I've got to have one of those....I think I saved 10 minutes of fishing. One quick hook of the loop and I was back in business.

I'm happy to report I've found just the tool this weekend at the local sport shop, now I'm ready to battle the birds nests.

Blackened Pike

By: Steve Cegielski

I've eaten a lot of shore lunches over the years…and traditional fried walleye, potatoes and baked beans is still my favorite. A fishing trip to Canada isn't official until I've eaten one.

There are many varieties of shore lunch in Canada including fish chowder, which is great on a cold rainy day, stir fried fish and vegetables is awesome too – plus you have every kind of baked fish imaginable. But on one trip I was exposed to something new and so good it is now my second favorite shore lunch.

After frying up some walleye our guide drained the frying pan and added a squirt of zesty Italian salad dressing. Then he pan fried bare northern pike fillets (no breading) in the dressing, boiling off the liquid and searing the pike in what remained…just scrumptious!   The main trick being – very little Italian dressing….not boiling the fillets, rather burning / blackening with the Italian dressing flavor.

This is now a staple in my shore lunch recipe collection. If you have a favorite shore lunch recipe…pass it on to us.

Gear Up For Early Season Northern Pike

As the ice moves out and water temperatures creep up in Canadian lakes, early season anglers can expect to see ravenous northern pike lurking in the shallows, spoiling to smash anything resembling prey.

As a Marketing Director for Eppinger Lures, All-Canada Show sponsor and maker of the iconic “Dardevle,” John Cleveland has been successfully stalking monster Northerns on Canadian water for the last twelve years and recently offered some advice to anglers seeking to boat a few of the bruisers.

Following the opener, Cleveland suggests zeroing in on fairly shallow southern bays where the earliest warming takes place. Dark, muddy bottom structure is more likely to hold active fish than light colored sandy bottoms since the water warms more quickly there. 

Cleveland is a huge fan of Eppinger Lures’ “Five of Diamonds” spoon all season long, and he‘s found, in general, dark colored lures will out fish lighter ones, though the classic red and white Dardevle should be a staple in any pike fisherman’s tackle box.  Downsizing to ½ to ¾ oz. spoons is a good tactic in the spring, according to Cleveland, and a sporadic retrieve—letting the lure flutter down after every few turns of the crank can be a deadly technique. John’s terminal tackle usually includes a seven foot medium action rod paired with a spinning or casting reel and 20 pound test fluorocarbon line with a wire leader. “Pike are not leader-shy,” he contends.

Though fishing with spoons can produce plenty of exciting action, Cleveland also enjoys fly fishing for the bruisers. He has caught Northern Pike topping 45 inches using dark, leech-like flies which can be stripped in more slowly, teasing less active early season fish to strike. His fly fishing gear includes a 9 or 10 weight rod shooting an 80 pound fluorocarbon tippet. A catch and release angler, Cleveland mentioned fly fishermen can get by with equipment that is less stout, but he prefers to stress the fish as little as possible. During the spring, huge Northerns can often be sight-fished, sort of a Canadian version of salt flats fly fishing. 

John also mentioned he was looking forward to trying Eppinger’s new “Spinnin’ Rex” on pike this year. The ½ oz. lure features a spinner blade and rubber skirt. Again, favoring darker colors, Cleveland recommends a root beer colored brass blade with a black skirt. 

For more inside information, product information, and tips on using Eppinger Lures, visit www.eppinger.net or call toll free: 888-771-8277.

American Plan or Housekeeping??

By Rodney Schlafer 
Former All-Canada Show Director 

One of the first steps in planning a trip to Canada is deciding what type of trip to take. It is truly a personal preference and for me I like them all. There are basically two options for trips (however some have modification to appeal to different needs), they are American Plan (AP) or Housekeeping (HKP). The short answer to explain the difference is it the food.

The American Plan:
With the American Plan option your food is included in the price of your trip. When comparing trips make sure you compare Apples to Apples. Some lodges make their AP all inclusive including everything including your food, boat, motor, gas, and guide. Typically license and bait are extra, but again some do include those as part of the package. The AP is more of a structured trip with hours when the dining room is open usually with a few hour blocks to accommodate everyone. This package is great for those that want to relax and have everything done for them.

The Housekeeping Plan:
With this plan you cook your meals; most HKP camps have all the cooking utensils, you just need to bring your own food. Again when comparing your options know what is included as some lodges include a boat, motor and gas in their plan. This package is perfect for families with kids who may be picky eaters, or for those who enjoy cooking and want to save a little money by doing it on their own. It also lets you set your own schedule. Some lodges offer a Modified Housekeeping plan where you have the option to eat in the lodge for Breakfast or Dinner if you choose and you just take care of a lunch.

After you choose the plan, you next decision will be whether you want to drive-in, boat-in or fly-in…so what type of trip are you taking this year?

Join our fan page today on facebook

By: Jennifer Young, All-Canada Show owner

Photo submitted by Camp Narrows

Our facebook page is alive, and we would like you to become part of it. Sign in on facebook and type in All Canada Show or click link below. Great show news, promotions, and fun photos of Canada are on the page for you. All Canada Show facebook page

Many people are posting their own favorite Canadian photos including fish, big game, scenery photos. Click 'Like' today and post your favs.

You can also share the facebook site with your friends on your wall.

Hope you like the new page. Let us know your thoughts.

New facebook page for All-Canada Show

by: Jennifer Young, owner, All-Canada Show

Check out the All-Canada Show page (Company) on facebook.

You can post your pictures of Canada any time.

It is a great way to stay in touch!

Planning the All-Canada Show for next year

Jennifer Young, General Manager - It is always fun to start planning next year. The shows went well in 2010, and we had some tight turns (shows back to back). We had a great group of staff from truck drivers, to sales, to office, to seminars on the road this year. The photo is of the Chicago show held at Pheasant Run in St Charles, IL. We will be posting our 2011 show dates and locations on www.allcanada.com by the end of the week.

Thanks for all of you who attended the shows. We are looking forward to seeing you next year.

Spring Fever

It seems all of the people in the Midwest are getting Spring Fever. We have enjoyed the snow and the cold, and now we are ready for Spring. When it hits 50 degrees, we don't want to see freezing again until next winter.

Canada is calling. The sunny days, the big fish, the quite lakes, and the big sky.

We are planning our Canadian fishing trips and reminiscing over past trips.

This year will be a great time to travel to Canada. Everybody wants to go fishing up there. We can't wait.