First of all, let me begin by saying that NOBODY told ME that fish sperm would be involved in our adventure. I mean, sure its the spawn…buuuuuut I guess I really didn’t think about what that might mean when my husband asked me back in July if I would like to go along for it this year. All I thought was, “Ohhhhhh hungry, hungry lake trout!!!”

Anyways…so about the third day, we drove our boat all the way over to Nodinka Narrows which was about a good 1 hour boat ride away on a good day. The wind had calmed considerably, and it looked like it was gonna be a fabulous day. I was SO excited by the prospect of catching a whopper. I could barely sit still.

So we get to the Narrows and we throw in our lines. As I am sure many of you already know, fishing for lakers involves a lot of trolling. So I let out my line, kicked back, and closed my eyes to wait for the big one. All was going good until…

Fisherbabe: Cody, I think I have one!!

Fisherhubby: Oh yeah…(reel reel reel)? Does it feel big?

FB: Yeah, actually, it feels pretty good. Its seems heavier and bigger than any I have felt before.

FH: Well just take your time. Keep it up and tight. Bring that baby in!!

FB: Ok…here it comes. Are you ready? You aren’t ready!! Get the damn net!! Get it in!! Get it in!!

FH: Calm down. Jeez I got it. This is a nice one Lizzy. Way to go. Lets measure it!!!

FB: How much?? How much??

FH: WOW nice one Lizzzzzzz : ) 18.5 POUNDS!!!

So that seems innocent enough…until I am holding that big fish up for the photo. This is what comes next…

FB: Hmmm…Cody something weird is going on.

FH: Whatcha mean (snap snap of the camera)? Hold it up higher.

FB: Something white is coming out of its…you know. I mean…isn’t that the poopy hole? Is that white poop? No its too thin for that. Cody, what is this stuff?

FH: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

FB: What the hell is so funny…it’s running down my arm and leg, C. What the hell is this stuff. Ewwww…it got on my seat too!!! Hurry up with those damn pictures.

FH: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…well Lizzzzz it is called “the spawn” for a reason!!

FB: What…I don’t…OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO… Did this fish just jizz on me? Holy Shit…is that…is that SPERM. OMG OMG OMG OMG…Get it off me…take this fish…Get it off my seat..OH ewwww don’t touch my camera…its dripping off my hands…get me a damn towel…

FH: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…

So yeah…I got spermed on by not one but THREE male fish during the trip. I also got egged on by TWO huge females. I felt like I was working in a damn hatchery…finally I just conceded to touching the stupid stuff and mixed it all together and threw it back in the lake…

There you go…my efforts at conservation…LOL ~

I am not sure I will ever get over my little fish molestation moment. If you look closely at this photo, here, you can see it dripping off my pinky…AND to top it all off…I think this damn fish had hemroids, too.

Dudes…can you say TRAUMATIZED? Gotta love fishing to throw your line back out after that!!

Happy Fishing ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

Check out my profile on GetREELed.com
Check out my site: www.fisherbabe.com

You know me…I never tell my trip stories in order I like to mix it up. But the above picture is on our first day at the camp. That’s me between the Inukshuk…which means Rock People as far as I can tell They are pretty cute I must say!!

Lots of crazy things happened on my trip to Mackay Lake Lodge in Northwest Territory, but it was by far my best trip EVER!!! The fishing was great, the company was awesome, and the sites were just beautiful. However, there were some adventures to be had on this trip for sure!!!

First of all, as many of you know, I was very excited because this camp offered a hot shower and running water. I was excited about this aspect because my Heidi Klum status definitely depends on whether I can shower everyday and wash my hair. Well…needless to say…we showed up and the water pump was sitting inside of the shower stall instead of inside the lake. Therefore, I was janked, and there was no shower…which also means there was no indoor toilet. So yeah…another outhouse for this Fisherbabe. All I remember thinking is…”The stupid (insert cursing here) fish better (insert cursing here) be worth this (insert cursing here).”

But overall…the cabins were alright. All four of us slept in one, and it was a cozy little home that made me feel like an explorer.

We got in late so we could not fish that first night. AND THEN…the next day, we awoke to the shouts of my father-in-law that our boat was under water!!!! It had SUNK, because the wind was so crazy and the waves crashed over the back. It was INSANE…to say the least!! Whew!! We all kinda just stood on the dock and stared at it for a while…then we decided to just let the wind die down and go grayling fishing. SOOOOOOOO…I CAUGHT MY FIRST GRAYLING!!!

Yes…that is my hubby holding up the dorsal fin on my grayling because those are slippery little suckers, and I was super afraid of it slipping right out of my hand while my photo was being taken. So he lent me a hand.

Isn’t it adorable…what a cute fish!!! I really enjoyed catching the grayling, and on a more serious note…those little suckers fight like the dickens. It took me quite a while to bring this bad boy in. It was very fun and challenging as I had to hop from wet, slippery rock to wet, slippery rock to keep it from getting away. WHAT FUN!!!

After grayling fishing, we decided to tackle the boat drama and finally figured out how to rescue our sunken ship. I should have taken a picture of that..LOL!!

That evening we went fishing but did not catch anything note-worthy that night. We were all tired so we headed back for some camp grub and some shut eye. The very next day we headed across the water to a spot called NoDinkaNarrows for some BIG MONSTERS. I was excited about this spot, because my hubby told me that the last time he visited Mackay, he had seen the biggest fish he had ever spotted on the fish finder. WHOOOO…

And wouldn’t you know it, the lucky man pulled out the biggest fish of the trip on his first try!!! My beloved caught a 34.5 pound lake trout. It was enormous. I was dumbfounded…our net was not even big enough to hold the darn thing. I had to sink down and scoop the crazy fish up and under the net just to get its fat head into the net…then we hurried and pulled it into the boat. I was so happy for him…the biggest fish he ever caught.

What a Catch!!

Then I’ll be damned if the crazy man did not throw out his stupid line and bring in the second largest fish of the trip. He caught a 30 pounder just a few casts later.

By this time…I was quickly going from proud wife to bitter wife!!! Okay that isn’t true…but I wanted a big one of my own, ya know!!!

My biggest this day was an 18.5 pounder which I was pretty proud of…but next to this monster, it looked pretty small…LOL!!!

BUT WAIT…what do you know…my luck changed a bit, and the next day I caught my biggest fish ever. I threw out the Lucky Strike Half Wave (thats what the 34.5 pounder was caught on, as well) and BAM…a fish hit like a ton of bricks. I was so nervous and anxious. It was SO HEAVY and was fighting and sinking like dead weight. I thought I was going to lose the monster, and I could feel that it was heavier than anything I had caught before. WHAT A FIGHT!!! After about 20 minutes of reeling and fighting, I pulled in a 25 POUND LAKE TROUT!!!

And then…the very next day…I caught another monster. Wow…I was so excited!! The second fish I thought was not as heavy. My hubby asked, “you think you need the net?” I said…”oh…I don’t know. Maybe you can hand net it…LOL.” Um yeah…I got it up to the boat and the hubby yelled…”Uh no…don’t think I will be hand netting that one!!” We got that baby in the boat and it weighed a whopping 23 POUNDS!!!!

Overall, I caught a 25 pounder, a 23 pounder, an 18.5 pounder, two 18 pounders, a 14 pounder, and two 13.5 pounders. So yeah…I caught some amazing fish on this trip, and Mackay Lake is such an amazing Lake Trout Fishery that there are not words for how great it is.

Another great thing about this trip was the new and interesting experiences that I had. There were lots of firsts for me on this trip. For the first time, I got to see the tundra and step on it. It’s squishy, by the way!! I got to see the Northern Lights and go to Yellowknife. I got spermed on by fish (more on that story later…believe me, it is worth the wait), and I got to visit Northwest Territory and go farther North than I have ever been!!! I saw a Caribou up close and personal, also!! It was such and exciting trip!!!

The views in this place were the most extraordinary of any of my trips. I felt so alone and so isolated in the tundra…like perhaps we were the first humans to step on some of the islands that we ate lunch on. When you shut the boat engine off…you actually heard the silence. I had a lot of time to reflect and center. The one thing I was able to figure out is that life is truly precious…and that I am a very lucky fisherbabe!!!

More to come soon~

Happy Fishing~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

Check out my profile on GetREELed.com
Check out my site: www.fisherbabe.com

Thats my excited noise because I am leaving in exactly 8 HOURS for my Lake Trout trip. I just wanted to post one last time before I leave because I will be gone a really long time and I wanted you all to know that I will MISS YOU!!!!!!

I will be tweeting up until I hit the Canadian border, though. So if you want to know if Wyoming and Montana are still there…follow me on twitter and I will report!!

Much love to you all and I cannot wait to show you the picture of my monster/world record Lake Trout (and of course me looking like a supermodel while holding it)!!!!

Happy Happy Fishing Trips To All!!!

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

On September 2nd, this Fisherbabe will be heading up to the wild, wild…NORTH!!!  Me and my group of fishermen (yes…I am the only girl going along) will be heading up to Northwest Territories, Canada for an awesome trip to fish for Monster Lake Trout during the spawn.  I am so excited that I can barely sleep at night!!

Now…there are quite a few reasons why this lake rocks out.  The first is because of the potential for trophy LAKERS!!  There are also Grayling in this fine fishery, and I have yet to capture one of those delicate beauties.  I have my Mepps Spinners (size 0) all ready to go for those babies!!!

Another really awesome piece of trivia is that this particular lake is part of the hit TV show “Ice Road Truckers.”  Although this season was filmed on the ocean in Alaska,  it has been filmed on parts of Mackay Lake in the past.  I am so super excited to fish on a lake where one of my favorite shows is filmed.  I mean…how super cool is that!!!

Now…I have never been as far north as I am heading this time. I am going to be only 150 miles from the Artic Circle which is pretty interesting in itself.  I will be cold as hell…BUT I will get to see the Aurora Borealis which will be super cool.  I am really excited to see such amazing natural beauty.  The tundra is also something I am looking forward to because I have not gotten to see it or step foot on it ever before.  There is also so much potential for wildlife viewing.  I hope I get to see a musk-ox…LOL

Now…I know you all aren’t familiar with me yet, but I have to admit…I am a total girlie girl.  I like my high heels and miniskirts.  I also like a daily shower, but I am willing to give that up to catch trophy fish.  On this trip, however, I will have the luxury of taking a nice hot shower at night and…ummmmmm…using an indoor potty.  That is more than I can say for the last camp I visited…

But, regardless, I am still looking forward to this trip.  I cannot wait to throw my first lure and reel in that lunker.  Don’t worry…I will bring all my pictures back to brag…I mean share with you!!!

Happy Fishing and Tight Lines ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

Check out my profile on GetREELed.com
Check out my site: www.fisherbabe.com

… is a tough feat to accomplish when your destination is the wild outdoors where it can be both hot and cold in the same trip. But, add on weight restrictions and groceries to the chore and all of a sudden packing becomes harder than solving the riddle of the sphinx. Although it can seem a bit overwhelming at times, making a list and packing early can solve much of the anxiety that can accompany this task.

The first thing to address when you are beginning to pack for a fishing adventure is the weather. You have to know what the weather will be like during the time of your stay. Obviously, there is no way to predict the future and know for sure whether it will be rainy or sunny, hot or cold. However, you can research past weather patterns and talk to the camp managers or owners about weather conditions presently and in the past. A great tool for checking the weather in different locations and countries is http://www.weather.com/. Also, camp managers and owners are great tools in understanding the conditions of the lake.

Even though you can try to guess whether the gods will shine on you and bring sun or whether they hate you and will throw ice pellets at you in july, its never a good idea to pack with only hot or cold temperatures in mind. With Canadian fishing, the temperatures can change drastically from day to day. Last year, on our Pike trip, my family spent a leisurely thursday fishing…and although it was not necessarily warm, it was pleasant. The very next day we woke up, looked outside, and were stunned. There was SNOW on the ground…AND it was still falling out of the sky Layers upon Layers were definitely necessary that day.

With weight restrictions being part of the process during these types of trips, you have to keep your clothing at a minimum. You need to make sure you take enough clothing to stay safe and warm, but no extra. Two pairs of jeans or pants usually do the trick…along with a couple tshirts. On top of those basics, you should think about carrying along a hooded sweatshirt and a fleece jacket of some sort. Thermal underwear is also a must as it protects your body’s core and keeps in the heat. Warm socks are important, as well. I suggest smartwool brand socks because they keep your feet warm with only one pair. If you put on too many pairs of socks, your feet will not stay warm because the layers of socks will cut off your circulation. Another simple option is a really warm light-weight boot. My husband has a pair of Irish Setters that are protected by a high degree of Thinsulate but are EXTREMELY light. They sell this boot at Cabelas. It’s amazing. Raingear is, of course, always a must, and if you are traveling someplace cold, bring along your coveralls. Warm gloves can help protect your hands from the icy air and are an important tool in keeping your fingers from frostbite.

It must be mentioned that these clothes will get dirty. When you are taking only a limited amount, you must resign yourself to wearing the same things day in and day out (with, of course, the exception of undies and socks . Remember…your rain gear is what gets the most disgusting. The clothes that you have on under the raingear usually stay dry and clean. Don’t be too concerned about wearing clothes with fish slime on them. If your rain gear is working properly, your clothes should be wearable for at least two to three fishing days at a time, and doing this REALLY saves a lot of weight.

Duffel bags are a must for this type of situation. Any type of regular suitcase (especially ones with any metal parts or rollers) just plain weighs too much. Those types of suitcases usually weight 10-20 pounds when empty. Thats a lot of lures and tackle you could be taking instead. Duffels only weigh a fraction of what the regular suitcase weighs and is so easy to carry and pack. If you buy a larger bag, everything from you clothes to your sleeping bag will fit inside. It is a must have for this type of trip.

My family always manages to keep our weight down under the restrictions. Yet, we always have everything we need to make for a great trip. Personal items such as shampoos and soaps can be shared by the group so that no one person has to carry the weight for all. Places like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops carry microfiber towels that weight as little as an ounce. These towels will save you a pound or two if you are heading to a place with a shower but that does not provide towels. Sham-wow towels make for very light yet durable boat and cabin towels. I like to take along a flashlight. It gets pretty dark at night…and they have bears in Canada

You must remember that the weight limitations include everything. Your tackle box, gear, clothing, and groceries must all fall within the guidelines. Extrememly efficient packing is a must for a nice relaxing trip. When it comes to weight, every little bit saved helps. There is nothing worse than getting to the airport and finding out you are over. Such chaos ensues that I shudder to even think about it. The main tip to packing in these situations is to just think light. Really think about whether you really need an item or if it is just a luxury that you could possibly do without. AND ALWAYS WEIGH YOUR BAGS AND GEAR BEFORE YOU GO!!!!

On a side note, my tacklebox is so light that it weighs EIGHT POUNDS LESS than my old one. I use the Plano 9606. Its a hip-roof tackle box that has three pull out trays on each side and a deep space in the bottom for extras. This tackle box is very durable, and when fully loaded, only weighs about 20 pounds. Compare this to my hubby’s which weighs 30+ pounds and you can see that my tackle box really saves the weight. I always recommend this Plano box ,because it’s AWESOME!!

Another imporant tip to consider is to make a list. I always make a list a couple of weeks in advance of my trip. This allows me to really think about the weight restrictions while I considering my clothing and gear. That weight restriction usually has to encompass everything and is on a per person basis. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to inquire about any restrictions before you go. Nothing sucks worse than showing up and having to leave half your gear in the truck…trust me on that one.

For my trips, I usually try to stick with the least amount of clothing that I can get by with so that I have plenty of room for my gear. It must be stressed again that rain gear is a must have in any situation. The temperatures in Canada can get pretty dangerous, and rain gear is the first step in ensuring the warmth and safety of your body.

In the end, the best tip is just to make a list and really think about what you are packing. Because there are no stores around, you must prepare and pack everything that you need. Just do not go overboard and make sure you talk to the others in your group to ensure that there are no duplicate group items being taken along. Packing can be the funnest part of your pre-trip planning process, because it allows you to really get excited about where you are going and the fish you are about to catch.

Happy Packing ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

Check out my profile on GetREELed.com
Check out my site at: www.fisherbabe.com