I wanted to let you know that our group had a wonderful time at the Grayson Lake camp. We were very pleased with all of the equipment and facilities. The fishing was very good, and the weather nice. Everything we wanted in a fishing trip!

Thank you again for a great fishing experience.

Sincerely,
Greg

I wanted to thank you for a wonderful trip that the Chitwood party had at Grayson Lake.  Although we had some ugly weather and our flight to Grayson was delayed due to the windy conditions, our trip turned out fantastic.  The fishing was great and the accommodations were perfect for our needs. James, our pilot, was also awesome and he made us feel comfortable with his help getting us to and from Grayson.  I have attached some photos of our trip to add to your collection and have several others if you would like me to send those.  We appreciate very much the service that Rusty Myers offers and look forward to booking another trip in the future.

Thank you so much,

Wendell Chitwood

No one can say it better than our guests who have experienced Rusty Myers Outposts!

I just can't express how pleased we were with Rusty Myers facilities and staff.  Our experience at Siess Lake earns an 11 out of 10.  From your professionalism and follow through, to great pilots, to great food, and wonderful fishing.  We will definitely be coming back!!  You are more than welcome to use me as a reference if ever one is needed.  I felt like you went above and beyond through the entire project.

Looking forward to next year!
 
Larry M

Hello Angie,

Just made it back home to Florida after stopping to visit family in Wisconsin on my return from Metionga.  Thanks for a great trip. Everything worked perfectly. New minnow basket kept minnows alive longer and four stroke engines ran well and used less fuel.  Your operation continues to improve and I wanted you to know we noticed and appreciated all you do for us.

Again, thanks for a great trip!

Tom W

I just have to thank you for the time of our life's. The fishing was fantastic and the accommodations were just as good! I will be a Rusty Myers client for life. In fact the other outpost asked about my place and I gave them a tour and they were very impressed. Thank you for 4 days of fishing and a lifetime of memories. I have so many more photos of big walleyes and northerns if you would like them for your website.

Thank you!

Patrick M 

Nicest fishing trip that I have had in the last twenty plus years. Thanks so much.   You folks are a class act! 

Dale P

Dear Angie,

As usual the fishing was great and four of our fishing crew were at Rusty Myers for the very first time and all had the time of their lives at Mentionga.  Rusty Myers Flying Service made this possible for us and as you have always have in the past so Thanks again from all of us and good luck the rest of the summer and fall and in the future.

Sincerely,

 Gary R

First I want to say that we (the Dale Person party) had a fantastic time and incredible fishing when we were at your Wilkie Lake camp last month. I was so impressed with the quality of your facilities and the professionalism of your operation. I was wondering what you recommend as the prime time of the season for the truly biggest walleye? I am considering a family trip in the future as are a couple of friends whom I have told about our experience.

Thanks,

Jim B

Just turning 18, this was Vincent's first fishing trip and his high school graduation gift. One day, he decided to leave me (his mom), and join his Uncle Jim Vallez in his boat. They decided after a long day of catching walleye, they would begin to fish for the "big boys". Vincent thought he was snagged at first, but lo and behold, this one was something special. So special that from across the bay, we witnessed Jim go from the back of the boat to the front in seconds flat as he gathered the net. I quickly shot across the lake in my boat and tethered it to theirs just as the fish was landed. Upon netting, Vincent and Jim worked quickly in measuring the fish and removing the rapala. Not knowing how to hold such a beast, Vincent was handed the fish for a photo – not knowing how to properly hold it up. They worked with care in reviving and releasing this beautiful fish for future generations. Vincent went home with bragging rights on his very first fishing trip – thanks to Uncle Jim for a day on his boat on beautiful Lake Metionga.

Martha V.  A

The time is drawing close and we're getting excited. Thank you so much for all you do to provide wonderful getaways for folks like us. 

Yours in gratitude, 

Karl R

A FAMILY TRADITION CONTINUES..... FISHING WITH GRAMPS AND RUSTY MYERS. GREAT FUN FOR ALL AGES 

This was my first Canadian fishing trip, and it was a blast. We had good weather, not too hot. We did have some rain, but it was very manageable the first day. In my boat alone, we boated over 200 Walleyes, and 25 Northern. I would say out of the other two boats, one also boated around 200 Walleyes and the other easily boated 250 Walleyes. I got very spoiled and kept wondering when the water skiers were going to show up (I normally fish metropolitan lakes in SE Wisconsin)!

Two things really stuck out in my mind about this trip. First, the surprise visit from a Rusty Myers plane on Tuesday 7/17.  Apparently there was some confusion Monday when we unloaded and reloaded and sent the bad potatoes back, were left without potatoes. Of course, no one at camp realized this....but the dock/deck hand back at HQ in Ft. Francis did. Needless to say, a plane in route back to Ft. Francis from dropping off a group stopped at our camp. We received the "special delivery" of potatoes much to our surprise. We had to scramble after just finishing lunch to move the boats from the face of the dock so the plane could dock. Excellent Service!

Second, was our last outing fishing. We had not been staying out very late on the lake, but the last night we opted for a 2 hour evening final fish up to sunset. The weather had kicked up a good breeze this last evening. . My dad had me back trolling the boat. The first hour of this outing did not go very well, a couple of line tangles, a snag, a northern bite off and we couldn't keep the boat on course with all the snafu's. It started to get a little "choppy" between Father and Son as things seemed to be headed down hill fast. By the time hour #2 started, I remember trying to find bottom with my bottom bouncer with the wind shoving us around. I don't know if I ever did find the bottom, when I lifted up slightly, I had an incredible weight hanging off my rod, a swift hook set the game was on. I remember telling my dad, I think it was a Northern because of the head shaking and I never felt bottom. He moved quickly to remove his line from the water and get the net. After reeling for a minute or so, I had the fish up to where I could see it as I announced that it was "A really big Walleye". It ended up being 26" and the biggest of our camps outing. Meanwhile the fish had turned on, the last hour yielded not only the 26" Walleye, but my dad and I boated 1-15", 3-19", 2-21", 2-22", 2-24 along with a mid-20's Northern. It was non-stop action.  This was our last fishing outing of the trip - the very last hour was a blast, after catching this 26" Walleye, my dad and I went on in that same hour and boated 1-15", 3-19", 2-21", 2-22", 2-24".

A surprise visit from a Rusty Myers plane at our camp around lunch time. We quickly had to move the boats from the face of the dock as the plane touched down on the lake. It was discovered by the Rusty Myers team, specifically the dock / deck hand back at the HQ in Ft. Francis that we did not have our potatoes. While we NEVER noticed this.....they certainly did and the next plane that flew by us made sure to make a stop and drop us off a bag of potatoes.Talk about service...... 

I am looking forward to a return trip and bringing two of my four boys for an outing.

Thanks for the memories......

Greg  S

Angie and Darlyss,

I wanted to Thank-you for making the most of a bad situation and for saving our trip and getting my group into Metionga and then moving us to Brennan later in the week.

I know the weather made it a tough week for you and your customers last week and we appreciate that you worked out this solution. 

My group this year included some veterans and some first timers and they all had a great time.

Thanks for delivering another year of good times. 

Jan F

Months ago, six of us had booked a trip to go fishing in Ontario. With almost nothing but trees and lakes found in much of this Canadian wilderness, we would need to fly in to reach our final destination.

So, on a recent May morning, after crossing the border into Ft. Francis from International Falls, we arrived at our outfitter's,(Rusty Myers Flying Service) located on the shore of the Rainy River. Loading our gear into the six-passenger Cessna floatplane, we headed north at about 150 miles an hour.

I saw a few roads and railroad tracks below for the first half of the 80-minute flight. But I had trouble seeing how they were all connected as the small bridges going over waterways were hardly visible. However, the view for the last half of the flight was just lakes and trees, most of them probably spruce out of reach of loggers.

Flying this far into the Canadian wilderness means leaving behind some of the comforts we normally take for granted. By wilderness standards, our cabin was quite modern, with running water, a couple fridges, a hot shower, and a compact fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling in each room. Although the bathroom looked like it at one time had had a stool, we now got to use an outhouse, probably due to tighter pollution restrictions.

Without any connection to the grid, cabin electricity was provided by three solar panels, with the largest on the roof about three by four feet in size. A smaller one ran the pump near the shore to provide our running water.

A propane tank provided for our cooking needs, as well as powering the two fridges in ways that seem counter-intuitive, using a heat source to cool. And another tank with gasoline provided the power for the 9.9-horsepower outboards that would get us around the miles of lake.

While fishing was the main reason for the trip, we did not spend every waking moment on the water, as one can only eat so many walleyes. And we probably released as many fish as we caught, since we had all bought conservation licenses that required releasing all fish not eaten.

In addition to walleyes, we caught quite a few northern, including one by hand. It had latched on to one of the walleyes hanging from our boat stringer and required my brother reaching over the boat edge and picking up the five-pound eating machine before it would release its grip on the walleye.

While there seemed to be fish throughout the many-thousand-acres lake, we found most concentrations near a waterfall dropping into the lake from another one nearby. Had I brought my SCUBA gear, I imagined I would see hundreds of fish taking advantage of the high oxygen level the falls provided, as well as the variety of food sources found there.

Though fishing for walleyes and northern, along with card playing, dominated much of the trip, I was intrigued by how each member adapted to being unhooked from computers, TV, and cell phones. One spent much spare time reading a thick book about Benjamin Franklin, another reading from a Kindle, and one playing crosswords on his smartphone. I only missed the technology when a question would come up and we couldn't go a Google search for an immediate answer.

I enjoyed hearing loons and watching the large gulls feeding on our fish guts, along with the sunsets, moonsets, and yodeling loons. But I found most inspiring the occasional mirrored surface of the lake, or times in the boat when there was absolute silence. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but think about all the future young people who would never experience being "unhooked."

Greg Munson

Volunteer naturalist and freelance writer. If you have questions, comments or column ideas, contact Munson at naturenutgm@gmail.com.

Saturday:

Beautiful sunny fall day, leaves are colorful. Arrive at Rusty Myers in Fort Francis and load the Caravan. Off to Lake Sesgeganaga in no time. Great flight in the Caravan! Arrive at camp in under an hour, unload gear and start splitting wood. It’s all cut but not split. We know that this time of year the nights get cold and snow storms can come in fast and last for days. This isn’t our first trip.

Enough wood splitting! Let’s go fishing! Off we go to Walleye Rock. Spot a cow moose out sunning herself of the way. We hope it’s a good sign. Walleye fishing is slow on such a nice day. Del figures it out. Just a minnow on a bare hook slowly lifted off the bottom, BAMM! Now we got three nice limits of walleye for super and breakfast. Arrive back at camp just as the sun is setting. A cow and calf moose are feeding in the camp bay. A fabulous end to a great day. We hope to see them again as we have one bull tag, one cow tag and one calf tag.

Sunday:

 Another beautiful sunny fall day. Drink coffee and eat a leisurely breakfast of walleye, bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast. Did I forget to mention that Del has been a professional chef? Spend the day splitting more wood, readying the boats for opening day and catching more walleye. There won’t be much time to fish once hunting starts tomorrow.

Monday:

 OPENING DAY OF MOOSE HUNTING! Hopes are high as dawn breaks to another gorgeous fall day. Sunny and warm with little wind. The battle plan for today is for everyone to sit in their favorite bay and call. As I enter my chosen bay at daylight I spot a nice paddle bull out feeding at the water’s edge. I position my boat behind a peninsula and slowly putt towards him to shore, out of his view. Upon crawling up to the tree line I spot the bull 100 yards out and still on the shore. One shot from my 338 Win Mag and he is mine. Looks like lots of work but with 42 years of combined moose hunting experience it will go fast. With Del and Don’s help he was quartered and on the dock for pickup by 3:00pm. A cow moose was spotted on the way back to camp with the bull but no shot presented itself. Del and Don go hunting and I go fishing. Del spots a small bull but we only have a cow and calf tag left. Fishing is slow but I get enough for supper. Steak and walleye are on the menu. Hmmm, hmmm good!

Tuesday:

Sunny and warm with little wind. Fishing is slow until just before dark. Del had just the right touch. Crappie minnow on a small wire hook. Don sees two cows but no shot and then finds a huge paddle bull at 50 yards. (See picture) This is when you would trade your first born, or your wife, for another bull tag.

Wednesday:

 Sunny and hot with no wind. Hoping for a front to move thru. At daylight Don almost runs over a cow moose in the narrows as he rounds a sharp corner. Don’t know who was more surprised but no shots get fired. We head for the big lake at mid-morning. We find lots of rocks but no moose. We are hunting real hard now. Time is running out. Fishing slow again. We sure could use a weather front to move thru.

Thursday:

 We are in luck. The weather is changing. Cloudy, cold and windy. Hopes are high, time is short. Just after daylight I find a cow in Brads bay and take off to get Del. When I arrive in Gordy’s bay I find out that Del just filled the cow tag; 300 yards and shot in the head. That Ultra Mag sure is flat shooting. We take off to find Don as it will take all three of us to get her out of the mud. We locate Don and as we pass Mark’s bay we spot another paddle bull, but this one is escorting a cow and calf. Now it’s Don’s turn. He positons a small island between him and the moose, slips out of the boat, and boom, it’s all over. His 32 years of moose hunting on this lake really pays off. Our trips just wouldn’t be as successful without Don’s knowledge and passion. ALL TAGS FILLED! WHAT A HUNT! By dark both moose are quartered and most of the meat is already in the air and on its way to the freezer. The balance will fly out with us on Saturday. Now it’s time for adult beverages and BS.

Friday:

 COLD, WIND AND SNOW SQUALLS, no wonder the moose were on the move yesterday. We sleep in, enjoy coffee and breakfast and decide we should take walleyes home. What a nasty day. We go north into the teeth of the wind to Walleye Rock. Almost impossible to fish! Back trolling and still the wind pushes you forward. The walleyes are there but its tough fishing. We catch our limits of 18 inchers and head for the warmth of camp. We dine on deep fried moose tenderloin, walleye and partridge and reflect on a fabulous week in Northern Canada, all while killing the last of the adult beverages.

IT JUST DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THIS!

Saturday:

 We clean camp and board the Caravan, which arrives right on time. We hit weather but fly above it. Sure beats a Beaver or Otter. A fabulous trip thru a fabulous outfitter. Everything promised was delivered. Thanks Angie.

PS: She doesn’t promise moose, just a great time. 

Denny, Del and Don

Angie,

I would like to thank you and Rusty Myers for making our trip to Lake Seseganaga a 5 star trip from beginning to end! You and your crew are a well oiled machine!

Your site says to send photos... so here are a couple of the biggest fish we caught. 40" northern and 25.5" walleye.

Do you have master angler patches or pins? I am going to put together a commemorative plaque with a replica for Colin and think I could work something like that into it nicely.

Thanks again for everything! Great trip and we will be booking again!

Angie, Jocelyn and crew

Mike Borota and I had a great trip to Siess Lake. Cabin flight with Mikey, boats, motors all as expected as always. Hope to back as 4 people or maybe 6 next year to same or maybe another outpost. Thx again! Be in touch.

Thanks
Mike Tonopah