I never got a chance to see one while I was there but I knew there had to be an osprey flying around somewhere. The place was just too perfect not to have one. Osprey Camp is the most peaceful place I’ve ever been in a long time. You can see white caps on the lake but none of rough weather affects the nestled bay where the camp is situated.
I went up with Gazette columnist Lyle Stewart to do a story on the camp. We had flown up the last time Lyle came to Mistissini with me. It was time to show the boy the largest natural lake from the water. Hell, it was time I saw the lake from the water up myself. I almost forget the last time I was up on the big part of the lake, myself. We hitched a ride on the supply boat Osprey Camp is growing and materials were needed for two more cat-ins. It was a pleasant surprise to see the King aka Kenny Longchap waiting for us at the dock. Kenny was our guide when we went to another Mistissini outfitters camp on the Papas a while back and he would be our driver to Osprey. Things have a way of coming full circle in the north it seems.
Osprey was a beautiful camp with the sounds of wind in the trees. A comfortable and welcoming breeze, the kind that puts you to sleep gently at nights.
But first, the fishing, always the fishing. We went across to the eastern side for a little walleye fishing. Lyle caught our supper easily and it was time to head back with what would become our breakfast. With the waves picking up I was glad our boats could handle the weather. They were a new variety all the way from Canada’s most western province of B.C. The ride was comfortable thanks to Norman, our guide.
The log cabin was great. Able to sleep four, the cabin boasted a fridge, stove and even a barbeque on the porch. If you needed to go to the washroom I can tell you that Osprey had the best toilet of any camp I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. A short walk from the cabin brought you to toilets that were clean and even had a potpourri to create a lovely scent masking whatever smells you may add. There are showers and that for your comfort. Speaking of comfort, the beds were wonderful and there were propane lamps in every room in the cabins.
The lamps brightened up an evening of cribbage with the guides. I won’t say who lost but Lyle and myself managed to skunk the other two teams during the evening. In between the cribbage rounds we lost I would venture outside. The sky was clear and there were more stars than you could shake a stick at. It’s a sight you don’t see in towns or cities, as the surrounding lights tend to drown them out. Not up here. It was clear and you could see for thousands of light-years. I even got to see a couple of falling stars. I quickly wished for some good fishing in the morning. In the morning we headed to the Rupert River. The Rupert has the distinction of being one of the oldest inland fur routes used by the Hudson Bay. It also has the well-deserved reputation of being good for speckled and lake trout, walleye and pike.
It had been a while since I had fished this area of the lake. The Rupert is a winding river that seems to be everywhere at once. Going there without a guide if you don’t know the area would be suicide. There are shoals that extend out on seemingly improbable angles creating mini-rapids that the Speckled Trout love so well.
Our guide confided to us he caught a five-pound Speckle in the area where we were fishing. Our luck that day wasn’t as good as his or the 28-pound Laker a guest had caught the week before. But it didn’t matter.
What mattered was the great time we had relaxing on Lake Mistassini compliments of Osprey Outfitters.
You can always tell when someone has a great camp when other Crees use it. During our stay some guests from Mistissini arrived. It was Darren MacLeod, my cousin, his girlfriend and her parents. The Grand Council/ Cree Regional Authority had a meeting/fishing trip up there for September. It’s always good to see Crees supporting Cree businesses but in this case I feel that it says far more about Osprey then I could. Plan Osprey for your next fishing adventure. It’s well worth the time.
