SCOUTING FOR MOOSE AT TEN MILE LODGE
WILDERNESS WITH CLASS
DOUG PHILLIPS
SITTING IN THE BOAT looking up the lake , all I could see was clear water and the pristine wilderness I ’ ve enjoyed for more than 25 years . I was daydreaming about the early days when Ron Bowes flew us in from “ Swisha ” ( Rapides des Joachimes ) to one of the four outpost cabins .
This is Ten Mile Lodge , home of the blue walleye . That ’ s right blue . There are some yellow ones but almost all are blue . As I sat there amidst the islands I wondered how many we ’ ve pulled out ( a few to eat , a few to bring home , many released to fight another day ). Then all of a sudden I heard , “ GET THE NET , GET THE NET ,” and it snapped me out of my trance .
My son Josh who shared the boat with me this day had another fish on , bending his rod almost to 90 degrees . All we saw at first was the white tail tip , but soon it was up beside the boat , another 3½ pounder , a keeper .
Bernie Montressor , Bill Goderre and my son Josh and I were at the lodge for a different trip this time , scouting for a late September moose hunt . I ’ ve really only spent time on the water here , never in the bush . We brought an ATV to handle the maze of bush roads to visit all the stands , looking for moose browse and tracks .
It was the tail end of a hot summer with little rain , but , wouldn ’ t you know it , we picked four days when it rained hard every day . No matter , we got our scouting done . Though most of the tracks were washed away there was a lot of moose browse and plenty of ponds that moose love .
Ten Mile Lodge has four outpost camps with running utility water ( not for drinking ), a cooler for food , propane stoves and solar lighting ,
all environmentally green , which makes owners Richard and Patty Lauzon very proud . In the last few years , Richard has updated all the cabins , leaving not a bunk bed behind . He recognized that older people don ’ t want to sleep on a top bunk so he made all the bedrooms bigger and no upper bunks .
The couple have owned and operated Ten Mile Lodge since 1992 and put great effort into making it the outstanding operation it is today . Not much work was required for the fishing mind you – it ’ s one of the top walleye lakes in Quebec . For guests wanting comfort , he supplies 16-foot , comfortable , safe boats with 9.9 or 15 horsepower Yamaha outboards to rent , or bring your own .
The main lodge has a waterfall-powered generating station which runs a hot tub , washer-dryer , satellite TV , heat for the log cabins Richard built , refrigerators , stoves , inside flush toilets and showers .
The lodge is little more than 100 kilometres north of Deep River . You need a truck or SUV for the hard drive over dirt road in , but the fishing brings me back every year . The main lodge is on one of 26 lakes within the 126 square kilometres on Richard ’ s lease – good news for lake trout anglers . This place covers everything an outdoors person could want .
After the moose scouting was complete on that last day it was tough getting to sleep . But when I did , it was moose dreams for me .
More info on the lodge at tenmilelodge . com , or call Richard at 613-482-1583 .
Bill Goderre at the back , Josh Phillips on the left and Doug Phillips right .
Josh Phillips and Bill Goderre with nice stringer of walleye .
Doug cooking-up his catch . Doug relaxing after long day of scouting
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