I studied the maps last night, and we decided to make the run to the Bustard Islands. The owner must have thought we were a little crazy, only our second day at the camp and we were making this journey.  We had good maps, the weather looked good and we were feeling brave.  Took the deep trough that ran in a south-westerly direction from GBFC.  There was a string of very small rocky islands or pillow rocks that nearly connected GBFC to the Bustards.  We stayed to the left or west of these and had no problem making it to the islands. 

 

We hit Tarpot Island, veered to the right around the west side of the Bustards and cut through Gun Barrel Channel.  No fish, but I found a deep running rapala floating on the water.  We squeezed between Tie and Strawberry Islands came out to Northeast Island. There were several large yachts and sail boats in the safe harbor, spending the night. As we cut around the islands, two kayakers were paddling out to the east towards Key Harbor, a lot of open water between the Bustards and the Key River, but they didn't seem to mind.   We tried drifting around several shoals out from the Bustards.  No fish again.  Next, we cut into the grouping of small and large islands make up the Bustard Islands.  Mike caught a nice pike.  We stopped and had a bite to eat, I walked along the rounded granite rocks, fly fishing from above.  It was great casting, but no fish, in the spring this could be "the spot."  I found a large vein of black basalt that had been gorged out by the glacier, forming a perfect trough.  Again and again, we said aren't these rocks just beautiful. 

 

It was getting windy so we decided to head back to camp.  I suggested a shorter route back……. Headed directly from the northeast corner of the Bustards to GBFC.  Map indicated deep water to the south barrier rocks and a cut over to the channel we had followed out.  It would be a piece of cake. Once out in the bay, with white caps and all of the big rocks looking the same, we cut too soon and ran through a field of rocks.  Had to shut off the motor and push our selves through the rock field.  It was a bit challenging, got the adrenaline going.  There were some tense moments with the waves and rocks.  Made it back to the camp, took a break and readied for the next adventure.  In the afternoon, we headed for the eastern outlet of the French River.  The outlet was very narrow, with high rocks and generally deep water,  Saw the portage/tramway.  Caught a few bass.  It started to thunder and lighting so we boated back to the camp.  Half an hour later it really came down, thunder showers, major lightening.  We felt safe in the cabin, warm, dry and eating fish.  Man were the fish ever tasty.  Found out later, the new cabin was not part of an ongoing upgrade.  It replaced the one that had been hit by lightning and burned a couple of years ago.  After that we felt a bit exposed on this rocky knob during thunder and lightening storms.  

DAY THREE - MONDAY

 

Cloudy but warm.  Looked like rain, but we went out anyway.  Paul, the camp handyman showed us the way out to Otter Bay.  We could have found it on our own, but he gave us the fast route and showed us fishing spots along the way.  He left us there to explore and fish.  The morning was just incredible.  Water as smooth as glass, perfect mirror images of rocks and trees in the water.  We trolled slow, I stood up in the front of the boat casting a big wet fly to the rocks and small patched of lily pads.  One cast, as I watched the big white wet fly move through the water, a pike shot out from some weeds and grabbed it.  I set the hook, but the pike swam back into the weeds, little fight, since it wrapped the line in the weeds; but it didn't get away. Later we went to Fox Bay and with some luck caught two more fish.  Got back to camp around 6:00 p.m. - 10 hours in the boat! Great day in the French River Delta.