Camper Christina Goes Fishing With Dad in Ontario’s Cottage Country

Last spring, popular blogger Camper Christina enlisted her Dad to go on a fun fishing adventure in Parry Sound, Ontario. The results were successful in more ways than one.

The last time my Dad and I went fishing, I was about five-years-old and I used a plastic rod with plastic fish. It was not so much fun for me as I dropped the rod in the water by accident and it sunk to the bottom, never to be seen again.

I have spent the last 15 years or so exploring, camping, kayaking and outdoorsing but I’ve never had much time or the knowledge to fish while out on my adventures. Just over the last few months, I’ve finally gotten into fishing and that was due to someone showing me a few small things I never knew how to do. One was actually tying the lure/jig/hook/etc onto my line and the other was cleaning a fish. (Both taught to me recently by Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper, on one of our trips.)

Now that I finally knew how to start the line and what to do with a fish when I actually caught it, I was ready to try my luck at actually fishing for food. I was so excited I couldn’t stand it; the last three backcountry trips I’ve been on, I’ve fished and fished and fished some more, with no results at all. I was deflated. It was time to call in the big guns, my Dad.

I contacted a few locals to ask them where I should we should go in or near Port Carling, where I live. I was advised Mill Lake in Parry Sound was a good place, so I contacted Mill Lake Cottage Resort and they told me they had a boat available for us to rent and directed me to their website, which was full of information on what type of fish were in the lake and the best way to go about catching them. In addition to renting boats, Mill Lake Cottage Resort is a four-season getaway and has five housekeeping cottages, all situated right on the shoreline.

Our day started on Saturday when Dad drove in from Grimsby arriving in Port Carling at 7:30 am. We picked up some worms and then took off on our 30-minute drive to Parry Sound and Mill Lake Cottage Resort. Jayne and Mike, the owners, greeted us with warm welcomes and big smiles. Even the dog came out to say hello and I could feel the inviting atmosphere of the resort instantly. The grounds were very clean, the lawns well manicured and there were lots of flowers in bloom to make it look cheery. We saw a few guests on their way out and the entire family came to see Mike to say goodbye. This to me was a true sign of a well run resort and I was happy I’d picked this place to bring my dad to.

After Mike went over a map of Mill Lake with us in great detail of what fish like to hang out and where to look out for shallow spots to avoid damaging the boat, he took us down to the dock to show us the vessel we’d be using.  I was impressed with his excellent customer service and I think Dad was too.

We headed to the car to get our fishing rods, lunch and cooler and then jumped in the boat and soon we were on our way. Mill Lake was very calm at this hour and we only saw a few other boats the entire day. It was very picturesque and I was again happy I’d chosen this lake to spend the day with my dad on. The water was crystal clear, the air smelled of pine, and we could hear the sounds of nature all around us. It was incredibly peaceful.

We spent some time fishing in different locations and filled the day sharing stories, catching up and simply just enjoying the peace and quiet of the area. Dad talked about his first time fishing, the biggest fish he ever caught and shared some of his tips and tricks with me. It was incredibly hot out, about 30 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the sky. A great day to be on a boat up north, but not the best weather to catch a fish in. Regardless, my dad did catch a small bass where the Sequin River empties into Mill Lake and I was pretty excited about that. I continued to try, but unfortunately I didn’t catch anything that day, but I wasn’t disappointed in the least.

I spent an entire day just hanging out with , on a boat, chatting about life with Dad and learning things about him I’d never known before. I’m sure he probably learned a few new things about me too, which I think is pretty cool since we’ve known each other our whole lives. We shared our love of the outdoors and spent hours just enjoying each others’ company and doing something we both liked. It doesn’t get better than that and I am truly grateful for the time we spent together on Mill Lake that Saturday. Life is short, spend time with the people you love and appreciate this great area we have available to us. Parry Sound has so much to offer visitors and I personally, can not wait until I can go back and experience another adventure there!

Guest Blogger: Camper Christina
Camper Christina started backcountry camping in 2002 and fell in love with the solitude and peacefulness of it all. Having always kept journals and photo albums of her trips, blogging seemed like a natural progression. Follow her to read about her many adventures she hopes will inspire others, entertain and bring some form of enjoyment or purpose to the people who choose to read them.