For the last several years I have taken much of September off as a fishing vacation, and as crazy and disruptive as 2020 has been, I was determined to normalize matters by keeping this annual tradition alive. Although I usually make a couple major trips up north, I still always end up doing a lot of fishing locally in Simcoe County and especially on my home lake for the past 35 years … Lake Simcoe. Of course, for those who have read my articles over the last 35 years, it comes as no surprise that I tend to focus on my favorite open water species – BASS!

In 2019 I made both a spring and fall bass fishing trip to Algoma Country; that beautiful region of northern Ontario around Sault Ste Marie and west to the Spanish River and northern shores of Lake Huron. To say I fell in love with the area and the fishing would be an understatement and the magnetic pull for a return trip early this spring was anxiously looked forward to all winter. That is until this danged pandemic hit and ruined our plans as well as all those who love this part of the province.  Fortunately by mid-September 2020, with all COVID 19 precautions in place, my youngest son Izaak and I were invited to try out Melwel Lodge just west of Blind River, and we jumped at the opportunity.

SPECIAL NOTE: Wil sits on the organizing committee for the 2020 Sun City Swim, originally scheduled for Aug. 22nd. He hints that even though the event with a large public gathering on the 22nd is unlikely to happen – something is in the works for swimmers to still enjoy time in the water swimming to raise funds for the local Animal Control in Orillia. Stay tuned for details which Wil will post here and on his social media channels. For now … please enjoy this article on Wil’s 2019 Sun City Swim: