An Outdoorsman's Journal

   A Ticket to Paradise

Hello friends,

   I am about to write to you about my escape to Shultz Lake which is a fly in only lake where we have the only cabin on the entire chain of lakes. I first started fishing Schultz in 1982 with my brothers Mike and Tom and my late father, Robert Walters. In 1988 I became camp manager at Chimo Lodge and Outposts with the Pete and Elizabeth Hagedorn family. In ‘89, I started the column that you are reading which was originally called "North of the Border." I went full time with the writing and helped out with Chimo until about 2005. In 2017 www.chimolodge.com was sold when Pete turned 80 and was still a hardcore bush pilot. If I could recommend an excellent fly in camp or outpost to the reader, this is the place.

   Saturday, June 13th
   High 48, low 40

   This would be a cold weather trip from day one, as in highs of 48 to 65 and a solid northwest wind, but as long as you had warm clothes, it was literally perfect weather.
   The gang, every one of us is either family or lifelong friend’s.
  My brother Dick Schuster and his son Trent, my brothers Mike and Tom, and the two crazy guys Roger Frank and Tom Walters are our crew. The common denominator is that we all went to Poynette High School and are very good at having fun.
   Yesterday we arrived in Red Lake after a 670-mile drive and we would stay in a shack at Pete and Elizabeth's until the following day when we would fly out. The feeling could best be described as electric, everyone is well aware of how much fun we are going to have and I also get to see some of my friends from Red Lake as we have a very entertaining party and cookout at the shack.
   Today, it was harsh conditions weather wise, a brutal wind that made boat handling a challenge and if you were not dressed for it, very chilly. We arrived at Schultz via a float plane around 3:00 moved into our cabin, the only one on the entire chain of lakes, and then fished till dark, 10:30ish, cleaned fish and tonight was my night to cook.
   The boys like giving me a bunch of backlash as they play games and tonight was no exception as I served there dinner at 3:00 which was a very tasty meal of fresh walleye.

   Sunday, June 14th
   High 51, low 44

   Today I would fish with my brothers Tom and Mike, folks, if you are doing fun adventures with siblings, keep it up till you can't. We laughed the day away and the fishing, as in catching, is almost nonstop, hot rigs are the standard crawler harness and or Rapala "Rippin Rap."
   Once again my "old" buddy Jeff Moll and I watched night become day.

   Monday, June 15th
   High 54, low 45

   Today all 7 of us did the 7 mile journey through several lakes before we started fishing. I would be in a boat captained by my nephew Trent at times, and let me tell you, if you can find a partner that can handle the tiller in a hard wind while catching lots of fish, you are a lucky person. Trent is around 33 and has become a solid leader in this group.
   The fish catching was very good for Trent and I and in the middle of the day all 7 of us had a great shore lunch. I filleted, and Tom fried them, we ate nothing but walleye and it was better than ANY meal in a restaurant.
   On the journey down and back we saw moose and that is one animal that I have massive respect for.
   While working our way back to camp, Dick hooked into a big fish on his crawler harness and landed a 40.5 inch gator that would be our big northern pike for the trip.
   It was another late one tonight and when I went to bed I had the very satisfying feeling that there was still 5 days before we headed back to the states.

   Sunset