2015 Newsletter - Niobe Lake Lodge

Niobe Lake News
Marty & Debbie Coulson
Box 1856, Atikokan, ON P0T 1C0
Phone: 807 929 2145 toll free: 1 866 877 8920
www.niobelakelodge.com
November 2015
Summer of 2015
It is that time of year again. Another Newsletter marking the end of our summer and the
start of fall. It takes me several weeks to write the articles. Not because I am so busy, but
because I’m always rewriting or adding new content. So it is a work in progress. . .
One of our guests made a comment to me one evening after dinner. He said he thoroughly
enjoyed the day. I quickly assumed that the fishing had been fabulous. But he went on to
say that he and his guide had talked quite openly about life’s issues and that he now had a
new perspective of his guide. So with that in mind, I thought I would do mini bios on the
Guides of Niobe. I will first introduce you to Doug Dunnet and Mike Krasey. Both have a
strong family ethic, are consciencious and quick to laugh. They work well together.
Mart and I have known Doug since Marty coached him
in minor hockey. He was a common fixture at our
house for many years. He now teaches grade 6 at North
Star Community School. In fact, this year he is teaching both of our granddaughters, Jers and Mackenna.
Doug and his son, Cameron fish together in the Bass
Classic. Doug loves to cook and that skill has been noticed at shorelunch. Nickname is “Chef boy ar Doug”.
Doug & Cameron showing the big ones
Mike is also an
Atikokanite. He went through high school and university with our daughter Dawn and both are now
teaching at the Atikokan High School. Mike teaches
PE and Exercise Science. Throughout the summer he
fishes several local tournaments including the Bass
Classic. In the winter months, he and his wife Sian
travel often to southern Ontario to see their eldest son
play hockey in the OHL & GOJHL leagues.
Guess this photo is proof that he can catch fish!
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Next up in our guide lineup is Ed Cornell. This year, Ed
guided for us in June & July and then in August traded in
his fishing rod for a hard hat. He is operating Mark and
Marty’s equipment at Rentech. Ed also grew up in Atikokan. He and his wife Eve have a cabin at Nydia Lake and
he spends as much time there as he can. Ed went the extra
mile for one of our regulars, Dick Betz, this summer. Dick
wanted his wife Audrey to experience a shorelunch. But
she doesn’t like to fish. So Dick arranged for Ed to pick
up Audrey and Dick’s sister, Linda. Bring them to the
shorelunch spot to cook lunch for them. Audrey says the
guide was so good that she may even take up fishing. Oh
and the walleye lunch was also delicious! A man of many talents.
Speaking of talented—Don Thorson helps Marty with the
boats, mows lawns and guides. Don & Pat (our cook & housekeeper) live just 10 miles east of us near Eva Lake. His most
memorable guiding day was for a couple who became engaged
on the water. Dave (the finance) put the engagement ring on
the hook along with a minnow and then handed it back to her!
Don thought she might not see it and cast it out and lose it.
All is well though, they married and came back this summer
for two days of fishing on their honeymoon.
Steve Bryk is our bass champion. He and his father usually do
well in the Atikokan Bass Classic and this year, Steve and his
finance Arla won the Perch Lake Tournament. Congrats. Steve
is also a teacher at the St. Pats school and has grown up in
Atikokan. This is his first full year of teaching grades 7&8.
Wonder what his students taught him this year? This photo
shows Steve and Arla at the Perch Lake Bass Tournament.
I had to save the oldest for
last. Or is it the best for last? Either way, John has been
with us the longest. He was the first guide we hired in
2002. Cooked shorelunch over an open fire in those days.
He loves to fish Walleye. John starts guiding fishermen in
early June and ends the summer guiding moose hunters until the end of September. He is an avid fisherman and
hunter himself. Having grown up here he knows the area
and the lakes very well. This year on the first day of bow
season, John’s hunter shot a bull with a 59 1/2” rack. Their
photo is on the left.
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A Bass Tale
For first-time readers of our Newsletter, this
column is ongoing - every year another layer is
added to the Coulson Family Bass Fishing Story.
The 3 Family Teams: Mar ty & Tr oy Coulson
(my husband & son respectively); Kelly Masson
& Chris Johnson (Kelly is our son-in-law) and
my sister Cathy Dayman and myself.
The Setting: Mar mion Lake - a 26 mile fishing paradise with hundreds of miles of shoreline.
This is the setting for the Atikokan Bass Classic,
a two-day tournament with teams weighing in
their top 5 bass each day. The 2011 winners
have the all-time record weight of 42.62#
Now for the rest of the story. . .
All 3 family teams have usually placed close to
each other in the Tournaments. Always just a
few ounces (or pounds) separating the teams.
But this year Kelly and Chris shot up to the front
of the pack! Left the rest of us choking in their
wake. We have a Family Team on the podium!
No, not me or Marty. This year’s story is devoted to our son-in-law, Kelly and his partner Chris.
The weather for the Tournament hit record-high
temps. Teams were actually given permission to
jump in the water to cool off and many did just that.
Umbrellas were even brought to keep the sun off.
We did see Kelly and Chris at the end of the second
day. They passed us as we were coming into the
landing. Waved. Cathy made the comment, “they
sure look happy. Not wilted like us”. Little did we
know that they had just caught the bag of a lifetime.
No wonder they were smiling!
They placed second in the Bass Tournament with a
total two-day weight of 39.33# Kelly caught the biggest fish of the tournament, weighing in at 6 lbs, 6
oz. That weight surpassed a fish caught by Tammy
Mattson in 2009.—weight of 6 lbs, 5 oz. So Kelly’s
fish now holds the record. New champ—hopefully
for a long time. Although that will give him bragging rights every year. Hmmm.
It was great seeing them onstage. Class Act.
I think the best part of their accomplishment was
listening to Kelly tell the epic tale of the catch.
The Bite. The Fight. The Landing! He was proud.
I think the picture below says it all.
Congratulations Kelly and Chris.
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2016 Sport Shows
All Canada Show
January 14—17, 2016
Pheasant Run,-St. Charles, IL
********
All Canda Show
January 21—24, 2016
Radisson Conference Center—
Green Bay, WI
********
Progressive 61st Kansas City
Boat & Sportshow
January 21—24, 2016
Bartle Hall—Kansas City, MO
*******
Chicagoland Fishing Travel &
The Kansas City Sport
Show always r uns the
same time as the All
Canada Green Bay
Show. So one of our
customers volunteered to
run our booth at the
show. Terry is wellqualified to talk fishing.
He has been coming to
the Atikokan area for 9
Terry Claudell & Dick Scholtens manning
years now. Mainly a
booth in Kansas City
bass fisherman, he does
occasionally fish walleye. Last summer Marty and I met
them on Marmion and cooked shorelunch for them. We
enjoyed the outing. May have to start a yearly tradition.
So thanks for getting us out of the house and a big thank
you for running the booth for us.
Outdoor Expo
January 28—31, 2016
Schaumburg Convention Center
Schaumburg, IL
******
Merry Christmas & Happy
New YearHave a safe & pros-
All Canda Show
February 4—7, 2016
Canterbury Park
Shakopee, MN
********
St. Louis Boat & Sports Show
February 24—28, 2016
America’s Center & Edward Jones
Dome—St. Louis, MO
*******
Progressive Insurance Northwest Sportshow
March 30—Apr. 3, 2016
Minneapolis Convention
Happy New Year to all our customers,
friends and staff.
Have a safe and prosperous 2015
Center—Minneapolis, MN
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