Before Christmas I had been talking with a co-worker about writing, and out of that conversation came a curiosity. From the hundreds of short blurbs to long-winded stories, which of those written over the past fifteen years really stood out..? What are the best of Bunks???

Well, being that they’re all my babies, all memories made while doing what I truly enjoy most, it’s tough to pick favorites. There have been stories which were certainly better written than others, some with better flow, humor, details and what have you, but then there have been some when the pictures alone told a great tale. To best find answers I got to thinking that it’d be wise I narrow much of my picks down using the input from the readers. To do that, I had to dig deep into some forgotten places… follow me back a little will ya…!

Before Facebook & Instagram, before my website, and before most You-Tube angling sensations were born, fishing forums were our stage. Anglers found anywhere online likely had a forum or two to hang their hat. That fishing forum culture during it’s biggest years was actually just a great place to belong… and in fact, still can be!

What was a fishing forum now run by Ontario Out of Doors Magazine was the first place I started posting. From there I gravitated over to once the second largest Canadian forum, Fish-Hawk.net. Shortly thereafter, for various reasons new forums began emerging once members had broken off from one site or another, and myself I joined with Year Round Fishing, New Age Anglers, Reelbuddies, Wild Fishing Scotland, Fishn.ca, WalleyeCentral and of course Canada’s biggest forum, the Ontario Fishing Community.

Posting here, there and everywhere, when it became apparent that the growing social media monster was taking much of the forum content and its members elsewhere, the fishing forums withered to one rather thready and weak pulse. Angler’s once reveled in fishing reports and discussion, and the sites were all very active and proactive in bringing many closer together and promoting support. Stories of our days, catches or big trips caused many heads to spin, people actually reading these efforts rather than just scrolling by with maybe a chance “like” thrown the poster’s way. The forums were often places where our angling times and passions mattered most, and that’s why it should have risen above any fleeting hodge-podge that is sometimes our anti-social media today. But, it didn’t go this way at all… and left now only the best few forums have survived.

With all other hosts closing up shop and archives of fishing info being lost, some years back I felt I had to act quickly and find, save and store as much of the old material as possible. It was a painstaking process, for much of what I could retrieve would need major editing, new photo hosting, sometimes complete rewriting and in some cases, entirely new photos dredged out from some other archives. There were reports I loved that had completely died too. Before ever even taking that first step I remember quitting on the idea over-and-over again, thinking… it’s just too much work, too many hours, just to keep such things alive that I had already once put too much work into, and way too many hours. It would eventually be my father and my friend TJ Quesnel the creator of OFC, who would convince me to keep on with this. My dad would say, you don’t have to do it all in one day, just a bit here and there and it’ll get done. Easy for him to say, albeit in this case his advice was the only way it could happen. As for TJ, he went far enough to build the website and still helps me out anytime I ask, so really, BunksOutdoorAngle is so much because of him too.

The stories eventually found their way to a new home one-by-one, and today there are about 130 alive at the website. Getting back to the original question of which are the favorites, from the 130 or so posted I’ll give about 10% of those hovering at the top, and explain why they’re good ones as I go…
.

Once Bunk’s Outdoor Angle became the sole host of most old stories from the forums and any new stories to come thereafter, the site’s creation in autumn 2016 changed story viewing and view numbers in general. This said, these first five favorites are the most searched and viewed entries at my site…
.

#1. A SUTTON RIVER & TROUT FISHING SPECKTACLE. 2018

This story is sought after and read daily. A number of big entries at the site which have been around longer and share fishing from incredible and well-known fisheries, it’s the Sutton River piece that outshines them all. It doesn’t surprise me though. For Mike and I embarked on a two week canoe trip that encompasses all that it is and takes to be in the elements chasing our dreams. The Sutton’s fabled speckled trout both native and searun, amidst a rugged sub-arctic backdrop in Hudson Bay, the fly fishing is unparalleled in this universe. Add rainbow woodland caribou, destructive weather, daily shorelunches and some polar bears hanging around camp, and what is captured becomes legendary. If it only happens once in my lifetime, I am happy it did when it did, with Mike alongside.

.

#2. A NUNAVUT NOMAD FOR ARCTIC CHAR. 2016

The first story link posted from any forums and social media to bring attention to the birth of this website was this entry. To this day, those likely searching arctic char and Nunavut fishing in the search engines often find their way to this first story of five in the Nunavut Nomad series. Particularly beautiful red arctic char where caught outside of the small, remote town of Kugaaruk in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. Mixing work with play, each opportunity to fish in this place was an out-of-this-world experience. There came some fatigue and certainly a little struggle to make all work out right in the end, catching char so amazing they still blow my mind today. Would honestly consider giving my left nut away to relive these moments again.

.

#3. NIPIGON’S “NO RAGRETS.” 2017

There is an insane amount of Nipigon fish, info and stories to be found at this site. Personally wouldn’t say one story is better than another, I honestly feel every trip there has been a piece of an ongoing life history and experience with the lake. Much like the Sutton or Nomad stories, Nipigon stories have it all. From the work, planning and pursuit, to the outdoors, fish and finish. Why I think this particular entry ranked high is because it was shared at a popular fishing forum in the U.S. The forum host there must have liked what he saw too, because when StevieZ and I returned with our wives the following year to experience the same great fishing again… well, a T.V. vehicle at the launch followed later by a filmed show that confirmed date, time and whereabouts of the anglers, proved enough why people gravitated towards this story that started it all off.

.

#4. SEEKING LIFE AND LAKE TROUT AT THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. 2017

Every trip to the Northwest Territories with my wife is special. If we can afford it, when we can make it happen, I don’t think there’s anywhere else Brenda would rather fish than with me on Great Bear or Great Slave Lakes. We love it! This entry from a few years ago was our first time taking a self-guided trip through Plummer’s Lodges on Great Bear Lake. As expected, big lake trout were caught. Big numbers of fish were caught. Personal bests as to be expected were boated. But what wasn’t likely expected for us and readers was that anyone could easily do this trip, that it’s more affordable than the guided trips, that it is still quite a catered affair and, that it’s an existing option to the many that can be found with the World’s #1 Fishing Lodges and Destinations, Plummer’s Arctic Lodges.

.

#5. NIPIGON’S NASTY NORTHERN PIKE. 2017

Finishing the top five most viewed entries here at Bunks is this little diddy. A second Nipigon piece, it’s the northern pike that garners all the attention here. More than Nipigon’s speckled trout, lake trout and walleye combined, curious emails fishing for any pike info they can get, are what fill my inbox through the late fall to following summer seasons. This write-up certainly not a trip report, focuses more on giving anglers a little of that insight they’re looking for. Through my experiences and the obvious results seen in the article, I guess it can be taken as fact that pike do exist in Nipigon, they get pretty darn big and angler’s can catch them. It’s cool people like this entry being that it’s more like a magazine-informative piece and therefor not something I’d typically write. My only wish with this is, that more people would appreciate that it’s something given, they take it for what’s it worth, and not bother following up with emails asking for the launch, campsites, GPS locations of the fish spots, specific tackle used and when the best time would be for them to book their vacation to the same places.

.

#BONUS. A NUNAVUT NOMAD V. QUEST FOR THE EKALUK. 2019

Without enough time since originally posting this story last fall, this fifth installment in the Nunavut Nomad series given time will become one of the site’s heavy weights. Personally, this story is my favorite for it’s writing and because of the challenges brought with the experience. Shared within are the least amount of fish I may have ever caught on any trip, so what evolved was a quest so-to-speak of much more depth into my feelings for everything else. Alone on the tundra but with some cool cameos, in pursuit of any fresh, silver, searun char I can find, the Ekaluk entry brings much to the reader.

.

The next five entries are stories that had been originally posted at fishing forums and if memory serves received some of the greatest praise and views. Impossible to be accurate, some good stories may be overlooked and in one case, an entry and link or two may stand to represent a broader series of stories that were posted. Not originally “BunksOutdoorAngle” material first, these entries here are most likely the top five from “Moosebunk.”
.

#1. THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 2008

In 2008 it was the biggest story I had ever posted online. A trip to Plummer’s on Great Bear Lake with an excursion to the Tree River, it is a trip that sits atop many angler’s bucketlist. For Brenda and I, it would be our first time there and our first time ever going on a “fishing trip” together. When we left this Arctic paradise, we did so with such an immense happiness and memories so vividly ingrained within, that more than a decade later we still have stories so fresh to tell it was like being there yesterday. Online this expedition reached out to over 100,000 viewers in the forums. It was then donated to Big Jim, which he happily published two parts of our trip in back-to-back issues of Just Fishing Magazine; a free magazine distributed internationally. Through a writing contest, this story lead to another trip won to Plummer’s Lodge, and spawning from that the Globe & Mail through Spectacular NWT used photos and personal interview for a Saturday issue full center-fold add that printed nationally, as well as online video. The second trip to Plummer’s, “Awarded The Arctic” found here at the site, through the forums took in another 50,000+ viewers and on social media Brenda’s catch soared far as well within another photo contest. It has kept going, and there’s more I’m missing here too, but the bottom line is, “The Arctic Expedition” after a decade planted into the worldwide web, continues to grow.

.

#2. A SOLO ROADY NORTH. 2014

I remember this being a story which a number of readers thoroughly enjoyed. There are three entries in the Solo Roady North series but this first and only one probably had the most humour, the most trouble, the most mind-stirring solitude and likely the least fish; all of which maybe made it something more out of the ordinary and a little special. Nipigon is big to tackle by yourself, especially in a loaded 16 foot boat with the intent of camping offshore. It’s a hazardous lake with no hydrographic charting for safe passage. It can kick up in a heartbeat and humble you severely, there are few lifelines, and the wildlife as you’d expect tends to be more bold when you’re alone. And then there was the girl at the Tim Hortons…

.

#3. A SLAVE GUIDE’S STORY. 2015

Not my biggest entry but damn near close to. A lot of time, thought and work went into “A Slave Guide’s Story.” Some readers thought it my best ever. Solid writing, incredible photos, epic fish and fishing, along with an award winning cast of guides, guests and other characters, it was first and foremost praised for that, before some of a smaller minded few broke it down into its negatives. Unless any experience was, I have never been the “everything is perfect” type story-teller and, unlike many other trip writers don’t stretch any tapes nor offer just the frills in some sales pitch to be thrown. What readers get is honesty above all. A Slave Guide’s Story is written like any others of mine, the real truth in the time and place that it happened. What stood out most for me through this experience and when later writing about it, was never any negative, first. It was instead the picture-after-picture of huge lake trout caught by my happiest of guests whom embraced each moment there in the happiest of ways. It was all the mind melting beauty of Slave. It was proving to myself that just a rookie guide in camp, I easily had what it took to make my guests super happy… so much so, it scared the fuck out of some people.

.

#4. KESAGAMI ICE ON FIRE. 2010

Years of posting fly-in ice fishing reports on Kesagami Lake were received well on the forums. Huge pike, plentiful walleye, different guests along on the trips, there was always action to be had. I’d write the stories in weird ways too… One trip as Super Mario taking down King Koopa Bowser, another within the realm of Star Wars or, maybe throw in cartoon picture of a deflated Mats Sundin not making the playoffs with Toronto, again. Whatever the words would describe, the story in pictures would still play out as those days on the ice had. If they could all be entries here they would, friends, readers and even publication with Esox Angler Magazine, the Kesagami stories were a joy for me to write. This one however, was the last trip I would ever take to ice fish there and it didn’t happen without burning my ass just a little. A great read and the only ice fishing entry here in this post of favorites.

.

#5. ATTAWAPISKAT. THE RIVER THE PIKE BUILT. 2008

There are a number of summer time Attawapiskat River and Kesagami Lake entries that were posted between 2008 and 2013. Both waters are real gems, amazing pike and walleye fisheries which aside from the fish, are quite unique experiences. This entry was the first for any of those and it really turned some heads. After reading, a relative newcomer to the forums, Canadian Fishing Guide Mike Borger admitted he had not fished the Attawapiskat himself but that this story motivated him enough to want to. Just a couple years later, with the help of budding outfitter, Eddie North’s Camp, he wouldn’t only fish there but by also taking on a the same trip writing style to my own, he’d later post a huge piece to the fishing forums that did ignite his beginnings for destination reporting as a business. Glad to be of service. Although my actual report was never something as professional, it was instead much more personal. Having lived in Attawapiskat some years earlier the trip was somewhat sentimental, a home-coming really. To add to that depth, “Oldguy” Trevor was along on his first ever fly-in, a bucketlist trip, never telling us during our journey that he had been diagnosed with cancer at the time and would pass not long after. There’s plenty to the Attawapiskat River and Attawapiskat that mean much to me, and I remember readers quite enjoyed this one for it’s fishing and outdoors.

.

#BONUS. B.C. BEHEMOTHS. FISHING THE GREAT WHITE STURGEON. 2013

Long lost to time is one of the first Moosebunk forum stories that I ever posted online. That entry would fall back to Fish-Hawk.net in 2004 a couple years after initially joining. Besides some local fishing reports on the Moose River it’s tributaries, at the time I was yet to own a boat and did much of my fishing with my friend John or, from a float tube. With John and our buddy Tom, we three decided to take a first big fishing trip together, all of us heading to Fraser River Fishing Lodge in B.C. to chase white sturgeon. The whole experience opened up a can of worms for me. First off, I would become hooked on traveling for fish, spending the next nearly two decades constantly researching new destinations across Canada and the Globe. Secondly, the trip report that followed up on our time in B.C. did much to put “Moosebunk” fishing on the map with other forum anglers. This trip too would actually spawn a return three years later with a group of people entirely from Fish-Hawk.net. Because I don’t have the first trip to offer, this here entry is the last. Truth be told, the fishing was never better that what’s in this story.

.

So that’s ten entries and two bonus shots of what I believe were the favorites from readers over the years. Below are just a few more big ones that stood out for different reasons too.
.

EKWAN RIVER PIKE REVEALED. 2006

For the rugged beauty of it. For the sentiment and seclusion. For the incredible pike fishing which up until that time I had never truly experienced. And to share this with my brother-in-law Joe for what might possibly be the only chance we ever have…

.

ATHABASCA’S HOLY MACKINAWS. 2014

Never sure why this one didn’t receive much attention. Personally, I think it’s because it was posted at a time when the forums were really starting to suffer the losses of members and much of the attitude towards fishing reports had changed in a shitty way. Today, most things non-fishing on the forums are more appreciated than the efforts those giving fishing. Regardless, those that did read this entry really liked it for it’s fish, photography and storyline.

.

MY BIG BAD BEST MOOSKIE. 2013

Definitely a short story. This was all about one exceptional muskie caught when fishing the St. Lawrence River for my first time. There were so many pats-on-the-back that came with this catch, and not surprisingly, I can count a number of muskie anglers who were once friendly online with me, that after this fish fucked off and have never been friendly again.

.

MANY RIVER MILES TO GO. 2009

A truly special entry to me, it honored the final days of my fishing and river travels before leaving my home in Northern Ontario to begin a new life south. Some readers will only remember Moosebunk’s travels and never anything thereafter.

.

Meant to try and stick to ten or so but reality is readers and myself don’t always measure what’s a favorite or what’s best the same way. BunksOutdoorAngle will remain here for as long as I can possibly hold on, the writing and photography is something I still quite enjoy. Stop in now and again to see what’s new and let me know what you like or didn’t like about anything at all.

Thanks for reading,
.

Bunk.
.