Moose Basin Vacations offers a unique experience

Angelo Dmitru displays the 43-inch pike he caught with Moose Basin Vacations cottage on Allan Lake in July. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Catching a 40-plus-inch pike on the first night is a good indicator of a good fishing spot.

This was a surprise beginning to a trip to Moose Basin Vacations. I won the trip at the Ruffed Grouse Society dinner in Courtland the year prior, and was looking forward to it for a year. Renovations on the cabin on Allan Lake, west of Kapuskasing, were recently completed.

Before settling in, owner Jim Donaldson took fishing companions Marian Chelu, Angelo Dumitru, and me for a tour of Allan Lake, the Opasatika River, and Zadi Lake. This river eventually empties into the Moose River, and Hudson Bay. We were shown the best spots for fishing in Allan Lake in early July, but were told that the Opasatika and Zadi Lake may be better options.

“That lake is very productive for fishing in the spring when the water temperatures are low,” Donaldson said. “When the water temperatures go up, the fish seem to flood into the river.”

He said Allan Lake is ideal for hunting, with moose, bear and grouse mentioned.

Dumitru and I couldn’t wait to hit the water the first night, while Chelu elected to stay back. We fished the river and tied into some walleye. The action wasn’t fast and furious like I have seen in the past in the north, but was steady. There was an occasional smaller pike thrown in to make things interesting.

Although there are some cottages on Allan Lake, we didn’t see another boat on the water, but did see a bald eagle. Then we were drifting along the shore of Zadi Lake, and Dumitru seemed to catch on bottom, and then it moved.

“I’ve got a big one,” he said.

I scrambled for the net and quickly discovered we had forgot to grab it on our way out in haste. I offered to help, but Dmitru said he had it. Watching him land a 43-inch pike with his bare hands was a sight to behold. An amateur taxidermist, he opted to keep the fish to mount it.

The cabin on Allan Lake is one of three that Donaldson owns. He has been gradually renovating them and starting to rent them out. His plans are to open the cabin on Kapuskasing Lake in 2027 and the one on Saginash Lake in 2028.

The renovation job on the Allan Lake cabin was impressive. The cabin is finished with pine boards on the interior, has electricity, indoor running water, and a porch overlooking the lake. An outhouse/shower building is a few steps away, and although it’s an outhouse, it’s nicer than most.

Besides the cabins, Donaldson offers day fishing trips from his home base in Kapuskasing. Prices range from $350 to $800, offering a variety of options, including kayak tours, small boats, and larger 18-foot boats. The Allan Lake cabin is $300 a night.

An ardent angler, Donaldson started weekly walleye fishing tournaments in Kapuskasing. He has a store attached to his house and bases the tournaments from there.

The three of us went back to the spot to the next day. We caught a few walleye for supper, and some smaller pike. Zadi Lake was a target that evening, and we found a ridge that seemed to hold walleye both that evening and the next morning. Chelu discovered the hot lure was a Berkley Flicker Shad in fire tiger colour. It showed up well in the stained water.

Marian Chelu shows a walleye caught in Zadi Lake on the Berkley Flicker Shad in fire tiger that proved to be the colour the fish preferred. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

On our last night, we went back near the spot where Dmitru caught the monster pike. We were catching fish to take home and had a couple of walleye and two smaller pike on the stringer. We heard a little splashing on that side of the boat and chalked it up to the pike splashing around on the stringer. Hearing it again, Chelu looked over the side.

“Look at that pike,” he said excitedly.

I looked and saw a pike as large as the one he caught previously, or larger. It was chasing after the fish on the stringer. I had my line in the boat and cast out quickly. The monster pike wasn’t interested in my offerings or what Dmitru or Chelu threw. It will be there for the next angler, and proved there could be more than one fish that big in the lake.

Contact Donaldson at (613) 362-2943 to book, or with questions of his offerings.