There was no apology necessary. Of all the outfitters I contacted in Ely, Schiefelbein had been the most eager to custom-tailor our trek, rather than simply rent me a tent and a canoe. He pressed me for my top priority and when I said it was to catch a lot of truly large smallmouth bass on a fly rod, he promised to send us to the best place in the world. We flew directly from Schiefelbein s docks on White Iron Lake near Ely, to Canadian Customs and then on to the Hilly Island ranger station. The American side lies on the Superior National Forest, and is called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
Float planes can only land at the edges of both parks.
This is ancient carapace of stone that covers two million square miles of the Lake Superior region. Ten thousand years ago, glaciers passed through and gouged out 1,900 lakes within the park area. Maybe, but a little expertise doesn t hurt. Indeed, one of the joys of the BWCA is that fly fishermen of average skill can look like a star, for the sport is in its infancy in these parts. Ask about famous sly fishermen who have visited the area and you will not hear the names of Lefty or Lee or Gary.