We nearly didn’t make it across the border, a few tense hours. If you recall, for a long while a negative covid test was required to enter Canada. We had all taken our test on the Monday and then left for the Canadian border on Wednesday morning. When we left, 2 of us had already received our negative results but the remaining 2 had yet to receive anything. We simply assumed we would get the results before we got to the border. When we arrived in St. Sault Marie on Wednesday evening we still had no results for Larry and Bruce. So we were forced to get a hotel on the U.S. side of the border instead of crossing on the Wednesday evening like we usually do. No problem, we should have the test results in the morning!

Morning arrived and still no results. we had until about 10am before the results that we did have for Mark and I would expire. So, we started looking for a place in the upper peninsula of Michigan to get a fast PCR test done. A couple of sites did exist but didn’t have the availability to take us in. One of them gave us a number to a small clinic about 30 minutes away that “might” be able to fit us in. I called, gave the lady on the telephone a very sad story of 4 fishermen who wanted to cross the border but couldn’t and she said “Come on down”! 

We turned in her direction at the speed of light, had the 2 tests taken for Larry and Bruce, got the results and zoomed back to the border where we got across with only minutes to spare on the 2 tests that Mark and I had gotten earlier in the week!

Whew! Our other option would have been turning around and going home, and we nearly did, so huge thanks to the nameless lady who helped us out!

Friday – Within a couple of hours of landing on the lake, Mark had already landed a 41″ and a 43″ northern pike. What a start… (oh, and the pics may show nice weather but that is VERY misleading – Rain, cold and heavy wind was the norm but wow, the fishing was fantastic this year).