My wife and I make the l-o-n-g, 3 ½ day drive from Virginia to Fireside Lodge as often as we can. This year will be about our sixth time making... read more this trek. Is the trip worth it just to catch some fish one might ask; our answer would be a resounding “YES”! Without being too repetitive of what others have written, let me try to explain why we feel the way we do.
The camp is wonderfully located. It is a quiet setting located right on the end of the lower arm of the gorgeous Canadian Shield lake, Little Vermilion. Fireside’s cabins are, by far, the nicest “fishing cabins” you’ll ever see. They are totally modern with furniture wonderfully crafted by Audrey’s dad. They are finished inside with nice knotty pine which lends to that homey, “up north” atmosphere. The cabins are cleaned and resupplied with fresh linens and ice on a daily basis.
The lodge itself is simply a wonderful building. It is a hand hewn log building about 100 years old. There are several “in-lodge” guest rooms as well as the office/tackle shop and the dining room. In my opinion, the main room of the lodge is the one place where one can really experience the “Fireside Experience”. You can sit in one of “Mom’s” chairs in front of the windows and watch a spectacular sunset while listening to the haunting call of the loons. You may also choose just to sit and swap fish stories with other guests. Friendships can certainly be spawned in this wonderful atmosphere. The room itself is decorated with many taxidermed examples of the local fish and animal life as well as many photos of the lodge was like “back in the day”. And, when you enter the lodge for the first time, you’re not in any kind of stupor, the floor really does slope that much! It just adds flavor to this great room.
In all the years we’ve been here, we have never run into an unpleasant staff member. Most all of them are college-aged young men and women who have obviously been well-trained for their jobs. More importantly, however, is the friendly way in which they interact with the guests. They have always been a big part of the “Fireside Experience”.
As others have noted, you won’t be hungry during your stay. Fresh meals are prepared daily and are always delicious. The portions are always huge. Breakfast is my personal favorite because of the large variety offered. If you like hot cereal try the Red River; it’s simply delicious!
As far as the boats are concerned, they are impeccably maintained. The dock hands mop and vacuum them daily, charge the batteries, and fill the gas tanks. When you come down to your boat in the morning, it is ready to go and one of the dock hands will be there to help you get underway. When you return at the end of the day, someone will be there to assist you. The standard boats are 16 footers and have 20 HP Yamahas on them while the 18 foot upgrade boats have 40 HP Yamahas, foot pedal controlled trolling motors, as well as a small kicker outboard for navigating through the creeks. The motors are replaced every other year. When you arrive, you are given a full explanation of everything about your boat; very comforting for “first-timers”.
The fishing at Fireside Lodge is really wonderful. There is plenty of variety with muskie, northerns, and smallmouth bass being the most sought-after species. Walleyes are in one of the portage lakes, Terry Lake. For a newcomer to any body of water , it can sometimes be a bit frustrating to find out where they are and what they’re hitting. Not to worry, with advice from Alan, as well as guests, you’ll be on fish before you know it. My wife and I should know; it happened to us.
I’ve intentionally saved the best part of my review for last, the owners, Alan and Audrey Brandys. They really do treat you like family. Never will you find resort owners who go more out of their way to make certain that your stay is 100% perfect. They greet you warmly and continue to check with you during your stay. If you need a special favor, they do their utmost to accommodate you. For example, last year I brought my own boat. I asked Alan if he would mind helping me launch it. He more than helped; he drove my vehicle with the boat behind it to the launching area and got me launched easily. He even unhooked and parked my trailer for me! On our departure, he was again there to help. What great service!
Perhaps our favorite time of the day at Fireside is the evening. It is then we sometimes get to sit with Alan and Audrey and talk about many different things, be it Audrey’s wintertime knitting or Alan’s encounters with lynx and moose. We love to hear the many stories about their 26 years at Fireside Lodge. With those stories, one can sense the true appreciation they have developed for this splendid place and that appreciation is addictive; it’s known as the “Fireside Experience”. We can’t wait for our trip to our “home away from home” for this year’s “fix” of that experience.
I highly recommend Fireside Lodge to anyone wanting a wonderful fishing vacation but, be forewarned, if you go, you, too, may become addicted to the “Fireside Experience”.
johnz518