Old Fishing Camp Pictures

I recently got a new scanner/printer and it's a great thing to have, especially the scanner option, which will allow me to post some old pictures I have that aren't saved electronically. That will come in handy, especially with pictures like these of some "sports" enjoying some time away from the 1930's hustle and bustle to do some spring trout fishing. These men are seen in the pictures with their fishing guides, local fellows who probably worked in the woods all winter, and guided sportsmen in the Spring fishing and the Fall hunting.  If you click on the pic you will see the enlarged version, with amazing detail, or amazing to me. These are, in my opinion, an historical record of days gone by, perhaps never to return.

These go back to a time when the "sports" as the were called, would be taken up the lake in a pretty good sized boat, then rowed around the lake by the young men who acted as guides. Those were fairly exclusive times when the fairly well to do city dwellers headed to the woods for some fishing and or hunting. From what I understand, they usually paid quite well for a week's fishing with guides and a camp cook. Dad's uncle is on the end of the bench in the picture below.

I know something about this because one of the "sports" is my father's uncle, who loved to fish. He was the Chief Customs Inspector, and probably did have a fairly stressful job, so whenever he could, apparently he slipped away for some guided fishing trips. The funny thing is, the camps in these pictures, particularly the one with the higher window, was on our cottage lake. It is an old, or should I say was, an old logging camp that was turned into a fishing camp in the spring. 40 years after these pics were taken, my friend and I discovered this old camp almost fallen down, up the lake, hidden in the trees.

Here are all the guys in front of an different camp, although probably on the same lake. There is snow on the roof and ground so this would probably have been an early Spring fishing trip, probably mid April, notice the camp cook in his white apron. The older fellows, the "sports" are on one side and the younger guys who did the guiding are on the other.

Inside the log cabin we found where someone had carved messages like "lots of fish" and the like. It was enthralling to me, especially when I found these old pics in my father's stuff, and recognized the camp. Perhaps it was my great uncle who had carved those words in the log above the old bunk. I returned to the old camp a couple of times as a youth, but sadly it has fallen down, nothing left of it now but some old rotting wood etc. I haven't been back in years, although, I think I might put it on my next summer to-do list. I would love to be able to go back and experience a few days fishing with these men. Although, I bet it sounds better than it was, a far cry from the fishing camp cottage we have today.  Imagine that little old camp in early spring, probably full of wood smoke and tobacco smoke, cold and drafty, uncomfortable old beds and bedding...well....it probably left something to be desired. I imagine a bit of rum was enjoyed to make things more 'comfortable' Must have been something to it though, my dad's uncle returned many times.