Ascension Fish and Game Club-(since 1905)

The AFGC was established long before any of the current members were alive (1905) and exists pretty much under the same model as it did at that time. If you are interested in receiving more information about us, please eMail me, the secretary. We have survived by the love of our members for the outdoors and the preservation of an age-old desire to experience the wilds. We invite you to come along with us. There is only one rule. Leave nature as it was when you arrived.

Friday, September 02, 2022

Summer 2022...almost gone

My apologies to all of you who are not members of the AFGC (yet ;-)., but enjoy reading our news. This issue is mainly for us member folk who go up that long mountain road to the cabins just so we know what is happening and what to expect. We returned from the lake last Tuesday. Stayed at Cabin 2 - 6 days. Harold & Annie. The trout were feeding at the surface on our last night as temperatures went up during the day and a hatch of something very tiny was coming up. :-)....nope we did not fish. We saw NO HERONS??? Is it the Bald Eagle? Perhaps a normal cycle relocation? I'd be curious if anyone remembers seeing any this year? We swam almost every morning and even in the rain one day, boating was excellent both canoe and by motor and the weather...well the weather doesn't really matter once you're there. We had some family in for a day and we loved their company and short visit. The cameras are picking up all kinds of people (read tresspassers) coming both from the lake and the road. We moved the cameras to different locations as it was evident they were seen from the pictures we looked at and given the traffic and previous thefts it might just be good forsite. Guys, don't leave stuff out. While we were in our cabin one lunch time, a family of 5 simply moored their boat at the docks at cabin 2 and walked right up to the camp intending to pass through to the falls. I was quite flabbergasted at this boldness. Our boat and the red camp canoe were on the dock, we had towels on the line and it was plenty evident we were there. I said nothing until they returned as I did not want to start a long discussion, but I let the father (Daniel Levesque) know that they should not trespass again. He and his wife were all very reasonable about their trespassing, and I could tell it was something they are used to doing. I mentioned the cameras and he then volunteered that he was there the prior weekend as well. A short dialogue then, he agreed to respect my request, but really? We even heard his wife say isn't this a private club to which he responded, it's ok. Talk about entitlement. Our wheel barrow has been lifted :-(. Guys, don't leave stuff out. Moving on... JC came in with 8 bags of cement and worked with us to set the road gate posts back up, (now set in cement at a height of 6 feet). The doors Rick Latt and I delivered in early August along with the sheep wire was installed around the wood shed to prevent tresspassers and campers from stealing our firewood...yes that too was caught on camera. As well, we installed more of the sheep wire onto the length of the installed gate and down to the ground....added a new 'Privé' sign on the gate. Other stuff... Other stuff... An end cap was installed in the gutter at no 2. When it rained the water was pouring onto the deck. I took all the perceived window measurements for no. 1 and 2. Upon my return I spoke with Dave Gruson about his gracious window donation but after we exchanged measurements, I do not think the window dim. fit any of those openings. The rain continues to penetrate the lakeside windows at cabin 2. 67H x 32W ??? Anyone ??? There are two leaks in the porch roof at no 2. One at the construction of the new porch roof to the main roof (flashing needs to be installed)., and the second one right in the roof directly in front of the outdoor worm/briquette closet. Roof cement should fix it, or possibly a simple addition of some roofing screws in the tin, there is lots of screws. We completed the No 2 dock work Larry McGowan and I Mcgivered in July of this year (it had broken off and started floating towards the dam). The end section of this dock (the T) sits quite low in the water now. I do not think barrels are the way to go really...the dock weight is immense and regardlesss, I had no room to transport up these floating barrels in my trailer as I had four newer mattresses in there along with other tools. The mattresses are now in no. 4 and 2. The Beach... I've looked again at the OLD beached docks (at the beach). We were able to launch my boat from a very narrow southern opening, however the ice may move the big dock again this winter and prevent us from easily launching any of the boats in the spring. There is a considerable amount of galvanized dock hardware in locker 2 (hinges, inside angles and back plates) and I think we could easily construct some 4 foot by 10 foot docks for the beach area and have them hinged together and up on poles. I've seen them this summer in a lake, the owner had the decking lightly screwed in and he and his wife alone take them out in the fall. The existing large docks could be used as shore docks with these new finger docks serveing as a place to moor boats safely during the down time between fishing weekends. The NEW alum. dock at no 1 is still in the water., the boats still need glass repair, two in the parking lot have busted gunnels where they sat on the logs. On the POSITIVE side, we have figured out finally the configuration of the new aluminum docks. It is a 'T' at the no 3 dock and two singles connected in one line at the dock at no 1. ALL on posts. All with existing anchors in the water. The floats should be left on to manouver into place, but the docks should be lifted out of the water and on there steel posts. The contractor (Martin) who shovels snow from our roof in the winter will be going back up this month to build the new stairs to the parking and support the roof at no. 4. The club is in reasonable shape, but as always more could be done. The moubntain part of the road is sh_t. Must talk to the ZEC mgr again. Other items for the action list are on line. Email me for a link if you don't have. Anyone else coming in for the work party this fall?

Monday, January 24, 2022

1994 to Now. A Fragile Existence?

It's a colder Tuesday, late January 2022 and I find myself sitting and deleting old files off my computer. The minutes of the AGM held in 1995 catch my eye. They are recorded by my predessor an astute recorder of everything posssible by the name of Ken Rapley.

I try to compare what was happening at that time to the present date 27 years later. Of primary interest to me were some of the following details. Read on for some fun information.

In 1995 dues were $425 with an initiation fee of $150. Today they are $525 and a $200 initiation. The road to the ZEC was impassable by regular vehicule and most members did not have a 4 x 4, so we were transported by our guardian. The same guardian ate 12,000 a year in salary plus extra for special work. Along with his salary, he reecived a fixed $35 to transport a member up and down the road to the lake. One could go alone, but they were expected to pay a minimum $100. This also was the charge if he was asked to do an errand as was the case when a member was charged 140 for a bottle of Vodka....anyone remmebr that? A mandatory $10 tip was expected from all travellers. Guest fees were $150 for the three day weekend, compared to $200 now. A member who booked a cabin and cancelled within 3 weeks of opening was docked $100.

Cabins were rented out (to members)at a fixed rate. Based on the cabin you took, this ranged between $100 and $325 for the weekend. It could be divided between all occupants of the cabin, guests were not excluded from paying extra./>

We had 27 members in 1994 and have 27 members today. The Quebec government biologist closed Lac Curiere to fishng after quotas caught that year reached 3500. That was in June. The last two years (2020 and 2021) were simialar to 1994 as we were told to stop fishing after three weekends, this time early June with a quota of 1700 fish taken./>

The guardian did most work around the club and one year rebuilt the entire 140 feet of crib dock in front of the old log cabin. It took him two weeks. It was 1995 and his name was Laurier Lanthier. His successor Real Lanthier (no relation) built Cabin 4, (the first cabin when you come in) for our centennial project (2005-2006).

Wooden Verchere boat kits were $1200 when I first arrived, and the last one that was built for member Jon Kleivstul was $5000 assembled and painted. The individual fishing quota is the same now (seven in possession)., club dues are lower in todays dollars by half. There is only a cabin fee if a member books an extra cabin for his/her guests. We continue to improve on accomodations and access. We have 10 boats on the premises and two at Little Green lake (locked to a tree at the second camp site called Camping Sejours). The club runs on a tight budget with a little leftover in the bank each year. Our treasurer Alec Moore states he has never seen a budget where we might actually have a decent 10k surplus. Don't get excited, this amount is to be considered a nest egg, set aside to self insure the unknown. This was also planned into the budget way back when and as previously mentioned will be the first time we fullfill it. When I started coming up here in 93, the treasurer and some members ususally fronted start up money each year. We have withstood the onslaught of a fire in 2013, and built a replacement cabin (No 3) in 2015. We have added new docks, solar lighting and a hot shower. Last autumn saw new propane installations at three cabins. No more hauling tanks up and down the road.

We have improved on parking facilities and purchased seven fiberglass boats and one aluminum. We have a fire pump, a generator, and have replaced all fridges and stoves except one. The decks have been renewed, rebuilt and covered with roofing steel. We have installed new steel roofs on every cabin, and on every outhouse. Our membership is solid and full at 27. We have replaced the full time guardian since 2010 and contract out or manage work with our members. 27 members paying $525 a year doesn't leave much to spend on improvements. Taxes, lease, insurance and banking (at $50) has increased by 4X, and now accounts for almost 50% of our budget. Propane and surveillance is another 20%. It's tight, and we do it. This year we enter our 117th year since incorporation, so looking over all this and listing the above comparisons, I feel that much has been accomplished. An enormous amount of work has and continues to be done by volunteers. The Moores, the Armstrongs, the Brunet's and many, many others individually and in teams. This benefits both member and budget. Keeping fees low keeps membership full. If you have been on a weekend at any Quebec or Ontario outfitter, well you know what it costs, generally double or triple what you pay for annual membership in the AFGC. Use and enjoyment of the club needs management, administrative know how, and physical labor. As it works now, the whole setup works. We make it look easy, but it needs everyone pitching in to work better. Replacing a boat (if you can find one nowadays) is $1500-2000. Having something repaired (fridge/stove/pump) can set us back a few hundred. I found out last year, even leaving the fridge on can have dire consequences. Propane ran out, no one was there to switch tanks resulting in the fridge burner sooting up and needing replacement.It also caused the next user to abort using that cabin, plus a $220 repair, and transport and man power - $500. Leaving a boat in the water causes potential damage, or unwanted useage by tresspasers. Since 1994 we have lost two Vercheres that were tied loosely to the dock. Whether they blew away or were untied and let go we don't know, but they were costly to replace. More and more people are using public parks and the ZEC is no exception. Last summer thieves broke down the main gate and made off with 3 full tanks of propane worth over $1000. First major theft ever, but no reason to celebrate. Subsequently trail cameras we installed recorded over 15 incidents of tresspassers freely walking on the property over a 30 day time frame. Privé/Private signs don't seem to deter many.

With the falls being such an attraction and the end of the road being the beginning of our lease we can expect more 'unwanted' visitors. I encourage membership and guests to lock up properly, and to remove boats from the lake and store them on land at the end of your trip. (And not with the bum end in the water either). Return equipment taken from the boathouse to it's rightful place. Look around to see if things need repair and/or take the initiative to do a repair if possible or report the incident/project to the administration. I'll put another log on my fire now. Enjoy the winter, the trout silently slip through the deep cold waters, awaiting our return. Oh, I've added a link to an album from the nineties that I found and scanned. Copy paste the link below or simply clikking on it might work. It may give some of you flashbacks, others a glimpse of what the club looked like at that time. There are spring fishing and summer fun images. Bring your family with you and visit in the summer. We did and also brought friends who tell us to this day it was the best holiday they ever experienced. Simple, summer fun. Stay warm everyone.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

A FIRST for the AFGC - Annual AGM held remotely

History was made today as 18 of the 27 members of the fishing club held our annual AGM virtually. A first in the clubs 115 year history. Members were able to join the meeting by ZOOM conference call set up by our reserve chair and vice-president Kim Devooght. A thorough presentation and discussion ensued with members able to view documents and move easily and quickly through the agenda.

The executive initially started holding meetings by audio conference call in 2014 following the loss of and reconstruction of cabin 3. With new technology we have been able to hold video conference calls since 2020 and with the worldwide covid-19 pandemic were more or less obliged to hold all meetings in the same manner.

All members will be able to access the minutes, decisions and other documents on line.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

ZEC Road to Close up to Little Green Lake

From November 2 to 5th, the ZEC will be closing the road from the main office for road repairs. If you have any ideas about using the cabin at this time, forget about it. Road repairs are sited as the reason for closure. All this is either on their web or fB pages.

Thanksgiving weekend Annie and I had arrived at camp, unloaded the car and lit the wood stove when the first rain drops started.

It was nice to be at the lake again, and the cabin heated up easily.

We enjoyed a warmish 10c evening on the deck before hitting the hay.

Stars were plentiful overnight on several nights.

So those using cabin 3 are aware there seems to be an entry in the NW corner. We blocked it with a piece of wood molding, but mice have been coming through here and made a nest in the wall. Traps were snapping all night and by departure day we felt perhaps that a serious dent has been made in the mouse population?? We'll see in the spring :-)

Saturday AM was clear, we got the tools out to finalize the log repair at the base of cabin 4. It is a that is strictly cosmetic repair.

At some point in the future, seriousness has to be given to both cabins 1 and 4 if these log cabins if they are to remain useable long term.

We finished the log cabin repair and just in time, as the wind and rain came up after lunch as is visible on the lake pictures below.

This lasted most of the evening and into the early morning hours. Sunday morning was bright and clear.

We decided to take an exploratory drive up into the ZEC entry driving a little further than sector 66 on the map. In 30 plus years I have never driven up the other road into the ZEC, so it was a first. The end of the day was spent reading outdoors in rather pleasant temperatures.

Random Pics

Two sections of docks was repurposed at the beach during the summer.

Wave action has actually extended the beach outwards towards the dock in the picture. The above is prior to dismantling in August.

Gray water pit cover rebuilt no 2

Early morning mist lifting.

Removal of a few trees.

Cocktail hour(s) and reading time.

Canoe patched and painted.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Before the dam

I found this interesting picture of one of our members, Robbie Noel (right) and two guests (Jim Bussiere and Andrew Ferris) taken in May of 2009. This was taken where the dam exists today, the lake gently emptying into the falls on its way down to Little Green lake.

It is still my opinion that the spillway (dam) construction was a waste of taxpayers money, however I also believe that the construction and or improvement of the roads to get the heavy equipment up here was what saved the club. At that point membership had dwindled to half or less of today’s numbers as we were all reliant on our guardian to get us in and out. The roads were poorly maintained if at all by the Zec management.

The spillway was built the following spring in 2010 and our membership over the next several years started to grow again as we were now able to drive our own 4x4 vehicles up the mountain and on our own schedules.

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

June 9 Big Lake closed!

Lac Curières or Big Green lake as we know it was closed by the provincial government biologist June 9. Apparently the limit of 1500 (?) was either taken or would been shortly. Regardless once again a very short season of 3 weekends.

Other lakes also closed include Bessons, Bienvenue, Cindy and Dreux. Little Green just below us and several others are still accessible for reasonably good fishing. Boats are on Little Green Lake under lock and chain.

Fishing was phenomenal the weekends of late May, early June. One member (J. Moore and boys) fished the opening weekend with slow results, and did not see many boats. One of the reasons for the lack of boats may be that camping was not open because of health regulations set up by the government to combat Covid 19, ie no camping or assimilating in parks. Larry McGowan and I were fortunate to have two weekends without the normal onslaught of boats from the camping although locals were visible each morning at the dam launching. It was different the last weekend , June 7,8,9 with at least 15 boats visible each day. None the less we had two great trips, got lots of fishing in and even managed a few days of work.

Cabin 2 bottom wall repair

Outhouse tree removal

Chimney cap replacement

Sammy

Torpedo full and inadvertently detached from our boat

Snow/Ice flattened the chimney cap

Cabin 2 wall repair

Propane tanks heading out

McGowan with a 3lb brookie

View from 3

Social distancing

Bugs were out en masse right Stan Roy?

Interesting log repair underway at #2

Balsam - halved and ready to install at #2 base of wall

McGowan on peak of no 1. installing new cap

Monday, May 25, 2020

2020 and Covid 19 effects on the AFGC

Well it's the 25th of May...generally most of us would be coming in for breakfast or just leaving the docks to go out fishing. Unfortunately this is not the case. For the first time that I can remember, the club will have very little use because of the current epidemic of the novel coronavirus.

I first started coming to the Ascension Fish and Game club in the early 90's. In comparison to now and the last several years the fishing in the earlier days was superb. Certainly as lake trout fishing goes we had tough days. However memories I have of many doubles and catches of good large fish are fresh. Indeed photos and log entries verify my memories of those days.

In 2020 the break the lake is receiving from fishing pressure because of the Covi-19 health regulations may impact fish stocks in a positive way.

For the last several years the government biologist in St Faustin who is responsible for our region has lowered quotas, shortened the season and put Lac Curières on a watch list. A season with less pressure could be good for trout populations on 'our' lake and elsewhere. Even with the reopening of camping (and mark me, I'm certain this will happen), speckled trout habits change with the hotter days and water temperatures of summer.

I don't want to say that humans are lazy, but most speckled trout fisherman appear in the spring and then disappear in the summer along with the trout. Trout themselves habitually tend to go into deeper waters in the summer and cease to school together as much until the fall when they start the spawn process.

These are my positive thoughts for the lake and environment

Less humans = Less Pressure = a better environment

Photos courtesy of John Moore May 23-24, 2020