We landed on Bonnet Plume Lake at the end of June with our two Pakboats and all the other stuff that is needed to run a challenging river. 
We were eager to get on the river, but decided to spend a few days exploring the area around the lake and try our luck fishing. If you want to catch the big ones, your best bet is to get out on the water, and the canoes were assembled as soon as we were off the plane. On our previous trips I have caught fish up to 11 pounds from the canoe. It works fine, I just have to be a little careful to avoid puncturing the air tubes with a fish hook. All the fish we caught on Bonnet Plume Lake were caught from the canoes.
After four days of fishing and hiking we were ready for some whitewater. We had read about the river and knew that the Bonnet Plume is considered challenging. Taking our time to get the feel of the river, we soon felt quite comfortable. Just like our previous trips we found that the PakCanoes handle well even with a month’s worth of gear on board. The rapids we paddled were a thrill. The flexible hulls “follow the water” and stay dry where hard boats would pound the waves and take in water.
Our new canoe had the upgraded spray cover, and I must say that the two in the older boat were a bit envious. That new cover really keeps the water out when waves break over the canoe. The water level was high, and this did not make the rapids any easier, so we decided to portage a number of rapids that we might have run at a lower water level. The light weight was much appreciated when the canoes had to be carried, and at times lowered down steep banks by rope.
The PakCanoes lived up to our expectations again, and they arestill my first choice on long wilderness trips.
Aslak Prestbakmo