After more than half a century of use as a privately-owned getaway, Campfire Island turned the page on a brand new chapter last week.
Located on Rainy Lake just south of the Noden Causeway, Campfire Island is now in the hands of Wayne and Pat Howard of Emo, and his brother, Dean, of Kenora, who plan to market it as a resort for tourists keen on lake life and catch-and-release fishing.
Given the focus on individualized service and an “environmentally friendly” sport, the new owners are wagering the resort will be a big hit with American visitors.
The camp, which can hold a maximum of only 12 guests, features “American Plan” accommodations, including meals, lodging, bait, tackle, boats, and guides.
“It’s about small numbers, home-cooked meals, and first-class service,” said Wayne Howard, who also owns and manages Ross’s Camp on Clearwater Lake north of Emo with his wife, Pat.
“And it’s 100 percent catch-and-release. The limit of fish is zero. Guests need a conservation licence only,” he added, noting the fishing will centre around smallmouth bass and northern pike.
Wayne said his years in the tourist industry have given him insight into what visitors want to experience when they come to this area, and catch-and-release is a growing part of that.
“There’s a growing number of tourists who want [catch-and-release],” he stressed. “They’re starting to care more about conservation and looking out for nature and resources.”
“I’ve been in business a long time and I’m definitely seeing a trend towards catch-and-release,” agreed his brother, Dean, who spent almost two decades guiding on lakes in the Kenora area.
“I think people feel they are doing something good that helps the environment, and in business, you have to go with [that] flow,” he added.
Dean Howard, who now lives on Campfires Island, and will manage it when it’s open for the season (May-October), also said their focus on bass and pike was largely due to the healthy numbers of those species in Rainy Lake–and the need to let the over-fished walleye “off the hook.”
“Rainy Lake has a tremendous smallmouth bass fishery,” he noted. “A lot more locals are fishing them, and that’s taken away from other species that are fished so hard.
“Any time you can do that, it’s good,” he stressed.
The Howards purchased Campfire Island from Brown Badgett, a prominent businessman and avid fisherman from Kentucky who had owned it since the early 1970s.
Badgett and several of his friends returned to Campfire Island last Thursday as its first guests, with the 75-year-old officially opening the camp with a ribbon-cutting ceremony upon his arrival.
“It looks great and I love it. It’s a return to the home place,” he gestured. “I loved the peace and serenity here from the hustle and bustle of life in the United States.
“I brought my employees and friends here many, many times,” he added.