John and Wendy Grace not only own a lodge on Lake St. Joseph in Ontario’s far northwestern corner, but also own an authentic part of Canadian history.

The Old Post and Village is situated on one of Canada’s original trading junctions, a location that was established well back into the 1730’s. By 1786 the Hudson’s Bay Company established one of their most important trading posts on the site. It became a place of meetings, treaties, schooling and religion over the years.

But there is more to the Old Post and Village than just history. Take for instances its location. It’s situated on Lake St. Joseph. Now here’s a big body of water. St. Joseph is over 90 miles long and in many places upwards of 20 miles in width. The surface area on this lake totals more than 154,000 square acres. It’s dotted with a multitude of islands and beneath the waters are thousands of shoals. No wonder Lake St. Joseph is annually named by In-Fisherman Magazine as one of the top ten walleye waters in all of North America. Others often give the lake the same rating for trophy northern pike. Big trophy fish of both species are everywhere. So is fishable water under any weather conditions. There are always fish rich bays, shoals and shorelines to protect visiting anglers from just about any direction the wind blows.

Okay, let’s talk walleye. I had the opportunity to fish with Old Post guide Bill Briscoe for three days last spring. Would you believe 300 deep-bellied walleye in our boat over three days and that’s no fish story. Talk about having a hard time to catch shore lunch, thanks to carefully established regulations on Lake St. Joseph the average walleye are well and above the provincial average. In fact, trophies are the norm and I’m talking big trophies, even by northwestern Ontario standards. Lower a Berkley Gulp in these waters and hold on to that fishing rod.

The story is the same for northern pike. If you’re a pike fanatic then when you arrive at Lake St. Joseph, you’ve just arrived at a pike fisherman’s paradise. Forty inchers are the norm and not the exception at Old Post. Toss a big overgrown Terminator or Blue Fox spinnerbait and you won’t be waiting long for the walloping reply from a big, mean, monster northern.

If you like to troll, then the Old Post and Village is definitely not the place for you. After a day of trolling a Berkley Frenzy Minnow or Rapala the walleye are going to wear you down to a frazzle. The fishing is just that good.

So what have you got at the Old Post and Village? Nothing more than a fisherman’s paradise, phenomenal accommodations, first class dinners and the experience of a lifetime.

By the way, if you live in southern Ontario, check out the special direct from Goderich to the Old Post that John Grace regularly operates.