BAYVIEW LODGE – DRY PINE BAY

Written By Kevin Murphy with content from Mike Murphy & Mike Glatt

April 20th, 2018

Since I am working on the website, I guess I can take a bit of creative freedom. I would like to share a few things that stand out as personal signature moments on this trip!

For me, Bayview Lodge was the “start of something special”! In the early years before I joined in 1974, Dad(Moose-Uncle Barry) used to come home after a trip…..he pulled up in the driveway and I ran out to give him a big hug!! I was 9-10’ish years old. He absolutely reeked of 4 non-shower days and for some weird reason, I thought it was so cool! He purposely proceeded to rub his unshaven face all over my face. To this day, I honestly think I can still feel that bristled face and OMG, that odor as well! To this day, I generally don’t shower for 3 days myself…..simply so I can relive some of those unique moments in the early days!

Bayview Lodge was owned by Dino and Mary Santi. It was located on Dry Pine Bay. They owned it from 1968 to 1998….a total of 30 years. After it was sold, it was never run as a Fishing Resort/Lodge again. The Santi’s had a few kids but one stood out because of his age…..Jamie Santi was the same age as Mike M. They used to hang out together alot. Because Bayview was my first Fishing Trip location, it does hold a special place in my heart! All gone now, there was a time when this amazing Dry Pine Bay and surrounding area was full of fish and for some reason, I still remember it as maybe having the hottest weather we ever had!! My specific memories include:

  • Sleeping on the couch and absolutely loving it! 
  • Probably around 1975, I was half asleep on the couch with my eyes closed. I heard an awkward silence at the card table and then moments later, I heard the loudest laughing I had ever heard!! This was the night PF was sleepwalking and decided to attempt to do his #2 business on the garbage bag between the counter and the stove. I actually never saw it……I simply experienced it all with my eyes closed and will never, ever forget it!
  • I loved when Carl or Gerry would let me play a hand for them! Even if it was one hand, it was simply the best!!
  • I loved waking up to PF making bacon! We always had great chats and although I was 12 or 13, he enjoyed his beer and shot at the stove every morning!
  • Carl used to do the Morning Line! Younger members, ask Carl about this……maybe he will break this out for the 50th!
  • I caught the 1976 winning fish on a River Runt Spook plug with blood balls on the hooks. Mike Glatt netted it and it was on our last pass of the shoreline a little right of Bayview Lodge(if looking from the water). If you look at the overhead picture up above, it was just right of that dock on the far right. 

Here are some other great memories from Dino’s and Bayview Lodge:

Mike Murphy:

  • Remember Dad/Moose swinging the oar to soak another boat. He missed the water and fell into the side of the boat causing it to tip quite a lot to the point I remember reaching up above me head to grab the gunnel on other side.
  • The infamous 1976 late night “Catfish Switchout” at the dock. Late at night, with Kevin sleeping and his “most likely winning catfish” on the dock stringer, the boys “all lit up” went down to the dock, took the fish off the stringer and relocated it on another stringer. The fish almost slipped away late that night. The next morning, Kevin eagerly went down to the dock to proudly see “his fish”. He pulled up the stringer and it was *((*^#%^ empty. OMG! From the dock all the way back up the hill to the cabin, Kevin walked very slowly had his hanging head shaking back an forth in disbelief. The guys in the cabin were watching all this unfold from the front cabin and to this day, in their eyes, that may have been in the Top 5 funniest moments on the Trip.
  • Driving up to Bayview Lodge one year with Gerry we were passing a car on a large hill on King Rd, I remember a car came out of no where and G had to slam on the brakes and get back into our proper lane.
  • Kevin falling into the lake with your rubber boots on…..picture in the Gallery…Year 1974
  • PF frying the egg in the bacon grease
  • The cases, yes cases of whiskey Dad and PF brought up to the Trip
  • Hanging out with Jamie Santi after dinners
  • Carl wearing his McDonald’s bright yellow cape while playing cards and a girl knocks on the door as her car broke down
  • Also remember eating spaghetti drinking wine playing cards and going to bed…….Waking up the next morning to spaghetti cement.
  • Mike Glatt and PF on the swings
  • Being picked up at the Train Station and the darkness the surrounded me(this was after a visit to the Chaplain Hotel) 

Mike Glatt:

  • Man runs boat up on shore and nearly kills himself
  • Running out of gas day and the long rowing job home(optimist)
  • The infamous spaghetti night where no poker was played in the only night in the history of the trip
  • Girl knocks on door night during poker play(seeing a trend here!)
  • Mike Murphy scares the shit out of us when he gets off train and appears out of the darkness!
  • PF almost gets us all killed at the Champlain Hotel(young guns……please ask Carl and Mike about this……Mike & Kevin were abandoned in the car for hours….at least they kept the windows down a bit!)
  • Caterpillar infestation (one year only)
  • Dumb dumb Kraut 2 forgets to start motor after we push off from shore near the falls and Moose hangs on for dear life so we don’t go over the falls.
  • Trail of clothes Moose would leave as he walked from the boat to the cabin.
  • How bad the fishing got at the end of our days at Bayview due to the acid rain (brown weeds)
  • Not sure if the infamous Kevin running on the spot with the rubber boots was on the French but I think it was(seeing another trend)

 

 

Dino Santi

I’m not sure Gerry or Carl remember how we found Bayview but we went there on our 2nd trip in 1972. I was pretty young…started at 13’ish years old and I was 20 when we had our last visit there. They key here is that when you look back and hear all the older members talk about Bayview Lodge, you never hear “We went to Bayview….”……you always hear, “We went to Dino’s….”. That says a whole lot about how he treated our MGM group….something special for sure!!   

From Dino’s obituary in January of 2017: Dino Santi worked for INCO from age 18 until retirement but his passion was Bay View Lodge in French River where he and Mary raised their family. The door was always open and family and friends were warmly welcomed, well fed and watered and entertained.  Dino was involved in the French River Resorts Association, N.O.T.O., French River Heritage. He and Mary were avid curlers and golfers. Dino was a fine hockey player, sharing his knowledge while coaching his boys and cheering on his grandkids for years.