Week 12 in Review: Gore-Tex Proving Grounds and Lady Luck

The good news…the risk of wildfires around the lodge is at nearly zero; rain, mist, drizzle and showers were the order of the week. It didn’t matter one bit; the fishing kept everyone warm, and the excitement of the week permeated the lodge each evening. It was a fun week; both guests and staff enjoyed it. The staff were in heated competition for the annual trout derby, an event each summer, where management takes over serving, bartending and all the other jobs, while the crew gets a much-deserved night off.  Sure, it’s about fun, team building and friendship, but they are also chasing prize money for the biggest and smallest lake trout caught. Chef Sidney Lang was the big winner this week; after a lucky run on the poker table, he hauled in a 39” trout for top prize.  Hannah from our hospitality team was the smallest fish winner, with a 16”er. It’s a great event from the shotgun start to the excited check-in where everyone is hopeful their boat’s catch is the one!

During the days, our group of guests were onto the fish as well, bringing in 156 trophy-sized pike, trout and grayling, while making some incredible fishing memories in the north. Mike Skogen had an incredible day with guide Biff; he landed seven pike over 40,” including a 44 and 44.5” er, some truly amazing big pike fishing. Mike’s partner Tiff Skogen only needed one big pike to make her mark on the same day…a giant 47” er, tying her for top pike of the week. On another lake the same day, Gina Benson found an absolute leviathan 47” northern of her own, a fat fish looking like it was not missing too many meals.  Typically cool, north wind days don’t make for great pike fishing, but for some reason the pike have been angry this season.  Dave Enzo O’Donnell found a 46.5” fish around some cabbage weeds, a perfect mid- to late-season pike haunt. Mark Avis found a pair of 45’s on the flyout network; Erci Bechtold and Shane Benson also were lucky with the 45’s. Pike were found from 6” to 15’ this week: bays, weeds, rocks, on wind, off wind…the guide team did a great job finding hungry fish.

Trout were loving the wind and waves on the big lakes; sometimes it takes a little inclement weather to get them turned up.  Tara Bechtold was our top trouter this week, hitting a 40.5 and 40”er on one day, to go along with her husband’s 40” laker…that’s a lot of trout in 3 fish! Dave O’Donnell set the hook into a 39.5” fish on the way to his 100+ Club jacket; 39” trout were coming in hot this week as well. Tina Walker found hers up on the Tundra at Tukto; her boat also was witness to a sow and cubs, barren ground grizzly bears, an amazing sight. Tim Fierbaugh dropped into the trout water on Ingalls Lake for his 39, and Lloyd Phillips waited until the final afternoon on Scott for his 39” trout, which landed him a trophy triple.

Another highlight this week was our return to Lefty Falls, also known as Hunt Falls, a significant drop on the Grease River, Saskatchewan’s largest waterfall. Water cascades nearly 50 feet, creating a stunning scene.  High water of the last few years has kept the planes away, but we are back! Shane and Gina Benson, along with Derek Swenson, were the first to check things out: a ton of grayling, some great views, and a fun hike. What a way to end the week!

Week 11 in Review: Big Fish and North Winds

Usually not a combination that goes together, like peas and carrots, to quote Mr. Gump. North winds bring the cold air down across the barren grounds, dropping air and water temperatures as they gather speed.  Add some moisture into the mix, and we’ve got a poor combination of weather, usually resulting in low ceilings, not conducive to float plane operations. Unfortunately, that was the case as the weather didn’t work in our favour to complete the changeover. The crew had to overnight in Edmonton and let their anticipation build for one more night. Fast forward to the next morning, we did our best to get them up here and fishing asap; the staff did a great job making that happen, a few fish were caught, and we were off to the races.  The weather offered a variety pack most days, keeping the intrepid anglers’ dry bags close to hand as layers were donned and repacked often. The fish didn’t seem to mind one bit; heck, they even seemed to like it. Some incredible memories of days on the water were made.

Take Jim Ward and Luke Lukens, for example; they had a day pike fishing that neither will forget. In fact, I think Jim mentioned it was his best day of fishing ever! The day started off with a trophy and then intensified as their guide, Paul, made all the right choices. They ended up with five fish over 45, including a pair of 47s!  A pair of long-time fishing buddies will have a story to tell many times over.  More giant pike were in the mix this week; Tim Rogers led the pack with a 47.25” fish, while Aaron Savin and Priscilla O’Donnell added a 47 and a 46.5” er respectively.  Priscilla’s luck wasn’t quite done as she found a 47” pike on the final day’s fishing on Scott. The wind blew like heck on the fourth day, coming from the north at nearly 40 knots; as we rarely do, we made the call to pull all the boats off the lake just after noon hour. It was a day for shore lunch in the lodge, baseball on the TV, and some cards and naps. Incredibly, in the wild conditions in the morning, there were some fish caught…and some nice ones. By the numbers, there were 90 big pike over 40” caught this week. A great tally for a week shortened by a few bouts of inclement weather.

The high winds of the week kept most of the fishing to protected bays and shorelines for pike.  A few anglers trolled and jigged up some lakers, Mike and Dana Weiss had a blast dropping in for trout in the Northwest arm of Scott, these fish plain wear you out on light tackle.  Top trout angler Win Scott, got into 37.5 and a giant 43.5 laker while over on Selwyn, with Hammer. The grayling rapids were full…of anglers and fish; the fish were on and giving anglers some incredible memories. Whether from the jet board or wading boots, the Arctic sailfish is a blast.  In the end, the northern lights made their first appearance of the season, pale in the still partially light sky, but there nonetheless. The calendar flipped to August, and the first few hints of the change in season were seen. The winds calmed down, the sun came out and thank goodness this changeover happened all without a hitch.

Week 10 in Review: The Big Girls Came Out and a Surprise Prime Rib Dinner

What a week! It had just about everything one could expect or imagine from a northern fishing trip. Things started out anticlimactically as an aircraft maintenance issue delayed the incoming group until the next morning.  The Edmonton team was working overtime to make sure everything went smoothly, and we could get some excited anglers fishing as soon as possible.  Of course, the group was sad to miss the first evening’s prime rib supper, but after only a couple of hours of missed fishing, we stayed late the first day and set some hooks.  With everyone settled, the week’s fishing started to ramp up. Big pike were on fire again, with 110 northerns over 40” being caught.  It’s not quite clear how many mid-thirties were on the lines this week, but judging by the evening conversations, quite a few. It was a special week beyond fishing, as past owner Tom Klein and guide Jason Terris made a long awaited return to the island. It was emotional, but great to see them both, their personalities have been absent too long from the lodge.

Brad Salisbury was a man on a mission this past week. He had an incredible day on Selwyn, catching a 47, then a 47.5” er nearly back-to-back. The next day he landed big pike of the week honours with a massive 49” northern.  Often Brad’s tally is a full week of magnum pike over 47”; however, the conditions were just right, and Gratz Peters and Dan McGowan both joined the 4-Foot Club with a pair of 48s.  A whole host of 47’s were in the cards for Ken Williamson Jr., Dylan Williamson, Caype Johnston and young angler Felix Vaagenes, truly an incredible run of giants! Felix didn’t waste a moment on his first trip to Scott, and earned a 100+ jacket in a hurry! Mike Sumeracki found a fat 46.5 with guide Jordan, and Penny Lendarson caught a 46…in all, twenty-two fish surpassing 45” were caught by our lucky anglers. The pike are just on a tear this year at Scott and the flyout lakes; whatever combination of conditions, we aren’t sure, but we like it!

Turning to trout, the season is heating up, with big fish in the holes and some still being caught on mid-depth structure on the bigger lakes. A fun time to play tug of war with a fish that could be almost 80 years old!  Lake trout at our latitude in these huge, sprawling lakes grow slowly, adding only about half an inch per year. It takes many ciscoes, burbot and whitefish to grow a trout to 40” or better…and a lot of years.  Caype Johnston found out what one of these monsters felt like to haul in; he landed a fat 41”er for big trout of the week, for this first visit, he didn’t wait at all and landed a 100+ jacket.  Gratz Peters, Lachlan Williamson and Ken Williamson Sr. were all lucky enough to hook into 39” lakers. This fish vaulted Ken Sr, into his first-ever 100+ Club jacket.  Charlie Stanford got his arm workout in with a 38.5, while Lonnie Thompson and Mike Sumeracki both netted 38’s. The time for trout is now! 

Grayling fishing has caught the notice of so many of our anglers; many are choosing to spend time in the rapids, either by boat or walking and wading. Chasing these truly unique northern fish is a blast. They are most often very eager to strike anything that they see. Stories of double headers on the same line are frequent…one fish on the dry fly and another on the nymph dropper! That’s maximizing your casts.

In all, it was a fun week; we had some great meals, saw some incredible fish photos, and commiserated together when the weather conspired against us, delaying the second changeover in a row. The upside…the crew got that prime rib supper after all.