Winter Update 2019
February 2019
Winter Update
When records are being broken daily on the Canadian Prairies for low temperatures the only logical thing to do was head north…
Surely it couldn’t be any colder, could it?
POLAR VORTEX
Turns out, when you fly into the polar vortex the bottom falls out of the mercury. Guides Paul Hamilton and Steve Yanish braved the conditions (temps plunging below -50°) with the help of our pilot, Travis, hauled 4 tons of lumber and supplies into the lodge.
The caribou migration is still far north of Scott Lake and very few tracks of hunters heading north to pursue them were seen. The lodge was in good shape, cold, still and waiting for our 2019 anglers to visit. The materials, from windows to deck boards have been earmarked for the completion of the new guest cabin, Ptarmigan, the new upgraded fitness/sauna complex and new staff housing, plus about 50 or so other projects.
We strive to use every opportunity regardless of the weather to honor our commitment to incremental improvements. Keep your eyes open for what’s new when you step off the plane this summer!
The lodge was in good shape: cold, still and waiting for the 2019 anglers to visit.
The Right Sunglasses
To start, we can’t stress this enough, you need some sort of sunglasses, your eyes will thank you. From a safety standpoint alone having sunglasses on all the time while fishing is a good plan, as flying hooks tend to not be friendly to eyes.
There are 2 places (well 3 if you count a fishing trip to Scott Lake Lodge) we recommend buying the best product in your budget: raingear and sunglasses.
For fishing at Scott Lake Lodge get polarized glass, this will cut glare and allow you to see into the water. Your ability to make the right cast to a big fish increases tenfold if you can see it. It opens you up to the world of sight fishing and will directly affect your success. Glass vs. plastic: go glass, they can put a better-quality polarization on glass lenses which block out the yellow wavelengths of the light spectrum enhancing underwater vision. Glass is more scratch resistant, however more expensive. Plastic lenses are more economical and lighter compared to glass, will tend to scratch easier and will not be as sharp as glass.
The go to lens colors for sight fishing at Scott Lake Lodge have a copper base and 10-12% light transmission. Copper base with a mirror lens will be the best for high sun and heavy glare, while a straight copper will be an all-around great lens for variable light conditions. The 1-2 punch many of your guides have been employing is a higher transmission yellow/copper-based lens for early and late in the day or heavy overcast and the more traditional lens for high sun. Again, your best all-around is a copper lens with around 12% light transmission.
The brands that meet these parameters that we know, and use are Costa Del Mar and Maui Jim, obviously there are others out there too. When choosing a frame style, you need to try them on! Make sure they are wide enough and the lenses large enough to provide full coverage with minimal gaps where light can enter around the lenses.
Any light infiltration will reduce the eye’s ability to focus on underwater objects like that giant pike that’s at 2 o’clock 20 feet away! Listen to your guide, he’s been spying these fish for a long time. Try to wait to see the fish, then send your best cast at it. There are health benefits to using good glass that blocks harmful UVA and UVB light, but our best sales pitch is you will be a more effective angler when you can see what’s out there.
The Time Is Now
It might sound like a bit of a broken record, but here we are again with just a very few spots in the 2019 season left.
Now is the time to pull the trigger (or make the cast in fishing terms.) We have retained our entire incredible, professional staff (plus added a couple of great new folks.) The infrastructure improvements will knock your socks off, not to mention we have consistently set and then broken and re-set records of numbers and size of fish.
Get in touch with Sales Manager and Guide Jon Wimpney (j5@scottlakelodge.com or call 306-209-7150 to stake your claim on the last few chances to be in this year’s record books.
An Aerial Tour of the Island
Late Season Update
Usually, the seasons merge seamlessly at Scott Lake Lodge. A few birch leaves start to turn yellow, the ground cover starts to turn red and the temperatures gradually start to drop. For the 2018 season that transition happened in a single day—the third day of our sixteenth group…
(August 22nd on the calendar but just Day 3 up here). On Day 3 it was a pleasant 70 degrees. Most of the staff were running around in shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts. There was even some paddle boarding and kayaking. Then early on the morning of Day 4 there were a lot of geese flying south. They knew. By mid-morning a hurricane feeling north wind changed the season in minutes. The temperature started to drop and most of our anglers on Scott headed back to the lodge. Hundreds or maybe thousands of geese headed south, taking a free ride to the grain fields of southern Saskatchewan. It was a different day: it was fall.
This trout has definitely been eating.
And that’s not a bad thing. That first shock of fall is a dinner bell for the big pike. They know that their season in the sun is over. Soon the dark days and near freezing water will put them in zombieville. This is their last gluttonous spree until their world warms up next May. Over the next two weeks the big pike will be cruising the mid-depth structure (drop-offs, deep weeds, rock piles, points) in search of that last big meal. Our anglers will be breaking out their big stuff—the huge Mepps and Buchertails, the Bulldogs and the massive Storm and Savage plastics and for the fly anglers the heavy-duty saltwater flies, some a foot long. Some of those big fish will eat.
Records Are Meant to be Broken
That’s what’s ahead. What’s behind is the most extraordinary fishing season we have had in our 22-year history. As usual, the numbers tell the story. What a story is it. How about 1,785? That’s our total, trophy count with 17 fishing days left in the season. It’s really close to our record of 1,965 set just last season. Or 1,427, the number of pike trophies this season, right next to last year’s 1,489 record. Or 151? That’s the number of pike over 45”, already beating 2017’s record of 134. How about 36? That’s the number of pike over 47”, tantalizingly close to last year’s record of 40, a record that seemed at the time a fluke, unassailable.
If we look at the real long-term, it’s even more amazing. In the 21 previous seasons, the average for pike over 45” was 48 and for pike over 47” it was 13. (Between 2000 and 2012 that average was 6.6—the last three years pushed up this number.) This is clearly a new era at Scott Lake Lodge for giant pike. The trout and grayling records are also approaching new heights. We have now landed 46 lake trout over 40”. Watch for our Annual Report in the mail or on the website late this fall for all the details. For now just enjoy the pictures of a remarkable run of big fish—not fish stories.
“That’s what is ahead. What’s behind is the most extraordinary fishing season we have had in our 22-year history.”
Now’s The Time to Book for 2019
If the thought of pulling huge trout, pike and grayling out of water clean enough to drink is making you a little dizzy, just go to your phone, tablet or PC and shoot our Sales Manager/Guide Jon Wimpney a message. Or text him at 306/209-7150. He’s guiding during the day and selling in the evening. Our WiFi service up here makes calling you back easy. Just give him a chance to tell you about our openings for 2019. Some weeks are totally full but most have a few spots—YET.
If you were up at Scott Lake Lodge a decade or more ago, there is an excellent chance you can hook up with your favorite guide. Yes, your guide from 15 years ago is probably still here. Of our 15 guides, 11 have been here for at least 15 seasons. (So, that’s why we’re getting so many big fish—these guys know the water and the game.) No other lodge in Canada is close to that depth of experience and professionalism. Tap into it.
For more general information or to get some printed brochures just call our customer service office in Wisconsin at 888/830-9525 (715/362-7031 from Canada.)
Bringing in some new wheels
A cool quick video of the helicopter bringing in the new island side by side. Scott Lake Uber is now open!! No paved roads, no gravel roads and no ice roads lead to Scott Lake. Everything comes in by air.