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

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. 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.