Pic of the Day: July 14
Larry Makal and Graham with this beauty pike!
Welcome to the Summer! Week 6 Review
Welcome to the Summer! Week 6 Review
WELCOME TO SUMMER
Sometimes your cherished guest is late, but you will let him (or her) in the door. So, it is this season: summer was very late but we’ll let her (summer is definitely a her) in with welcome arms. Summer gave early notice of arrival on the last day of our 5th group. It was sunny and pretty nice. From the first day of our 6th group, we had full blown summer and some very serious HEAT. At last. What do people do when it’s gets warm? They go out and play. And so do fish. But pike play for keeps. They attack, savagely. Due to a long-planned Cabelas’ itinerary, this group had only four days to have fun and catch fish. They made the best of it. Everyone got into lots of pike, even our youngest angler of the season. Gavin Faggen is only nine years old. He caught his first ever pike on his first day at Scott. He caught a 45-inch monster on his third day. Now that’s a learning curve. Where does a nine-year-old newly minted trophy slayer go from here? Back to Scott Lake Lodge of course. He will probably tag a 50 incher before he can legally drink a beer.
Gavin wasn’t the only big fish player. As he always does up here, Peter Myhre just keeping getting trophy after trophy. On one of his trophy-filled days he got a pretty good poker hand—pike of 43-44-45-46 and 47 inches. Yes, all in one day. There were plenty of others holding good cards. Scott Farrow, part of the Cabela’s Signature Travel group, landed a 45” and a 46.5” pike. Brian Kozlowski got a 45 incher. Everyone of our anglers got to wear the trophy pike pin, an impressive accomplishment. The trophy count just got over the century mark, also impressive. There were many lake trout caught in shallow water but only two hit the 35” trophy mark. One, a trophy trout on the last afternoon, got Kirk Carlson his coveted trophy triple hat.
There were a few sun-burned ears and noses but that was a small price to pay for welcoming in summer. We thank the group for bring the warm of the sun and their sunny smiles.
Pic of the Day: July 11
Poacher and MIke got onto some massive pike today!
Canada Day and the Start of Summer Fishing: Week 5 Review
WEEK 5 UPDATE
A HARDY CREW
A HARDY CREW
When the calendar flips from June to July at Scott Lake Lodge, it’s reasonable to expect just about perfect summer weather—highs in the mid-to-high 70s, pleasant south or southwest breezes and lots of sunshine. Reasonable but that’s not what met our 5th group of the 2022 season. On their first morning, they were met by a stiff north wind that got bigger and colder as the day progressed. The last day of June turned into an ugly late September day. There were a lot of down jackets and stocking caps (OK watch caps or toques if you’re not from the upper Midwest) in evidence. But there was also the resilience, determination, and hope that’s in all anglers’ DNA. They met the day on even terms. The kitchen staff prepared for an influx of guests for lunch at the lodge. But noon came and went. No boats came back. Not one. The 26 guests and 13 guides were out doing what anglers do—fishing. Just three anglers landed trophy fish that day. Jay Finney somehow got three though, remarkable for the daunting conditions. We salute this hardy group.
Things got better, a lot better. By the group’s last day there was plenty of sunshine with guests and guides sporting shorts and sandals. In between those bookend days, there were wonderful shore lunches, fantastic dinners, musk ox and bear sightings, loon serenades at night, hot tub soakings, invigorating massages and yes, lots of fish. And quite a few trophy fish, 92 to be exact. That’s not a high number for this time of the season by any means. Given the conditions it was impressive, and there were some bruisers in the mix, including eight pike over 45”. John Green got three of those, two 45s and a 47. He and fishing partner Brent Laing had two remarkable days, bringing 10 trophy pike to the boat on their second day and 8 on their third. Steve Kozlowski had a four-trophy day with a 46.5” pike; Peter Leonovicz and Buce Kozlowski got 46s and Tim Delaney got the fish of the week– a fat 48. Kevin and Susan Edwards had a big day as well. Kevin landed the biggest trout of the week at 41” and added an 18” grayling, getting his Trophy Triple hat but missing the 100+Club by just a half an inch. Susan landed a 19” grayling and three trophy lake trout the same day. Everyone caught a lot of fish even if the cold front suppressed the trophy count.
So good times, good fishing and lifetime memories. The group made an excellent recovery from a tough start. In this corner of the far north, you don’t know what mother nature will hand you. But you do know that at Scott Lake Lodge you will always have a memorable experience with world class customer service. By the way, the week is already full for 2023. I guess it was a hardy crew.
Of Pike and Muskox: Fishing Week 4 in Review
WEEK 4 UPDATE
PREHISTORIC VISITORS AT SCOTT LAKE
BREAKING NEWS:
On June 28th strange creatures looking like they just wandered out of a Star Wars movie set were spotted on the shores of Scott Lake. They were stocky with very shaggy long dark coats, horns that belong on a cape buffalo, traveled in a large group, and grunted a lot. People with travel experience in the high arctic will figure this mystery quickly, but for the 60th parallel this was an amazing sighting. They were musk oxen of course, but they have never been seen this far south. It just might be the first time ever that this primitive mammal has traveled the eskers along the north shore of sprawling Scott Lake. Just a little history: musk oxen are creatures of the far north, very far north. Most numerous on the arctic islands like Banks or Victoria, they are also found on the mainland of northern Canada, but usually well north of this neck of the woods. Twenty-five years back Scott Lake Lodge guests who really wanted to see one had to fly in a float plane over two hours north, toward Dubwant Lake to see one. Over two decades sightings were made closer and closer to the lodge. While the trend line was clear, it was still stunning when guests Joe Novicki, Bill Calabresa and guide Jan Phoenix saw a herd of around twenty-five right on the shore of our own lake. Around this small island town this was big news. It’s a new era of wildlife watching.
Bill and Joe weren’t just looking for musk ox of course. They have been fishing hard and successfully. For over two decades the two anglers have been boating big northern pike, lake trout and grayling. This year’s trip was no exception. Both will be proudly wearing their 100+Club jackets. Joe is currently tied for the top spot in that exclusive club with his total of 103.5 inches having landed a 45.5” pike, 39” lake trout and 19” grayling. The other person on top of that leader board is Rich Kracum, another long time Scott guest, with a pike of 43.5”, a lake trout of 41” and a grayling of 19” who landed on the same number. It was a big week for the jacket: Rich’s son John Kracum hit the same number as Bill Calabresa at 102 inches.
It was a big week for a lot of guests. Mira Lechowicz landed four trophy pike one day and three trophy lake trout on another day. Susan and Frank Saraka have been coming to Scott for a long time but can’t remember a better day together than the nine-trophy pike day they had this trip, topped by Susan’s 45” pike. On the same day Cam and Andy Godden hit the same total of trophies but both caught 47 inchers. In any “normal” week a 47 would be the top fish but not this week. Both Craig Mataczynski and Al Wortz put 48s in their guide’s nets. Five pike in the “super-sized” category of 45 inches plus is quite a week. For many lodges in the lower parts of Canada that would be a season’s worth.
The totals for the week were impressive, especially for a week characterized by cool and windy conditions: 112 trophy fish nicely divided among pike, lake trout and grayling. Who knows where those numbers will land when we get our first warm week of the season? Well, about 14 people, the Scott Lake guide team, have a pretty good idea. They want some warm, sunny days to bring those big pike into the shallows. We’re still waiting, but like all anglers, waiting patiently. They will come and we will be ready.