Summer of Covid

by Tammy MacDonald | Aug 7, 2020 | 2020 Season

by Tom Klein, Owner

For 24 consecutive summers, I have stared into the transparent waters of Scott Lake, always looking for those dark shadows that turn into streaking, savage northern pike.

For most of those seasons, I arrived in our vintage Beaver, GQD, when there was just enough open water to make a safe landing. I usually stayed on until the first snows of late September signaled the bitter end. In between those chilly arrivals and departures were summers packed with memories: engaging dinner conversations with guests who became friends; the lingering June sunsets watched from the lodge deck; the thrilling laughter of Scott’s resident loons; the transfixing beauty of late season northern lights; the sight of hundreds of lake trout swarming the shallow spawning reefs in September; the smells of shore lunch on sandy beaches; the kayak excursions on hot July days; and, of course, the adrenaline pumping shock of savage pike strikes, literally thousands every summer. These countless memories of two plus decades have layered into a single impression of summer in the far north—contentment, being in the right place at the right time.

Well, that string of summers, the pearls of my life, has been broken. Despite having a work permit, a long history in Canada and a good attorney, there was no way to beat the border closure this summer. When heard recently that even the Toronto Blue Jays could not play their home games in their own country, I did feel a little better. Yes, Canada is serious about Covid. My sense of loss about this Summer of Covid is shared by most, if not all, of regular guests, many who have called just to talk about how much they miss their annual trip.

The summer of 2020 will be remembered and discussed for generations. It is a marker like D-Day, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Moon Landing or 9/11. In context against the immense economic, emotional, and physical pain, along with now nearly 160,000 deaths this pandemic has wrought, the loss of a summer in paradise or a fishing trip pales, but it’s still real. So, we all just been making the best of it: keeping on keeping on.

How can any place compare to Scott Lake?

For me and my wife Pat the loss of living on a lake has been the toughest; we’ve had 35 consecutive summers on a lake, either Scott or our previous home in northern Wisconsin. We don’t have a late at our home in Montana. Since we are living adjacent to public land that stretches over 60 miles from our backdoor all the way to Yellowstone, I don’t expect crocodile tears from anyone. It could be a lot worse. After living here for 21 years, this has been our first full summer in Montana. We have tried to get our taste for water satisfied by renting a home for a month on Flathead Lake, the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi, about the size of Scott, in northwest Montana. It was nice but it wasn’t Scott. Located less than an hour’s drive from Glacier National Park, there were just way too many people. But how can any place compare to the privacy, purity, and serenity of Scott Lake?

I attempted to get my pike fix there. The area has a reputation for producing some huge fish. I tried. Four times, twice with a guide, I went into fabulous looking pike habitat—six to twelve-foot cabbage patches, thick lily pad bays and sharp drop-offs. I tried floating, intermediate and full sink fly lines, all kinds of flies, fast strip, slow strip, in between strip. I tried it all and landed exactly one pike, a massive 12 or 14 incher. Boy, do I miss the real north. My fishing for predator species will have to wait until this September when I will travel back to my home ground in northern Wisconsin to take on, I hope, a few muskies. I did just fine with cutthroat trout on the Flathead River, but really isn’t that kind of fish just bait? (I do like fish with teeth.)

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What Did You Do This Summer To Get Your Fishing Fix?

Write a short description of your best fishing day this summer (with photos) and email it to Jason Hamilton, our General Manager. We will select what we think is the best fishing tale and give the winner a fly out to any of Scott’s two dozen fly out lakes on their next trip to the lodge.

Seriously, that’s worth a few minutes of your time to share your summer of 2020 fishing stories with all the Scott Lake regulars!

No cheating: All contributions must be within the limits of all angler’s stories—a little embellishment but no outright lies!

We’ll be watching for your entry.

2021 SEASON: LOOKING AHEAD

There will be a gap of 21 months without a customer on the island, but all I can focus on right now is the 2021 season. The prospect of a Covid vaccine by next spring now appears to be more than a hope. The campaign to get an effective vaccine and treatment is the Manhattan Project of our time: it will happen. We know one thing for sure. The Scott Lake team and infrastructure will be ready. We have assurances from the entire staff of their return for 2021. And our island will be transformed. Just keep reading—details ahead. We are not allowing the opportunity of summer work season to slip by. As you are reading this there is the wonderful sound of hammers hammering and saws sawing—something we never do when customers are present.

Jon Wimpney did an incredible job contacting our 2020 customers. Since nearly everyone (all but eight customers) rebooked for 2021, we are completely full now for the 2021 season, EXCEPT for the trip we’ve added to the end of our typical season. Next summer we will have a new five-day trip on September 5-10. That should be smack in the middle of the trout spawn where the vast numbers of lake trout in our lakes move onto rocky reefs of one to two feet in depth. It’s an amazing experience. On clear, sunny days they are spooky but long casts generally end up with a spectacularly colored lake trout on the end of the line. According to Jon, at this point it’s wide open except for one late season veteran (Andy, you know who you are) who jumped at this opportunity. There are still pike to be caught in early September and they will be fat and heavy, but the Troutfest is reason alone enough to make this trip. By the way, it is the only time when fly anglers can effectively target lakers. Yes, you will use floating lines. The lake trout spawn is temperature driven (50-degree lake water is the magic number) so, like all fishing, there are variables and no guarantees. Over the past decade though these dates have produced exciting fishing for the staff who were hanging around, shutting down the lodge.

Get On The List

Lock in your own 2021 lake trout experience in shallow water or get on the wait list for any cancellation for 2021. Every year we get a few, but with the uncertainties of travel these days we may have more than normal. It’s a first call/first serve program to fill cancelled spots.

With a full season of rest for all our fish, 2021 will be a memorable year.

Be there, call Jon today: 306-209-7150

INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE

by Jason Hamilton, General Manager

What to do with a full summer on Scott Lake without a single guest on the island? The first answer from our group of a dozen staff members was, of course, FISH! Well, they got to do some but just a little. The objective for the summer was to condense five spring, fall and winter construction seasons into a single three-month period. The long daylight and absence of inclement weather make that ambitious goal possible, but that timeline didn’t allow a lot of time for fishing. This was a summer for work. We are extremely fortunate that our staff has a level of dedication unrivaled in this industry. This group came to work and work they have been doing. It helped that we had a quite a few team members with solid skill sets in construction. All had an incredible hard work ethic made this tall task easy for me to manage.

Hitting the docks later than normal this season (we had a late ice-out), we noticed one thing immediately—the ice had been particularly hard on two of our permanent docks. In fact, the ice was batting .500 on destroying docks. So, the group donned waders, and made our finest dock effort to date. Back on land, there were countless jobs refinishing, staining, repairing and building. By the time our next guests arrive on June 9, 2021 five of our thirteen cabins will sport major face lifts or be brand new (not counting Ptarmigan which debuted last summer). Major upgrades to our water and electrical system have been made. Thankfully, we have in Greg Hamm a licensed electrician. Since very department on the island wanted more storage, we have been building storage areas. (This is like a small city.) One of the biggest jobs that’s still on our agenda is a new, state of the art walk in cooler and freezer. It will be finished before we leave the first week of September. Every deck on the island been has water sealed. And there a couple of big surprises you are just going to have to wait and see with your own eyes once you step on our dock next summer.

It’s been a great summer: productive, fun, sweaty and weird. Despite the shared camaraderie our team has badly missed sharing this place with our visiting anglers. It’s a strange feeling to be in the lodge in the evening without the buzz of fishing stories and the excitement of who caught what. The blood, sweat and sometimes tears that went into this busy summer of improving the place will be completely forgotten though with the smiles and excitement of our guests seeing all the changes next summer. Scott Lake Lodge has always been about continual improvement, but this summer made a quantum leap.

Now, don’t think for a minute there hasn’t been a bit of fishing and some shore suppers up here. We need to keep the fish exercised and the fireside cookery skills sharp. We look forward to seeing the entire extended Scott Lake family next June. Until then stay safe and stay tuned to our media outlets as we let some previews out!

March 2020 Update

by Tammy MacDonald | Mar 19, 2020 | 2020 Season

We live in interesting times. Let’s dive right into discussing the elephant in the room. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has quickly spread worldwide and obviously has everyone anxious about the next few weeks and months. We are concerned about the safety of our customers and staff and will take all advisable steps to ensure a safe season.
So, what does the future hold for the 2020 Scott Lake season?

This is what we know for sure:

We are fully aware of the severity of the situation and are taking it very seriously.
We are preparing and planning to open our doors on June 9th, still 85 days away. There is a lot of time for the disease to peak and subside as seen in China. We are watching carefully and planning for any contingency.
In consultation with medical professionals, we will take all necessary steps to ensure disinfection and safety for guests and staff both on island and in transit.
At present our cancellation policy will maintain as per usual. In the unlikely event of travel bans during the season we will make a decision starting June 1, 2020 regarding a special case cancellation policy. We will keep our guests updated and individually contact them should this become necessary.

We want to fish as badly as you do.

But summer is coming, and our preparations will continue. We want to fish as badly as you do.

We are 85 days away from welcoming our first anglers of 2020 on our docks and 86 days from first casts! As the season draws near, we are amassing literally tons of gear, lumber, rods, reels and other details for the long trip north either by ski plane, helicopter or floats. When you arrive this summer, there will be some surprises to greet you. While we can’t give them all away, a number of cabins will have major face lifts and Moose cabin will have migrated from its previous locale to a new location on the hill near Grayling and Ptarmigan. Old Moose will be a storage area. New boats will be awaiting their maiden voyage, part of a continuing increase in power as many new 30hp Yamahas will be ready to move you a bit faster on the fly out lakes.

With all of the new we will of course have a lot of what’s familiar. Almost the entire 2019 staff will be returning this summer: 27 out of 29, including all the guides. There will be three new faces on the island this summer, bringing smiles and a new perspective to continue our goal of providing the absolute finest customer service of any fishing lodge, anywhere.

Thank you for deciding to fish with us. We promise to work our hardest to ensure your fishing trip is all you want it to be. It’s going to be a great year and we can’t wait to see you on the dock!

Resources for Your Trip Planning

2020 Adventure Guide

Tackle Tips

Natural History of the Far North (deep dive into the Lodge ecosystem)

Highlights of the 2019 Season (new video)

We’re A Bunch of Sellouts

This is an official announcement: We are sold out for 2020! The actual moment was around the first of February when the last guest found their fishing adventure with us, but we didn’t want to net the fish before it was hooked so to speak.

Thank you all for your continued support in returning to our island each year. And also thank you to those anglers that have put their trust in fishing with us for the first time in 2020. Your business is appreciated, will not be taken for granted and continually earned.

But we all know life is unpredictable and cancellations do happen. Reach out to our Sales Manager Jon Wimpney if you would like to be put on a wait list for a potential opening this season.

And of course now is also a great time to get in touch with Jon regarding a 2021 trip. Give him a call at 306/209-7150 or send him an email. He loves to talk fishing anytime.

Congrats Jason!

The Scott Lake Lodge family congratulates General Manager Jason Hamilton on his election to board of the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters. It’s a tribute to Jason’s leadership and his knowledge of our industry.

Happy Holidays from the Team

by Tammy MacDonald | Nov 18, 2019 | 2019 Season

That time of the year is upon us. Thanksgiving is right in front of us and Christmas just around the corner. For most of our guests living in the northern half of the continent there is no need for a reminder: winter is here.

For all but the hardiest of anglers, the 2019 fishing season is now just a collection of memories (we hope those memories are of huge pike engulfing your lure or fly right at the side of the boat.) But unless you have a saltwater trip on your agenda, those memories will have to get you through the months ahead of cold and snow, something that’s been the norm at Scott Lake Lodge for quite a few weeks now. Watching satellite images, we can see that Scott Lake froze up shore to shore on November 2 this year, giving the fish a long break until our 2020 anglers start casting on open water again on June 9. Our hard fighting fish deserve a break.

Until next year.

A few of them may get some exercise this winter, though, when the construction crews arrive in January and break out the augers for a bit of ice fishing. Then again in late April when another crew heads north to put the finishing touches on the 2020 projects. Our team is as crazy about fishing as they are about sharing this part of the world with you.

Speaking of our team, we are happy to announce that the full guide staff is returning along with nearly all of the shore staff . . . they must like it here. We attribute that dedication and loyalty to the unique culture that has evolved on our island among the guests and staff. This is just a fun place to be!

With the kickoff of the holidays we want to thank all of our 2019 customers for another fantastic season. Without your support, commitment and friendship, we simply would not be able to pull this off. Enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and don’t forget to tell them some fish stories. Send them our way if you think they would enjoy the Scott Lake Experience!

It’s Time to Book for 2020

This year a record number of guests chose to book again for 2020 before leaving the lodge, a feather in the cap of the staff and a testament to their hard work. We appreciate the trust of these “Scott Lake Regulars”.

It’s our Sales Manager’s job to keep Scott Lake Lodge full. Jon Wimpney who also guides for 85 straight days every season has done a fantastic job, selling out the place almost every year. This year should be a slam dunk. When the season ended, we already had 82% of our 2020 capacity sold. But that still gives you a lot of room to plan your fishing adventure.

Holiday Incentive

Receive a $500 flyout credit for your trip if we receive your deposit by December 1st.
(New reservations only.)

Call Jon Now: 306-209-7150

2020 Fishing Gear Gift Guide

by Tammy MacDonald | Nov 18, 2019 | gear

Just in time for the shopping season opener, our professional guide team has your back. We’ve assembled a gift list that will make your angler smile. It might even save you enough time to wet a line yourself, or do whatever brings you joy.

#10 Waterproof Duffel Bag

A bag like this will save you grief traveling the world over. They are easier to pack on small planes and protect your gear from rain, unplanned dips and everything else an adventure might throw at it. As you trek to remote parts of the world chasing fish baggage carousels tend to be replaced by patches of gravel beside the plane. Simms, Patagonia, North Face and Cabelas all make solid versions.

#9 Gloves

Fingerless, waterproof, insulated.
Gloves for fishing in Canada need a 1,2 punch. In the north the weather can change in an hour. You need a couple of options: fingerless lightweight sun gloves for those sunny days or just cool weather and for the really cold and wet days a waterproof glove to keep you warm and dry, yet still able to reel in a fish. We like the SolarFlex SunGlove from Simms or the Catalyst Soft Shell Glove from First Lite.

#8 Handwarmers

Throw a couple in your gift package to take the chill off hands on cold days.

7. Multitool

With a knife, pliers, small scissors, awl and more there are infinite uses in the boat, rigging rods or opening a nice bottle of Cab Sav. Some of the best are made by Leatherman and Gerber,

6. Waterproof Case

Protect your phone, iPod and wallet from the rain and weather. Hard to beat Pelican in this department.

5. Battery Pack

Keep your phone, camera, music or whatever you need rolling with a rechargeable power pack. These can be charged in your cabin and keep you powered up for video action of wildlife or a big fish. We use the Goal Zero Venture 30.

4. Rubber Boots

Everyone needs a pair of dependable boots. If Scott Lake is the destination there is no need to bring waders, we have them. For most trips there is no need to bring knee high boots either. A low cut option will keep you dry and make for a lot easier packing. Can’t go wrong with Simms Riverbank Chukka.

3. Good Quality Rain SUit

We are constantly shocked to see guests arrive on a northern Canadian fishing trip with low quality, ineffective rain gear. Gore-Tex and Toray are the fabrics you need in your suit…yes a suit (bibs and a parka.) The difference between catching fish while being comfortable or miserable is an extra few bucks. Rain gear is the place to treat yourself and a good suit will last you a lifetime. Retreat it with Revivex which maintains the water repellent coating. Simms, Patagonia, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops and Helly Hansen all sell the good stuff.

2. Polarized Sunglasses

In our professional opinion, a quality pair of polarized sunglasses should be at the top of your gift list (you can give a pair to yourself you know). Costas are probably our guide team’s top choice, but Smith Optic and Oakley make great glasses as well. It’s not a bad idea to have a less expensive pair though as a back up.

1. All-Inclusive Trip to Scott Lake Lodge

What better place to test out your new wares then Scott Lake Lodge? Trophy pike, giant lake trout and arctic grayling all set to a backdrop of 15 million acres of unspoiled, exclusive use fishing area. Not to mention the private accommodations, luxury lodge, spa, gourmet cuisine. We are certainly proud of our fishery and facility but mostly of our staff, who we know without a doubt provide the finest level of customer service in the industry.

Break in that new gear at scott lake!

Schedule Your Trip

Season Wrap Up 2019

by Tammy MacDonald | Sep 19, 2019 | 2019 Season

On September 2nd the last of our 2019 guests boarded the float planes and headed south. It was a wrap for the season, and it was another record breaker. Despite less than ideal weather this summer, our anglers hung in there and hung a ton of big fish.

We’ve never seen trophy numbers like this. After setting a record of 2,221 trophy fish in 2018, we blew the doors off this season. Our 442 guests (another sold out season) landed 2,670 trophies, an average of six trophies per angler, way above last year’s record of 4.7. It’s a simple formula: great water+great anglers+great guides=BIG FISH. With so many of our anglers coming back every season (this season 87% of our guests had been to Scott previously), they are getting just a little better at spotting the fish the guide is patiently (or impatiently) pointing out, better at setting the hook and better at keeping that line tight. With our guide team learning all the new fly outs lakes a little better every season, they are putting guests in front of more big fish. We can speculate forever on the causes, but the numbers are clear. On all fronts the trophy fishing at Scott has been getting better and better.

Most of our guests are focused on pike and they found them. We set a new pike trophy count along with the total trophies. On 1,807 occasions the guide either said or thought “that one’s over” as he put a 40+ incher into his net. Stretched end to end that’s way more than a mile of trophy pike. Many of those were true monsters. Watch for our Annual Report for all those details. Our trout totals were roughly the same as the prior year. It was the incredible arctic grayling year that gave our top line trophy count a real boost. In 2018 we had 255 trophy grayling with 55 over 18 inches. In 2019 we had 625 with 125 over 18 inches. Yes, we did find a new grayling hot spot. Maybe we can’t keep setting new records every season, but our guests keep trying. Don’t bet against them.

This pike was definitely “over” the trophy limit. So was the smile!

It’s a simple formula: great water + great anglers + great guides = BIG FISH.

So, we had the numbers and we had a record year for something that’s tough to measure—how much fun guests have. With great dining, lots of wildlife sightings (in June and early July our black bears were prowling the shorelines and sightings were a daily occurrence), some spectacular end of season northern lights, there were many more things to interest our guests than just the fishing. During the cooler weeks, the Finnish sauna (water poured over hot stones) and the hot tub were busy places. During the warmer weeks, the expansive deck around the main lodge was the hot spot. To our surprise the new Fitness Center had a lot of traffic, even after long days on the water. Some guests even took the hour-long Tundra Trail nature walk on the mainland, a five-minute boat ride away. Many guests this year discovered that Scott Lake Lodge is about more than fishing. It’s about having a good time and we’ll just have to take our customer’s word that we delivered on the fun factor.

Improving the Infrastructure

We really can’t do much to improve the fishing, but we can control our facilities and equipment upgrades. We’re doing both. Most of our 2019 guests noticed a lot of improvements: a new floating dock; a new guest cabin, Ptarmigan, replacing an older cabin; a new Fitness Center adjacent to our sauna; six new fly-out boats and ten new motors. All our 2019 guests noticed the new luxury mattresses that were put in every guest room last season. (It’s the little things that make a difference.) In 2020 guests will see another new cabin and significant remodeling/enlargement of four existing guest cabins. Every year things will get better and better on the island. That is a sure bet.

Not much room to improve here.

It’s a sure bet too that all or nearly all of the great staff our customers have interacted with will be back in 2020. At this writing all the Scott guides have signed on to another year, giving that team a 17-year average tenure. For now though, our Scott Team is starting their annual migration literally around the world. We have team members heading for New Zealand, Central America, Africa, Asia, South America and all points of the compass in Canada. There will be a reunion for many in Costa Rica at guide Graham Coulombe’s wedding there in April.

Keeping the Lodge Full

A full lodge is a happy lodge, not only for owners but also for our guests. Many of our guests have started to enjoy the company of other guests almost as much as the company of big fish. There is an energy and excitement at every week’s opening night dinner that is tough to describe but easy to enjoy. It’s our Sales Manager’s job to keep Scott Lake Lodge full. Jon Wimpney who also guides for 85 straight days every season has done a fantastic job, selling out the place almost every year. This year should be a slam dunk. When the season ended, we already had 82% of our 2020 capacity sold. But that still gives you a lot of room to plan your fishing adventure. Give Jon a call at 306/209-7150 or send him an email. He’ll find you a spot.

Trophy Lake Trout Fishing at Scott Lake Lodge