What a week! Great weather, great company and fantastic fishing! The group from week 11 were fraught with luck right from the start of the week, clouds parted and a nice summer high pressure system settled in to kick the pike and trout into overdrive. It was a week where we had our season’s youngest and oldest guests; nice to see that the fishing bug continues to catch amidst all the other things grabbing attention these days. Fishing wisdom was being passed both up and down the years last week and the group seem to thoroughly enjoy their time shared on this island.
Now to the fishing! There was a grayling bite on day 1 on the Dubawnt River north of Ivanhoe Lake, the Marks (Mark Lackner and Mark Heine) caught grayling on dry flies, wet flies…and just about everything else they threw. Both caught 10 trophies that day on the rapids with 18.5” and 18” being their respective biggest. Jeff Towers took pike honors on the first day with a fat 46.5” trophy northern. The second day was highlighted by a couple of beauty 44 Magnums. Mark Velligan got to sight cast his fly to a big 44.5” pike. Tosh Craig (son of head guide Cory) pulled in a jumbo 44” as well….he wasn’t done yet and added a day 4 giant of 46”. On the trout troll Loren Larson managed to battle a 40.5” laker from the depths of Scott. Loren was lucky enough to catch another half dozen lakers from 35-39” …. his arms must have been sore after that day!
The third day had the ladies in camp joining in on the big fish. Priscilla O’Donnell and Betty Chadwell both notch 44.5” trophy northern pike. Tonya McGraw added a 46” as well. On a calm sunny day what more can you ask for from a fly in fishing trip to Canada? Bryce Tharp was doing some pike fishing on one of the flyout lakes in the Northwest Territories and landed a beauty 46” northern pike. A couple anglers were lucky enough to catch all 3 species (northern pike, lake trout and arctic grayling) in trophy size. Ryan Robbins hit his Trophy Triple with a 41.5” pike, a 36” trout and a 15” grayling…at 14 one of our youngest trophy triples this season. Perhaps the Trophy Triple caught by our eldest angler was completed this week by Gus Ruetenik Sr. At 93 years of age Gus has learned a few things about catching big fish at Scott Lake, he got a 40” pike a 39” laker and a beauty grayling from outflow of Sandy Lake to receive his hat! We had 1 angler hit the coveted 100”+ mark this week. Fishing with Jan, Amy Towers caught a mammoth 48.5” pike on day 4, on day 5 she added a buzzer beater 37.5” trout and a 16” grayling from the base of scenic Lefty Falls on the Grease River. Amy ended up with 101” of trophy fish! Congrats Amy and all the anglers on week 11. Let this be a lesson to all of you folks that think fishing isn’t as good as it is the first week of the season….just ask the week 11 group what they thought of fishing in the dog days of summer!
Week 11
Gus Sr and Cory with a lunker of a Laker!
Week 11
Mark and Curt with a massive Day 3 Pike!
Week 11
Tosh and Hammer with a Loooong Day 4 Pike!
Week 11
Graham and Ed with a great looking Day 4 Pike!
Week 11
Poacher and Loren with one of the many Lakers the duo boated during the week.