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Everyone knows anglers are incorrigible liars. So for years I listened to tall tales about fishing in northern Saskatchewan with a healthy skepticism. But after my trip to Cree River Lodge in June 2016, I can tell you that all the stories are true.
As associate editor of Outdoor Canada magazine, I’ve fished in wild northern regions in Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario. I’m especially fond of targeting northern pike, preferably on a fly rod, and over the years I’ve landed about a dozen trophy northerns (fish over 40 inches). I’m not exactly a tenderfoot. But Cree River Lodge, located just 120 kilometres south of the 60th parallel, was unlike any place I’ve ever experienced. It was pike paradise.
I have never beheld—or to be honest, even imagined—such a concentration of truly large fish. Even better, most fish were in water less than three feet deep, which is rare in southern Canada and the lower 48 U.S. states. For the uninitiated, finding big northern pike in shallow water lets you fish mostly by casting, which is always fun. Shallow-water fish are also ideal for targeting with fly-fishing tackle. And thanks to the clear water, it was often possible to sight-cast to individual pike—a thrilling way to hunt big fish.
Since conditions were so good for fly-fishing, I packed away my spinning gear after the second day, and fly fished exclusively, which was a real treat. And it was effective, too. I landed another four trophy pike (photo below), plus too many to count in the mid-30-inch range. And although I’m not one to keep score, numbers do help tell the story. So here’s the key one: at Cree River Lodge I caught more giant fish in four days, than in my last four northern trips—added together. And that, my friends, is no fish story.
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Author: Scott Gardner, associate editor for Outdoor Canada & fly-fishing columnist
Scott has written national-award-winning stories about chasing gamefish all over North and Central America.
Follow Scott Gardner on Twitter @OutdoorGardner
See more Outdoor Canada fishing and hunting tips and tales on www.outdoorcanada.ca.