Catching Memories at Tazin Lake Lodge

When you think of northern Saskatchewan, you think of catching big fish, and that’s exactly what Merle and Jack Erickson came to do.

As a fishing guide at Tazin Lake Lodge, I get to meet all sorts of people from around the world. I have had the privilege to guide a lot of awesome people, but a father-son trip is always special. Being able to be a part of an experience like this is not something a lot of people can say they have done.

Merle and Jack had come on a 10-day trip and they had very high expectations to reach. These guys fished very hard and were lucky enough to see firsthand what northern Saskatchewan has to offer. When it comes to lake trout, a 40-inch fish is a very big specimen. During the trip, we saw several fish exceeding that mark by a landslide, with some weighing in at over 40 lb.

The second last night of the trip was when everything came together. We had caught a 48-inch lake trout earlier in the evening and we were on cloud nine. After fishing hard, we were ready to head back in. But just as we were about to call it, we marked two very big fish.

As we drifted past them, Jack’s rod bent in half and the fight was on. After a 25-minute battle, a huge shadow appeared from underneath the boat. What I thought was a baby whale turned out to be the biggest lake trout I’ve ever seen. After a few quick photos and measurements, we realized we had a 65-lb. lake trout on our hands, which was safely released and engraved in our memories.

I think everyone should experience moments like these in their lives. You should look no further than Tazin Lake Lodge to create your own memory that will last a lifetime.

Rylan Parrott is a fishing guide at Tazin Lake Lodge. For the 20-year-old from Saskatchewan, fishing is a way of life. Fishing has given him opportunities to explore, enjoy, learn and share what our beautiful province has to offer, along with creating lifelong friendships and memories along the way.