Arctic Circle Lodge – Home Again

Arctic Circle Lodge

June 25 to July 11, 2026

Is This the Real life? Is This Just Fantasy?

There are a couple of reasons why I chose these particular song lyrics to introduce this year’s trip journal.

The first is because I like the song from whence they came , and the second, but more important reason, is that when on one of these forays, there are times when I do have to give myself a pinch, in order to remind me that this is all very real – and not just fantasy.

Over the many, many years that I’ve been doing this Great Bear Lake thing, I’ve come to appreciate that these trips are no longer just about the fishing.

Now don’t get me wrong, that has, and always will be a very important part of the entire experience, but equally so are taking in the stunning landscapes and other natural features on display, and sharing the entire experience with the people you meet along the way – many of whom have become lifelong friends.

And this year has been no exception. We caught loads of fish, including some pretty big ones, saw all manner of amazing scenery, spent some quality time with old friends, and even made a few new ones.

And so, now that I’ve subjected you to my introductory prattle we can finally get right to it, and I hope that you will enjoy this narrative outlining our most recent exploits at a place called Arctic Circle Lodge.

 Week First

June 25

Moving Day

We, the “we” being me and Kenny Gold – who currently plays  Stadler to my Waldorf – have made it a hard and fast rule to arrive in Yellowknife (YK) at least 2 days before the Plummer’s charter leaves for Bear.

Why so soon you might ask?

Because we have to be in YK early Saturday morning in order to catch said charter, and if we don’t make it on time – screwed doesn’t even begin to describe it.

And no, I’m not aware of any commercial flights to YK on Saturday that arrive before wheels up, but what I do know is that it will set you back at least $14,000 to charter a Twin Otter from YK to Arctic Circle Lodge,  so you had best get yourself to YK no later than Friday, that is if you plan on going fishing.

Fortunately, other than a random gate change on our Toronto to Calgary leg, everything went off without a hitch thereafter and we, together with our luggage, arrived on time in YK later that afternoon.

Darrell the “shuttle guy” was there waiting for us, and once we collected our bags,  he ferried us over to the Chateau Nova where we would be bunking in for the next 2 nights.

And the Oscar Goes To…

This evening we had a very enjoyable reunion with Rohan Brown, who not only lives and works in YK, but has been to Arctic Circle with us on 3 previous occasions.

We met up at Boston Pizza, which is one of only a limited number of sports  bars in town, because being a massive soccer fan, he wanted to watch the World Cup match between Australia, and some other team that I can’t for the life of me remember.

And while it was great to catchup with Rohan, the only redeeming feature of the game, which by the way ended in a 0-0 draw, were the Academy Award  performances put on by the players, as they fell to the pitch writhing in agony when anyone either looked at, or came within 10 feet of them.

The “beautiful game” you say? Well, me thinks that I’ll save that rant for another day.

June 26

Say it Ain’t So Chris !!!

While it appears, at least for the time being, that Kenny and I have something of a ceasefire in place with the airlines – not so Chris Ireland, who was slated to guide the pair of us over the next 2 weeks.

Some of you may recall that a few years back, Chris’  flight from Calgary to YK was abruptly cancelled at the last minute, forcing him and Scotty Orr to drive for over 24 hours straight in order to get to YK in time catch the charter.

They staggered into YK at around 6:30 am, which barley gave them enough time to get themselves and their gear over to the air base, and make the flight to Bear.

All seemed to going well today, as I had received a mid-morning  text from Chris letting us know that he had arrived in Calgary, and was just hanging around waiting for his connecting flight to YK.

So far so good. Well, not so fast…

I then received what could be best described as an “oh-shit” text, stating that he had lost his photo id somewhere in the airport, and without it, they would not let him board his connecting flight.

Not surprisingly, that prompted me to call Chris in order to find out just what the hell was going on, and to ascertain if he had a plan B in mind.

But rather than outline all of the gory details, including a visit  Chris made to a Police Station (he did this of his own accord), he got on a later flight – which by the by was the last one going to YK that day – using nothing more than his COVID vaccination record.

So much for the photo id requirement.

Once we knew that he was in the air, Kenny and I were then able to exhale, and enjoy a terrific dinner at the Explorer Inn, with good friend and GBL veteran Al Archibald, and his mate Gary Litman.

While at dinner we learned that one of Gary’s many accomplishments – he is among many other things a master fly tier – was catching a 51 pound Lake Trout on a fly, at Seagull Rock a year or so back.

 Trip Note

In the event that you decide to have dinner in the main dining salon at the Explorer Inn, the Bison Rib Eye is outstanding, as is the Dry Aged Fillet Mignon, and Arctic Char fillet.

 June 27

The Homecoming

For some reason, Plummer’s decided it would be a good idea to leave YK an hour earlier than usual, and while Darrell  picked us up at our hotel “on time,” this new departure time, when all was said and done, had the following overall impact in terms of our arrival at main lodge, and flight over to Circle:

• Absolutely none, and
• We were no longer able to grab breakfast at the hotel.

Nuff said about that.

There were loads of familiar faces at the Summit Air base, including Yvonne, Plummer’s guest wrangler, who turned 95 years young this past November.

An amazing person to be sure, she was, as always, quick with a smile and a hug for returning staff and guests, who she had come to know over the many years she has been doing this job.

One familiar face that was missing though, was the indominable “Pike Mike.” He had guided at Plummer’s for  years, before more recently taking on the role as their expeditor in YK.

From what I could gather he was “retiring,” although he had apparently agreed to stay on for a bit to help train the new guy.

I have to admit it was rather strange not seeing him at the charter base, and hearing his distinctive, gravelly voice barking out instructions to all and sundry.

Best of luck “Piker,” wherever, and whatever the future may have in store for you.

After a smooth hour and twenty minute flight, while on approach, we could see a fair amount of ice on the main lake, some of it fairly close to the lodge, and while I understand it restricted travel somewhat for a couple of days, there was no appreciable impact on anyone’s ability to get out on the lake and catch a mess of fish.

Among the many recognizable faces we encountered once we touched down, were Chuk, Aunty Mo, Brad, Terry Grant, Shane and Jenne Jonker, and Steve, the “Fly’n Hawaiian” Gardner.

Terry drove us from the strip over to the lodge in “Chummy’s Truck,” but not before being told in no uncertain terms by Chuk to be very careful not to break it.

If you have ever seen Chummy’s Truck, particularly what lurks under the hood, I believe it would be fair to say that that particular horse had bolted long ago.

After a quick lunch, we were on the first flight over to Arctic Circle, where we were reunited 2 of our absolute favorite people on the planet, Tina and Darrell, who would once again be our hosts for the next 2 weeks.

We were also very fortunate to have Bill Siemantel’ and his crew, which included Tim, Robbie, Terry, Shaun, Scotty, Jim and Rick, back with us again this year.

It’s worth noting that when flying to Circle we saw ice in Hornby Bay, and much to our surprise, even a few flows in the Western Channel.

It was bloody hot with no breeze to speak of, and relatively smoky, which was seemingly at odds with the NWT wildfire map we had reviewed just a couple of days ago, and which didn’t show anything burning in the immediate area.

Fortunately all of our gear and equipment that we leave at the lodge overwintered intact, including Kenny’s rain gear and boots, which I had tried to persuade him to take home each year, but to no avail.

My reason for pestering him about it is that there are hordes of little critters that live up there all year round, and who love nothing more than to chew on, and make nests in things like boots. The fact is, if you lose or break a rod, there are  replacements available at the lodge– rain gear and boots – not so much.

Once we unpacked, I decide to engage in some “beer and cigar” work, by sorting out my tackle, changing some hooks over to #5 single barbless, and replacing the center hooks on my Flatfish with #5 Colorado spinners, in various shapes and colours.

Chris and Kenny went out for a bit, and fished Domex Bay, which had surface temps above 60 degrees, and then went over to Guide Bay, where they registered north of 70!

The rest of the lads fished the Hunter Bay area, and while it was generally slow going, they did catch a few, including a 20 and 24 pounder.

Surface temps in Hunter were in the low 60’s as well.

Hmmm – these temps didn’t seem to make a great deal sense, given the time of year, and the fact that there was still some ice on the lake.

 Trip Note

One of the many things that I truly enjoy doing when writing up these journals, is to assign names to various places that we have fished.

And I don’t really care if it already has either an official, or what I refer to as a “lodge” name, because in some instances I prefer my own which, by the way,  I’m more than happy to share if you were to ask where we had been fishing on any given day.

And by the way, please don’t assume that sharing a name also includes providing coordinates.

But what I will do throughout this narrative, is indicate in the following way, whether a place name is:

• Official (OF) – meaning it can be found on any decent topographic map such as Toporama: https://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html
• Lodge Given (LG) – meaning you can probably find it on an old Arctic Circle map, or if one is not available, by asking Chris or me, or
• Proprietary (P) – meaning it’s a name that I have conferred on a particular locale or geographic feature, and If you want to find out more information about one of these – see above.

June 28

Hunt & Peck

This morning we had a hard rain that started around 6am.

The consensus among all of the various weather apps was that it was going to quit around 8am, which fortunately it did – although the rain did nothing to dissipate the smoke.

Air temps were all over the map, ranging from a high in the mid to high 80’s, and bottoming out between the high 50’s and low 60’s, which fortunately was the norm while out on the water, making it at least comfortable to fish.

Today we planned to explore some new water south of the Vance Peninsula (OF), and in and around Lindsley Bay (OF).

We caught a few fish here and there, and ended up going as far south as Mackenzie Island (OF), which is the big island at the mouth of Lindsley. Surface temps were once again in the low 60’s, which may have had something to do with the  fishing being as slow as it was.

Turning around and working our way north, the results were as follows:

• Hog Narrows (LG) – Surface temps were 60+, and we caught bupkis.
• The “New” Whitefish River (LG) – No Pike in the river per se, just a few Grayling with a death wish. The Pike were actually in the narrow channel next to the sandbar adjacent to the river. I got one about 35 inches, and while we spotted several bigger ones, they were nothing more than tire kickers, and clearly didn’t give a damn what we threw at them. The water in the river was so warm that it was swimmable.
• Eagle Bay (LG) – Surface temps north of 60. Are you starting to detect a theme here? Caught a few small ones, and did see loads of small trout and Grayling picking bugs off the surface. We did flip a few casts in their direction, but I don’t recall catching anything.
• Tried the islands adjacent to Eagle Bay, and while we saw plenty of fish rising and swimming around, there were no takers.
• Next was High Rock #2 (P) – Otherwise known as Narrow Bay (LG), and while the surface temps were somewhat more moderate – 54 to 55 degrees – once again we saw plenty of trout, and some very big Grayling, but they simply would not bite.

As we had ostensibly come to catch, rather than simply look at fish, we called it a day, and were back at the lodge by 5:10, where we enjoyed a somewhat early start to our usual cocktail hour.

I suppose you could say that if nothing else, we eliminated a lot of water from future consideration – at least for the foreseeable future.

The fishing was no screaming hell for the rest of the gang either, although it appeared that the Pike were beginning to wake up.

Bill fished Hog Narrows, and while there was not much in the way of trout to be had, they did enjoy some good Pike fishing in the long bay, which is located just south of the narrows.

Some of his crew, who are avid fly fisherman, went out  after dinner, and got into a mess of very nice Pike in and around the channel leading into Beaver Inlet (LG).

June 29

Bang-Zoom (to the moon…) !

Those of you who are of the same, or similar vintage as both Kenny and I, might recognize today’s title as being a favourite expression of one Ralph Kramden, the character played by Jackie Gleason in the sit com “The Honeymooners,” which aired in the mid 1950’s.

The reason why I’m using this reference is that from this point forward, whenever we got a massive hit, a blistering, short run, and then nothing to show for it – such an occurrence was to be known as a “Kramden.”

But I digress.

The day dawned hot and smoky yet again, and Chris, Kenny and I decided that we would check out the Western Channel (OF), and if the ice had gone, or at the very least moved elsewhere, we would make the run to Appleby Point (LG).

There was no ice to be seen, and it was clear sailing over to the point, where we finally found some decent water temps, that were in the mid-40’s to low 50’s.

Fishing was very good numbers wise, but the biggest we could come up with were in the mid-teens. Kenny’s new lure, a rather long, thin, red/silver spoon that he had picked up in the main lodge tackle shop, the name of which currently escapes me, was very productive, as was the Malibu Barbie.

While we didn’t break 20, I had 3 “Kramden’s,” meaning that while it would appear that there were some pretty big ones around, I just couldn’t seem to get a solid hook set, given how quickly they slammed it and spit it.

Perhaps I just needed to brush up on my hook setting chops, but even if that’s true, I elected to put it all on the fish, at least for today.

We even took a run over to Cosmo/Melville Creek (OF) once things slowed down at Appleby, but unfortunately there was more in the way of birdlife, than there were fish.

As for the rest, one boat made it over to Seagull Rock (LG) where in addition to some others, caught a 31 and 2 over 20.

Meanwhile Bill continued to work Hunter Bay (OF) – which he knows better than anyone – and bested a 21, 25 and 30, while his boat buddy hit a 20.

Not too shabby of a day.

 True Story

This evening at dinner Kenny, who is a master joke and storyteller, regaled us with some true classics, each of which he introduced by saying – “true story” –  thereby topping off what had been a very good day in fine fashion.

Trip Notes

There was loads of crud on the surface of the water both at Appleby and elsewhere, that I was at somewhat at a loss to explain.

Fortunately Chris solved the mystery, by explaining that this surface clutter, which had accumulated on top of the ice over the winter, was what was left over just after the ice had gone out, which made sense given that we had seen ice in the area only a few days ago.

• It’s also worth noting that there seemed to be far more waterbirds of all shapes, sizes and descriptions than in years past, with Swans in particular being rather plentiful.

• While fishing Appleby on both this, and on several other occasions throughout our 2 weeks, we noticed that the fishing was usually best from mid-morning to early afternoon, but at around 1:30 or 2, it would invariably shut right down, as if someone had thrown a switch.

 June 30

What a Difference a Day Can – and Did Make

Which in this instance was a 15 degree drop in the air temperature during the early morning hours, with the outside thermometer registering a rather brisk 46 degrees.

If I recall correctly, it was around 3am when I forced myself to crawl out of bed, close our window, and throw on an extra blankie.

We had some wind overnight and throughout the day, which combined with the drop in air temperature, flipped the water temperatures over to where they should be at this time of year, which is in the low 40’s to mid 50’s range.

I guess the big lake just needed a stir.

The weather apps were something of a mixed bag when it came to wind speeds this morning, but  we decided to head up through the MacAlpine Channel (OF), and see if it made sense, wind wise, to try crossing over to Seagull.

Once we cleared the channel and were out on the main lake, the consensus was not to make the attempt, so instead we embarked on an Odyssey through the archipelago of islands north of the lodge, that would have made both Homer and Odysseus proud, by venturing forth to*:

• Can Opener Bay
• Stephen’s Channel
• Walts Bay
• Joanne’s Bay (the mouth of it anyway)
• Tiny Bay
• Steve’s Nut Sack
• Lunch Island
• Beaver Inlet
• Chirs’ Reef, and
• Hunter Bay

By engaging in this Herculean effort, we were rewarded with a total of 8 Trout, including a 15, 18 and 20 pounder, and in the back bay of Beaver Inlet, about 20 Pike

And while it was a generally slow day all around, I believe  that Shaun hauled in a 36, and there was also a 25 caught while jigging, which so far this week anyway, would appear to be the way to go, both in terms of size and numbers.

*Please note that all of the foregoing are Lodge names, with the exception of Hunter Bay, which is an official place name (OF), and Chris’ Reef which is a proprietary name (P).

Trip Notes

Today’s weather was all over the map, and otherwise downright weird.

I say “weird” because while visiting one of the many places on today’s itinerary, we saw a rather substantial fog bank rolling towards us through the North Channel (LG), but the peculiar thing was, one minute it was there, and then it inexplicably vanished into thin air.

As I said – weird…

In previous years, there was little or no perceptible current flowing into Beaver Inlet from the lake , but at present, there’s about a 4mph current running through the narrows into the Inlet. We didn’t even have to use the motor, because Chris just tilted it up and let the current carry us through.

 July 1

So Where Exactly Did You Say You Were Fishing?

 The Devil’s Bowling Ball (P) that’s where…

We had some rain again in the wee hours, but by the time we were ready to go, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day all around, both for travelling and for fishing.

Our first stop on our way to the aforementioned location, was the glacier at the back of a very attractive bay that is officially named: Glacier Bay (OF)!

We fished the bay for about an hour, and were rewarded with 8 trout in various sizes. If you happen to find yourself in this neck of woods, I would recommend spending more time exploring/fishing the bay than we did, and but for the fact that the Devil’s Bowling Ball beckoned, we would have stuck around longer.

It turned out to be one of those remarkable days that keeps me coming back to the Bear year after year. And while these kinds of days can at times be somewhat few and far between, the thought that it can, and in fact has happened on numerous occasions in the past, is more than enough to prime my pump.

There were fish everywhere we dropped a line, and by early afternoon, we didn’t even bother keeping track any longer.

And while most of the fish we caught were in the 8 to 12  pound range, the big boys and girls also decided to join in the fun.

While I was landing a fish, Kenny flipped out one of Bill’s “Billy Jigs”, and hooked on to something that, according to him, felt more like a Buick than a fish. It went right to bottom, and was quite content to stay there, while all Kenny could  do for the time being, was hang on for dear life.

After what seemed like an eternity – and in fishing terms it probably was – he finally got it moving, and eventually into the net. His hard work, focus and persistence paid off with a beautiful 48 pound laker, which not only turned out to be the biggest fish this week, but for the next one as well.

It was now my turn, and in quick succession I landed a 30, followed by an 18 pounder. When I was fighting the 30, we could see another that was either the same, or greater in size buzzing around my fish, and even though Kenny dropped a jig pretty much right on its head, it was not even remotely interested.

If you are keeping track, our 3 fish trifecta came in at 48 – 30 – 18, for a total of 90 pounds.

Trolling past the Bowling Ball, we entered a channel on the backside of Gossan Island (OF) that reminded me of an aquarium.

The water was fairly shallow and crystal clear, and we could see all manner of Grayling and trout – a number of them10 pounds or better – lazily swim past our boat.

I believe Kenny tried a few casts, but they could have cared less.

We had a smooth ride home, and while there was not much in the way of smoke where we had spent the day, it became very thick the closer we got to the lodge.

Let me just say that Chris, Kenny and I thoroughly enjoyed this evenings cocktail/cigar hour, immersed in a state of perfect contentment.

 My Tax Dollars at Work

In last year’s trip journal I included a picture of a sign that was erected some time ago, by what is now titled Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, at the former Port Radium (OF) mine site, warning people that because the site had elevated radiation levels, you might not want to spend too much time there.

As you can see, the sign was in both English, and what I believe may be Dene (?).

But when Chris recently flew his drone over near the sign – which btw is located hundreds of miles north of nowhere – he could clearly see that there had been some modifications made, because it’s now trilingual, with the warning  being in English, Dene and French!

Now it’s anyone’s guess if this came about because some bored bureaucrat either wanted to ensure  they had spent all of their annual budget dollars, and figured why not update the name of the Government agency responsible for the site or, and stranger things have happened, they were responding to a complaint from God knows who.

You may recall that earlier in this story, I mentioned that the cost to bring in a Twin Otter from YK to Arctic Circle Lodge was in and around $14k.

So using that as a baseline, because Port Radium is not all that far from the Lodge, I can only imagine what it must have cost to process the paperwork, manufacture, transport, and install the new sign in a place that very, very, very, very few people will ever visit, and if they do, not unlike us, it ain’t but for a few minutes to have a quick look around.

And while I appreciate the fact that we are, at least at the Federal level, officially a bilingual country, in this particular instance, someone should have applied a modicum of common sense, and just let this one slide.

Hey, I almost forgot – Happy Canada Day!

Trip Notes

• What I consider peculiar is that while we have had a couple of good soaking rains over the past couple of days, it has not seemed to have much, if any impact on the fires burning in the area.
• Today’s hot lure was the Husky Devel Senior – Green Crush, although Kenny also did very well trolling his 1 ounce “Billy Jig.”
• What took place while I was landing my 30, is why we always keep one rod loaded with a medium size spoon, or a jig, because Lake Trout appear to be very curious, and there have been many occasions where we have casted to, and landed a follower while fighting another fish.
• Lake Trout, as well as being rather curious fish, have also been known to follow lures for considerable distances, so particularly if you are trolling, it won’t hurt to vary the action/speed of your lure from time to time, either by giving it a twitch, or increasing/ decreasing your trolling speed.
• Because we/they only had time for a very brief “hi – how are ‘ya” on changeover day, we had a very pleasant “catch up” video chat with Aunty Mo and Steve, “The Fly’n Hawaiian” Gardner this evening.

 July 2

If At First You Don’t Succeed – Wait 36 Years Then Give it Another Shot

 Kenny and I are always up for fishing new water, and today was going to be one of those days.

Chris, who hadn’t done this since 1990 when he was working at Circle, was planning to take us on a journey of exploration along the South/East shore of Hornby Bay (OF).

While it was still smoky, the winds were moderate, meaning we had no difficulty getting to and from the various places on our travel blueprint.

Our first port of call was a previously unnamed bay that had a river flowing into the back end, ominously named the Death River (LG). This bay is now recorded on my GPS map as – drum roll please– Death River Bay!(P)

Fishing our way towards the river mouth – when Kenny hears the word “river” he immediately thinks Pike, so we would be paying it a visit – we caught all manner of trout that topped out at about 10 pounds.

As for the river itself, it should have been named the Dead River, in that it only produced 4 small Pike.

Finger Point (LG) was next up, part of which we had in fact visited in the past. While working the east side, we caught a boat load of small trout, although I think it’s fair to say that we saw more swimming around than we caught.

We then  wrapped things up by visiting a beautiful little bay, and having no idea if it had either an official or unofficial name, yours truly christened it Peregrin Nest Bay (P).

Not unlike Finger Point, and for that matter Death River Bay, we saw considerably more trout as we caught.

We had a very good day overall, and hey Chris, let’s not wait another 36 years to do it again!

The night before, being the nice guys that we are, we gave Bill the lowdown on the Devil’s Bowling Ball, including what we thought were the precise coordinates on where to find it.

Let’s just say that he zigged when he should have zagged, but had a great day nevertheless in what I believe was Charlton Bay (OF). Their numbers were very good, and the average size was excellent, with their biggest coming it at 23 pounds.

We Look at Trees and other stuff…

When the fish aren’t bitting – and even sometimes when they are – both Chris and I are constantly scanning the shore in search of interesting looking rock formations, mineralization, markers left behind by past travellers, trees, bushes, wildlife – you name it.

We did find a few interesting looking trees today in Hornby, but the one that took the cake so far, was on the North shore just west of the Devil’s Bowling Ball. I regret not taking a picture, but it appeared as though someone had purposely trimmed it  into a perfect orb. Never saw anything quite like it.

Perhaps the crew that put up the new sign at Port Radium had time to do some landscaping.

As for mineralization, there is plenty to see in the area, particularly on Gossan Island (OF), and on the south cliffs of  Stephen’s Island (OF).

July 3

The Bear Giveth – Then Smacketh You Upside the Head

So do think that we could hit 3 out of the park on consecutive days?

We thought so of course, but no matter how dialed in you may THINK you are, there are times when you simply strike out – and today was in many respects, one of those times.

Like slathering Pavlovian Dogs, once we found out there were to be no flyouts to contend with, and all of the weather apps agreed that it was going to be a nice day with light winds, we headed up through the MacAlpine Channel and over to Seagull Rock.

First stop was a spot we had named the Casting Place (P), and while we saw some fish, only managed to catch a handful of small ones.

Next we trolled over to the Rock Pile (P), and let’s just stay that our visit was rather forgettable.

Working our way east towards Seagull Rock Bay, we picked up a few more, but continued to struggle to break 12 pounds.

Inside the bay itself it was deader than a Dodo, so we stopped washing lures, and made our way to a locale in the back of the bay that has been known to hold some very big Pike.

We saw several good size gators swimming around, but after catching one just over 20”, they simply shut down. And while they would follow, and at times even bump the lure, they simply wouldn’t take it.

We continued to fish our way east, but other than a fairly big one that Kenny spotted swimming on top of what Chris refers to as the Esker (P), all we could manage was a random trout here and there.

Overall it was a rather disappointing day, and while we did catch a few, it weren’t the small ones we were after.

Ces’t la vie…

Have you ever heard of something called a Zombie Fire?

These are fires that smolder below the surface in winter, and while you may think they’re dead, come back in the spring when the ground dries out.

The day had been entirely clear and calm, when suddenly a single white plume of smoke  appeared just north of Appleby Point. I can assure you that it had not been there earlier, because if it had, given our location, we would have seen it.

In talking it over with Chris, the only logical conclusion we could come up with is that we had witnessed the resurrection of a Zombie Fire.

Our ride back across the arm was smooth as could be, until we were literally 5 minutes from the lodge, when we got slammed by a nasty squall, that seemingly came out of nowhere.

While we got a bit damp and blown around some, on the plus side, we were very close to home when it hit.

Other members of our crew fished the outer edge of Hornby and the Dog Head Point (OF), and put up some excellent numbers. Bill finally made it over to the actual Devil’s Bowling Ball, and had an excellent day.

The biggest fish of the day were a pair of 25 pounders, but unfortunately I neglected to record who caught them and where.

 July 4

No Mas

For week #1 anyway.

Although we had to contend with a fair amount of smoke throughout the week, the weather cooperated for the most part, as did the fish.

Everyone did very well in terms of numbers, and there were a good number over 20 pounds also caught. Additionally, based on the intel I received throughout the week, the average size of the fish we did catch was up from last year.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend the week with Bill and his crew. Each and every one of them are really solid individuals, which made our stay all the more enjoyable – even though Bill did cop my usual seat at the dinner table.

And if you would like the complete story on how Bill and his group did throughout the week, just click on: Siemantel

To our hosts Tina and Darrell, you were simply brilliant in every conceivable respect, and I suppose the only fly in this particular ointment is that you are stuck with Kenny and I for another week!

 July 4 to 11, 2026

 Smoke on the Water – Several Fires in the Sky

 July 4

Who Left the Damn Freezer Door Open???

 

Fortunately the smoke temporarily cleared out this morning, making it possible for the Otter to pick up the outgoing crew, and drop off the incoming one.

If you have read the account of last week’s goings on’s, you may recall that the weather, particular the air temperatures, were all over the map, from a high of close to 90 at the beginning of the week, to low’s in the mid ‘40’s at other times.

Well, it seems that this week might not be much different if our first day was any indication, because while it had warmed up by the end of the week, the temperature dropped to 46 degrees overnight.

I guess I’ll be leaving the window closed, and that extra blankie on my bed for at least another night.

While we weren’t there to meet the new crew when they first arrived, we did connect later that afternoon.

Tom and Terry the Plumber were back for yet another go ‘round, having been here before, and they brought along Jonah, who would be guiding them the for the week. We also had a couple of rookies in camp, John and his son Brett.

 We Threw Everything We Had at Them!

Well – Some of it Anyway

The 3 of us made the decision to concentrate on Pike today, as up until now, we had not done all that well when it came to corralling these toothy critters.

In fact the Pike fishing blew hot and cold all week. For example, we fished a couple of places on one particular day and pretty much struck out, yet the very next day – and in one instance that very same evening – someone else visited the exact same places, and killed it.

This year anyway, it appears to be all about the timing.

To start things off, Chris took us to Silver Pike Bay (P) and the Bowl (P), and while there were a few willing to engage with us in the Bowl, it was nothing like it had been in years past. We even went all the way to the back where a creek comes in, and other than a couple Kenny caught, which MAY have touched 20”, that was all she wrote.

Next was a small bay just off of Hog Narrows that did produce 1 Pike last year, but we had we only fished it for about 15 minutes because of the damn bugs, so we figured why not give it another shot, because today, it was too bloody cold for bugs.

Kenny got a sizable hit just as we were about to exit the bay, and we were optimistic that he was finally into something big – Pike wise that is.

It was in fact a good fish, but when your heart is set on catching a big Pike, an 18 pound laker, while nice enough in and of itself, ain’t exactly what the doctor ordered.

As we were in the neighborhood, our next port of call was the “New” Whitefish River, and not unlike on our previous visit, we could see some pretty good ones chilling out in the channel next to the sandbar leading into the wider part of the river – but no cigar. I’m willing to bet that even if we had strung a gill net across the channel, they wouldn’t have bothered to swim into it.

Were they too well fed, lazy, or simply on to us?  Your guess would be as good as ours.

And while the Pike had become quite adept at dodging us, Kenny did catch a small trout just off the aforementioned sand bar.

So now where?

There was an area in the back of Narrow Bay that had held some decent Pike in the past, but with the wind blowing in and stirring up the mud on the bottom, it didn’t take long to realize that we were wasting our time, although we did have some action – of a sort.

Given the day we were having, I have to admit that I was pretty laid back, and not really giving much of a shit by this point, so when I let fly with my next cast, my rod and reel also flew – right out of my hands and into the lake!

Chris quickly grabbed the net and tried to snare it, but when extending the handle, it became detached, and the hoop/mesh portion went into the drink as well.

What a couple of knuckleheads.

While he managed to retrieve the net, I figured my rod and reel were toast. I did say to Chris and Kenny that I had never really liked that rod anyway – although losing the reel would hurt – but kudos to Kenny for managing to spot it – we were lucky to be in shallow water – and hooking on to it with his spinner, and bringing it up to where we could grab it.

For his heroics, I offered to make him a Gin & Tonic when we got back to the lodge – knowing full well that he wouldn’t drink a G&T if you put a gun to his head.

Taking a break from Pike fishing – as opposed to Pike catching – we did pick up several trout both in Narrow Bay, and around Fire Island (LG).

Being ones  who were clearly not opposed to engaging in self-flagellation, we made one final stop in Guide Bay (LG), where we did about as well as we had done everywhere else, although I did manage to hang on to my rod and reel this time.

The rest of the gang caught a few trout both in Domex (OF) and Hunter Bays, but there was nothing over 20 pounds if I recall correctly.

July 5

Ground Control to Major Tom

One of the many noteworthy differences between Kenny, me and an astronaut, is that when it comes to putting on all of their shit before rocketing off – unlike us, they have “people” to assist them in both  donning and shedding their gear.

As it was going to be another cold one, we of course put on pretty much everything we owned, and the jury is still out whether it’s more of a pain to gear up, or peel it all off again at the end of the day.

And while we had already paid it a visit, and did reasonably well, Chris was of the opinion that Appleby had not really turned on as yet, so we agreed to give it another go.

The weather apps appeared to be in agreement that the winds would be moderate today, so we headed off towards Dog Head Point, where we could check out the conditions on the main lake.

While we were travelling through the islands on our way to Dog Head, I happen to notice that another boat appeared to be bird – dogging us, so I asked Cris to pull up and let whoever it was catch up. Our stalkers were John and Brett, who readily admitted that they were indeed following us.

No worries, but we took the time to tell them where we were headed, and while they are both very experienced anglers, this was their first time on Great Bear, and we wanted to ensure that given the distance we planned to travel, that they had both a GPS and an extra tank of gas – which fortunately they did.

The wind was freshening through the Western Channel, and while it was pretty smooth going when travelling through the islands, once we arrived at Dog Head and checked out the main lake, there was no way we were going to cross.

After having a chat with John and Brett they headed back in the general direction of Hunter Bay, while we dropped a line just off of Dog Head, and even though the surface temp was 38/39 degrees, we did get a couple of hits, but no hook ups.

It was far too bouncy for our liking there, so we made our way back through the channel in a south/east direction to:

• High Rock Bay (LG) – Surface temp was barely above 40 – 2 small fish.
• B&G Narrows (P) – Surface temp 41 – 6 caught with the biggest being 14 pounds.
• Steve’s Nut Sack – Surface temp in low 40’s – no fish, no hits, no errors, even though we both tried jigging all the way from 85 up to 14 ft.
• Lunch Island – Surface temp remained in the low 40’s – one hit.

At that point we had had enough of being blown around and drenched with 40 degree water, so given that the fishing left something to be desired, we were back at the dock by 2:30, cold, wet, and ready for a hot shower and a cocktail.

John and Brett, who came in around 5:30 fared better than us, catching 20 trout and 5 big Grayling.

Tom and his crew spent some time in Hunter Bay, and while having shore lunch, Terry bested a 21 pounder on a jig. They also visited Beaver Inlet, where the saw a couple of Moose in the back of the inlet.

As it had calmed down some after dinner, Chris went out for a while, and as he had done on most nights, caught 3 trout.

Trip Note

I suppose a better title might be “Fire Watch,” but I’ll stick with Trip Note for a now.

The fire North of Appleby was still burning and had expanded, and the ones burning south of Hunter Bay were still going strong. Another had also popped up west of those in the vicinity of Domex Bay, and as a result, it remained relatively smoky on most days, regardless of where you went.

July 6

Fool Me Once – Shame on You – Fool Me Twice…

And you’ve got a couple of real live ones on your hands.

It was Déjà vu gear wise again given that the outside thermometer was showing 47 degrees, but unlike yesterday, when  the weather apps threw us something of a knuckle ball in terms of the wind speed, today they assured us it would be calm sailing.

Sure…

Undaunted, we made for Appleby again, and as predicted, had a smooth ride over. So far so good.

We caught loads of fish right off of the point, including Kenny’s 22 pounder, with the hot lure being the Green Crush Husky Sr.

Everything was going extremely well until about  12:30, when the sky began to darken, and the wind began to freshen in an appreciable way. So much for the weather apps.

The Dude Really Knows How to Handle a Boat

None of us had to say a word, and we quickly reeled up, and prepared to bug out.

Given that the wind was coming at us from the south, in order to head back across to the Western Channel in a relatively  straight line, we would have had to drive right into the teeth of it – which would have been a very dumb move indeed.

Chris did a magnificent job by tacking us in an Easterly direction, and keeping us out of wind as much as possible, by tucking in behind some of the islands that are in the area when he could, and while we got soaked, all and all it was a pretty damn smooth ride.

We did stop to take a break, and dropped our lines off of what I named “Half and Half Island” (P), although that’s a bit of a misnomer. The surface area was quite unique, in that approx. 1/3 ( not ½) was covered in trees and bushes, while the remaining 2/3 was covered with nothing but gravel.

It was also very interesting under the surface of the water, with a massive shoal dominating the west side, but off the east side, it dropped right off to 400 ft.

And by the way, we did catch 2 trout on top of the shoal.

Unfortunately John and Brett didn’t have all that great a day fishing wise, but they did see a Golden and Bald Eagle, a number of Swans and their Signets, and  water birds of various types.

I really came to appreciate their take on things, in that even if the fishing was not all that good, they clearly were more than content to accept, and otherwise appreciate whatever else the lake had to offer.

Tom, Terry and Jonah got as far as Port Radium, and while there was nothing over 10 pounds, the number of trout they caught was off the charts.

Chris went out after dinner, but instead of his usual 3, only caught 2. It eventually evened out though, because one evening he caught 4.

Trip Note

Although the various weather apps we tend to rely on are relatively accurate for the most part – do not bet the farm on them.

Even the In-Reach weather report, which will ostensibly provide you with a regularly updated forecast at your current location is pretty good, but it’s not 100% accurate.

The long and the short of it is, always be aware of your surroundings, and if the weather starts to look sketchy, never mind what the damn app says, start making your way back towards the lodge, or at the very least, put yourself in a position where you can readily find shelter if need be.

Don’t forget that this is Great Bear Lake, so always keep at least one eye on the horizon, and not unlike the unexpected windstorm and squall we had to contend with during our stay, conditions can literally change in an instant, and in ways that you can’t even begin to imagine.

July 7

Anyone Up For Bowling a Few Frames?

All indications were that today was going to be spot on in terms of weather. Hell, it even appeared that we just might get a break from the smoke.

The “Fruitilator” Is in the House!

Together with serving up a hearty traditional breakfast, Darrell and Tina would put out pitchers of smoothies, and dishes loaded with assorted berries.

When it came to the berries, most of us would eat a few, but when it appeared that everyone had had their fill, that’s when Jonah – who would from this day forward be known as the Fruitilator – went to work.

Jonah – who all kidding aside is a really great kid – was a berry eating machine. I swear that he popped another into his mouth before even swallowing the previous one, and kept it going until every last berry was gone. He reminded me of a conveyor belt that was running at full tilt.

The amount that that young man could put away was awe inspiring!

Good thing Tom and Terry weren’t paying to feed him – but then again…

Now to fishing.

You may have guessed by the title of this segment, that a trip to the Devil’s Bowling Ball was in the offing, and if you did, you would be correct.

Unlike yesterday, we had a smooth, dry run over to the bowling lanes.

The fish, who were in a very cooperative mood, were scattered over both the shallow and deep water, and if I remember correctly, we stopped counting at 30. In terms of lures, leading all of our various offerings, was the Husky Devel Sr. – Orange Crush.

And while there was nothing in terms of size to write home about – our biggest was 16 pounds – it was a fantastic day, nevertheless.

We worked our way back towards Labine Point (OF), where we not only picked up a few more fish, but also got strafed by a Seagull, who had clearly come to the conclusion that we were getting too close to its nest.

Two more feet to Chris’ right, and he would have likely had to do some laundry this evening.

On the way back to the lodge, we spent some time examining, and photographing the mineral deposits on the back of Stephen’s Island.

John and Brett had a much better day than yesterday, having fished the likes of One Trout, Moose and Narrow Bays. They not only caught a mess trout, but also some Pike and Grayling. Their 2 biggest Trout were 34” in length, but enough of this measuring stuff already, we need to commandeer a scale for these guys.

Tom, Terry and Jonah went across to Seagull Rock and enjoyed a very productive day, catching 30 trout, with Terry leading the pack with two, 23 pounders. They also got into some Grayling, and Tom landed one on a fly, using a Chernobyl Ant pattern that I had gifted him.

Average size was very good as well, coming in at 16 pounds per.

July 8

The Bitch is Back!

For a change, the smoke was going to be our friend today, because it was far too thick for there to be any flyouts from the main lodge to Hornby Bay.

Now why do we care about flyouts to Hornby?

Because invariably they make their way over to Appleby, which is where we had hoped to go once again, and if there was going to be a flyout to that, or for that matter, any other area that we might otherwise be inclined to visit, our policy is to give it a wide birth.

Ashes to Ashes – Bugs to Bugs…

Because of the fire burning in the area, not only was there a fair amount of smoke in the air and ash on the water to contend with, but every type of bug in the NWT had decided to join us, which to be fair, probably had nothing to do with the fire.

There were Bulldogs, Mosquitos, Caddis, Midges or Gnats, Blackflies, and one that looked a bit Mosquito like, but was much longer, which probably meant that it either had bigger teeth, carried more bug venom, or both.

In any event, we really didn’t mind, because the fishing was off the charts.

John and Brett, who had come along with us, lost a couple of big ones right at the boat. The one they did manage to land measured 38” – we have got to remember to try and find them a scale.

I started off using a Green Crush, but when I switched over to the Malibu Barbie, things really took off.

In addition to a number of fish in the teens, I bested a 43, 40 and 30 pounder, with the 43 and 40 being back to back.

Scotty Orr, who designed the Barbie, was unfortunately unable to make it up this year, but Chris did send him a note telling him that we had dedicated all of the bigger fish caught on the Barbie to him.

Both boats caught loads of fish, and a good time was had by all to say the very least. I guess Chris was right when he commented earlier that he felt Appleby had yet to come into its own when it came to the bigger fish.

Tom et al, made a return visit to Seagull, and while the trout fishing was on the slow side, they had a fabulous time catching Pike at the back of Seagull Bay, with many topping 40”.

Do you remember what I said earlier about the Pike fishing being all about the timing?

Well, we had fished that spot last week, and while we saw a number of big ones,  we only managed to catch one that had barley developed beyond the “Hammer Handle” stage.

 Trip Note

I now only fish with #5 single, barbless hooks on my bigger spoons and Flatfish, and what I have found is that these  hooks are at their best when catching larger fish, and by larger, I mean 20+.

The smaller ones will invariably go nuts when next to the boat, spinning and flipping all over the place, and as a result,  will often times spit the hook.

On the other hand, the bigger fish tend not to pull a wobbly like their smaller counterparts, and there is far more Bulldog than there is Pomeranian in them when it comes to the fight, and in my experience, so long as you keep a tight line, you should be fine.

Personally, once I’ve seen it, I really don’t care if the smaller ones unhook themselves, and in fact will more often than not give them some slack, in the hope that we won’t have to handle the fish at all.

Just remember to be ready to duck when your lure comes flying out of the water once they spit it.

 July 9

Please Watch Your Step(s)

If you were being kind, you could say that we were gluttons for punishment, but on the other hand if you were being truthful, you could simply say that we were idiots.

Why you may ask?

Because we were going back to Seagull Rock, despite doing virtually nothing of any consequence in that neck of the woods during our several previous visits.

I believe it would be fair to say that we were on the cusp of falling into a rut – assuming of course that we had not already tumbled into one.

As usual, our first stop was the Casting Place – perhaps I should rename it the “Catching Place” and see if that changes our luck.

Now in fairness there were quite a few fish there, and we did catch a number over 10, including Kenny’s 18, but when fishing in a place where you had once topped 60 pounds, you may be inclined to set your expectations unreasonably high.

Next on the menu was the infamous Rock Pile, where we boated a handful small ones.

Working our way towards Seagull Rock Bay, we spotted 3 boats that were obviously there on a flyout – our intel was not forthcoming this morning –  therefore we gave the entire bay a miss, and continued moving east, stopping at a place Chris referred to as The Steps (LG).

I guess all of the fish had “stepped out,” because we put up a goose egg. Next up was Johnson’s Reef (LG), where at least there were loads of small fish for the taking.

We continued to poke in and around a number of smaller islands, and while the fishing was steady, decided to call it around 4pm, and head on home.

John and Brett had a good day, with Brett catching 2- 20 pound Pike (they finally got a scale) on a fly in the “New” Whitefish River. They also saw a Moose, but I don’t recall where they spotted it.

Maybe that’s what we need to do in order to catch more Pike – switch over to flies, but  I’ll let someone else break the news to Kenny.

Tom, Terry and Jonah fished the Port Radium/Glacier Bay area, and caught loads, with their biggest being a 20 pounder.

 What’s With All These Spots Appearing Before My Eyes?

One of the last fish that Kenny caught  east of Seagull Rock, was this one, which as you can see, had a rather unusual colour pattern.

Oddly, when looking back at some pictures from years past, I came across one of this particular fish, that was caught a considerable distance from where todays fish was hanging out.

Siblings, twins, first cousins? You tell me.

Not only did this fish have a rather unusual colour pattern, when Kenny insisted on having his picture taken with it, and while attempting  to take it from Chris, we came to realize that it could also fly!

Nuff said about that me thinks.

 Trip Note

I know that at times I may seemingly appear to be less than complimentary and/or enthusiastic when writing about catching “small” fish (under 20), but don’t get me wrong, and while we definitely love catching the bigger ones, we

are more than happy to take what the lake gives us, and thoroughly enjoy catching them.

There have been many of these “small” fish that have punched well above their weight, and as a result, given us all that we could handle when trying to land them.

 July 10

The Time Has Come To Eat the Last Cookie In the Jar

 Kenny’s back had been bothering him, so he decided to give fishing a miss, relax, and take his time packing up, which as you can see, was likely going to take a while.

Chris and I were betwixt and between going over to either the Devil’s Bowling Ball or Appleby, but as Tom and Co. were planning to head down Bowling Ball way, we opted for Appleby.

Unfortunately for them, John and Brett tagged along with us, and to put it as succinctly as possible – it stunk.

The only things in the area were smoke, and midges/gnats in the millions. Not only was the boat and all of our gear covered in them, so were we. And while they don’t actually bite, they do register a 12 out of 10 on the annoyance meter.

So after about an hour and a half, we’d had enough – and decided that the time had come to bug out. You had to know I was going to say that.

Given the day Tom and his crew had, you could argue that we’d made a wrong turn at Albuquerque, as Bugs Bunny is fond of saying. But while we may have started slow, as everyone knows, it’s all about how you finish that really counts at the end of the day.

After escaping from Appleby, we island hopped over to Finger Point, where we began fishing down the west side.

We had already picked up a few fish, when something slammed my Green Crush, and took off hell bent for leather in the general direction of Yellowknife.  Fortunately this didn’t turn out to be a “Kramden,” because in this instance I had managed to get a solid hook set.

A Calcutta 700 holds a lot of line, but at one point, given the amount it was ripping off, I actually thought we were going to have to give chase, but fortunately it stopped a few yards short of spooling me.

We kept on going back and forth, because as soon as I’d get some line back, it would take off again, and while we didn’t say it out loud, Chris and I were both thinking the same thing – don’t let it be hooked anywhere but in the mouth.

Those worries were all put aside though when it rolled on the surface, and we could see that it was a big fish. Oddly, while we were in over 30 ft. of water, this particular trout  preferred to fight on the surface, rather than sounding.

As always, Chris proceeded to demonstrate his prowess with the net, and it weighed in at 40.

Remember when I said it’s all about how you finish?

If so, then you probably won’t be all that surprised when I tell you that we immediately packed up and headed for home.

In one respect, in light of his sore back, Kenny made the right call by staying in, because on the way home, given the wind direction and speed, it was like running on square tires while driving over a washboard, and other than slow down some, Chris couldn’t do a damn thing about it – so we got slammed and bounced around for several kilometers.

We would have had to put him in traction after that ride.

 Se terminó

While You Don’t Have to Go Home – You Can’t Stay Here

Well folks, that’s another one in the books, which if anyone is counting, or for that matter cares, is 40+ years for me, and 30ish for Kenny.

So to close things off, we would like to thank the following people for making this latest trip truly exceptional.

Chris – You outdid yourself as always. Thanks for putting us onto some really big fish, and never missing one when the time came to land it, for taking us to new places that we likely would have never found on our own, and for getting us home safely each day, no matter what the conditions. We certainly hope that we can keep doing this together for many years to come.

 But seriously, the one thing that we can do without though is the drama that always seems to unfold around you when travelling to YK !

Tina & Darrell – We can’t thank you enough for your warm and gracious hospitality throughout our entire stay.

From the delicious food and warm greetings at the start and end of each day, to keeping our tanks filled, and lending a helping hand whenever needed, we are most grateful for your kindness, and for making us feel completely at home.

Please let me know if you need a ride to the airport to catch your flight to YK next year!

Chuk – Many thanks for accommodating our “transportation”  needs, and making it possible for Chris to be with us for the duration of our trip, and by the way, please consider this to be our request to have him join us again in 2027.

The “Crews” – Cheers to Bill, Terry, Tom, Jonah, John, Brett, Tim, Robbie, Jim, Terry, Shawn, Scott, and Rick for making our stay all the more enjoyable.

The “Fly’n Hawaiian” – Before I put a bow on things, a special shout out must go to Steve, the “Fly’n Hawaiian,” for sending over the Crown, together with this astoundingly sincere, and clearly heart felt greeting.

 Chummy

I would prefer not to wrap up these accounts on a dispiriting note, but we were advised during our stay that Chummy Plummer had unexpectedly passed away.

This was very sad news indeed.

You can find many tributes and commentaries, from those who knew and remembered him, on both the Great Bear Lake Outdoors Facebook page, and by clicking on the following link:

https://www.greatbearlakeoutdoors.com/2026/07/16/chummy-plummer/