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I have died and gone to fishing heaven. Past the pearly gates at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge lies a miraculous collection of contradictions: extreme luxury in Manitoba’s remote wilderness; 5 star service and gourmet food at a fly in camp; world class fishing with lavish accommodations in the midst of a beautiful and unspoiled boreal forest.
canada goose If that sounds like hyperbole, let me put it another way: I’ve been lucky enough to fish at elite destinations ranging from Florida to California, from Ontario to Alaska, from canada goose outlet store uk Ireland to Scotland, canada goose outlet florida but I’ve never been anywhere that combines world class fishing with world class accommodations like Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. canada goose
My comrade for this adventure was none other than my dad, the perfect fishing partner for any trip, but especially for one of this magnitude. Baseball fanatics memorize batting canada goose outlet online store averages and on base canada goose outlet factory percentages. Med canada goose outlet price school students study diseases and medications. My dad researches Canadian fishing lodges.
Canada Goose Coats On Sale Walk around a sportsman show with Dad and you’ll hear him comment on just about every lodge. “Got a brochure on that one. Big pike.” “Saw that lodge on TV. It’s way up in Saskatchewan.” “Read about this one in Midwest canada goose factory outlet vancouver Outdoors.” Canada Goose Coats On Sale
cheap canada goose uk So Dad knew full well what we were getting into last week as we sped north on North Dakota’s Interstate 29. What he didn’t expect was getting stopped at the Canadian border and sent to immigration, where an officer grilled him about any past criminal record. After repeatedly being asked if he had any run ins with the law, Dad finally came clean: canada goose parka outlet uk “Well, about 15 years ago I got a speeding ticket.” cheap canada goose uk
“That’s OK,” the officer said. “We have lots of speeders here, too.” With those words, we were free and clear to pass through purgatory and continue our ascension into canada goose outlet in toronto Aikens.
canada goose store We would soon discover why In Fisherman Editor Doug Stange declared Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge “still the finest all around experience I’ve ever had on a fly in trip.” canada goose store
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The lodge, which opened in 1949, is idyllically set on Aikens Lake near the inlet to the Gammon River in Manitoba’s Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park. Our morning flight in at 1,500 feet altitude was beautiful and surprisingly smooth. When we landed the entire staff was lined up on the dock to welcome us to Aikens. It seemed everyone knew who we were a touch of personal service canada goose jacket outlet sale made a bit easier, I suppose, by the fact that only 600 guests a year come to Aikens.
In canada goose outlet store quebec 2012, the camp averaged 18.8 guests per night over the full season, from late May to late September. With over 20 full time staff, the incredible reality is that Aikens has more workers taking care of guests than, well, guests themselves.
We never touched our bags after dropping them off to be loaded onto the plane back canada goose outlet in vancouver at the float base. One of the crew took our bags to our cabin, canada goose womens outlet while another staff member gave us a private tour of the grounds, including the “Tackle, Bait and Bullshit Shack” and “Big Molly’s Bar.” The camp’s fully stocked bar buzzes daily with activity during happy hour (free drinks) and then canada goose outlet reviews again late into the night.
uk canada goose outlet We began to realize it is the staff itself as much as the amazing fishing and fancy cabins that makes Aikens stand out. You likely won’t find a younger lodge manager than Pit Turenne, 35, whose parents bought the place back in 1988 and began transforming it from a more traditional, rustic resort to the world renowned destination it has become. uk canada goose outlet
In 2005, Pit’s parents retired (though they still live at camp and play the part of grandparent babysitters) and investor Chris Jensen got on board as a partner, agreeing to infuse boatloads of capital to further upgrade Aikens under one critical condition: Pit and his wife, Julie, continue the family tradition of managing the lodge.
Canada Goose online I don’t think Pit could have imagined life any other way. He and Julie pull out all the stops to do anything possible to make canada goose outlet legit their guests happy. Yet as hard as the Turennes work to accomodate guests, when you watch them it really doesn’t seem like work because they canada goose outlet parka genuinely enjoy it. Canada Goose online
canada goose uk outlet You can’t fake authentic people skills a genuine interest in others is an innate trait that can’t be taught. Pit, whose first dream was the common Canadian calling to star in the NHL, has clearly found his perfect career. The math wizard born on Christmas Day talks easily with guests from all official canada goose outlet walks of life. He quickly establishes rapport and employs his natural wit and laid back personality to connect with people in a way you rarely witness. It’s his nature, likely cultivated while growing up at the lodge and making conversation with people every day since age 10. canada goose uk outlet
Canada Goose Online The Turenne’s willingness to accommodate guests’ requests can include unusual circumstances. Earlier this summer, two guests got married at Aikens. “I applied to the province and received certification to preside at the wedding,” Julie said. “We did the wedding in Big Molly’s Bar, and it went really well.” Canada Goose Online
canada goose coats on sale The couple actually went walleye fishing on their wedding day. “That was canada goose outlet the most pressure I’ve ever felt guiding,” said Tyler, the guide who took them out that day. “Fortunately, we had good fishing and they had a blast.” canada goose coats on sale
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The second deepest lake in canada goose outlet buffalo Manitoba with depths plummeting to 290 feet, Aikens is a canada goose factory outlet nutrient dense body of canada goose outlet new york water with massive populations of ciscos and shiners. The Gammon River flows through the lake, which is also connected to Lost Lake and St. Bonaventure Lake. While the lake system offers the chance for big lake trout and pike, it’s most famous for its incredible population of trophy walleyes (the lake record is 33.5 inches).
canada goose uk shop The rare combination of quantity and quality of walleyes at Aikens inspired Pit and Julie to create an award known as The Century Club. To earn the privileged entry into this group, a guest must canada goose jacket uk individually catch four walleyes between 8am and 5pm that total 100 inches in length. canada goose uk shop
The reward? A presentation that night at dinner including a glossy 8 x 10 photo of the recipient’s biggest fish, a photo added to The canada goose outlet boston Century Club board inside the tackle shop and, best of all, one entry into a drawing to win a free trip back to Aikens.
Canada Goose Outlet “The idea for The Century Club first came up late one night at Big Molly’s Bar,” Julie admitted. “Big Molly’s is the source of inspiration for many ideas, good and bad.” Canada Goose Outlet
Canada Goose Parka Pit and Julie post each day’s Century Club winners and Master Angler catches on the lodge’s Facebook page, https://www.winterdownparkas.com which my dad and I had been checking routinely for months prior to our trip, so we knew what we were gunning for. On our first Monday at Aikens we kicked off our day with breakfast before hitting the water. We saw the menu and promptly began ordering like starving men who may not eat again for several days. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose coats After devouring hash browns, sausage, bacon, a breakfast sandwich (with more of said sausage and bacon), and the best French toast I’ve ever tasted, canada goose outlet locations in toronto we started fishing at 8am. canada goose coats
The action began immediately with two small fish: a 17 incher followed by a dink we didn’t bother to measure that looked no more than two thirds the size of the first. And then, like the flip of a switch, the big ones started biting. I caught a 23 incher at the same time my dad landed a 25. A moment later, I set the hook on a barely perceptible twitch and immediately saw my rod double over. A 26 incher that fought like hell on my light action rod and 8 pound monofilament.
I took a quick photo, released the fish and replaced my frozen minnow (no live minnows on Aikens Lake), and jigged for no more than 5 minutes before hooking into another 25 inch ‘eye.
Dad couldn’t believe the bevy of broad shouldered walleyes we were hauling in left and right, and we quit canada goose outlet washington dc measuring or counting fish that at quick glance appeared less than 24 inches. Another 25 and a thick 26 incher later, and next thing I knew I was in The Century Club with 102 inches. And it was only 9:15 in the morning!
As an angler, you spend your whole life praying that a paradise like Aikens really does exist and that, by the grace of God, the past fishing lies you’ve told are forgiven and you’re deemed worthy to enter into such a haven. When canada goose outlet near me you then catch four walleyes over 25 inches in your first 75 minutes fishing on Monday morning you realize your faith has been justified and, incredibly, canada goose outlet ontario such salvation is real.
buy canada goose jacket cheap During the rest of our day, and throughout our four days canada goose outlet toronto factory at Aikens, we caught an amazing number of walleyes in the mid to upper 20 inch range. We also got lucky with the apex predators of the lake, boating a number of big pike from the mid 30 to low 40 inch range. We caught some trolling cranks ( and 6 inch Jakes worked best), but the pike that landed us a Master Angler award (the Manitoba minimum for a Master Angler pike is 41 inches) was caught moments before a rainstorm while jigging for walleyes with a light action rod, 8 pound monofilament line and no leader buy canada goose jacket cheap.