If world class northern pike, lake trout, or Arctic grayling is what gets your attention, then Selwyn Lake Lodge is the place for you.  Selwyn is a massive body of water stretching 45 miles long and 18 miles wide with 135,000 acres of virgin, untouched water.  Selwyn Lake Lodge was founded by Gordon Wallace and Mary Daigneault-Wallace in 1993.  The Wallace's have been in the industry for over 30 years and have the knowledge and experience in how to operate a five-star lodge with uncompromising luxury and amenities.

 

What separates Selwyn from other large glacier lakes in northern Canada is all the protected areas to fish. There are thousands of islands, bays, and tributaries to fish, which also makes for excellent pike habitat.  Where there is structure, there is going to be more forage.  Selwyn is not only a great place to hang big pike, but is equally a tremendous lake trout fishery, and with all its tributaries, it has world class Arctic grayling fishing.  So don't forget to pack your favorite fly rod, or ultra-light.  The only problem your going to have is deciding which species to target.

 

Have you ever heard the saying, "90% of the fish are in 10% of the water."  Well, there is some truth to that when your talking about early season pike in northern Canada.  This period known as ice-out can be, "Katie by the door!"  With such extreme cold, and ice with depths of double digits, it takes a long time to thaw.  A lot of the larger glacier lakes will still have ice on them into mid June.  Pike spawn in early and mid spring, then move into the warmest water they can find, which is the shallow bays.  There they go on a feeding frenzy.

Many large pike can be had in as little as two feet of water.  The action can be so good, it can bring tears of joy to the toughest dude.  Just about anything with a hook will work.  Pike are active feeders for most of the short season, so they can store enough fat cells to sustain themselves through the colder months. Sight fishing is one of the best techniques to catch these fresh water gators.  As summer approaches, the vegetation starts to mature, water temperatures start to level out, and pike start to fan out. That is when you need to become more versatile in your fishing methods. You can still find large numbers of pike in shallow grassy areas, but there are other places that can hold bigger, more active fish. Cabbage is what to look for in both shallow and deep water.

Being a musky angler, sight fishing is not something commonly practiced.  I am not knocking it and would not dare abandon it, but you'd have to admit, it feels better to hang a trophy you weren't expecting, than to dangle a slug-go in front of her nose.  Call me a purist, but I like more of a level playing field, it seems more of a sport to me.  Note: Look for more pike strategies on our web sight next month.

Summary:
Selwyn Lake Lodge is second to none when it comes to all the creature comforts of a five-star lodge.  The boats are all new with plenty of horses.  Their cuisine is as good as any restaurant in your home town and spotless log cabins with all the modern conveniences.  The guides have years of experience in their trade at navigating this large body of water, and are an extension of how affable and professional the owners are. But, we cannot forget the most important element of your trip, "it's the water, it's awesome!

Flyouts:
Selwyn has fly-outs scheduled every day to remote corners of the watershed, so make sure you book your fly-outs in advance.

Itinerary:

After you arrive in Saskatoon and clear customs (do not forget your passport, or birth certificate and valid driver license, or voters reg. card).  You will be greeted by an expediter representing Selwyn. He will handle all your bags and tackle and they will arrive at the front door of your cabin the next day.  You will need a small overnight bag for the hotel stay.  You and other anglers will be taxied to the hotel in Saskatoon where you will have plenty of time to relax, get a good meal, and nights sleep.  You're going to need it.  The next morning you will depart for Stony Rapids at 5:00 a.m., which is an hour and 45 minute flight.  The last leg of your journey will be a transfer pontoon plane, which will fly you to the lodge.  You will be personally greeted by the Wallace's owners and operators of Selwyn.  After a nice full service breakfast, you are ready to rig up for an awesome day on the water.  (Angler Expeditions can handle all your travel needs)

Pre trip check list:
Clothing/Misc:  thermal underwear full set, gore-tex heavy rain gear, neoprene gloves, vest medium weight, tarpon wear, medium jacket, medium and lightweight pants, rubber or gore-tex boots, good pair of shoes or boots, polarized sunglasses, lucky fishing hat, insect spray, toiletries, munchies, tobacco, back or wrist brace. Camera (digital if you have), film, first aid kit, hook removal kit.
 

Fishing Tackle:
4 Reels (Baitcasting-Spining-Fly)

5 Rods (Med-Heavy)

1 Ultra Light Combo

20-30 Baits (assorted)

Line 30-50 lbs braided-14-20 lbs mono

Leaders 35-100 lbs

Terminal Tackle:  fishing line, leaders, split rings, extra hooks (barbless), extra rod tip, super glue, needle nose pliers, split ring pliers, leathermans, good digital scale, tape measure, planner boards (if experienced and trolling), braid blades, hook sharpener, boga grip (a nice extra tip for your guide).

Here are our prices for the 2004 Season:

Lodge Pricing (US Funds)
Season Dates	3-Day/Person	4-Day/Person	7-Day/Person
Early Season June 9 - July 13	$2,995	$3,295	$4,295
Late Season July 14 - September 30	$2,495	$2,795	$3,695

 

Lodge Pricing (Cdn Funds)
Season Dates	3-Day/Person	4-Day/Person	7-Day/Person
Early Season June 9 - July 13	$3,995	$4,395	$5,595
Late Season July 14 - September 30	$3,295	$3,695	$4,895

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