Kyle Thomas

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Apr 04 2015

Another weekend of fishing at Hidden Lake

When the weather is nice and you still have the means to get out to a remote cabin out of cell service where there are good drinks, good food, good fishing and good fishing stuff like best marine battery and good people, you just have to go.

Took a friend, Joe of Chasing Pisces, out to Hidden Lake to for a day of ice fishing. He was on a mission to catch a lake trout. Well, he caught one. Then caught another. And another. We found a sweet spot.

Preparing the ciscos started off the day, along with a big breakfast. With two lines set and the third hole drilled we were setting a line when the fish started to bite like crazy. one, two, three, four fish later we finally were able to leave to try for some whitefish. A venture which didn’t pan out.

While lounging around the next morning I thought to myself, Yellowknife is a place where you can start up until three in the morning swapping fish stories only to get up the next morning to make new ones. It is a beauty.

One my way back into town from the lake I stopped into the Scouts cabin on Pontoon Lake where an ice road was plowed into. The Scouts Cabin was a popular place for friends and I back eight years ago now. It is a little run down and is in need a major clean and renovation, but bits of history still hang on the walls.

Written by kylewith · Categorized: Journal · Tagged: fishing, hidden lake, ice fishing, trout

Aug 07 2012

My time at Yellow Dog Lodge

As a kid I flew by bush plane to some of the most remote places in the north and I absolutely loved it. This past weekend my joy of flying and adventure was rehatched as I spent the weekend at Yellow Dog Lodge.

Yellow Dog Lodge is about a 15 minute flight or 30 kms north of Yellowknife, on a point between Graham and Duncan Lake. The lodge is beautifully situated with viewing points of both lakes

ASW Captain

Upon landing on the cleverly named “Rainbow Dock” I had the pleasure to finally meet the lodge owner and operator, Gordon Gin. Gord has been operating the lodge for over 6 years and has done many improvements since I last visited back in the early 2000’s.

Right off the bat I was given a tour of all the facilities, and there is a lot going on. The main building houses the kitchen, dining room, lounge, and sitting room on the main floor. Then there are staff quarters below and guest rooms above, featuring spacious double beds or singles. There are then two winterized cabins and another full service cabin, which acts as the winter lodge. Of course there are then all the extras, like the wood burning hot tub, sauna and Internet.

Yellow Dog Lodge

The one facility that really stuck out to me and makes Yellow Dog Lodge unique was the dock house. Imagine a barge with Astroturf, railings all around the edge and a 12×14′ prospector tent on it. If you haven’t guesses yet, it is a floating campsite, fully equipped with a BBQ, stove, generator, camp supplies, canoe and an onboard lou.

Yellow Dog Lodge

While many people travel to these lodges for great fishing and meals without having to worry about anything, some are looking for that great outdoor adventure. They are wanting to experience the Northern Frontier and the dock house is perfect for them.

When I first arrived at Yellow Dog Lodge a couple, originally from Russia but living in the USA, were heading back to Yellowknife after spending an entire month on this dock house. They couldn’t have been happier I heard them saying to Gord as they boarded the plane.

It is pretty simple to stay on the dock house and Gord will help with logistics, like food and getting to it, but it can be completely a self-service operation. The dock house is also equipped with an outboard motor so if a person so choose they could have a different view each morning, move out of bad weather if it appeared or even move to where the fish are biting best. This truly is a unique northern outdoor adventure you are not going to find anywhere else.

Yellow Dog Lodge

To me Yellow Dog Lodge isn’t a place to go trophy fishing, although the fishing is amazing, it is a get away vacation spot where you come to bond with your friends and family. It is where you would go to have a special time with those you are with. I imagine a father and son coming to the lodge and spending the weekend fishing and hiking together or an office get-together to unwind after a big project is complete.

It is also a place to make new friends and swap stories. I spent many evenings and meal times conversing with Gord, the cook Heddy and another guest Lisa from California. We all came from different walks of life, different experiences and had different stories but now we are all connected because we were all at a remote lodge in the middle of nowhere together.

Yellow Dog Lodge is right in my backyard but when I was there I felt like I was a million miles from anything. It was without a doubt peaceful.

*Disclaimer: Yellow Dog Lodge is a client on mine through my day job. I was flown to the lodge by the owner for a meeting. I was not asked to write this article.

Written by kylewith · Categorized: Travels · Tagged: fishing, lodge, Northwest Territories, tourism, yellow dog lodge

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