More than a year of preparation, fully packed bags with the finest pike lures and accessories from Nays, Pikecraft Fishing, Svartzonker Sweden, Westin-Fishing, BKK Hooks International and many others and then you find yourself in Canada with only hand luggage. That’s a nightmare! At least the rod tube came with us and luckily we had already sent a large parcel in advance.
Anyway… Wipe your mouth, look ahead and carry on!
We arrived at the hotel in the middle of the night (actually, it was still daylight, as the sun never really sets in summer this far north). The car park was full of V8 pickups and street names that sounded suspiciously like a fishing adventure – all is still right with the world here!
Just a few hours later, after a short night, we travelled on by seaplane towards our destination, Lac La Martre Lodge.
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In addition to pike, our main focus was also on catching the majestic Namaycush char, which can be found in impressive sizes in Lac La Martre. We liked to try in the morning when the shallow bays were not yet so warm and the pike were less active. One or two evening trips also brought the desired success and we were able to successfully land some large lake trout, as already mentioned in the report.
Lots of fresh air and plenty of fighting action make you hungry and fishing is only half as good on an empty stomach. Sandwiches are available for the lunch break or for catering during the day, but we opted for the so-called shore lunch every day. There is a strict catch release policy for pike and char on the lake, but for lunch, a medium-sized pike was taken, filleted boneless by the guide, breaded and then deep-fried in a pan over an open fire until golden brown. Served with chips, beans, sweetcorn and a little remoulade – so simple, but so delicious! I honestly miss it already.
Why LAC LA MARTRE?
Lac La Martre is the third largest lake in the Northwest Territories (NWT) with an area of approx. 1687 km², making it more than 14 times the size of the Müritz (117 km²). The lodge is the only one on the entire lake and is only open during the short summer season from mid-June to mid-September.
Due to the large area and the very short time frame, there is very little fishing pressure and paradisiacal opportunities open up for anglers.
Extensive shallow water areas – a pike paradise!
The lake has a relatively shallow average depth, which allows the shallow water areas to warm up quickly after the harsh winter. Countless pike then stand in the shallow bays and lurk hungrily for prey. Once you have found the right bay, the action often comes thick and fast. Fierce attacks with every cast and double fights are the rule rather than the exception. In the crystal-clear water, pike can be cast to on sight and you can follow the exciting attacks live.
Daily results of more than 100 pike per boat are not uncommon and on our test tour we were able to catch 105 pike in just 6 hours of fishing on the day of our arrival. Up to 4 pike followed our lures at the same time and on the best day we were able to land a total of 10 pike over the magical 100 centimetre mark. Incidentally, the lodge record is over 200! pike in the boat in one day. Truly a pike paradise!
Huge Namaycush char as a bonus
Kill two birds with one stone and enjoy the excellent opportunities for these dinosaurs of the lake as a distraction from fantastic pike fishing. Whether you are trolling in the morning or evening or casting, these powerful and colourful fish enrich your fishing. The largest lake trout on our test trip measured a remarkable 42.5 inches (approx. 108 cm).
I am still blown away by this tour. The biggest highlight was definitely the fishing, which is why we had planned it. Finally panicking again about whether the bait would be enough 
and rubber lures that look like they’ve fallen into a blender.
But also the whole experience, the seaplane flight over the rustic landscape, the generally wild and beautiful landscape, the lake, which showed us both its rough and gentle side, the people at the lodge, where you immediately feel welcome, the guides who know their trade and so on and so forth…
Thanks again Robert for making it happen after our North American plans fell victim to covid twice.
It’s not the last time I’ve seen this dreamlike corner of the world, and of course I’ll be there in 2025.
The preparations are already underway.
Jens
First group trip planned for 2025
We at Travel 2 Fish have been able to win LAC LA MARTRE LODGE as an exclusive partner and are already planning a group trip to paradise for 2025. If you’ve always had Canada on your bucket list, then this might just be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. As an individual participant, you can join a hosted group trip put together by us and of course we are also happy to organise individual trips for self-travellers (minimum number of participants: 2)
Jun 30 (Mon): Morning departure from Europe, evening/night arrival in Yellowknife, night in hotel
Jul 01: Stay in Yellowknife, night in hotel
Jul 02: 8:00 am FLY OUT by seaplane, approx. 9:00 am arrival at the LAC LA MARTRE LODGE, move into the bungalows, preparation, 10:00 am briefing, issue of fishing licences, boat allocation, 10:30 am start of the first fishing day until approx. 6:00 pm
Jul 03-07: 5 full fishing days from approx. 8:00 to approx. 17:30, extra evening tours (approx. 19:30 to 22:30) or extensions possible by arrangement and at extra cost
Jul 08: Approx. 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. FLY OUT by seaplane to Yellowknife, arrival in Yellowknife, transfer to hotel, overnight stay
Jul 09: Return flight to Europe in the morning
Jul 10 (Thu): Arrival at home