Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
87 a Big One Reel in t's no wonder anglers fall hook, line and sinker for Manitoba's fishing holes. Trophy-size catches are common, and locals in every region rightly claim their streams offer some of the best fishing anywhere. With more than 100,000 lakes, casual anglers cook the catch of the day over campfires at prime sites from back-country hideaways to easily accessible roadside parks and the vast shores of Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba. Fly-in fishing lodges cater to reel men and women who are looking for one-of-a-kind experiences. Relive the rugged fur-trade era with a Pathway of the Voyageurs adventure — a Canadian Tourism Commission Canadian Signature Experience — at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. Snag a few fish for a shore lunch, then hop on a riverboat for a ride to a historic portage in the remote Atikaki Wilderness Provincial Park. Sturdy voyageurs once hoisted canoes and heavy bundles of fur and supplies to bypass waterfalls and rapids here. For you, it's a walk in the park before you head back to the fly-in lodge for dinner and a late-night nature hike to listen for wolves — and perhaps catch sight of a ghost named Elsie who is said to haunt her favourite cabin. In Whiteshell Provincial Park, you can drop a line off a lakeshore or a boat to hook perch, trout or walleye amid the lush forests and rocky outcroppings of the Canadian Shield. Or hop on a float plane to Shining Falls Lodge on Family Lake to enjoy everything from a sandy beach and secluded island bays to the rushing waterfalls of the Pigeon River. In the North, the five-star Kississing Lake Lodge is just a 20-minute flight from Flin Flon, but the lodge is far from ordinary — it even has an on-site massage therapist. There are no such luxuries at Sherridon Kississing Lake Campground, 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg, but it's tailor-made for fishing, with a boat launch, freezer house and fish-cleaning station. Near The Pas, snag a trophy trout and explore deep caves that can harbour ice at the height of summer at spring-fed Clearwater Lake. Or head to Western Manitoba and Turtle Mountain Provincial Park, where Bower and William lakes are stocked to ensure the fish are always biting. Snag a giant channel catfish in the Red River just north of Winnipeg at Selkirk — North America's catfish capital — or cruise a few kilometres south to Lockport and try your luck on the riverbank near the St. Andrews Lock and Dam. Come winter, entire villages of ice-fishing shacks pop up on snow-covered lakes and rivers. Share in the camaraderie at Selkirk and Lockport, rent an ice-fishing hut at Paint Lake Resort near Thompson, or borrow a portable shack when you stay at the Wescana Inn in The Pas. Ride in a Bombardier to reach prime spots for hooking walleye, pike and perch near Dauphin, where Sticky's Bait, Tackle and Guiding offers a custom experience that lets you go old-school at an outdoor fishing hole or stay cozy in a warm shelter. Second Nature Adventures in Discovery serves up a Fresh and Frosty Fun Adventure on Lake Winnipeg with an iconic local fisher at Hecla Island. Learn to use a jig and harvest pickerel (walleye) cheeks, then repair to the Solmundson Gesta Hus bed and breakfast, where your fresh catch will be on the dinner menu. I > fishhuntmanitoba.com 87