20 Hours North: Fly Fishing for Pike in Canada

Gathering 11 close friends and heading North to chase pike and walleye seemed like a dream two months ago. Days were spent in the shop tying flies, preparing gear, and dreaming of 20 pound pike smashing top water flies. Daily conversations happened with customers who constantly wanted to know when we were leaving. Finally, the day came. Everything was packed in my truck and all I had to do was get in and drive.

Joining me on the five hour drive that night to Great Falls was Denver from the CDA Fly Shop. We left just at that magic hour when every deer, elk, and bear in the area seemed to be crossing the road between the Idaho border and Plains, Montana. Arriving in Great Falls just after midnight, we crashed at our buddy Keaton’s house for the night with a 6 am departure for Flin Flon scheduled the next day. The conversations were along the lines of "...yeah, it’s only about 11-12 hours...",  "... should be easy..."

The next day came earlier than expected. We packed our mountain of gear in the back of the Tundra and headed to Sam’s to meet the rest of the guys. Heading out of town we decided to cross the border at Turner. With no problems at all, we were in Saskatchewan headed North. The first hour of the drive was on something that Canada apparently calls a road. Pot holes, broken concrete, and large swaths of gravel would plague us for a bumpy ride. It almost seemed like Saskatchewan wanted us to turn around and head back to the states.

Our "11-12" hour drive turned into 18 hours after multiple stops for gas, groceries, road side emergencies and more. Arriving at Denare Beach around midnight, we settled in for the night with thoughts of large pike and walleye in our heads. The next day, the lodge owner let us know that he wasn’t expecting us till tomorrow, so the boats were not ready. Which apparently worked out since 11 guys had to try and get the internet and printer to work to get the correct licensing to fish.

So... six hours later, we were ready to load the boats up and fish. 

Sam, our trip leader, wanted to stop and catch a few pike before we went for walleye for our only means to eat lunch that day. Sam has been fishing up here since he was a kid, taking fishing trips with his dad and uncles, so he knows just where to go. While navigating through the hundreds of islands on the lake was little bit of a chore the first day, Sam still managed to put us spot on.

Three boats screamed into a little lagoon and 11 dudes started casting frantically looking at the other boats to see who would hook up first. It was like running a race. Then laughter and "whoops" from one of the boats rang out. Everyone looked over, relieved and jealous at the same time. The pike were here. After about an hour, we headed off to the walleye grounds to catch our lunch.

Not only did everyone actually survive this trip, but the fishing was amazing as well. Nobody got injured during our late night wrestling sessions. We ended up catching more walleye than any 11 member family could ever need and we found some big pike the last day pushing 20 lbs. Even though it was a long drive to go pike and walleye fishing, it was totally worth making the memories with great friends and making new friends in the process.

If you are ever heading up to pike country, you should definitely stop by to stock up on supplies for the trip. We'll make sure your gear and ties are ready to go for those big fish. After you get back, stop by the stores again to tell us all about your trip. We'll swap notes and start planning for the next one.