What’s your favorite part of a fishing trip to Canada?
I was one of the lucky ones who was fortunate enough to start visiting Canada at a young age and continue a family tradition year after year. What was my favorite part? All of it! Seriously.
The anticipation of the trip made the drive seem short. I loved stopping at The Chocolate Moose for lunch before crossing the border. The scenery is still breathtaking – all of those lakes and trees as far as you can see! I liked unpacking in our cabin room knowing we had an entire week to spend outside fishing and exploring. My father, uncle, brother, two sisters, and many great friends came along so I had fun with a new fishing partner each day. I relished reeling in fish after fish after fish. I liked chatting with the Matejas and the Aikens and enjoyed their terrific cooking. I basked in the comfort of the lodge in the evening swapping stories or making battle plans for the next day on the giant map. But if you make me pick just ONE favorite aspect of a trip to Canada it is savoring every bite of a Canadian shore lunch.
This is a tradition that my family loves and during our stays we would enjoy multiple shore lunches. The delicious taste of fresh caught walleye immediately filleted and fried is tough, if not impossible, to beat. Thinking about it makes my mouth water. I’ve tried time and time again to duplicate the shore lunch satisfaction at restaurants and at home without success.
If you’re not familiar with shore lunches, they basically consist of fresh fish, fried potatoes, and beans. Pretty simple, but it must be the simplicity that makes it so good. Onions and lemons are luxuries if included, but certainly not necessary. We spend the morning “working” to catch lunch and then meet others at an agreed upon spot on the lake for lunch. It’s usually not a hard job catching lunch so we liked to challenge ourselves to find the “perfect” lunch fish.
At Eagle Falls Lodge, we provide everything you need for a shore lunch except the fish and that’s where you come in. Just let us know the night before and we’ll have your kit ready. With a little practice, you’ll have the fish, beans, potatoes hot and ready to eat all at the same time.
The shore lunch is up there on my list, but another one of my favorite parts is the wildlife. Last summer I saw a baby moose swimming across the bay, right from my chair inside the lodge! I also love getting to know the other guests, who are usually fun people with lots of entertaining stories.
You’re right about that Heather. We have a tremendous collection of wildlife pictures mostly from guests!
Planning for a fishing trip is not so different from planning a vacation or an outing. Really true!
Ketchikan Fishing Guides