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Alaska
Airlines Magazine
Were it in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, Mount Tatlow would
be famous, the object of postcards and paintings, threaded by hiking
trails and the subject of guidebooks. Thrust into the sky like an
uncut rock crystal, painted by snow, pierced by wind, it practically
quivers. As it is, just one of a long string of breathtakingly imposing
mountains in B.C.'s Coast Range, it's simply the most significant
landmark in a universe of mountains visible from Chaunigan Lake.
But I'm not watching it at all.
The reason is a much more instant and proximate wonder, the gold-and-carmine
flash at the end of my fishing line. The rainbow hit my fly about
3 feet deep, and it's headed toward Tatlow in a deepening arc. Luckily,
I've got heavy gear on the rod; Chaunigan Lake is famed for the
size, vigor and overall worthiness of its wild rainbow trout, a
high Chilcotin strain of Kamloops trout. It's mid-June, and the
fish have just started running shallow. The downslope wind chops
light whitecaps across the lake. Eagles soar along the shore, the
scenery is unparalleled, and we ought to be keeping our eyes peeled
for moose, but fishermen are a bit single-minded.
Consider my day's partner, a fellow guest at Chaunigan Lake Lodge
about one floatplane hour north of Vancouver. He's come from Beijing-an
American teaching in China-and he's an avid fisherman. You'd have
to be to travel 6,000 miles, hauling along four rods, six reels,
waders, fishing vests, cameras, hats and other assorted gear. Larry
found Chaunigan Lake Lodge on the Internet, and signed up for a
week. He flew in from Vancouver; I drove, much of the way on rugged
roads across the haunting, legendary Chilcotin Plateau.
"You busy?" he asks, as his line takes off opposite mine.
I am. The biggest fish ever linked to me by monofilament is flashing
in the air 20 yards northeast of the boat. His is headed due south.
We've got the little motor set at barely an idle, but even going
that slow it's hard to send one boat two directions. I gave an experimental
heave on my line to turn the fish. Larry does the same. His throws
the hook. "Thar she blows," he says, good-naturedly, grabbing the
net to handle mine, which comes to the boat with the sideways reluctance
you'd get if you were trying to land a step ladder. But it spent
its energy on that long run, and Larry scoops the net under it-a
19-inch thick-bellied 4-pounder. Its abdomen shows the deep ruby
sheen of well-fed, mature Kamloops rainbows. My forearm barely outstretches
it. I'll take it back, have it cooked for dinner in the lodge's
kitchen. That way, sitting in the compact wood-fired hot tub out
on the deck that night, I can trade fibs and exaggerations with
the other guests, all of whom had a heck of a day on the lake battling
sea monsters and fending off rampaging bull moose.
My tale is the biggest fish I've ever caught; or, depending on your
point of view, my fish is the biggest tale I've ever told. The North
Star glistens over the lake until a moon-driven rainstorm sweeps
in. We scurry into the lodge to dry off in front of the river-rock
fireplace. Lodgepole pine and fir burn with a dense crackle and
incendiary warmth; it takes just a few minutes to banish all chill.
Ah, wilderness.
- by Eric Lucas, Journalist
Chaunigan
Lake Lodge
(On top of the world)
Beneath my float tube in a vast sea of green appeared the bright
pink glow of a Chaunigan Lake rainbow as the sun reflected off the
trouts side. I was told in advance how spectacular their colors
are, but now I was about to view one first hand as I was about to
slip my net under a true high elevation rainbow. My fishing partner
and I arrived at Chaunigan Lake Lodge on a mild afternoon in mid
July. We were promptly greeted by the lodge managers, who escorted
us along the lake to our log cabin and allowed us a little time
to get settled in. We peered out through the window of the small
rustic log cabin to absorb one of the most spectacular views we
had ever witnessed. Off in the distance past the far end of the
lake lies jagged snow covered mountains with the world famous Chilcotin
range high lighting the center of the attraction. Only minutes had
elapsed when we grabbed our rods and headed for the lake. The trek
wasn't far as the log cabins are situated only a few yards from
the beach. As we were setting up our rods the only sounds to be
heard were made by the waves gently breaking on the small rounded
rocks lining the pebble beach. While we were preparing to head out
the wind gradually increased until the quiet lake erupted into conditions
usually only found on the ocean. Never-the-less we were bound and
determined to catch a few fish for dinner. By the time we set out
in our float tubes the waves were a couple feet high and we were
in for a rough ride. While looking out over the choppy water there
were no signs of any fish jumping. Little did we know an over abundance
of beautiful wild rainbows were lurking in the cool clear depths
of this high elevation lake. At the 5100 foot level the Chaunigan
Lake area contains plant and animal life like none seen in the city.
The air is always clean and crisp as the winds blow through the
surrounding snow capped mountains. With the lake being over three
miles long and a mile wide the fish never obtain a muddy taste,
even during the warmer summer months. The first characteristic of
the lake to draw my attention was the rock bottom, this makes ideal
habitat for fish and aquatic life of all forms.
Once we were finally on the lake our fly-fishing method of choice
was sinking lines with dark nymph patterns being trolled slowly
behind. Protruding from the shoreline outside the cabins was is
a large shoal ideal for feeding fish. Unfortunately after being
tossed around on the shoal for about an hour we came up empty handed.
The next stop was the drop-off where the visible bottom turned into
a deep dark hole. This type of fishing can be hit and miss but the
lodge managers mentioned this is where the fishing had been good
over the past few days. While slowly kicking along the edge of the
drop-off my line tightened, the hook was set and I was into my first
Chaunigan Lake rainbow. As expected the fight was exceptional for
the size of fish. This fish measured in at only 14 inches but it
still managed to keep the fly rod bent for a fair while before I
first saw the pink glow of the wild rainbow. Over the next hour
several more fish were hooked but none landed due to the rough water
conditions. Before we realized it, the daylight was beginning to
fade as the sun disappeared behind the jagged snow-capped mountains.
We had intended on catching our own dinner, but as things turned
out we would have gone hungry. Fortunately for us the lodge manager
knows the lake inside out and he brought in a limit of prime two
pound plus rainbows. I'm not sure what secret ingredients they used
to draw such delicious flavor out of these fish, but they were the
best trout we had ever eaten. Before calling it a night, the wood
stove was loaded up and the curtains were drawn to keep our cozy
little cabin warm as the cool evening air set in. In the morning
we explored the area and checked out a few of the full service cabins.
Out of the nine cabins the lodge offers, four have all the essentials
of home and five are cozy little log cabins with room to sleep four
eager fisherman. The five log cabins are located on the waterfront
facing the full length of the lake. The beach in front of the cabins
is ideal for getting in and out of the lake by boat or float tube.
The beach even makes for a great place to pull in a float plane
for an overnight stay. Before we headed to the lodge for breakfast
we spent a little time feeding and petting the horses. Over breakfast
the lodge manager highly recommended going on a hike to nearby Chaunigan
mountain. When he mentioned how spectacular the view is from the
top we knew fishing had to put on the back burner for a little while.
The trek on the well groomed trail takes approximately an hour,
depending on an individuals hiking skills. The trail gradually winds
through the trees, high lighted by many species of vegetation only
found on high elevation mountains. With the air being very thin
the hike is a little exhausting, but when the summit is reached,
the few aches and pains are easily soon forgotten. Once on top,
perched hundreds of feet above the tree line, we were viewing sights
generally only seen by local bird life. Surrounding the miles of
trees and lakes were sharp cut snow covered mountains. Viewing lakes
from above always provides a different prospective and reveals a
few new areas to fish once back down at water level. It was difficult
to leave our perch on top of the world, but we had an over powering
erg to go fishing especially since the surface of the lake was like
a sheet of glass.
This time going on the lodge managers advise we headed up the shoreline
outside the lodge. We decided to troll the edge of the shoal, hoping
to come across a few feeding trout. Within minutes we had a double
header, and with the surface so calm fighting these fish was a lot
more pleasant than the previous day. The fishing on this outing
ended the same way it started, we landed over 20 trout and even
kept a few nice ones for the smoke house. Our memorable day was
topped off with an excellent dinner put together by the the lodge
manager, Between the hike, the scenery, and the fishing this is
one day that will be hard to top in our life time. On our last morning
we knew our excitement was beginning to come to an end for this
reason we started fishing a little earlier, at first light our tubes
were gently dimpling the cool unbroken surface of the lake. This
time I was going to try and catch a fish the proper way. I started
by anchoring on the edge of a drop off directly outside the lodge.
Being the water was very clear I put on a clear wet line with an
eight foot leader followed by a #8 dark dragon nymph. My goal was
to allow the line sink to the bottom and then retrieve the nymph
slowly back to the surface. While I was experimenting with this
technique, my partner trolled back and forth along the edge of the
drop-off. A few casts in my line tightened, I struck and my first
fish of the day was hooked. By the time we headed in for breakfast
over a dozen fish fell prey to our dragon imitations. Whether we
anchored and casted or slowly trolled our nymph patterns, the fishing
in Chaunigan Lake was first class all the way.
Chaunigan Lake Lodge can be reached by ground or air. Arrangements
can be made through the lodge to fly in or out, even day trips to
near by lakes can be scheduled in. The flight from Vancouver takes
only a couple hours, and covers some of the most spectacular wilderness
scenery in B.C. We arrived by vehicle through the Nemiah Valley
and the scenery was equally as beautiful. The drive takes the better
part of a day, but with glacier fed rivers and different scenery
around every bend the drive is an exciting part of the whole experience.
Our lodge managers are perfectly suited for the profession they
have chosen. They do their very best to make everyone's stay a memorable
one. There is no doubt they truly love the outdoors and enjoy making
new friends on a daily basis. We can hardly wait till the next time
we find ourselves over looking Chaunigan Lake from the mountains
high above.
- by Tom Johannesen, Journalist
"You have one of the BEST lodges I have ever been to in the
world."
Tim the Yowie Man, Cryptozoologist
Read
Tim's Article
Adventure
in the Canadian Boondocks
A serene
pre-dawn glow encompassed the mill pond lake in a veil of
pale pinkish hues. After several minutes of complete silence, the
eerie calm was broken by a large trout leaping across the front
of my
row boat. Soon an eagle emerged from its lofty nest, high in one
of
the thousands of lodgepole pines that dotted the shoreline.
The
subsequent flapping sound as the majestic baldie stretched its
wings, echoed around the lake, booming like claps of thunder off
the
surrounding hills, and stirring a couple of chipmunks hiding in
a
stand of trembling aspens. Chaunigan Lake was waking up.
By
the time the sun's first rays had lit up the aquamarine water,
five wild rainbow trout had already jumped onto my lure. Stories
of
experienced fly fishermen bagging 200 fish a day here weren't tall
tales after all.
Although
exceptional, the fishing was only the start of a wonderful
wilderness experience at Chaunigan Lake Lodge.
Following
a hearty Canadian breakfast of pancakes and bacon in the
main lodge, I hustled back to my rustic log cabin to grab my
backpack. It was time to explore the Chaunigan wilderness on foot.
There
is a variety of walks to choose from, ranging from half-hour
self-guided nature strolls, to more gruelling treks high into the
alpine wilderness. There is even a series of hike-in lakes, complete
with row boats at the end of the trail so you can explore the lakes'
many islands and shorelines.
I opted
for one of the half-day walks to a nearby summit. Although
the lodge is located right on the shores of Chaunigan Lake, a short
walk past a couple of beaver dams and up a hill, and you're suddenly
enclosed in a thick forest. A bit further up the track you're
trampling through open alpine meadows splashed with the colour of
wild strawberries and red columbines. If you make it to the top,
you'll have to fight for track space with mountain goats.
On
the descent, in the hope of spotting a moose (a life-long
ambition), I kept ignoring the track markers, following moose hoof
prints instead. One of these side-trips paid off; when a moose and
its calf, startled by my approach cavorted off through the
underbrush, leaving a trail of crushed branches in their wake.
My
arrival back at Chaunigan Lake was met with nervous relief by the
lodge manager. My moose obsession had meant that the trek had taken
two hours more than expected.
Luckily,
I wasn't too late for the afternoon floatplane fly-over the
surrounding mountains. Once up in the air, and mesmerised by the
maze
of jagged peaks and abundance of perched lakes, it was clear why
floatplanes are the preferred way to get around the Canadian
boondocks.
A highlight
of the flight was a partly forested valley, ringed by
snow-capped mountains that was aptly nick-named 'golf course valley'
for its striking resemblance to a golf course. If it were a golf
course it would probably have the most dramatic back drop of any
course in the world.
We
landed back on the lake just in time for sunset. As the engine on
the floatplane slowly spluttered to a stop, a loon's fluid call
resonated across the water. The fresh alpine air fell artificially
quiet, just as it had earlier in the day. It was as if all the
critters of Chaunigan had decided to go to bed at the same time.
Dinner
was a scrumptious feed of fresh dandelion-stuffed rainbow trout
(the results of my early morning fishing trip), cooked to perfection
by the lodge's chef. If you don't want to share your catch with
other guests, ask the chef nicely, and she'll smoke and package
your fish so you can take it home.
With
full bellies, some of the keen anglers headed back out to the
lake to chase the evening rise, however, I opted for a less energetic
option; a long soak in the wood-fired hot tub. Once my weary bones
were well and truly rested I scampered back to the warmth of my
cabin, on the way, dodging a family of red squirrels each proudly
hauling a pine cone to add to their increasing cone cache hidden
under the woodpile.
As
I sat sipping a port on the balcony of my log cabin, with the
North Star glistening over the moon-draped lake, I wondered what
new
adventures lay install for my next day at Chaunigan Lake Lodge.
Author:
Tim the Yowie Man
Published in: The Sunday Telegraph, June 15, 2003, Austrailia
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