Images of this vast Canadian province, inaccurately generalize it as flat and boring.
It’s said (jokingly) you can watch your dog run away for days. Think farmland, grain silos and golden fields stretching to the horizon. Saskatchewan’s official animal is the white tailed deer, official bird is the sharp tailed grouse, official fish, the walleye and official sport isn’t hockey…it’s curling! Eh?
The southern half of Saskatchewan is prairie, the northern half densely forested, peppered with lakes, rivers and streams. With just over 1 million residents in the entire province, Saskatchewan has more than 100,000 lakes and really is a fly angler’s dream.
Saskatchewan’s north is an incredibly diverse land, geographically and topographically. It’s dynamic, isolated, pristine and wild but getting there isn’t difficult at all. Many lodges have charter flights arranged to get anglers into their lodges the same day they arrive in the province. There are a few remote lodges however that will put anglers up for the night and fly them in the next day. It’s all part of getting that far north in the province. Generally, a flight from the angler’s originating airport begins by heading to either Saskatoon or Regina. Some lodges ask you arrive in Edmonton Alberta.
In our experience, they will connect you to Stony Rapids. From there, the fun really begins as anglers can expect to be ferried to their northern lodge via ‘The Workhorses of Canada’s North’ the DE Havilland Beaver or Otter.
Flying in one of Canada’s iconic bush planes is truly an experience to behold. These planes have literally built the north by flying fuel, construction materials, recreational vehicles, boats and motors, explorers, adventurers and now anglers to some of Canada’s most remote locations and communities. They are as reliable, safe, and trusted today as they were in the 1950s when they were at their most active.
THE DETAILS: WHAT TO EXPECT
Northern Saskatchewan outfitters can range from very comfortable ‘spike’ camps in remote areas to extremely well-appointed luxury lodges and most everything in between. Finding the perfect big fish adventure in Saskatchewan will require anglers to do research on the species they choose to target, level of service they desire and of course, to find an outfitter or lodge that meets their budget expectation.
The Tourism Saskatchewan website is the perfect take off point to narrow the search for the perfect adventure but here are a few things to consider:
Bush Planes – individual weight limits are a consideration for each angler and are generally limited to 50lbs.
Bugs – with the right repellent and clothing choices, the bugs really aren’t an issue at all.
Weather – anglers travelling to the north should be prepared for a wide swing in weather conditions.
Time Of Year – spring and fall are prime times for hunting the big 3 – northern pike, lake trout and Arctic grayling. Summertime, most lake trout will go deep, well beyond the range of fly anglers and grayling will continue to inhabit their fast moving water haunts, accessible to anglers. When it comes to northern pike however, there are many lodges in the north that fish the same conditions all year long – just like ice-out, July, August and September fish pike as shallow water, warmer bay hunters on the prowl for unsuspecting prey.
Northern Saskatchewan is an angler’s paradise. With almost countless rivers, lakes and streams, hunting the big three is as exciting as one can imagine. In fact, the entire experience from door to door is one that every angler won’t soon forget.
Northern Saskatchewan isn’t only the land of wheat fields and horizons, it’s an easily accessed, remote and wild adventurer’s destination dream that will not disappoint.