Last September I was privileged to be able to fish with four other guys heading to Canada on a quest to catch trophy sized northern pike. The destination was Esnagami Lodge in Nakina, Ontario.
We flew into Thunder Bay, picked up a rental car and drove up to Nakina air station in Ontario. The drive was not short (3 plus hours) but beautiful. The temptation to stop and fish along the way was almost overwhelming. Once at the air station, it was only a 10 to 15 minute float plane ride out to the Esnagami Lodge. The owner, Eric Lund, and his staff were on hand to offload all of our gear and move it up to our cabins while we took in the scenery.
The fishing is first class. We headed across the lake with our guides on the first morning and immediately got into the walleye. Once the bite was on we caught fish in the 20 plus inch range until we decided to move on. Walleye are plentiful and fish up to 28 inches are not uncommon. The guys in my group were spin casting but I found a number of quality fish that ate flies.
I used a 5 weight fly rod to target the walleyes and prayed that the other predators in the lake didn't decide to make a run at my streamer. We found that moving up wind and drifting back over a rock ledge or weed bed produced the most fish.
I also took a 9 weight rod to target the very aggressive northern pike that the lake is famous for. Eric Lund is passionate about catching big Northerns in the 40 to 45 inch range, on the fly. He personally guided me one evening and taught me how to entice these fish with basically, a fly one would use for an Atlantic sailfish. A wire bite tippet is required as these fish have razor sharp teeth. Fly fishing for these predators is exciting. They typically flash out of the shadows at high speed to crash the fly. Once on, they make long hard runs peeling off yards of line at a time. These fish commonly weigh 14 to 18 pounds but 20 plus pound fish are caught every season. This is due to the strict catch and release program that Eric has implemented on all northern pike.
At mid day another boat would meet up with us out on one of the many islands dotting the lake. A shore lunch was prepared featuring fresh walleye that we caught earlier in the day {a variety of sandwiches is available). Long summer days provide hours of daylight for fishing and because of the remoteness of the lake, other boats are rarely seen.
After two days of fishing the 14 miles of Esnagami Lake we decided to fish for speckled brook trout on the Esnagami River. Again, we had a very hard working and knowledgeable guide at the tiller of our vessel. This beautiful river produced walleye as well as speckled trout in the 1 to 3 pound range. The trout are caught mostly on dry flies and nymphs depending on the season and water flow. All of the flies that I used were provided by the lodge. I occasionally climbed out of the boat and waded sections of the river. This is a remote area and the wildlife is abundant. We saw moose along the river on two separate occasions and wolves are also commonly seen.
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meals served. The food and the service was excellent. This is a remote operation with power provided on site by generators and supplies flown in by float plane. I was not expecting the variety and quality of food provided. The cabins are rustic in comparison to the main lodge where the meals are served. However, hot showers and warm bunks were all that we required after long days of fishing and a good hearty meals.
I recommend Esnagami Lodge to other subscribers looking for a remote experience without globe trotting. The scenery, quality of fishing and service is outstanding. Eric Lund is very passionate about fishing and conservation, ensuring trophy size fish for seasons to come.
