Catching pike in golden eagle territory

Saturday, July 7, 2007

WHITEHORSE, YK — If we thought yesterday was an early wake-up call, today changed all that: at five o’clock the alarm started bleating for our first fishing expedition in the Yukon! Guy Rook from the RCMP invited us along with his group, and even came by the campground to pick us up at 6:30. He was hauling a bright red inflatable boat, and brought Dave Shewchuk, the commanding officer for “M” Division (Yukon) with him. Dave had a big grin on his face — he told us he has nine more working days in the RCMP before he retires.

Four other members and the son of one of them would be joining us at Little Atlin Lake, south of Whitehorse. They were the ones with the fish finder on their boat, and a good knowledge of where the fish would be biting, so we were glad to tag along! In addition, upon our arrival I spotted a large bald eagle perched atop at pine tree by the lake — the presence of eagles is always considered a lucky thing by the Aboriginal people, so we took it as a good omen too.

After a bit of a bumpy ride to the end of the lake, we got our tackle ready and cast out our lines. In no time, Val had caught the first fish of the day — a nice pike weighing about three pounds. We weren’t really planning to get into the scaling, cleaning, filleting and frying today, so he let his scaly prize go. Dave, Guy and Val all caught several more pike, while I continued to cast out my line. The water was beautifully clear, and as I reeled in my line I suddenly saw a flash of fins as a fish approached my hook and then took hold! My rod was nearly bent over double as I reeled and pulled and Val grabbed the net. Finally we landed him — the biggest catch of the day! We had to motor over to our friends’ boat for a measuring tape, because the law requires that anything over 30 inches has to be thrown back. Sure enough, my fish was 34 and a half inches long! We made sure to get a snapshot before lowering the fish back into the water.

The wind had died down by the time we headed back to shore, so the return trip was much smoother. The lake is surrounded with snow-capped mountains and the water was so clear we actually saw schools of trout scattering beneath the boat. Val said it was like fishing in a post card.

Back at the boat ramp as Guy was loading the trailer, I looked across the highway and caught sight of a huge golden eagle perched high on a pine tree, turning its gaze over the lake, like a monarch surveying his kingdom. Dave spotted the eagle’s mate in flight and said they were probably taking turns guarding a nest of young nearby. In a few moments, the flying eagle swooped in to land on the perch, flapping its enormous wings, and its mate took flight, like an aerial changing of the guard. We stood, spellbound, at this amazing scene and these two magnificent birds! Their wings must have been six feet across.

Back at the camp, after thanking Guy for a wonderful adventure, we had a full afternoon ahead of us, although we felt we’d had a full day already. After a rest, we decided to hit two museums in Whitehorse that we hadn’t yet seen. One was called the Beringia Museum, focusing on the land bridge of the Bering Sea during the Ice Age. It was a beautifully presented combination of archeological specimens and Aboriginal legends telling the stories of early man in those regions and the development of the land, plants and climate.

Our dual ticket package got us admission to the Transportation Museum next door, where we enjoyed a terrific display of trains, planes and automobiles, as well as sled dog sleighs, sternwheelers and caterpillars and a number of other vehicles and their role in the history of the region. There were reproductions of photographs taken during the Gold Rush, with men crowded around the packs of flour and provisions they had to hump over the Chilkoot Trail, or lining up at the Whitehorse train station or stopping at a roadhouse on the way to the goldfields. There were also rooms devoted to the building of the Alaska Highway and to the bush planes of the region. It was a fascinating visit, if a bit rushed as closing time approached.

To bring this full and stimulating day to a fitting conclusion, we decided to have one more meal at the famous Rib and Salmon BBQ on Whitehorse’s 2nd Avenue, where Val ordered caribou stew and I had another taste of Alaska halibut. As we ate on the outdoor patio, a couple of people stopped to chat when they read “Temagami” embroidered on Val’s fleece vest — one couple had actually lived in Val’s hometown of Haileybury in the 1970s. Isn’t it a small world?