The reel Canada
Canada’s northern wilderness truly defines what it means to get away from it all... it’s time to take the bait
Bouncing about in a small boat on a lake, five miles from dry land, I was slowly getting to grips with my rod and tackle. As it happens, it didn’t long for me to land a 30in northern pike.
That meant lunch was sorted and no sooner had we landed on a deserted lake beach, my guide Nap had top and tailed the fish and was prepping it for the camp fire. There’s
nothing quite like catching your own food. In these parts, it’s almost a necessity as the nearest shop is a floatplane ride away.
I’m in the untamed Canadian wilderness in the north central subarctic of Manitoba.
The stunning landscape is virtually untouched and it is home to more than 100 lakes, which attract all manner of wildlife – caribou, moose, bears, beluga whales, wolves... even grizzlies further north.
We’re based at the rustic Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge on the shores of Egenolf Lake where, judging from
the mounted trophies of giant pike adorning the wood-panelled walls, angling is the main draw.
Situated in the very north of Manitoba, the lodge is close to the Nunavut border and a three-hour flight from Winnipeg on a little eightblack
seater plane which has to stop en route to refuel.
Before we hit the wilds, we stopped over in the provincial capital Winnipeg, a pretty city set at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers.
It’s a mix of old and modern, with the striking Canadian Museum for Human Rights providing a dramatic landmark for visitors. Inside, moving exhibitions detail the stories of survival and struggles of Canadians and prominent international figures. The Mandela Struggle for Freedom Exhibition includes a replica of his cell on Robben Island.
At the Manitoba Museum we learned about the search for the lost
Stunning landscape is untouched – and is home to caribou, moose, bears, whales & wolves