Gone Fishing
Whitehorse has been named to the list of best fishing cities in the country and it’s no wonder with its pristine wilderness and endless lakes.
A Modern Day Klondike Kate: Fishing In Pink
In her latest A Modern Day Klondike Kate column, Rita recounts a humourous situation while fishing and explains why she hates Barbie-pink
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Unintended Consequence
Ultimately, Pavlina Sudrich’s objective of helping people feel comfortable and confident, when going into the Yukon wilderness has been met.
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The Day I Gave Up My Fishing Spot
A tale of bruins vs Rita’s ruins After a short trip, we parked on the inside of a swooping riverbend and announced that the last
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A Modern Day Klondike Kate: Girls’ Night Out
I remember the excitement bubbling in my 20-year-old self. Was there another woman on this planet that loved fishing as much as I did?
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A Whale Of A Time
As a kid, every summer we would travel to our traditional whaling camp at Baby Island on the Beaufort Coast.
At The End Of The Yellow Brick Road
When you’re driving along the Mud Bay Road in Haines, Alaska, just before you turn onto the Chilkat State Park Road malarky…
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Spring Flavours
Two fortuitous culinary events coincided in recent weeks. The first was an offering of last year’s Taku River Coho salmon…
Shore Lunch With Mario
The tip of my rod jerked and dipped toward the dimpled grey water, and I glanced up at our guide. He shook his head.
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Fried Fish Sandwich With Arugula And Tartar Sauce
If you’d like to scale up (or down), for this recipe, the batter is equal parts beer and flour, which makes it easy to serve one person…
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Catch Of The Day
Yukon photographer Cathie Archbould headed to the Southern Lakes region recently with a group of friends to spend a day…
The Fish Camp Visitors
In 2005, I was talking with a gentleman of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation who described an encounter he and his brother had with a sasquatch…
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The Unexpected Joys of Fishing
I never thought that I would like fishing. In fact, as with many things our minds convince us of, I went through the better part of my life certain that I was very happy having nothing to do with piscine pursuits. I didn’t particularly like eating fish and I felt no need to try to catch one. And then I fell in love with a man who loves fishing.
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Learning to be a good person through fishing
In 2017 Paul Rath attended the North Words Symposium in Skagway. He joined an early morning session in the library hosted by Deb Vanasse, an
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Tackle box or junk box?
The water is still hard and ice-fishing is good, but now is the time to take out all your open water gear and do some
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The twice-caught fish
This is a story about an Ontario Northern pike that was caught twice on the same day by two different anglers.
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Local fishing in Whitehorse
Whitehorse is not a world-renowned fishing destination, but it is the entrance to the Yukon, which is one of those places on many people’s fishing “bucket list.”
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Get schooled!
Kluane National Park and Reserve protects the northernmost population of kokanee, sockeye salmon that became land-locked.
Tie one on
Whitehorse is home to a tiny fly shop with a big heart Big fish. Tiny fly shop. At just 10 feet by 12 feet, and
Ice fishing safety
Yukon rivers all have currents, bends, gravel bars, log jams and usually decreasing water levels over the winter.
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Buying a knife
Part 1 of 2 One of the more common errors made by someone young or otherwise inexperienced in selecting a knife is to buy something
The life of a conservation officer
Murray is seen here as a young conservation officer in Ontario In the autumn of one’s life, one often sits back in the easy chair
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Buying a knife
Part 1 of 2 Different knives are for different purposes, so peeling potatoes is not as easy with a Leatherman as it is with a
Boat trailering suggestions
Larry has some tips to keep your boat trailer, and boat, moving I frequently see trailered boats with the outboard in the “down” position. This
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The pinks are running
Whether you’re into fishing or not, now is a great time to pack up the car and head to Haines to check out the salmon run. At this time of year, the rivers around the small Alaskan town are spotted with a waders-clad population, all hoping to reel in something tasty.
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Pike for supper
Pike are very common, not difficult to catch and are a delicious mild-flavoured fish. Their one big negative is that they have more bones than
Telling a fish’s age
Once you cut a tree down, you can count the number of years it has stood by counting the annual rings around the stump. It
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Sport fishing and the future
Fish management is an ever-changing science. With climate change at hand, it will present many unanswered questions about the future of fishing.
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Fish actually have ears
Although fish have ears, they do not have eardrums like humans and other wildlife A number of years ago, while writing outdoor columns for some
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Fire – RIGHT NOW!
Many situations need a fire, right now! An emergency or something you come upon. May not even be an emergency or survival situation, yet.
Ziplocs and vacuum-sealing
Great for camping, canoeing and hunting, ziplocs are watertight. It can rain for days and the items in your Ziploc bags will still be dry.
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Ice-fishing with kids
If you don’t make it fun, they won’t like it. Going out again will be unlikely. In that respect, it’s like summer fishing, only it’s
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Fish for dinner
Now that we’ve caught the fish, what do we do? Throw away the fish chain, remove the fish to a waterbox to keep the fish alive and replace it with an ice box.
Surviving (and thriving) in the great outdoors
You are also cold and you need to find a way to make a fire and warm up. If you have followed the motto of the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared,” then survival is on your side.
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Preparing those tasty fish treats
Most Yukoners like to eat fish, but sometimes people want a different taste sensation. Here are some fairly simple options to try: Tasty Fish Treat
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Living with Wildlife: Adam Skrutkowski
Lake chub missing its attempt at catching a damselfly for a snack at Judas Lake.
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Fending off bloodsuckers with sweet-smelling spray
Apparently insects hate the scent of marigolds.
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Let’s go fishin’! – 3 of 3
On land we have voracious bears that will eat almost anything. In the rivers and lakes, without a doubt, the most voracious fish in North America is the northern pike.
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Get stuffed!
Stuffing for fish, birds or game should never be overpowering. When preparing stuffing, make it moist and fragrant.
Catch ‘the Kraken’!
Catch the Kraken offers Alaskan saltwater charter fishing (targeting halibut), but other species include rockfish, cod, flounder, wolf fish, pollock and shark.
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Yukon women … hunting, fishing, harvesting, bonding
Yukon women … hunting, fishing, harvesting, bonding. 20 women in outdoor workshops developing Yukon hunting skills and knowledge.
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The ecological web: A story of salmon caught in the middle
“Nature is not something else, isolated, out there; it is as much a part of us as we are of it, and neither can be
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Fishing with Children
The first rule of fishing with children is that it has to be fun or it will fail.
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Fishing with children
Fishing for youngsters may be their first glimpse of ethics and responsible behaviour in relation to nature.
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Be Prepared
It is absolutely amazing how even a little preparation can get us through challenges that could be insurmountable without a bit of prep time.
Get the best out of the fish you caught
One of the best ways to assure the very best taste of your fish is to kill it immediately after landing it. Throw away the fish chain and any containers that just hold water. Just don’t use them.
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My fishing buddy, the chairman of the board
When one walks along the rim of the autumn of one’s life, they can’t help but to look back to the yesterdays – the “good
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Fishermen’s Tales: Robert Charles Young
This is one of the four northern pike Robert Charles Young caught this summer on a fly rod – all over 20 pounds.
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Bringing Up a Family the Old Fashioned Way
What has bringing up children in outdoor experiences and enjoying the life of camping, fishing and hunting done for the children?
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Fishermen’s Tales: Mike Gustus
There are lies, darn lies and fishing stories. In the Yukon, fishing is a huge hobby and we’d love to share your big ones, but only if they didn’t get away!
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Northern Food Fusion: Arctic Char Harvest
I can still smell the smoked fish on my jean jacket and I smile. It means I have been home to the Northwest Territories. At
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It Is Not That I Hunt, But That I Go Hunting
Last week I met a husband and wife in a local grocery store. The kind lady said she liked my columns on kayaking and the
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Northern Food Fusion
lover of adventure & fine tastes – forager of the wild world. The life I live is close with nature, so is my diet. Spruce Tip Salmon Roe Caviar
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An Epic Weekend of Hiking
The saying in Yukon is you only truly experience the Yukon when you get out in the wilderness, and those words are accurate beyond belief.
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Big Fun at Little Atlin Lake
You don’t own a boat or a canoe? No problem – Little Atlin Lodge is one of the very rare locations in the Yukon where
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Salmon: Another Dijon Delight
Fire up the barbecue, here’s another never-fail salmon recipe. Salmon: Another Dijon Delight Ingredients: ¼ to ⅓ cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp of your favourite Dijon
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Fish Chowder
When out on a day’s fishing and you don’t catch one of those big clunkers, don’t be dismayed. You can make a great chowder with
Salmon on a Stick
This shish kabob recipe works well, but be gentle as rough handling will cause the cooked fish pieces to break and fall off the skewer.
Start South, GoNorth!
Winter in Whitehorse is beautiful, but long. By the end of April 2016 we traveled down south to find Vancouver fully in bloom already. A
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Portable Burn Barrel
On a recent half-day ice-fishing adventure with our son, I got to experience some of the benefits of a portable burn barrel that he has
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Fishing on a Budget
The equipment needed to start out fishing can be very expensive and it’s really easy to spend a lot more than you need to. One
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From the Catch to the Table
For those who don’t like the taste of fish, the reason is because of the lack of proper handling of the fish from the time
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Burbot Fishing at Little Atlin Lodge
From the day we came to Whitehorse it was my partner’s dream to catch a burbot; the only freshwater member of the cod family is
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Heavy Metal Mountain
As Tom unpacked he took inventory: sub-Arctic self-erecting tent, sleeping bag, water/bear proof ruck sack full of high protein granola and astronaut food, zinc for
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Trail Snacks: GORP and Fruit Leather
GORP, aka Good Old Reliable Protein, and fruit leather are can be bought. Quality varies depending on how much you pay. They’re both easy to
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Gone Fishing
As a Conservation Officer in Ontario in the late 1950s through the 1960s, I patrolled the St. Lawrence River to the Quebec border. I came
Coho
September is harvest time. Berries are juicy and ripe for picking; root crops need to be dug and stored. The shortening days are a clear
How-to Remember Five Species of Salmon
Remembering the five species of Pacific salmon is as easy as counting the fingers on your hand. Start with your thumb, which rhymes with chum.
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Learning to Fry
A small assembly of structures along Mountainview Drive has been quietly housing 45,000 young salmon each year for the past 25 or so years. The
A Family Tradition
When the hooligan are running, the rivers and harbour In Haines, Alaska host a fiesta of wildlife that congregate to feed on this little fish
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Hot Ticket to Ride
France has the Tour de France. Italy has the Giro d’Italia. And here in the Yukon, we have the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. The
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The Little Fish With Many Names
Someone once said, “Give a man a fish, and you will teach a man where to get free fish.” If you try to give a
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Catch A Cutthroat
This is an awkward time of year for fishing. Each day, as the amount of daylight lengthens, we grow impatient to be back outside, with
Getting in Sheep Shape
We drove four hours from Whitehorse to one of my favourite fishing lakes, then an hour and a half across. As a sheep hunter that’s
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Telling Stories
Sandra Grace Storey’s Words Like Birds exhibit digs deep into all that we struggle to express. It finds a great tenderness there. Storey has created
Golfers and Duck Hunters Have Something in Common
The golfing season and duck hunting season have something in common. I am convinced that if a person took up both sports their problems would
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Visiting the Glaciers
We always said that when the kids were old enough we would take them for an Alaskan kayaking expedition, just like the one we had
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There Goes my Life
My hunting partner is the best. I know we’ll head out on more adventures, but it may be a while. Hayley is graduating & heading to law school.
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Stay Healthy in Old Age with Vitamin D
Until December 21, the days will continue to get shorter. The light will be limited and far from adequate to produce Vitamin D, even in
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Yukon vegetarian
I am not a hunter. Not everyone has to be. I’m spending time with a man who is respectful, thankful, spiritual about the process.
Dem Bones
Pike are notorious for being boney. As a child, I developed an intense fear of choking on fish bones. Not from any horrendous experience, but
Hunting for Wildlife: Mike Gustus
This 43” lake trout, which weighed in at a husky 41 pounds, was caught in Tagish Lake on Saturday, July 19 by Mike Gustus, who
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Freezing Fish
Over the years a few people have told me that due to a loss of flavour, they do not freeze fish and only eat them
Cooking and Eating Ling Cod
Ling cod, or burbot, is very common in the Yukon’s southern lakes, and is quite easy to catch by jigging, bottom fishing, or using set-lines
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Ice Fishing Equipment
Ice fishing is a cold weather activity and your hands are involved in every operation, including cutting holes, setting up equipment, and hopefully handling fish.
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Ice Fishing, Part 1 of 2
In southern Canada’s ice-fishing season, lakes have been traditionally dotted with wooden ice huts or shanties. These are frozen in places with propane or home-built
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Fish on Porcupine River
Sitting at a fish hole in the dark on the Porcupine River, in the Yukon at Old Crow in the fall, is not unusual. Excitement
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Spellbound at Kelsall Lake, B.C.
It always seems that for other people things happen quite easily. They have an idea and voila — there it is. I don’t know; maybe
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Killing My First Fish
The day I kill my first fish I eat a tuna sandwich for lunch.I’m on a bush excursion, assisting a field biologist. On our lunch
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The Collector in Tagish
His name is Douglas Roy Rogers Dupont the 3rd. That’s what he’s known as on the water around Tagish at least. It’s his two-way radio handle.
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Give and Take
I feel a bit like Gollum. I am squatting on my haunches, slurping delicious juices from my fingers as I delight in a fresh pike.
Fly Fishing for Pike
In the Yukon, fly anglers usually target arctic grayling, rainbow trout, or kokanee salmon in stocked lakes. These fish are readily available, fairly easy to catch
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Ice; It’s Always Changing
With warm weather things change quickly, as we have seen this year. By mid-December there was a great freeze on most lakes, with little snow.
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Finally Fishing Time
Leaning against the counter at my wife Heather’s staff party, I listened to tales of hiking trips, caribou hunts, broken ATVs and fishing trips good
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Vacuum Sealers
Fish quality deteriorates faster than anything else in your freezer. Flavour loss and freezer-burn are the most common results. Double wrapping with plastic and butcher
Northern Romance, November 21, 2013
Dear Readers, Charley Sprucetip and I have parted ways. Fortunately, I have found an absolutely delightful and charming writing partner, Johnny Snowshoe, who has years
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Local Angler Receives National Recognition
On October 9, 2013 Dennis Zimmerman was awarded the 2013 Recreational Fishing Award. This award, which is only handed out to a handful of Canadians
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