BY JOHN CLEVELAND
This past spring I received a call fromMaxine Key, the owner of Milton LakeLodge. She invited my son Zack and I tosample the great fishing and exceptionalhospitality at her lodge. Milton Lake
lodge is located in northernSaskatchewan 25 miles south of theNorthwest Territories. It is in the heart ofsome of the best trophy pike and laketrout country in Canada. The lodge holdsa maximum of 16 guests per week whileadhering to a catch and release policy.
Therefore, there is very little pressure onthe fishery and the potential for someexceptional fishing on the lake’s 2,000pristine acres.
JOINING THE CONGREGATIONAs the floatplane approached the lake,
Zack almost jumped out of his seat as hesaid, “Dad I think I see the lodge on thehorizon!” A commanding cathedral-likestructure perched on a high rocky prome-nade, its angular roof rising into the clearblue Saskatchewan sky. It looked like aplace of worship placed in the wild. Thevision on the horizon was breathtaking asthe plane settled to the lake’s surface,baptized by Milton Lake’s crystal waters.We were looking forward to joining thecongregation at the lodge for a few days offishing, fun and the kind of soul enhance-ment that only a fishing trip in thewilderness can provide. After an enthusi-astic welcome at the dock by Maxine andher staff, we were taken to the grandroom of the main lodge and each assignedour own private sleeping quarters. Wewere invited to hurry back for whatwould be one of many delicious, chef-pre-pared, gourmet meals we would enjoyduring our stay.
BAPTISMOur guide Nick, in spite of an injured
arm in a sling from an accident the daybefore, was enthusiastic as the new dayunfolded. Eagles soared overhead on ris-ing thermals from the lake’s surface asthe sun rose on the serrated horizon ofthe new day. Nick set us up over a shallowwater flats with scattered weeds whenZack let out, “Oh yeah Dad I got one!”
On Nick’s second cast of the trip, anice pike snatched his Five of DiamondsDardevle out of the weed bed and starteddoing underwater cartwheels. As hepulled the hook out of his first pike’s jaw,it belly flopped back into the water andbaptized Zack with a huge splash ofCanadian holy water on his smiling face.The enthusiasm Zack expressed landingevery fish regardless of size was refresh-ing. They were all trophies in his eyes. Hehad followed my advice and put on anEppinger Five of Diamonds that would, indays to come, serve him well as he pro-ceeded to out fish me two to one theremainder of the trip. By the time the tripended, the lure’s paint was shredded, as ifa school of Piranha attacked it.
FISHING WITH THE BOSSThe next morning, Maxine informed
us at breakfast that our guide Nick wasin too much pain with his injured armand she would be our guide the rest of theweek. She admitted she had not guidedbefore. We figured it would be fun to fishwith the boss even if she was new to guid-ing! We began our day on the lake at 8am,and when Maxine hit the throttle of the40hp Yamaha on the 17’ Lund Outfitter, itwas evident she at least knew how tohandle a boat and motor like a pro. Ourquestion was could she find fish? Wefished hard all morning and caught a fewnice pike, but Maxine insisted it was a bitslow by her standards. Zack and I hadn’tnoticed and were having a blast wrestlingpike to the boat on a regular basis. As we
Page 54 December 2014MidWest Outdoors “Helping People Enjoy the Outdoors”
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Milton Lake—The Heart of Trophy Pike Country
Milton Lake Lodge looks like a wilderness cathedral.
skimmed across the Lake towards asecluded island to have lunch, the reflec-tion from the lake’s rippled surface lookedlike sapphire dust had been sprinkledfrom the heavens.
SHORE LUNCHShore lunch at Milton Lake Lodge is a
grand event, as everyone gathered at thatday’s venue to enjoy a tasty meal and talkabout the morning’s adventures on thewater. We enjoyed a classic shore lunch ofmouthwatering pike fillets cooked on ahot skillet with potatoes, baked beansand sweet corn on two occasions. Onanother, we took a break on a lookoutnear the lodge. It was complete with a firepit, wooden benches and a commandingview of the lake. We ate homemade chili,fresh baked cornbread and salad. On sev-eral occasions, we headed to the lodge andhad grilled hamburgers with all the fix-ings. These daily gatherings made for anice midday break and helped add to thecamaraderie between both the guests andstaff. The camaraderie factor is part ofthe enchantment and charm that Maxinehas woven into her unique lodge.Everyone is made to feel like they arepart of the family.
EVOLUTION AND REDEMPTIONI knew from experience we were fish-
ing the right cover and structure for pike.It would just be a matter of time beforewe hit the jackpot. Our jackpot came afterlunch on the second day out when Zackasked Maxine if there was a place wherehe could use a top water lure for pike.With a knowing smile she said, “I knowjust the spot young man,” and redirectedthe boat towards a narrow channel abouta half-mile away. We slowly easedthrough the shallow channel and into asecluded bay that had a dark bottom andscattered light weeds growing just underthe surface. The first pike blew up onZack’s buzz bait, and it was game on forthe rest of the trip. It was particularlysatisfying to watch my son’s abilitiesevolve as the trip progressed and hegained experience and confidence. With amorning of slow action behind us, this bayhad become Maxine’s “redemption” andsaved her from having to answer any
embarrassing questions about fish popu-lation densities in the lake.
It became evident as we fished duringthe ensuing days that Maxine had under-sold herself as a master boat handler andhunter of fish. She was an expert at stalk-ing our boat into likely waters and evencut the motor and paddled us into posi-tion several of times. When she had spot-ted nice pike in the shallows, she woulddeftly maneuver us into a good positionfor a cast. I don’t know that I have fishedwith a more competent guide. We werejoking with her every day about this tripbeing her guide certification test and ifshe did well, I would be signing her guidecertification license. Maxine guided uswith grace, knowledge and the goodhumor of a seasoned professional, andpassed the test with flying colors. I toldher the next time she invites me up to thelodge I will remember to bring a pen andsign her guide certificate.
GEAR BASICSBuzz N Rex spoons and Eppinger Five
of Diamonds spoons were our top per-formers on this trip. The skirting onZack’s buzz bait got so chewed up byvicious strikes we had to reconnect it sev-eral times to keep it in the game. I rec-ommend a 7-foot med/heavy rod fornorthern pike with 30-pound braided lineand a 12-inch 30-pound test steel leaderwith cross lock snaps to secure the lure.The heavy tackle will help you cast largelures and control large fish in heavyweedbeds and structure. A selection of ¾-oz and one-ounce Dardevles and RedeyeWigglers in a variety of colors coveringthe spectrum of light to dark finishesincluding hammered copper and silverwill put you in the money on almost anyCanadian pike adventure with theEppinger Five of Diamonds being mynumber one choice throughout Canadafor pike.
LUXURY AND COMFORTMilton Lake Lodge offers a command-
ing view of the lake from the angular 20-foot-high picture windows ascending tothe peak of the cathedral ceiling of thegrand room. The lodge sits on a beautifulrock outcropping on the shore of the lake.
It was built to make a statement of luxu-ry and comfort while engaging guests inthe expansive magic of the Saskatchewanwilderness. The interior is classic upscalecomfort with leather furniture and beau-tiful wood paneling throughout; completewith a bar and well stocked tackle shop. Aspacious deck out front with hot tubawaits you after a full day on the waterchasing trophy fish. Canada’s non-con-tentious relationship with Cuba evenaffords guests the opportunity to enjoyone of the genuine Cuban cigars availableat the lodge after dinner. Maxine Key ismentor to an exceptional team of peoplethat genuinely care and cater to yourevery need by paying attention to the lit-tle details during your stay as if you were
at a fine hotel. Milton Lake Lodge wouldbe the perfect place for a corporateretreat and has WIFI Internet service tokeep you connected to the rest of theworld. In 2015, they will be offering a spe-cial fall black bear hunting package coin-ciding with the lake trout spawn. Frompersonal experience I can tell you there isnothing more exciting than fishing forhuge lake trout in shallow water duringthe fall.
SHARING THE GIFTAs Zack and I headed towards the
lodge on our last day I couldn’t help butthink how special it has been to share thegift of a remote Canadian fishing tripwith my son. The special bonds and mem-ories we built together were sealed withthe glue of a wilderness adventure atMilton Lake Lodge.
John Cleveland is the MarketingDirector of Eppinger Mfg. Co., maker ofthe world-famous Dardevle line of spoons.Contact info: [email protected] website:www.Eppinger.net
Milton Lake Lodge contact info:[email protected]
Website: MiltonLakeLodge.com
Page 55December 2014 MidWest Outdoors “Helping People Enjoy the Outdoors”
The Original Rex Spoonby
The Spin N Rex and Classic Rex spoons are afavorite of freshwater anglers seeking Pikeand Bass in heavy cover such as thickweedbeds and difficult to reach shallow waterstructure. The Rex has the ability to get towhere the fish are and entice them to strikelike no other lure on the market!
Eppinger makes the Rex Spoon from thesame high quality materials that have
made the Dardevle a worldwide perfor-mance standard for over 100 years.
The Rex Spoon’s unique dartingaction and ultra flash consistently
trigger aggressive strikes in gamefish.
*All Eppinger luresare made withpride in the UnitedStates of America
Rex Spoons are available in the following five finishes:Nickel, Gold, Copper, Black,Crackle Frog
Skirts colors available:Chartreuse, White, Black/Blue,Chartreuse/White,Chartreuse/Black
Please see your local dealer or visit our website www.eppinger.netToll free number: 888-771-8277
One of many trophy pike the author’s son Zack caught on a buzzbait.
Zack felt every pike he caught was atrophy.
The view from the deck was breathtaking.
