This summer, we are going to be showcasing a few of our previous lodge guests on the blog here. People who have experienced a Canadian fly-in fishing lodge experience, here in remote, northern Saskatchewan. Each of our guests brings something new to the discussion, offers some insight for other’s who love the sport and hopefully will help you understand a bit more about our lodge.
Our first guest that we interviewed for this summer blog-series is Lisa Roper.
If you haven’t heard the name Lisa Roper yet, then allow us to introduce you to our guest and friend. A true angler, Lisa’s mission is to share the love of the sport and create opportunities for conservation education and opportunities for confidence building in this sport.
Lisa flew-in to Cree Lake Lodge as a solo-traveler.
We asked Lisa what it was like to travel to a Canadian fly-in fishing lodge by herself; a space that is usually dominated by men. We asked her this because a lot of people feel like they need to have a group of people with them in order to book a fly-in fishing lodge experience.
We also wound up asking Lisa; “Do you ever feel like fishing is a man’s sport?”. Lisa smiled and said “Let me tell you a story about being a solo-traveler and a woman at Cree Lake Lodge…it has a beautiful ending”.
A “Not-So-Solo” Canadian Fly-In Fishing Trip
Lisa comes from a long line of sportsmen. Her dad taught her everything she knows about hunting, fishing and the wild. He learned from his dad and so on. She’s a hunter, she’s a fisher, she’s a mom and she’s a grandma.
“My dad and I had always talked about a fly-in fishing trip, he and I never wound up getting to take a fly-in trip…he died suddenly and grief is messy…but when I had the chance to fly to Cree Lake Lodge I knew I had to go.”
She may have been travelling alone, but anyone who has booked a trip to be with someone they love will be able to appreciate why she decided to make the journey north to Cree Lake.
Solo-Lodge Guest as a Female: Is it a Man’s Sport?
As a solo-traveller, Lisa found herself standing at the Fort MacMurray airport waiting with a group of men. She stood off from the rest of the group, just appreciating how much she was looking forward to casting a line and spending some time on the water.
The crew boarded the float-plane and soared above the northern Canadian wilderness, touching down on Cree Lake’s waters.
“That first night, that same group of guys from the airport was sitting at the lodge having some drinks” Lisa remembered.
“Can I join you?” she had asked the beer circle.
“The one guy looked at me a bit funny and hesitated, but said “sure”. I didn’t think much of it. I was just looking forward to getting some lures in the water the next day.”
Canadian Fly-in Fishing at It’s Finest: Three 43″ Lake Trout
Lisa showed up with a goal of catching some of Cree Lake’s legendary lake trout. She set out in the morning with her guide and herself and through the next four days, she wound up exceeding her goal and reeling in three lakers that were over 43″ and then-some.
Lisa’s Cree Lake Catch
Northern Pike: Four x 40″+
Trophy Trout:
Three x 43″ trout (with the largest girth 26″)
Arctic Grayling:
A first time experience
The “Beautiful Ending” & Lakeside Lodge Lunches
As if catching three 43″ lake trout wasn’t a “beautiful ending” enough, there is still the issue of whether or not fishing is a “man’s sport”.
On one of their last days fishing Cree Lake, Lisa and the group of men she had stood near at the airport were sharing a lakeside lunch and swapping stories about what they had reeled in throughout their week at Cree Lake Lodge.
“You know, Lisa” said the man who had looked at her funny on that first night, “don’t hate me for saying this, but when I first saw you at the airport, I thought you were a good-looking lady who was going to be cooking for us or maybe making beds. But here you are, you’re an angler. A true angler.”
“I would never hate him for being honest” she explained, “I admired it. He called me an angler. Not a “female-angler” not a “fisher woman”. An angler.”
How great is that? When asked if fishing was a male-dominated sport, Lisa could have said something like “statistically speaking approximately 36% of all anglers are women, making a majority of 64% of all anglers men”. Or she could have referenced all of the different women’s groups, clubs, education spaces and so on.
What Lisa pointed out is how it felt to be recognized for being an angler. She had no issues with the amount of men or lack of women in the sport.
Booking a Fly-In Fishing Lodge Trip in Canada
“I really can’t say enough good things about Cree Lake Lodge.” Lisa said in closing, “The experience, the staff, the food, Brandon and Adam and of course the fishing. It’s a place where you get to be yourself, and that’s so special.”
If you’d like to learn more about Lisa Roper you can follow her blog or follow her on social media. She is already planning educational ice fishing events for 2023, and while she’s happy to have been considered an angler, she does also offer workshops and classes that are specifically tailored for women who are new to fishing or would like to learn. Be sure to check out her website for more information.
If you’re ready to book your own Canadian fly-in fishing lodge experience (either by yourself, like Lisa, or with a group), contact us today and we’d be happy to help you schedule the right reservation for you.