by Mary L. Peachin
The Iconnu Lodge sits amid the vast wilderness straddling the Continental Divide in Yukon (formerly the Yukon Territory), Canada. The lodge is remote by anyone’s standards. The stunning, wilderness landscape is punctuated by black and glacial-green rivers, isolated alpine lakes, jagged mountain peaks and fl at-ridged mountains. During the summer, a rainbow of fl owers peeks through the tundra-covered landscape.
The area is considered a “high eastern plateau,” and except for the Mackenzie Mountains, many of the region’s mountains, lakes and rivers are nameless. Supplying both experienced and novice anglers a taste of Canada’s best northernmost fi shing, Inconnu Lodge, accessible only by plane, is located 185 miles east of Yukon’s capital city of Whitehorse.
Peachin fi ght a lake trout.
The lodge overlooks Lake McEvoy, a seven-mile headwater leading to a series of lakes interconnected by streams off ering superb fi shing for lake trout and Arctic grayling. Each day, Inconnu off ers adventurous fl y-out fi shing to remote places where it is possible to wade or drift rivers, and either fl y fi sh or spin cast in alpine lakes for more species, including Northern pike, Dolly Varden, or the rare inconnu (or sheefi sh) for which the lodge was named.
Next to its trophy-size fi sh, Inconnu’s isolation and nameless fl y-in destinations are its primary attractions. A 5- to 45-minute fl ight drops the angler at one of approximately 20 lakes where 18-foot boats are cached, or at one of a dozen rivers fi shed by canoe, jet boats, or infl atable rafts.
Inconnu practices conservation by resting its fi sheries for several days, weeks, sometimes even a season. They want to keep the fi sh wild and hungry. Having such great fi shing resources to themselves, with no population within a hundred miles, they prefer to maintain the anonymity of their favorite destinations.
On a recent flight in the area, I saw four moose busily grazing on river weeds in shallow river rapids. Warren LaFave, co-owner of Inconnu Lodge along with his wife Anita, crabbed his Hughes 500 helicopter into a hover before landing on a riverside bog. Dropping us near a cached canoe, we earnestly paddled down current for a close-up moose encounter. Unfortunately, the moose had wandered into the willows.
Casting five-weight rods tied with wooly bugger and leech patterns, we waded in 52-degree water, releasing dozens of Arctic grayling and lake trout. After a shoreline picnic, guide Ken Richardson suggested we paddle to an area better known for its trophy-sized lake trout. Climbing into the canoe, I spotted a bull moose, one with sizable antlers. Ken and my husband, David, quietly paddled us toward the bull until we got within a hundred yards. The moose stopped feeding and we stopped paddling. After a brief stare down, he splashed out of the water and into the brush.
Fishing another lake for specimen (40-inch) Northern pike, Ken told us he was taking us to the “river of our dreams.” Narrow and lined by a boggy bank, the sandy-bottomed river produced grayling and lake trout on almost every cast. Several times Ken used a tape to measure a 20-inch release. This was definitely a day that ended too soon.
Inflatable Maravia drift rafts, with Ken manning the oars, carried us down another river. Two captain’s chairs with standing casting bars allowed us to cast three-weight rods for grayling. Exploring miles of relatively virgin water, whenever we reached a prime fishing pool Ken would drop anchor to enable us to throw a fly into a nearby pocket or riffle structure.
At the end of our drift, Warren—piloting the helicopter—sighted us waiting along the river bank. After using a sling to haul the raft back to the putin, he picked us up for the short flight back to the lodge. It had been a unique and adventurous, fun-filled Yukon day, and a cold dip in the lake, a nearby hot tub and steamy sauna awaited our tired muscles.
Inconnu’s 6,500-square-foot main, cedar lodge includes a large dining room, a vaulted-ceiling bar lounge with game tables, a gift shop, and even a conference room with, believe it or not, satellite television and wireless Internet service.
The Inconnu’s Dehaviland Beaver float plane, known as the “workhorse” of the North, is used along with the helicopter, for daily fly-outs for fishing, heli-hiking, river drift trips, or flight seeing to the natural wonders of Northwest Territories’ Cirque of the Unclimbables and Virginia Falls.
Waders, boots, and a small daypack (for rain gear) are the only essentials required for guests. The lodge supplies all fishing tackle, including spinning, level wind, or fly rods along with lures or flies for each guided day. They also do daily complimentary laundry to minimize the amount of clothing required for a fi ve-day visit.
National Park
The LaFaves built Inconnu Lodge log by log by log. It took fi ve years of hard work, grit and determination. Logging more than 1,500 freight flights, Warren flew in every piece of building material, in his DeHaviland Beaver.
Gracious hosts, Warren and Anita are “Jack and Jill of all trades.” Each day, Warren fl ies anglers to and from their fi shing destination. Anita, the “Martha Stewart” of Yukon, warmly meets and greets clients. She plans gourmet fourcourse dinners, has the weekly provision list down to a science, packs scrumptious picnic lunches, oversees the chef’s and kitchen staff ’s food preparation and service, and tends to other administrative duties.
Inconnu’s nine cedar cabins, cozy with wood-burning stoves, overlook the lakefront. The Beaver fl oat plane and fishing boats are tied to a wooden dock lined with Adirondack chairs.
Breakfast is cooked to order, with fresh muffins and pastries baked every day. A picnic lunch includes an oversized sandwich from your personal preference list, Greek salad, shrimp skewers, homemade cookies and baked goods and, if requested, wine and beer.
An exception to Inconnu’s strict catch-and-release policy is a day of enjoying a shore lunch of freshly caught grayling. Ken, using a propane burner, batters the freshly caught fi lets with corn meal then grills them in a castiron pan with butter and a splash of wine. Ribs, fingerling potatoes, Greek salad with arugula, and garlic toast are also served on plates garnished with fresh strawberries.
Yukon is a great place to view wildlife. Moose outnumber the territory’s entire human population by 20,000. Mountain goat and sheep climb steep, rocky mountain slopes. Grizzlies and black bears munch on wild berries, and more than 200,000 caribou migrate seasonally through the territory. Other wildlife includes wolf, wolverines, coyotes, foxes, beavers and marmots. It is also a birder’s paradise with the region boasting more than 200 species of migratory and birds of prey.
Our one-hour helicopter flight to the Cirque of the Unclimbables took us over winding rivers and creeks, all tributaries of the MacKenzie River, which flows north to the Arctic Ocean. Glaciers, some spanning more than a dozen miles, melt to become muddy creeks before draining into emeraldcolored alpine lakes. The scenery was beyond description. Nahanni River’s Virginia Falls (twice the height of Niagara Falls) is an additional half-hour flight; the Nahanni River flows through the Yukon Mountains into the Northwest Territories.
It’s difficult to imagine having easier access to 12 remote rivers and streams and 17 lakes with the choice of fishing seven species of trophy-size fish. Fly fishing, spin casting or trolling can land beginner or professional anglers nonstop activity in the 5- to 30-pound class. When you are releasing different species of fish on light tackle on almost every cast, does it get any better than that?
Mary Peachin is a local freelance writer. Comments for publication should be addressed to [email protected]