This past week at Miminiska Lodge, we saw a nice mix of sunshine and rainy days, with temperatures reaching highs in the 70s. Warm layers and rain gear were heavily used on those rainy days – which proved to be the best days for fishing.

The mayflies are out in full force, and many anglers have witnessed both Walleye and Pike leaping from the water. Surface lures, such as poppers, and dry fly-fishing proved to be the most successful. Currently we are experiencing extremely high water on the Albany River which is affecting fishing conditions. The fish are not schooling as much as you might expect and tend to be more spread out – meaning that anglers are having to work harder to get that big catch. Pike are still roaming the grassy flats, but are likely deep on clear sunny days. After all that’s where the Walleye can be found!

This past week we had the honour of welcoming the Project Healing Waters event at our lodge. We had nine veterans and a handful of special guests come out to enjoy eight days of fly-fishing – and what an adventure they had! The Project Healing Waters team managed to turn fly-fishing into an extreme sport, rigging up everything from feminine products to Barbie dolls, even a shell casing to try on their lines. In the end, it was Jake from Bethesda, MD who had the largest catch of the week – a 37in Pike. Congratulations Jake!

Everyday, the smiling faces of the nine veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam stood as a reminder of the freedoms we are so blessed to have, and the brave men and woman that risk everything to defend those freedoms. We are so grateful for all they have done to make the world a better place, and we hope that their experience on the Albany was truly healing.
…Katelyn Johnson