September 2012

Paul Edmonds is the radio voice for the AA Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team.  He also hosts their annual charity fundraising trip to Aikens Lake.  The Goldeyes claimed their first championship this year in the American Association.  While at Aikens after the championship season, Paul sat down with Gerry to go over his busy year!

Gerry   Paul, you’re up here at Aikens Lake to host the annual fundraiser trip for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Thanks for sharing some thoughts and feelings with our readers. Can you elaborate on your relationship with the Goldeyes, their foundation and how it all leads to Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge.

Paul     The relationship dates back to the off season leading up to 2004, when Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge offered a fundraising package consisting of trips donated completely free of charge to the hosting celebrities and the eventual winners of the trip to the Goldeyes charity, The Field of Dreams Foundation. What I liked at first, and still do today, is the fact that every penny we raise for this trip stays with the charity.

                The Field of Dreams Foundation started in 1995 which is dear to my heart because while the team began in 1994, I started with the Goldeyes in 1995 as well, so my association with Field of Dreams goes back to the beginning…..18 years now! We’re well over one million dollars of monies raised for the benefit of children’s charities in the province. Having all the money stay in Manitoba is a key factor. We’ve been able to help a lot of groups, too numerous to list here, but it is also a great opportunity for us to seal local corporate partnerships from companies like Aikens. It’s a little special for me also because our logo is a fish……and I’ve always loved to fish…..and people know that. So now I have become the liaison for all that is fishing.

                The favourite story I like to tell is that back in those days we broadcast the game on another station whose signal could be tuned into radios up in the Bait and Tackle Shop at Aikens Lake. The Aikens staffers heard on the broadcast that Paul Edmonds, whom they didn’t know, actually enjoyed fishing! The idea was spawned that maybe they should offer the Goldeyes a charity trip similar to the Jets Goals for Kids that morphed into the Moose Yearling Foundation. The rest is history and I think the partnership with Aikens Lake has worked well for the Foundation, has worked well for the Goldeyes and for myself and of course hopefully for the lodge.

Gerry   On your son Nolan’s fourth birthday this year, you broadcast your first ever championship winning game when the Goldeyes defeated the Witchita Wingnuts to win the American Association Crown. Would you share some of your emotions at that moment and how the ride has been since then.

Paul      Well having never won a championship, it’s all brand new to me, but I’m enjoying every moment of it and enjoying the moment of the unknown. There are a couple of things that developped over the last few days that I now can relate. One was the euphoric moment after that last pitch when you are the best there is! That is probably the biggest emotional boost you can get because that is what you strive for and you’ve reached the pinnacle. You’ve climbed that mountain and planted the flag. There is no further that you can go.

                The other, of course, is the celebration with the team and entourage and a few fans.  That was great!  Unfortunately, we won in another ballpark. But celebrating back in Winnipeg and with our fans 30 hours later at Shaw Park was incredible because you got to see the hometown fans enjoying it and being the big part of it they always are. So that’s great! because they, the fans, deserve it for standing behind us day after day, year after year, win or lose, for paying the freight, sitting through long rain delays and sitting through some of the cold, humid evenings that we can experience in May.

                I’ll never forget how proud I felt being there that night. And then there’s the auxillaries from that. People you don’t know, stop you on the street to offer their congratulations. And of course there is the family aspect and I speak only for myself. But there are a lot of people in my family who sacrificed a lot for me to be able to broadcast 112 games in 130 days driving all over the midwest, whether that was my Mom, my Dad, my in-laws and especially my wife and kids. They are the people I enjoyed celebrating this with and they are taking it all in too. They think it’s great for the city and the province but in the end, they are glad for me and very proud to celebrate it.

                I’m sure that we will notice a different attitude for months to come. Wherever we go, people know about the championship, even up here. Guests and staff alike are fully cognisant of what was just accomplished by the Winnipeg Goldeyes. I’m very happy that people are proud of the Goldeyes and the timing of this championship win is great in view of what’s going on with the other professional teams right now.

Gerry   So we are certain that the memories and effects of the championship will linger on but you (@fishvoice1995) have to shift gears as the fall and winter seasons fast approach. What are your plans for this year?

Paul      I’m one of the few Winnipeggers probably who really looks forward to winter because it allows me time to be more of a regular dad and husband. My schedule is still busy but it becomes much more flexible. I will soon return to my role as corporate account executive with the Goldeyes. That takes me back to a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 regular job so I’m normal that way which is totally different from the summer.

                 My time with my wife and kids in the summer is in the mornings when everyone else spends family time in the evenings and on the weekends. It’s my time to give back now, helping out my wife with parenting duties. Our kids are getting older so there is a lot more to be done, but it’s also a lot more fun being with them. Tanis is starting a home business this fall. She is trained and certified in the dog grooming business so the plan is to help her get her own operation going. We have to finalize the business plan and erect a building on our property. I will also take over a lot of driving the kids here and there and attending their events. I will continue to support my oldest son in his hockey and probably be assistant coach again this year if he stays with the same team. But we won’t know that until all the try outs are over. I will attend as many dance lessons and recitals as possible for my daughter. Our youngest son is also starting up hockey this year so that will keep us on the go! We also have piano lessons for two of them and swimming for all of them. So there is a lot of opportunities for me to get totally involved in family life. I get a lot of satisfaction watching my kids being involved with other kids and doing other things. I think it has made me a better person also because, you know Gerry, as a parent you always try and show them the best road to take, the best way to make decisions, don’t do this but do that, but in the end, you have to be that person who is the guiding light or the good example for them.

                That being said, I will be taking some vacation time to fish with my family and go on my annual whitetail hunting trip. I will try and get out to do some bird hunting as well. My dad and I have always loved to spend time together in the great outdoors and that’s what I want for my kids. Also, our little family is getting older now, so If all goes well, Tanis and I will be taking the kids to Disneyworld in February as they are all old enough now.

Gerry   I’m out of breath just listening to you describe your planned activities. Now we’ll slow things down and play the one word game. In one word Paul, describe your emotions and feelings at the moment the Goldeyes won their first championship of your era.

Paul      Euphoric! That’s the complete feeling….the feeling that you are the best….the feeling that you worked as hard or harder than anyone else and the fact that you got the ultimate reward for it all. That’s why it is euphoric…knowing that you deserved it and that you accomplished it!

Gerry   Thanks for this interview Paul.

Approximately 80% of the Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge summer staff are college or university students so when Labour Day rolls around they return to their cities in which they further their education.

Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge’s 7^th annual Friends and Family Event was held this year on the September long weekend, shortly before our staff was heading home after a fruitful summer of hard work and friendships. This event allows staff to invite family and friends to visit the lodge and the lake for 3 days. The near and dear guests were hosted in activities shared by all which featured world class fishing, the world’s best shore lunches, the family dinners! Pool, shuffleboard and cribbage were at the heart of fun and laughter galore in big Molly’s Bar. Observing the eagles, the songbirds and wildlife everywhere or listening to the haunting call of the loon while chilling in their porch, the guests could fill their senses with the incredible beauty and charm of Aikens Lake.

The partners of the lodge value the staff and their huge contribution to its success and through this particular event share the “Aikens Experience” with those people closest to them.

On the last evening, a special shore supper was held at the Great Gray Owl site for the 40 or so participants and staff. At the end of the supper, two fathers of pro-staff guides informally took the floor, one in French and one in English, to recognize this superb opportunity to share time at Aikens Lake with their children and thanked Pit and Julie for making it happen. Both speakers addressed the great insight gained to what they contribute to overall operation. They both agreed to an interview to share their thoughts with our readers. Gerry conducted the interviews with Sig Laser and Ibrahima Diallo.

Sig Laser, Alex’s dad, spoke at the shoresupper. He thanked Pit and Julie and the partners of Aikens Lake for opening a window in their busy season so that they could have a look inside their child’s wilderness job. Gerry caught up with Sig to explore other perspectives and maybe share the same sentiments.

Gerry: Sig, tell our readers what you do in real life.

Sig:     I am a policy analyst with the Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship. I have been there for 6 years and was doing the same thing in other department prior to that. I’m very interested  in what happens in natural areas of Manitoba so that has added a little hook for me here at Aikens Lake.

Gerry: I’ll excuse that pun and ask you what was your experience with the Friends and Family Event?

Sig:     When Alex started guiding at Aikens Lake, we were invited to this event and I came up with my wife Tanis.  This year, I’m here with Alex’s oldest brother, Nathan. Last year we caught lots of fish and this year we also caught lots of fish. I have been very fortunate to catch a Manitoba Master Angler northern pike (41.5”). I love what Aikens does with the photo and presentation and I’m impressed with their use of social media. And boom! There I was, famous on Facebook!

Gerry: Famous being the operative word! You’ve seen the place and you’ve seen your son at this student profession. What does he do and how do you think his experience here will benefit him in life?

Sig:     Apart from all the hands on trade skills he is getting here, he comes back home and is talking about all the people he guides….CEO’s, COO’s, corporate executives, corporate clients, families, and groups of fun loving people. The ability to come into contact with these Canadian and American tourists gives him a better sense of what people do in the world and the things they want to accomplish. When I look at it, he is growing in confidence and growing in strength. He is developing a sense of judgement which will serve him well in life.

Gerry: In one word, describe your experience here at Friends and Family.

Sig:     Energizing! There were many times this weekend when I was breathing the really fresh air. I was flashing back at times when I was breathing the purest , cleanest, most energizing air ever. I had a few moments of that and flashing on to how pure and clean this environment is.

Gerry: Thanks Sig for your insight and another father’s perspective.

Ibrahima Diallo, better known as Ibou, addressed the shore supper gathering in French, so we conducted the interview in the language of Molière.

Gerry:  Dis nous qu’est ce que tu fais dans la vie.

Ibrahima : Je suis professeur à l’Université de Saint Boniface depuis 27 ans.

Gerry : Parles nous de ton expérience avec l’évènement famille et ami.e.s.

Ibrahima : C’est ma 6^e participation à cet évènement car notre fille Aisha a travaillé ici pendant 4 ans et maintenant notre fils en est à sa 3^e année. D’ailleurs Jean-Bocar (JB)  a pris le goût de travailler ici grâce à cet évènement lorsqu’il a visité Aisha.

Gerry : Qu’est ce que Jean-Bocar fait à Aikens présentement et comment penses-tu qu’il  bénéficiera de son expérience dans le futur.

Ibrahima : JB agit comme un guide de pêche. Je crois qu’il fait bien d’apporter les clients à la pêche mais d’un coté pratique, il y en a beaucoup plus. Quand tu travailles dans une telle entreprise,  tu es exposé à plusieurs métiers en dehors de la pêche. Il a fait de la construction, du siding, du ciment, du bois. Il acquière tout un capital d’expériences pratique. Il a aussi l’expérience de travailler in équipe avec des gens. Je ne sais pas quel sera le plus grand bénéfice pour mon fils mais tu sais que la capacité d’interagir avec des nouveaux clients qu’il ne connait pas du tout et dans le contexte d’une équipe constante, lui servira pour le reste de ses jours. Tu n’as qu’à regarder Aisha qui est venue ici une fille extrêmement gênée et qui maintenant interagit avec toutes sortes de clients au Apple Store où elle travaille. Ça c‘est quelque chose que tu ne peux apprendre sur les sur les bancs de l’école.

Gerry : Maintenant pour la question surprise, et peut-être que ton épouse, Lise, l’artisane du mot de la famille, pourra t’aider. Dans un mot, décris ton expérience à cet évènement.

Ibrahima et Lise : Excellent! L’accueil est fantastique et nous voyons nos enfants sous la responsabilité d’une entreprise qui les enrichit. Tous les parents sont inquiets de voir leurs enfants quitter la maison mais ont peut voir nous même qu’ils sont entre bonnes mains. On confie nos enfants à des gens responsables qui en ont fait des adultes responsables.

Gerry : Je vous remercie d’avoir partagé avec nos lectures vos expériences et vos sentiments. Les clients sont toujours ravis de notre personnel et maintenant on peut comprendre d’avantage pourquoi.

Memorable Magical Master Angler Moments during Friends & Family 2012

What a thrill for our guides to put their fathers onto a Master Angler trophy!

Sig Lazer,41.5” northern pike guided by son Alex

David Hewitt, 28” walleye guided by son Griffin

Greg  Selinger, 41”northern pike guided by ALWL head guide and son Eric

“On top of everything else being great, we were blown away by your staff and services!”

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Putting the Family into the Friends and Family Event

Pit and Julie are in their 8^th year as the managers of the Aikens Lake team. In order to get an inside angle on what makes the staff tick and why guests appreciate them so much, we’ll chat with them directly.

Gerry:   Give our readers a history of the Friends and Family Event.

Pit:         When our new partners Chris and Dale Jensen came aboard in 2005, they invited all key staff to visit with them in Phoenix, AZ for a get acquainted session and to hold a meeting to discuss adding new ingredients to a successful  format. Everyone present was asked to contribute ideas which would make for a better staff and a stronger team. Turbo and Diesel spawned the suggestion that amongst other invitations, a friends and family event would strengthen the bond between families. They had always wanted to bring their fathers to Aikens, but we never had a formal vehicle for them to broach that subject with management.  We started off on their idea right away the following summer by introducing a weekend where we set aside a specific weekend and offered the staff the opportunity to invite some friends and family at a discounted rate.  It was immediately very popular and we actually had to limit how many people everyone could bring!  Here we are 7 years later with an annual event where the staff gets to showcase the place where they work, not so much for us but for them to show their pride in their work to those closest to them.  It has become a perk for working here and it’s nice to sit back and watch this all organically happen in front of you and know that our staff is proud to be a part of our success.

Julie:     It isn’t just for them however. We also get a lot out of this event. I find we can get to know our staff from a different perspective. We interview them with emphasis on interpersonal skills. Then we see them at work and see how they relate to guests and peers. But when you see them with friends and family, you see different emotions and behaviour. It’s wonderful to make the connection with where they got those skills in the first place and how they got to be who they are. It’s great for the parents too.

Pit:         Yeah, parents put a lot of faith in us to look after the well-being and development of their kids every summer.

Julie:     And this event gives the parents an opportunity to get to know us too.

Gerry:   What other events or activities do you organize or carry out for the staff?

Pit:         We carried on with the “Little Hammered Olympics” which is a mid season friendly competition and games which brings some relief after the first few months of working 7 days a week and always being “on”.

Julie:     We still host the Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge Christmas Party for staff and volunteers which draws as many as fifty people to a whole afternoon and evening of activities, food, fun and gifts.

Pit:         We initiated a few years ago and organized the Aikens Lake Ice Hockey Team and have been getting together once or twice in the winter for friendly exhibition games. Not that the staff is not already integrated into their own little community in the city, but these events in the Aikens off season just help to strengthen the bond.  On Chris’s and Jeff’s suggestion, we just started a Fantasy NFL Football League and I think this is going to be a lot of fun for all of us to interact on a different level. 

Julie:     We also host a pre-season BBQ at the end of April so that all summer staff and new recruits  can meet each other. The secondary purpose for the BBQ and most useful for us is that we can sit down with everyone individually and discuss their job position, season contracts, and the expectations and challenges for the coming season. This is especially helpful to the rookies as they get to meet their new best friends on the staff. Once they get to Aikens Lake, there is very little time to tr ain and deliver the services, so we want everyone on the same page ahead of time.

Gerry:   What do you think is the mantra for your staff?

Julie:     When we started managing, and we already knew this from our years of working here beforehand, we quickly realized for ourselves that it was all about the guests… and it really is. We have only done a great job if the guests leave happy. I guess you can say our mantra is “wow them with the Aikens Experience and spoil them with service”. If we do that consistently, guests will return.

Pit:         You can never guarantee the fishing or the weather, but thankfully those tend to cooperate with us quite often.  That said, we strive to make sure that all other aspects of someone’s experience here at Aikens is handled with utmost care and professionalism.  No one should leave here having had less than a very positive, uplifting experience. 

Gerry:   Well said! Now we play the word game. In one word, describe your team.

Pit:         Vibrant. There are so many qualities but for me vibrant is the word because it capsulates a lot of good things like positive attitude and atmosphere and projects a “joie de vivre”, very social and amicable.

Julie:     I would say Chameleon-like. Our staff is great at adapting to different guests and to many different situations. They are very personable and are anxious to please.

Gerry:   Thanks Pit and Julie for giving us a little background on the Aikens Lake community.

We are very pleased to inform you that a ten year process of planning and vision has now physically started taking shape. For a long time now, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge has been hoping to build an eight person outpost cabin on the peninsula between Lost Lake and Aikens Lake. This brainchild was shelved by the province until the new Park Management Plan for Atikaki Provincial Park was complete.  The application also went through lots of different processes to ensure that the impact and stewardship of the building would do nothing but beautify the adjacent area.

The approval process was completed mid-summer.  In the past few weeks, many of the guys worked tirelessly to clear the site for the start of the upcoming construction next spring. With winch, chain, shovels, picks and hoes they muscled over 30 trees out of the ground; stump, roots and all! True bull work. They also started prepping the area where the dock will be built to land the future guests at Lost Lake. Great job men! The foundation pads and dock cribs should be completed before the end of our season. At which point, the flurry of construction will begin early next Spring.

The lush moss-covered peninsula is an ideal location for this outpost. It will boast a breath-taking view of Lost Lake and have access to a sheltered bay behind Gilligan’s Island on Aikens Lake. The do-it-yourself format of the planned packages for its guests will offer a very different experience than those enjoyed here at the Main Lodge. When completed, the four bedroom (eight bed) cabin will feature a fully modern kitchen, two showers, two bathrooms, a large living/dining room, a wood-burning fireplace and a massive screened-in deck overlooking the lake.

Lost Lake is located on the West side of Aikens Lake. The mile and a half lake boasts some awesome Walleye fishing as the fish there are a deep golden color.  Some of our biggest walleyes ever (32.5″ and 33″ trophies) were caught in Lost Lake.  That isn’t to discount the pike in that lake, as the spring bit in Lost for Pike is great… especially in the bay that has the feeder creek into Aikens.  There is lots of water and structure to discover as we start to further elaborate our high success techniques in new areas of the lake. This exciting and new venue for visitors to Lost Lake  is sure to get folks talking!

Plans are to complete construction of Lost Lake in the summer of 2013, and then sell a limited number of spots (likely only two!) to those lucky first few guests in August and/or September 2013.  We will post more pictures on our site and FB page as we continue the work over on Lost Lake.

When the hype of the Olympic Games in London was over, Aikens had the chance to have their own series of athletic events at their annual Aikens Olympics. This year marked the 16th anniversary of this prestigious competition. Step aside high jump, tennis and triathlon, these next events will truly raise the bar.

With just a few guests in camp, Sunday, August 19th, was the perfect night to host the Olympics. After dinner, the teams rushed to apply the final touches to their costumes for the opening ceremonies at 7:45 sharp. The teams were picked out of hat a few days before to give everyone enough time to get creative and figure out an original team name and create a costume. There was quite the buzz going on around camp for the few days leading up to the event. Some teams had met and decided on everything right off the hop, while others were scrambling the day of the Olympics. But when 7:45 hit on that warm Sunday evening, all the teams showed up on time with appropriate attire and eager to get the competition started.

Arriving first were The P’tits Trudel (The Little Trudels) dressed up as babies. This dream-team, consisting of Danica, Elliot, Alex, Jesse L and Marcel, were not messing around when they chose to wear diapers; it was for maximum flexibility. The next team rolled in full-character as the Atikaki Park Patrols. Dressed-up as the hunter, Bruno started the colorful entrance when he was trying to hunt Eric, who was dressed up as a black-bear. Little did he know that he was illegally hunting in a provincial park, so cue the Park Patrols : Brittany, Chad and Jesse P.! They get props for staying in character all night and handing out tickets whenever they had a chance! Next up, through a cloud a smoke, appeared Elsie and the Ghosbusters. Réanne, dressed as our resident ghost Elsie, came running out of the Portage (where we believe the ghost of Elsie lives) being chased by the Ghostbusters Griffin, Kik, JB and Étienne. Very dramatic entrance! And finally, what we thought were the B&T Chip Team arrived : Josée, Brad, Dave, E2 and Ben. Josée came up to explain their team name and that’s when were all hit with a surprise. They were not bags of chips, she explained (cue the music, rip-off their chip-bag costumes), they were the Chippendales! And the crowd went wild!

After singing the National Anthem, the games officially began. The first event was the “Shot, Sock & Beet” which consisted of one team member at a time taking a shot, running across a field to their other team members who would then tie a rope around their waist that had a sock with a beet inside hanging from it. The competitor then had to run back to the middle of the field where he or she had to knock over an empty bottle with their “beet-sock” without using their hands but only by thrusting their hips and making their sock swing. After knocking down the bottle, they ran back to their team and the next team member would start all over again until the whole team had gone through. It was a close (and hilarious) race, but Elsie and the Ghostbusters took the lead, with Les P’tits Trudel finishing a close second.

The next event is an Aikens favorite : Flip Cup! Two teams stand on opposite sides of a table facing each other, each with a plastic cup filled with beer in front of them. A toast initiates the first players to chug their beer and place their cup on the edge of the table right side up. They must then try and flip their cup so that it lands upside up. Once the cup is successfully flipped (usually takes a few tries) it cues the next player to start chugging their beer, so on and so forth. Whichever team finishes drinking and flipping all its cups first, wins. Since this is a classic Aikens game, we had some very strong players on each team. The Chippendales, in a very close round robin, took the lead in this competition!

The third event was called the Animal Challenge. Each team had 8 minutes to create two animals out of towels. They all had instructions and pictures, so all they had to was follow the instructions and fold! Sounds simple, but it was harder than it looked. They also had to incorporate a beer can and a prop into their designs. When the time was up,  the judges took a walk around the table to closely examine each animal. In the end, the Smoking Elephant created by Les P’tits Trudel stole the judges’ hearts and won them first place!

And finally, the last event of the night was the Mushroom. A very simple game which consists of delicately placing a deck of card on the neck of a bottle, one card at a time. The twist is that every time someone adds a card, two corners of that card must be showing, therefore forcing the playing area off the neck of the bottle, creating a mushroom. Each team had their own mushroom to make and would add cards at the same time. Once cards start to fall off the mushroom, the team is eliminated from the event. We lost  the Atikaki Park Patrols after only 3 cards. Soon after, the Chippendales were eliminated. Elsie’s team and Les P’tits Trudel were neck and neck. Each team went through a full deck and a half of cards, creating quite a solid mushroom base. But in the end, clumsy JB knocked off his pile of cards and les P’tits Trudel won the challenge!

Usually, we don’t have to move to a sudden death elimination round, but there was tie! Les P’tits Trudel, who were winning challenges left and right but had failed miserably during the Flip Cup tournament were tied with Elsie & the Ghostbusters, who were keeping the pace with their high scores. The tie-breaker challenge was to create a drink for one of our guests that would be judged on taste, original name and presentation. Les P’tits Trudel made a beautiful drink called the Hook-Set, complete with a fishing rod made of celery that was fishing in a blue shooter. What a presentation! Elsie & the Ghostbusters came back with vengeance creating a tropical cocktail in a flashing martini glass called the El Quencho. Each team had done their research and knew that our guest judge loved tequila so they both incorporated it into their drink. After much deliberation, it’s the original presentation and the taste of the Hook-Set that what won les P’tits Trudel the challenge, making them the 2012 Olympic Winners! Congratulations!

Editor: In 2012, Doug Brown retired from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after a star studded career of eleven years.  As host of a fundraising trip for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg, Doug recently took part in his first fly-in fishing trip ever to Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. While he was at the lodge, he took some precious time off his fish, eat, fish, eat, fish, Big Molly’s schedule to share some of his thoughts on life after retirement with Gerry.

Gerry:  You are here as part of a fundraising event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg. Tell our readers about your involvement with that charitable organization and why it’s important to you.

Doug:   This is part of my inaugural involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters. A former teammate who was engaged with them, introduced me to this organization. I will be hosting a gala event this fall called Barley Infused Gala Dinner. They do great work in the community. As a professional athlete on a community owned team for eleven years, I have found a rewarding and satisfying feeling by paying back the community by lending some of my other skills to some great organizations.

Gerry:  Which other groups are you involved with?

Doug:   I’m really involved with Kidsport Manitoba where we run a football camp for disadvantaged youth. I also am the champion spokesperson and guest rider for Motorcycle Ride for Dad for Prostate Cancer. I do a lot of work with Project Echo which is one of my favorites because all benefits remain in the community.  I like to work with the Variety Kids because it benefits children with hardships in their lives. I have also done work and volunteer work with the Humane Society. It’s funny…..football has given me a lot of opportunity in the community.  When you see the impact you can have on people by just participating in their cause, it is very, very rewarding.

Editor: Doug has been preoccupied with football seven days a week from May to December every year since he was a senior in high school. He played college football for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia for 4 years before his rookie season in the NFL with Buffalo Bills in 1997. He then spent 3 years with the Washington Redskins and then reigned in the CFL for eleven outstanding years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. So the term fishing fanatic footballer is somewhat of an oxymoron. Let’s check out the fishing!

Gerry:  You are here on a fly-in fishing trip to one of the great walleye fisheries of the planet. Tell us about your experience in fishing and your expectations in coming to this lodge.

Doug:   This is my first fly-in fishing adventure and I’m loving it! In my profession, fishing was more of a reactive situation, where people would invite me to events, to their cottage or to their lake. This fly-in situation certainly puts the end result on another level. It really is another level of excitement and an adventure in nature starting with the float plane ride over the (Boreal) forest and seeing the lake from the sky. Then you are isolated in a great wilderness setting. It cuts you off from daily life and brings your focus down to enjoying your time here and relaxing. As I said, this is my first fly-in and you guys just take it to another level. There is a lot to learn about fishing and it really is a competitive thing! I really enjoyed my time with my guide and really learned a lot. I’m afraid I will be spoiled when it comes to the high end fishing. It’s not just the fishing because the non fishing part of this trip is exceptional and parallels the hospitality you receive at the lodge by a very special and professional  staff. Fishing can really be addictive and the kind of service I’ve received here is beyond my wildest expectations.

Gerry:  Now that you have, in your own words, experienced the ultimate fishing adventure, do you think the future has more fishing in store for you?

Doug:   As I said, this is a very competitive sport. In three days as a novice, I landed more walleyes than I could imagine. When you see the huge Master Angler fish and all the Century Club awards given out every night at the dinner table, it almost rivals my own professional career at times, coming so close to winning the big award! I certainly leaves one wanting to do it again!

Editor: Doug has been writing a weekly column in the Winnipeg Free Press for several years and hosting a weekly radio show on CJOB 680 AM in Winnipeg for six years. Everyone who followed his “Hall of Fame” career in the CFL knows that Doug’s retirement from the game would quickly transition into being involved with the game through media. He did not disappoint. While expanding his writing skills to 2 columns per week in the Free Press and his on air radio skills by adding game day and game analyst duties for CJOB’s broadcasts of Bomber games. He has also been developing a whole new set of skills as the newest analyst on the hallowed CFL on TSN Panel.

Gerry:  Tell us about your experience in transitioning to a full time media career.

Doug:   It has really been a salvation for me. When I asked Bomber great Joe Paplowski about his retirement, he said walking away from the game was his most difficult decision ever. It is a salvation because it keeps me very involved in the day to day aspects of the Blue Bombers and the CFL. Everything I am doing keeps me connected with the team, the players and the coaches. During my whole life, football has been at the epicentre. And now I can stay involved with what I know best. Doing color with the legendary Bob Irving for the Bombers is daunting and exciting all at the same time. He raises the bar in sports broadcasting and makes it a new challenge for me. It has been therapeutic, staying involved while learning new skills.

Gerry:  You are a rookie for the first time in 15 years! As you embark on your television career, tell us about you and TSN.

Doug:   I’ve never had to put on makeup to do my work and with television, that’s a big change. The visual is something I’ve never had to deal with before. TV is as much about how you look and how you say things as much as what you are saying. You have to be very aware of cameras and angles and positioning and timing and transitioning. The most difficult thing I ever had to do was to focus on my appearance while giving a detailed analysis while a director was giving orders in my ear piece. It was almost as challenging as the realm of profession football itself!

Editor: Doug fancies himself as a bit of a wordsmith. At the crossroads of choosing between synonyms, he will always choose the least used and hardest to remember. So before segueing back to Big Molly’s……a Howard Cossell type word game….

Gerry:  Keeping in mind your inborn need and penchant to infuse and inject seldom used words into everyday parlance, we want you to describe your “Aikens Lake Experience” in one word.

Doug:   Wow! Aikens in one word …….MAJESTIC is the one word I would use to describe the comprehensive, holistic experience at Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. I’m trying to think of other not so often used words and descriptors for this place and SURREAL is the best. Unlike anything you have encountered in the wilderness…….MAJESTIC and SURREAL………okay, two words then!

Gerry:  Thanks for doing this Doug. Your comments will be greatly appreciated by all of our readers!

On the lake and on shore, the gang has been at it again. Scores of happy fishermen have had great catches all around the lake. The big walleyes have migrated to the reefs and the pike are now traveling between deep and shallow to feed and hunt. Steady hot weather for this past month too! Temps above 85 degrees and moderately calm winds have given everyone the chance to enjoy their stay and work their tans.

Water levels which  were low in early spring, skyrocketed in June and has since crested and started receding. The beach grows more and more every day, much to Pit and Julie’s kids enjoyment!

Trolling, jigging and bottom-bouncing are all garnering some very nice specimens. Trophy pike have been boated too of late. New spots (Rodeo Ridge and Beaubois Bay) have further expanded our detailed guide’s playbook.

Around the lodge, cabins 1 through 4 have been refinished on the exterior to give them back their stunning pop. The Lone Coyote, our senior staff residence, is being sided at press time. Harvested wood for the boiler is being cut and stacked… The hard work and the impressive results never end through out the season.

A quick reminder, for daily updates please visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aikenslake 

With another 60 days left we are excited to see what the rest of our season holds!

Fishing on Aikens Lake is an experience that is amongst the foremost freshwater lakes in North America. In the past few weeks, our guests and their guides have been catching tons of fish! Shallow water presentations have garnered some truly impressive specimens.

Two days ago, Mr. Ron Bauer boated a beautiful 30″ Walleye which was hunting smaller forage in the frothing fast waters of the Gammon River falls. The HoneyHole just down the way is still posting huge numbers of fish everyday (especially during the night bite!). Numerous big pike have been spotted chasing the walleyes around the Hole, so hold on tight, things might get hectic!

Transition areas such as Horseshoe Bay and the Mouth of the river have started hitting and reports of fish moving onto the Saddle are trickling.

Bottom-bouncing and drift-jigging have been extremely effective techniques during this time of the season. Walleyes, Lakers and Pike abound. Enjoy your time on Aikens Lake!

Excellence. Tradition. Reputation. Eagle Claw and it’s Wright&Mcgill products share these accolades with Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge. No surprise that these two industry pioneers partner to showcase World-class equipment on World-class waters. Throughout the past two years, Aikens Lake Lodge and Eagle Claw’s head office in Colorado have been swapping trade secrets to design a signature line of rods specifically designed to answer the North American walleye fisher-person’s needs.

First Phase: test the prototypes on Aikens Lake in 2011. Done. Drawing board revisited. Pros were consulted. Tony Roach, Walleye fisherman supreme, signs off on a brand-new line of sticks designed with the quality and performance focused angler in mind. Spring 2012 product release date to be announced.

Phase two: Aikens has now hosted a group from Eagle Claw and has revamped it’s stock in the Bait & Tackle shop to showcase the many new America-made fishing products available through Eagle Claw. Also, we’ve developed an Aikens Lake Signature telescoping 7′ bait casting rod designed for trolling and bottom-bouncing and a pair will be in every guide boat. The prototype is here and is sweet!Match that with a Skeet Reese Baitcasting reel and you’re all set for huge Walleyes on Aikens at any point in the season.

Phase three: you, the end-user of both companies’ products gets to benefit from these top-tier wares and fares.

This working  relationship has garnered much steam in the two years of it’s existence. Let’s just see what’s next!

We have been up at the lodge nearly two weeks now.  While our first guests are still a week and a half away, we have been hard at work. Renovations have been moving quickly here at Aikens, and guests will see a whole new look at the lodge this summer.  Last fall, we completed exterior renovations, including our signature green tin roofs, on all of the buildings near the lodge (Master Angler’s Row, Park Place, Orion).  This spring, we continued the exterior renovations at the lodge, and are currently building a larger cooking porch for our BBQ and smoker.  Can’t wait for those great steaks and ribs once the porch is ready!

We also rebuilt the permanent section of our guide dock.  The floating section remains the same, but now the permanent section is as sturdy as they come.  We are also building new floating sections for our main dock where we house the evening fishing boats.  Much sturdier than its predecessor, the new floating section will be around for a long time!

After going through a huge heat wave last summer of 90-100 degree weather for over two weeks, we have addressed that issue as well.  New heat pumps/air conditioners are being installed in the Park Place and Master Angler’s Row cabins.  All our guest cabins now boast air conditioning and temperature control no matter what Mother Nature sends our way.   A large heat pump/AC is also being installed at the lodge so that we can make sure that the dining room and Big Molly’s Bar remain as cool as the beer that is on tap there!

All that said, the biggest change our guests will notice will be in Master Angler’s Row.  Master Angler’s Row is a large guest cabin that features 4 individual suites.  Last fall, the exterior and roof were completed including new windows and doors.  This spring, the work continues.  After completely gutting the entire building and removing 4 different flooring layers, the rebuild is well under way.  On top of the new AC units previously mentioned, a new pine finish is being installed in all the units.  We have expanded the washrooms to include a large tiled shower to replace the smaller ones that used to be in there.   New functional beds have been built and will be able to accommodate two single fishermen in two single beds, or can be converted into a king bed for couples.  Thicker walls ensure that each 2-person suite is comfortable and quiet.  The new Master Angler’s Row experience is just another example of why Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge is considered one of the top fly-in destinations in all of Canada!

For those of you yearning for more info, we have been updating our Facebook page daily with pictures of the renovations, and a few fish when we have the time to go out and catch some!  For those daily updates, check out our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/aikenslake