We would like to congratulate Samantha and Paul Turenne on their recent wedding!  During the September long weekend, Aikens was closed down as Pit & Julie, Pat & Janelle, and Gerry & Lorraine were all invited to be a part of Paul and Sam’s wedding. The wedding took place over the entire long weekend, with the bulk of the participants there on Saturday for the Hindu ceremony and again on Sunday evening for the traditional reception.  Friday and Monday were days reserved for family members only with gatherings.

For our longtime guests, you will remember Paul as dockhand and laborer at Aikens for many years in the 90’s.  He was a big part of the effort to get all those logs for the Great Gray Owl among other contributions.  His father Bernie is forever remembered as “Big Molly” at Aikens, and his name now graces our bar.  Even though Paul hasn’t been a fulltime employee for the past decade, he has still had a part in every Aikens season since 1989.  Although he is not here often during our main season anymore when the guests are here, he does help us out a lot for the opening and closing of the lodge each season.   It was very special for all of us all to be able to share in his special day.

The Aikens gang was quite involved during the ceremonies.  Pat was his usually witty self as MC for the reception on Sunday night.  Pit was asked to be the “Protector of the Bride” during the wedding ceremony on Saturday.  And, although Pit was not officially scheduled to speak on Sunday, he was able to overtake the podium in a bloodless coup with 20 of Paul’s closest buddies and deliver a stinging roast to the groom.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!  Hope you enjoy that Spanish honeymoon

It is with deep sadness that we share with the Aikens Community that one of our own has passed away.  Marc Turenne, Gerry’s 2nd youngest brother in a family of 10 siblings, died suddenly while fishing at Albert Beach on Sept 2nd.  His funeral was held yesterday in Winnipeg.  He was 54.

Marc spent most of his adult life out west in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.  Having recently moved back to Manitoba in 2008, he first came up to Aikens Lake that summer and immediately fell in love with it.  Marc became in integral part of the Aikens Family of staff and volunteers that summer as he spent several months at the lodge helping us out with various projects.  His carpentry skills were fantastic, and over the course of that summer and the following one, his handiwork started popping up all over camp.  Most notably, he put in a lot of signature touches in our new workshop, our welding shop, and the shorelunch canopy on Arrowhead Beach.  He was also initiated into our annual Molly Week tradition in 2008 and made it up for that special week in May each year whenever possible.

His return to Manitoba, combined with his time spent at Aikens, rekindled a childhood passion of his for the great outdoors.   He loved every aspect of Mother Nature.  Over the past few years, he was able to re-immerse himself fully into the splendor of nature.  He was particularly keen on taking long canoe trips and spending time on any lake trying to catch his favorite fish… walleye.  He had recently purchased a cabin at Albert Beach with his love Anne-Marie.  He died doing what he loved.  You are gone too soon Marc.  We will miss you dearly.

Passagesmb.com - Winnipeg Free Press

Sorry about the delay in posting these results… it’s been a hectic past few weeks up here!  We held our annual Olympics at the end of August, just before most staff members would return home to begin another year of schooling.  This year’s Olympics did not disappoint.  Last year, the winning team of the “Peuple Du Village” consisted of Marcel, Alex, Dave, and Elliot.  Who would win it this year?

The opening ceremonies of the Olympics once again featured the pageantry of individual entrances by the teams.  Team costumes and themes are always kept secret from everyone so it is really a show to watch the teams arrive at the Bait & Tackle to show off this year’s costumes.  There were two groups of guests in camp who did not know what they were in for while waiting on the porch of the B&T!  As you will see, they were able to participate in the games quite a bit and have requested to have this happen during their trip again next year!  The four teams were as follows:

Aikens Lake All-Stars: Kik, Alex D, E2, Danica, and Tyler Read the rest of this entry »

If you are reading this post, you have surely noticed our website’s new look and feel. We hope you like it as much as we do! The wood panels give the site a very “lodgy” feel.  We our brand new brochure available for download.  This new brochure has all of our many upgrades and renovations included in it, and our latest information.  One of the most exciting parts of this new site is that we have also updated all the new staff bios, and all of the pictures of our fantastic 2011 staff are on there as well (note we also posted them last week on our Facebook page).  We are very excited to have these updates included on the site - and there are more on the way!

This is just the first of many upgrades to the site.  In this initial round, we updated the look of the site and added those couple of features described above.  Over the course of the fall, we will be updating the content with new pictures, expanded descriptions, and more pages.  Keep an eye out for all these great updates!

  The wonderful, beautiful summer just keeps rollin’ on in paradise. In previous issues of our Newsletter, we have talked about how the long  hot summer was spawning new and exciting ways for our guests to get the most out of customizing their  “Aikens Experience”.

                One huge asset of Aikens Lake is the array of magnificent golden beaches scattered all around its shoreline. In normal and low water years those beaches become denuded, exposing the fine sand that invite the swimmers, the tanners and the walkers. While walking along the beaches, especially after several years of high water, one’s mind can meander through various thoughts about who walked these shores hundreds or maybe thousands of years ago and what their life was like. Perhaps if they are attentive and very, very lucky, they will come upon a piece of the history, churned and regurgitated by the beach for centuries. Imagine the feeling of finding an artefact and being the first person in 1500 years to hold piece in your hands. The magic invariably carries you like a time traveller through history while getting a “real feel” for the original hunters and fishers of Aikens Lake.

                About two dozen artefacts found over the last two decades, have been itemized and studied by Dr. Virginia Petch, one of Manitoba’s foremost anthropologist. These items include several types of projectile points from tiny bird and mammal  arrowheads to large spear points. Also included are several tools such as  stone drills and knives and scrapers as well as bone awls and needles which give better clues in reconstructing the daily lives of early inhabitants.   Other items such as a fur trade axe, trade beads, and hollow stones used to hold fire sticks are also on exhibit at the Lodge.

A tiny arrowhead found a few weeks ago, at the very tip of the peninsula close to the Split Rock beacon, fired up the interests of guests and staff alike as some staffers returned to the tip of the peninsula and found two more pieces including an amazing knife chipped out of a flat chert and shaped to perfectly sit in the human hand that used it. Shortly thereafter, an impressed guest confessed to his life- long passion for “rock hunting” and asked if we could “guide” him on such a mission. We were anxious to help him fulfill his own version of the “Aikens Lake Experience” and took him to a long beach in the Cookie Jar. The results were instantly gratifying as he found a perfectly preserved medium sized arrowhead as well a beautiful quartz hide scrapper, also perfectly shaped to fit the user’s hand.

                Manitoba law states that all artefacts found on public lands are the property of the Crown and cannot be removed from the area they are found. That law has enabled our staff as well as our guests  to contribute significant pieces to the puzzle of human history and join the dots in the daily lives of the original inhabitants of Aikens Lake.  We are totally thrilled to have amazing new artefacts (more to come, we hope) to bring to Dr. Petch and her colleagues. The findings will help to further unravel some of the mysteries and shed more light on the history that helps define our environment.

For the past several years, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge has been a proud partner in Cabela’s “World’s Foremost Outfitters” program.  Having been accepted into the program brought instant credibility to the “Aikens Experience”.  We pride ourselves on giving our guests a great trip not only on the water, but off of it as well.  It’s all about customer service.  We were proud to have Cabela’s agree with us and give us their support.  To have the backing of such a large player in the industry such as Cabela’s is an incredible feather in the cap for any organization. It is an honor to host such an event.

The “Signature Event” series for Cabela’s is a relatively new and expanding format.  Essentially, these events are organized for, and can only be booked by, the top Cabela’s CLUB Visa card holders.  Cabela’s has always been a very loyal company, and these exclusive “Signature Events” is one of the ways that Cabela’s rewards its most loyal customers. Trips include hunting trips as well as an expanding fishing trip list.  The idea of including a “Canadian Fly-In Walleye Trip” was originally borne in the fall of 2010.  All of the 2011 Signature Events were rolled out in January of this year and the Aikens Lake trip was one of the first to sell out!

The trip united avid anglers from all over the US.  In fact, no pairings came from the same state and there was representation from all 4 corners of the US.  The group consisted of couples, father/son combos, and fishing buddies.  Despite the geographical differences, everyone shared a similar interest in the outdoors and the group gelled quickly.  Shorelunches were immediately filled with stories and laughter.  You would never have guessed that all these people didn’t know each other prior to this event!  During shorelunches, fishing pro Richie Boggs and professional guide Todd Andrist gave fishing seminars to all the participants.  Some already had a vast knowledge of walleye fishing as they had fished tournaments in the Midwest.  Other people were completely new to not only walleye fishing, but fishing in general!  The seminars focused on jig fishing to start, and on the 2nd day the topics broadened into spinner-rigging and trolling.

The walleye fishing was fantastic during the trip.  All the mid-summer reefs were hot and fish of all sizes were being reeled in.  Jigging was the main technique, although bottom-bouncing and some deep trolling also worked very well.  Lots of Century Club days were achieved, as well as several Master Anglers.  The largest walleye of the group was a 28-1/2″.  Jeremiah caught the biggest pike of the trip with a 40″ pike that took a gold spoon trolled along South Shore.  Just about everyone caught the biggest walleye of their lives on this trip!

The four night trip was very special.  It was interesting to note that it was the first time for each of the participants to go to a Canadian fly-in lodge.  The experience of touching down on the water in a float plane was special for everyone.  The calmness and serenity of the boreal forest was a literal breath of fresh air.  To a man (and woman!), this trip was a complete success.  We would like to thank Cabela’s for allowing us to introduce our little piece of the world to such a great group of enthusiasts!  The 2012 Signature Event is being planned as we speak.  If you are part of the Cabela’s CLUB, don’t delay when that pamphlet hits your mailbox this winter because it is sure to sell out even faster next year!

For the past four seasons we’ve been putting a lot of sweat into renovating our prized Great Gray Owl Wilderness Camp. A new dock was constructed, completed with a new floating section which was welded and installed. A new deck was milled, built and finished. The roof was re-insulated and resealed. Radio communication was installed for direct contact to the lodge. A walk-in shower and an energy efficient ice machine were also added to increase our guests comfort and enjoyment.

Recently, the guides (with Marcel and Patrick’s help) have been hard at work at GGO during their time off the water. Tackling a big project, they set off on a big push to completely refinish the exterior of the cabin. The 4000 sq.ft. lodge has a whole lot of logs and boards for them to work on!

First, they applied a dirt-busting solvent by brush, then they pressure-washed the logs and walls to lift the heavy grit and mold off the wood. Allthe while, equipped with a wire brush on a side grinder they attacked the heavier deposits in the corners. Then the boys applied a coat of bleach solution to really bring the logs back to their original white tone. They then removed all of the Oakum (used to seal gaps in between logs and in the saddles) and replaced it with foam rod. After that, the complete cabin (each log and crack in the wood) was sealed with a few hundred pounds of chinking (a tan caulking designed for sealing log structures). Finally, a golden stain and two coats of clear sealant really bring out the finish on this grandiose structure.

We are very proud of this unique and impressive building. Our efforts to showcase it will surely translate into positive feedback from you, our distinguished guests.

 Another job well done guys!

The expression “Dog Days of Summer” has been around for millenniums and has been modified in North America to become the “Dog Days of July”. It means the weather is HOT during the day and the fishing is HOT during the morning and evening periods when the summer sun hits the water at more indirect angles.  We have been mired in a hot streak that has extended the last week and a half.  The water temp is now in the mid-70’s, with some areas hitting a blistering 80 degrees!  As you all know, our guides are very accommodating and are usually willing to alter the fishing schedule during these “dog days”.  Most of our guests in the past week have wanted to fish during the morning, have shorelunch on the lake, then relax during those hot afternoons, and finally return to the lake with the guides after dinner for the evening bite.  Might as well take advantage of those peak fishing times, while relaxing when the sun is at its peak.  

This year, we are blessed in that the beautiful golden sand beaches that grace many areas along the shoreline including the entire lake front at the Lodge are fully exposed, expansive and very clean and inviting. It also means it’s “Beach and Swim Time” at Aikens Lake - especially when that thermostat is reading over 90 degrees!  So bring your bathing suits and beach towels, your favorite sun block and sun glasses, perhaps a cold beer and a good book as you may want to fully enjoy one of Aikens Lake’s greatest natural features. Nothing can be more refreshing than resting those tired arms from a good morning of fishing than by swimming in Aikens Lake on a “Dog Day Afternoon”.

A quick update to set your thoughts onto huge fish, screaming drag, farmer tans, empty bait tubs and busy nets. A three week (so far) heat wave has settled on Aikens Lake. Temperatures in the low 80s to high 90s are warming our lake at a rapid rate. Also, normal levels of precipitation this year have sent the water line downward to levels not seen very often during the past 5 years. Lake structures which were in the last few seasons two to four feet deeper are now in their traditional “Strike Zone”. Hot constant weather has also made for a steady thermocline (which now sits at around 21 feet and dropping). Our big walleyes are schooling up and gravitating to this oxygen and bait rich band of water throughout the lake. Ask your guide. He’ll demonstrate to you the precision vertical jigging techniques that Aikens is best known for.

Another huge benefit of lower water is that Aikens Lake’s beautiful golden sand beaches are now draped across the whole peninsula. So, enjoy an ice cold cocktail while soaking yourself in the clear and cool beach water after a hot day of hot fishing on Aikens!

The forecast is calling for more sunshine and lollipops. Stay tuned to see what events transpire on and off the water as this summer goes forward.  We can’t wait to see what the next big catch will be!

We are very pleased and proud to announce the successful completion of university degrees for two of our Aikens staffers. Janelle Trudel and Mathieu Labossière each received their diplomas after years of hard work. Janelle graduated with honors from the faculty of Arts. Mathieu finished his degree (also with honors) in sciences. He will look to pursue his studies out East with the eventual goal to become a doctor of medicine. Janelle will set aside the study books to pursue her newest venture, a full-time position with the lodge.

Our two graduates  looked very proud wearing their mortar boards and  holding their parchments. Also, Mathieu was recognized by the University’s alumni and won a medal for his academic achievements and the betterment of students’ school lives. Aikens has often been a spring board for students moving into their professional lives. We are happy to celebrate your great accomplishments.  Bravo to both of you and school’s out for the summer!