Hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer.

Our summer is here is already starting to winding down already with some refreshing cooler nights, but we haven’t had a frost yet and it doesn’t look like there is one in the forecast for some time to come. It’s finally starting to get almost dark in the evenings and you can just start to make out the stars, It shouldn’t be long before we will start to see the northern lights show themselves with their spectacular display. Recently we have had some rain which has put an end to the forest fires in the area and the smoke that came with it and hopefully for the season. Fire weed is going to seed now and some swans are already starting to show up, a sure sign that fall is on its way.

Lots of big Lake Trout are being caught using spoons and jigs of various colors both trolling and jigging. Fly fishing is still working well for the Lake Trout using streamer patterns in 20 feet or more of water and using high density sinking lines.

Look at the belly on that one, I mean the fish.

Good one cowboy.

The Northern Pike weigh a lot more now than what they did in the spring when we first got here as they are spring spawners, they have had time to put some weight back on and are in good shape now. Spoons of various colours and flies with a fast retrieve work the best, look for where you can find the tall weeds growing along the lake shore in 10 to 20 feet of water.

The other night when we were out fishing, the lake was a little bit choppy and there was a spot close to where we were fishing that was dead calm with no waves. When we circled around it you could smell fish and it turned out to be a bait ball of cisco. I have never seen it like this before were the school of bait fish made the water go calm. I tried to photograph it but I couldn’t make it show up in a picture. We caught a lot of big Lake Trout around the bait ball with some over 40 LBS. I was wishing that I had my flyrod with me as it would have been great fun blind casting into the school using a streamer pattern and sinking line.

Come on, toughen up, you can’t take a picture of the fish upside down.

That’s better.

We had a cow moose with her calf along the lake shore beside the lodge the other day and some of the swans are starting to show up on the lake now migratingfrom the north. Most of the young ducks are now well on their way and are already flying. What is disappointing though is that there are no bald eagle nests along the lake shore with young in them this year, not sure why but something has happened. Some guests spotted a black bear visit the site were we do our shore lunches which some of the guest saw. I don’t think that they have stuck around waiting for our shore lunch day.

Always on the look out.

We have had guests from all over the world again this year and when meeting these people or spending time with past guests from abroad. You really start to realize just how lucky we are to live in such a place as we do with all of the open space, fresh air and away from all of the news were it is good or bad. We have had a number of kids this year and for some it is the experience of a life time with all of the new things that the get to see and do. It would be fun to be at home and listen to all of the stories that they have to tell.

With the days starting to get shorter, the incredible Yukon sun sets will start to happen and before we know it the fall colours will be here. My favorite time of the year with all of the wild berries getting ready for the picking. I don’t know my mushrooms so I stay away from them but I’m sure that there are some that are good for you and many that I have never seen before.

For anyone still thinking of a trip for this year there is still time and for those of you planning on a trip for next year don’t wait too long as June is almost sold out when the fly fishing is the best.

What a great day to arrive.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and take a kid fishing.

From Brian and the staff at Kluane Wilderness Lodge