The Lodge Premieres Friday February 5 on WFN!

To help us catch a glimpse of what the show is about, producer and creator of ‘The Lodge’, Gary Cooper, shares that:

“You see what a guest does not see. A fractured yet tight group of young men and women working at a Lodge in an untamed wild environment called the Northern Haida Gwai. An archipelago that sits off the northern shores of British Columbia Canada near the Alaskan border. For three weeks a crew of eight with five cameras documented the tears, laughs, heartaches and heartbreaks of these 80 staff members as they strive to create a magical playground for the 80 guests attending The Lodge”

With 13 reality-packed episodes - The Lodge will air every Friday at 7:00 pm ET on WFN.

The idea of this kind of reality show tweaked some interest in me. I sent some questions to a member of QCL’s marketing team, Brittany Yu and she was able to pass them on to a couple of significant individuals at the show. They are:

• Duane Foerter – Marketing Manager at Queen Charlotte Lodge
• Gary Cooper – Produce and Creator of The Lodge

Here are the questions and their responses.

1. Getting chosen for a reality TV show indicates to me that your Lodge has earned this opportunity. Can you summarize the top 3 things that you do as a “Lodge’ that contributes the most to your success? (answered by Duane Foerter)

• At QCL we like to go the extra mile to ensure that our guests’ fishing adventure experience is the best that it can be. In this business, critical components like the fishing and the weather are beyond our control. So we work extra hard on the controllable elements like hospitality & foodservice and I think our guests really appreciate that.
• We get so many great compliments on our staff. While our guests really love the facilities and the programs we’ve put in place, it’s the staff that they go out of their way to tell us, and others, about. Living up here in the middle of nowhere for more than 3 months at a time is not for everyone. But I really think our crew enjoys being here and doing what they do, and it shows.
• Since we opened the doors back in 1991 I think one thing we’ve tried never to lose sight of is the value of our relationship with our guests. We realize that there are lots of places to take holidays and lots of places to go fishing. But we really want them to return and to feel that they have their own little piece of this place that’s special to them and that they can always find that whenever they come back.

2. What was/were the most challenging issue(s) related to filming an ‘Outdoors’ reality TV show at your location? (answered by Gary Cooper)

The hardest part in filming this series was getting the staff on board. The fear was that their private actions could jeopardize themselves and their employment. We knew the stories were happening but how could we put them to tape and be real. The answer resulted from my selection of cameramen that I had enlisted. Each personality befriended other personalities and the stories started to develop. Midway through the shoot we were on a roll as we shot 140 hours of incredible stories, scenes and personalities. The job then was to narrow and edit it down to 6 1/2 hours of entertainment.

3. If you are able to share the details…what episode would you recommend viewers (in case they are out fishing) to NOT miss? Why? (answered by Gary Cooper)

With so much good material it is impossible to say that one episode is stronger than the other. I think different people will love different episodes. An experienced angler will love a different episode than someone in the hospitality industry. Each department of the Lodge has some great characters with some hilarious moments. You will have to watch and tell us what you think the best episode is.

4. Besides the entertainment value of this type of show, what are some of the ‘other things’ you would hope WFN viewers would take away from the show? (answered by Duane Foerter)

• I think “The Lodge” provides a great window on a unique lifestyle in an incredible part of the world. Just take a look at a map; it really is “out there” on the very edge of the continent, totally away from everything. Very few of the locals ever get out to these remote locations so we’re very privileged.
• Going fishing is one of those traditional activities that are ingrained in many of us; it’s part of our culture. “The Lodge” lets us share some of that with viewers, the vicarious pleasure of going away to somewhere different and sharing the experience.
• Peeking “behind the scenes” adds a whole new dimension to this show. It shows the human element; the people who make it happen for the guests. And sometimes it’s not quite what you’d think!

Will Queen Charlotte Lodge Be Your Next Fishing Adventure?

Be sure to watch the first season of The Lodge on WFN. Find out for yourself what all the other anglers will be watching! If you are looking for a place to ‘fish till you drop’ at a Lodge with ‘Lunker Class’ amenities – Consider Queen Charlotte Lodge.

*Muskoka Outdoors would like to thank Brittany Yu, Duane Foerter and Gary Cooper for making the time to respond to my questions.

I was checking around for local ice fishing updates when I heard that Jacob had hooked into these fish. They were fishing from a ’secret location’ somewhere on Mary Lake in 35 feet of water. Jigs tipped with live bait tempted the trout and pike to strike. There was 8 – 10 inches of ice.

The duo braved a blizzard to reach the sanctuary of their hut. Jacob wondered if the changing weather system was a contributing factor to making these fish (and others) hit their jigs.

Jacob Hehir holding his hard water Northern Pike

A great lake trout from Mary Lake!

I was able to get an interview with 13 year old Jacob and he patiently answered my questions about fishing with his dad. He has been fishing as long as he can remember. His mother shares that he had several visits to an ice hut as a baby. Jacob appreciates being able to spend quality time with his father. Not only is he able to learn more about fishing from his dad, but he enjoys the freedom of being able to share ‘life issues’ in the shelter of their ice hut or boat.

Jacob’s top 2 game fish to pursue are smallmouth bass and lake trout. For exciting summer  bass action, he recommends fishing during the early morning calm with top water ’spooks’. His tips for new ice anglers are simple:

1. Dress Warmly
2. Watch Your Lines

Before I finished my interview, Jacob wanted me to be sure to include a ’shout-out’ to one of his favorite fishing mentors, Louie Miceli.

Thanks for your time Jacob! I appreciate it.

*Note – If you have would like a photo of your ice fishing success stories to appear on my blog, please email them to me using the contact information below.

Heading Back To The Dock On Vernon Lake

Just doing a little ‘housecleaning’ on some blog posts and pictures that never got posted.

I think a weather front was moving in as the clouds and the ‘pending’ darkness enveloped an island in the black region of the photo. We were returning back from fishing the islands in front of Camp Tawingo.

Hon. Linda Jeffrey

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters reports that the Ontario MNR has a new Minister at the helm. The new Minister also ushers in a major change to the Ontario MNR’s Fish and Wildlife Division. An OFAH press release states,

As part of the provincial cabinet shuffle announced Monday, Linda Jeffrey, M.P.P. for Brampton-Springdale, will take the helm as the new Minister of Natural Resources. “We welcome Minister Jeffrey to the post, and look forward to working with her on matters of mutual importance to her ministry and Ontario’s anglers and hunters,” said Mike Reader, Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.). “When it comes to the sound conservation management of our fish and wildlife, and respect for our heritage traditions, the Minister will have no greater ally than one of the province’s largest stakeholders, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.” Entire Article Here

The announcement of the new Minister to the MNR was post-amble to a previous important news release about the Fish and Wildlife Branch. OFAH shares that,

“The Natural Resources Management Division, that housed the Fish and Wildlife Branch has been eliminated under the new organizational chart, which now divides fish and wildlife responsibilities between two new divisions, Policy (Biodiversity Branch) and Provincial Services (Fish and Wildlife Services Branch). Given the successful track record of O.F.A.H./MNR partnerships in such biodiversity-driven initiatives as the Invading Species Awareness Program and Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program, the move may spark new opportunities to work toward a common purpose.” Entire Article Here

My Take: I’ll hold my judgment until we get through the next several months. It will be interesting to see what happens once the dust settles. I really only have two immediate thoughts on these announcements:

1. A more effective change would be an announcement about increasing the number of conservation officers in each WMU or FMZ. This would help ensure our resources are better protected and managed – not department changes.
2. I hope the department change does NOT mean that the dedicated funds from our fishing and hunting licenses will not be spread out to other department resources that have nothing to do with conservation initiatives.

Largest Uganda Cape Buffalo In 35 Years

A photo of the largest cape buffalo taken in Uganda since Idi Amin was ousted from power and one of the very best taken in East Africa in recent years.

It was a solitary and hard bossed old bull with horns almost 49 inches wide.The buffalo was taken at Lake Kacheera just south of Lake Mburo National Park.

The safari was organized by Astrid and Ted Gorsline. Astrid Gorline has organized more than 10,000 African safaris in the past 30 years.

Ted Gorsline is a former Toronto Sun outdoor columnist who has been working as a professional hunter in Africa for more than 22 years. He was the founder of Kilombero North Safaris in Tanzania and his clients have taken more than 500 adult cape buffalo bulls and several dozen big cats. Mostly lions.

For more details about hunting in every African country where hunting is both legal and possible they can be contacted at: asted@freenet.de