THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO VISIT A FLY-IN LODGE DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
Esnagami Wilderness Lodge in northern Ontario's Algoma region lodge is open, and the fish are biting
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Esnagami anglers and staff, smiling under their masks#1 In 2020, it’s safety first
As much as I’d like to dive into the fishing, we are in a global pandemic, so I guess that’s where we’d better start.
Early into the coronavirus crisis, and fearing for their 2020 season, Esnagami Wilderness Lodge (EWL) owners Eric and Sue Lund began researching and planning. Their goal: Find ways to adapt all their services to meet social distancing rules and COVID-19 safety protocols, while keeping staff, guests and local community members safe.
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After weeks of work and consultation, they came up with a very detailed plan to do just that. Esnagami’s full COVID plan is available on the lodge website, but the bottom line is that lodge life is fairly close to normal. Though the requirement to wear masks on the floatplane certainly made for a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime photo (top of page).
The dining room was also closed, with food delivered to each cabin by masked servers instead (above). This did reduce social opportunities a bit, though we still managed to mingle—while staying six feet apart, of course. One other change from usual operations is that staff weren’t allowed to enter guest cabins for cleaning (which is hardly a dealbreaker for anglers at fish camp). But all in all, these minor inconveniences were a small price to pay for quality, off-the-grid fishing.