The Ena Experience: Renewing old friendships at a 5-star Saskatchewan fishing lodge

Throughout the five days of fishing at Ena Lake, our routine was largely the same: Get up early for breakfast, be on the water by 8 a.m., return to the lodge at noon for lunch, then head back out on the water for the afternoon, usually calling it a day by 6 p.m. One day, we changed things up and enjoyed a scrumptious shorelunch of fresh-caught lake trout.

Shorelunches are always a memorable occasion—there’s just something special about dining on freshly caught fish cooked over a fire while waves lap gently against the rocks, eagles and gulls turn lazily over the water, and whisky-jacks alight on nearby trees, hoping for a free meal. But let me tell you, a shorelunch is even more noteworthy when it’s prepared by Tyler Rea, the lodge’s classically trained executive chef. (I also applaud the lodge’s conservation-minded approach to limiting shorelunches and the number of fish killed.)

One of the niceties of Ena Lake Lodge, of which there are many, is that you don’t have to bring your own tackle. Each boat is equipped with new rods and Penn trolling reels with line counters, the ideal set-up for trolling, which is the preferred method for targeting Ena’s lakers. The presentation was dead simple. Depending on the depth we were targeting, we affixed a four-, six- or eight-ounce banana weight to the main line, and below the weight we attached a six-foot leader with a snap-swivel.

Gord Ellis with a lake troutThroughout the week fishing for lakers, we only trolled T60 Flatfish and Bondy Baits, as well as Lucky Strike Canoe Wobblers and Half Wave spoons. According to the experienced guides, those lures have proven to be the most consistent producers on Ena over the seasons. I didn’t spend much time fishing for northern pike, but when I did, I cast large spoons.

The guides also reminded me that the lure you choose is not nearly as important as how you fish it. While we only used those four lures for lakers, we did adjust our trolling speed, depth and pattern. And we swapped out the weights more often than we changed lures, trying to find the depth that the still-settling lake trout wanted to be in.

We also changed things up each day by taking turns fishing with one another. On the second day, I partnered with Darryl Dahl. He’s an experienced angler, but he hadn’t fished in the North before, so I was there to watch him catch his first-ever lake trout. It’s easy to forget the excitement of your firsts, but Darryl’s broad smile reminded me just how special those moments can be. Before the day was out, he’d become an old hand, landing several more chunky lakers.

The wind woke us on the third day, and as we stood at the dock determining whether to brave the waves, Gord Ellis dryly commented, “A lot of column inches will be available if we go down.” Discretion being the better part of valour, we decided a relaxing lodge morning was in order.

I did hit the water later that day with my old friend T.J. Schwanky, and although the fishing was challenging with the boat bucking in the persistent wind and waves, we had a great time together, as we always do. It’s a wonder, in fact, our boat didn’t capsize simply from the weight of the BS that spewed forth.

The following morning, I headed out with Gord Ellis again and we enjoyed a superb day, landing one trout after another. We never did connect with one of the real brutes that lurk in Ena Lake, but the numbers of fish we caught left little doubt this is a very healthy fishery. No doubt, some real brutes would emerge once the lake settled down into its summer equilibrium.

On our final day of fishing, I jumped in the boat with Don Lamont. Long recognized as one of Canada’s premier anglers, Don has fished with me many times in many different places, but it had been a few years since we’d shared a boat. We enthusiastically recounted many of our previous adventures between catching fish, including some hefty lakers that stretched the tape to the mid-30s. It was a great way to wrap up my exploration of Ena Lake.