Best Summer Ever?

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Julie releasing yet another late summer walleye

September is here. Do you believe it? And the summer that has flown by may have been the best one ever, or at least in my 25 years as a tourist outfitter. Sure, that may be a bit of a subjective claim, but let me explain.
From a weather standpoint we had a fairly stable summer here in Western Quebec. There is always unsettled fronts that come and go—that is the nature of our weather patterns here—but for those guests who stayed for a full week, they generally had decent weather for a good part of their trip. And, as you know, stable weather means good fishing. Right throughout the summer months, and now into September, we are consistently getting decent catches of respectable-sized walleye.

While weather is a major factor in fishing success, we cannot discount the role that the quality of the lake itself plays. Lake Kipawa is an incredible resource that keeps on getting better. Thus far, steps have been in place to assure that it remains an unspoiled and pristine environment, especially here on the north end of the lake. I think, regardless of where you stay when you come to Lac Kipawa, you need to realize that a lake like this does not continue to improve on its own; it is though the efforts of conservation and effective resource management that it happens. So, a heartfelt and sincere thanks goes out to the anglers who subscribe to live releasing the breeding fish. Recognition is also deserved for the professional outfitter at Taggart Bay Lodge who works tirelessly to fight for sensible fishery conservation on Kipawa. It is through his efforts that every visitor to the lake will get to benefit from a resource with a long and healthy future. And I believe that it is the responsibility of all users of the lake to look into the conservation philosophy of their hosts, to insure that they are, in fact, promoting sustainable tourism.

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Kip, contemplating life’s mysteries

At Two Moon Lodge believe in sustainable tourism. Back in 2008 we began promoting catch and release with contests for live releasing fish; we replaced the traditional weekly fish fry with a complimentary wood-fired pizza dinner; we do not invite back guests whose conservation philosophy is not in line with ours. Those who stay with us at Two Moon Lodge are always very impressed and grateful of the solitude, peace and quiet of our outpost lodge experience. Do you know that our operational policy here is to not run power equipment or make construction noises while guests are in camp? We quietly generate our power from the sun. We do not permit jet skis or personal water craft here—to us, a wilderness experience is about tranquility. We do what we can to keep it that way.

So as we continue to enjoy the last days of summer, we are thankful for the serenity and quality of nature that we have been able to maintain in this corner of paradise. Let’s just not take the best summer ever for granted.