Wild Lake Lodge - September, 2023
Fly fishing for pike at the Wild Lake Lodge
In the spring of 2023 I met Piero from Big Fish Sweden at the EWF show in Germany. He visited the Fly fishing for pike booth and brought a brochure showing his destinations in Sweden. They operate three camps but he specifically talked about the Wild Lake Lodge. High up in Swedish Lapland the camp is on the shore of a huge 120km long shoreline lake holding crystal clear water and lots of pike. Most pike are fished for in the shallows between pebbles and rocks as big as cars. It was not long after the show that we agreed upon dates for a trip to the lake of the pebbles.
On September 9, 2023 we, myself and my buddy and photographer Ad Hulshoff, flew from Amsterdam to Stockholm and on to Lulea. From there it was a three hour drive to the lodge. We drove in the dark but noticed straight away we were in a remote area with forests everywhere. Upon arrival it was after midnight but we got a warm welcome. Not long after that we went to sleep as at daybreak we would be fly fishing for pike.
After breakfast we were instructed on how to operate the 15hp engine, HDS5 GPS/Sonar and front troller (with remote control). We put our fly rods in the Marine 450 aluminum boat and off we went. Instructions were clear; follow the chard on the HDS5 as big rocks pop up as indicated on the chard. You don’t want to hit a rock the size of a car in the middle of the lake going 15km/hour. So we followed the chard and stayed out of trouble. Crossed the lake and started the first drift. Around us; wilderness. Below us; crystal clear cold water. We were drifting, casting and stripping in shallow water and it didn’t take long before the first pike showed up. It came out of nowhere. A first shot to the streamer, full stop behind it. Then I jerked the streamer with the rod tip as I was at the end of the strip. At that moment the pike fully engulfed the 15cm flashy streamer. All visual in gin clear water, just three meters from the boat. What an exciting way of fly fishing for pike! Played the super strong fish and landed it by hand. It turned out to be a very good pike of 95cm. Pressure was off after that first drift. At least for me.
During the week we fished long days. One day we went out with camp manager and guide Andrea. For €200,- he and his boat with 100hp engine brings you to virgin spots far away from the lodge. Numbers of strikes were incredible and we landed 21 pike on that day. Most small pike but one measured 84cm. The big ones weren’t out this day but season record for the lodge so far was 134cm so you have a chance of hooking into such a monster pike at all times.
In the evening we saw the Aurora. The greenish northern lights were coloring the skies above the lodge. What a bonus! It was cold outside but I watched the skies for an hour and a half.
Every day we had lunch on the lake, lunch box with hot tea provided. In the evening we would have diner together with the other guests. Exchanging stories and sharing spots we fished. We all took different directions so at all times it looked like the lake was ours. Nobody else around as fas as you could see. No other fishermen. A house on the lake was hard to find, it was that remote.
On the last day, on the last drift, I hooked an 88cm pike and decided to call it the day. That pike should have been for Ad. His biggest for the week until then was 80cm. So I told Ad I would drift the boat and he’d be fly fishing the rest of the last drift. At exactly the same spot, just minutes later, he hooked and landed an 80cm pike. He was very happy and told me it was my turn again. I looked at him and told him I caught an 88cm pike on my last cast. We have another 100 meters of drift to go and it’s all yours. So Ad started casting and stripping again. About half way the drift he hooked up close to the bank and it was all clear; this was his pike of the week! After a good fight, as pike in these cold waters are strong, we netted the fish. I think we danced of joy in the boat. It turned out to be a 95cm pike. After the release Ad told me, now it’s up to you again. But I repeated, I had an 88cm pike on my last cast. You can fish the last 50 meters of the drift yourself, or …. you can quit and say you caught a 95cm pike on your last cast. Ad looked at me and said; it’s time to go home!
That same evening we drove back to Lulea as our flight back was early morning the next day. On our way back we talked about the adventure. The raindeer and moose that we saw. The great people we met. The fabulous pike fly fishing we had. The crystal clear lake with its pebbles and huge rocks. The wilderness surroundings. One thing is for sure. We will be back!
You can find more info about Big Fish Sweden by clicking here
Tight lines,
Peter Elberse
