A Festival of Fish

By Thomas Porter

President, Northern Waters Flyfishers Inc.

It was one of the coolest assignments I would have as photographer with the Prince Albert newspaper.

“Porter, we need you to go to Nipawin for a day next week,” my editor barked. “You’ll have to be on the road early. We need shots of this fishing thing they do out there.”

Fishing thing!? All right! Go take a few pics, enjoy the sunshine, have a few beers and catch some fish. Whose got a cooler job than me?

The Town of Nipawin in northeastern Saskatchewan has been home of the Great Northern Pike Festival for more than 30 years. I was invited to be part of the media contingent that would head out onto Tobin Lake before the annual contest began. It would be our job to tag prize fish for the event and come back to our respective news agencies with some photos and stories about the contest.

Pretty smart idea really: get the media people in the area to come out for a day of fun in the sun, get some free labour and ultimately some free publicity for the event. Media day is now a hotly anticipated day for many Saskatchewan journalists, press photographers and video technicians. I haven’t missed a day in six years.

It’s an amazing event for a town of only 5,000 to put on every year. From June to September, the quiet rural community plays host to anglers from across North America. Everyone comes to Nipawin hoping to tie into the big one – a tagged Northern Pike worth a new boat, a new dirt bike, or a fist full of cash.

Forty pike are tagged each June by the media folk and their guides. Thirty-seven have tags on them worth $250, one is worth $5000, another tag represents a new Honda dirt bike or ATV. The final grand prize tag has typically been a new Crestliner or Lund boat and motor package worth tens of thousands.

Like we needed an excuse to go fishing…

Each media day has been a blast. The day begins with coffee and a doughnut at the Nipawin Tourism bureau. Media staff and their local guides assemble in front of the office for the selection of the three major prize tag numbers. Once the three major prize tags have been randomly selected, the remaining ones are ceremoniously burned.

It’s kind of a neat process to watch – the local people have a lot of pride in this part of the event. This is made even more evident when you see the burning barrel they use for this process – it’s sculpted from sheet metal to resemble a Northern Pike. It’s pretty realistic too.

After the burning of the numbers, guides and guests head out onto the water to catch and tag fish for the festival. It’s non-stop fish flogging from dawn to dusk, with the would-be fishermen breaking only for a brief shore lunch provided by generous local sponsors. An angler needs to keep their strength up ye’know…

When the day is done, weary fishermen head to the local golf and curling club for another fabulous meal and a beverage. After a cold drink and some hot food, anglers take part in a humorous and sometimes humbling program as results from the days fishing are announced to everyone. Prizes are handed out for the biggest fish, the strangest fish and for the least fish. Everyone seems to come home a winner!

In the past six years, I have had good days and bad days with the tagging crew. There were times I wondered if I had any clue about this sport and others where I could hardly get my hook into the water before a strike. One thing remains the same though; I always have a tonne of fun. I have guys lining up to go with me!

I really have to take my hat off to the people in Nipawin and Tobin Lake. They have taken a resource that other might otherwise be taken for granted and elevated it to a level that no one can discount. People all over the world know about Tobin Lake and the Pike Festival – due in part to the media attention it receives annually, but more so to the word of mouth visitors spread when they return to their respective homes.

Visitors are made to feel welcome, they are shown a fabulous time by the host community, there is world-class fishing at Tobin Lake and the scenery is second to none.

It’s amazing to me what a group of committed people can do when they put their minds to something. Nipawin has set an example for other communities in Saskatchewan. Although they will be a tough act to follow, the people of Nipawin have shown that you can profit from whatever resources you have as long as you’re creative, ambitious and approach things in a sustainable fashion.

I know I’ll be there to support the event for as long as they’ll have me.

Keep those lines tight,

Thomas Porter