The Potentilla, or cinquefoil plant are those shrub like plants with the distinctive yellow flowers that are common throughout the Great Bear Lake area and can, when combined with some sprigs from a Black Spruce tree – another Great Bear staple – produce a very distinctive, and pleasant tasting cup of tea.

Until June of 2013, when he took on the job of “Dock Boy” at Plummer’s Great Bear Lake Lodge, Mathew Mesec could be best described as an urban kid, whose idea of adventure was a trip to the family cottage a couple of hours north of Toronto.

In this article Mathew shares his thoughts, feelings and impressions of what he describes as a life changing experience in Canada’s Arctic.

Over the 40 plus years we have been fishing Great Bear Lake, together with a number of friends who have fished with us from time to time, we have literally caught thousands of Lake Trout...

While at times it seems to fly by, a year is actually a very long time – particularly between our fishing trips to Great Bear Lake.

Anything can, and sometimes does happen that threatens to throw a wrench into our plans, but in 2012, not unlike the previous thirty plus years for many us, the fates were once again in our corner, we overcame the odds, and would soon be gathering in Edmonton on the first leg of our journey to the "Bear."

This was a familiar refrain usually uttered by “first timers,” as the Boeing 737, did a fly by – perhaps to ensure there was not a herd of caribou milling about - and then banked steeply in preparation for lining up, and landing on the 5100 foot gravel strip at Great Bear Lake Lodge.

Heading back to the lodge after yet another day of remarkable Pike fishing on the Whitefish River, my fishing partner and I decided this was not the time to turn our backs to the wind, so we spun our seats around so we could watch the splendor of Great Bear Lake unfold in front of us, as our boat cut a path across the glass like surface of the water.

For many, a trip to Great Bear Lake is likely to be a "once in a lifetime" experience, and unless you are an experienced Arctic traveler, preparing for a trip of this kind, takes a fair amount of thought and planning.

Environmental conditions can run to extremes, and changes in the weather are at times measured in minutes or hours, rather than days. It can get downright hot, and ice and snow are not unheard of throughout the short Arctic summer.

The fish you catch will challenge your skill and equipment in ways you may have never encountered, and if you happen to forget some critical item, like your medication or prescription glasses, it's one hell of a long walk to the nearest pharmacy or optician.