Glenn
Dunning is a member of New England Outdoor Writers Association
(NEOWA) and contributes monthly to Outdoors Magazine
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Outdoor Magazine, March '04 issue, Traveling Outdoorsman col. Submitted by: Glenn Dunning |
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Berthelot Lake Lodge Vermont Family Outfitters |
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| While many folks leave the north country and head south for the winter, summering in the Canadian wilderness and retreating to balmy Sheldon, Vermont is not the typical scenario. Gary and Diane Koch (pronounced: Koe) are not exactly "snowbirds" however, and for them coming home to Vermont after 6 months of outfitting has been the routine for the last 22 years. The Kochs own and manage Berthelot Lodge, 68 miles down the gravel penetration road from Senneterre, Quebec. This well-known pike-walleye destination has been in their family for nearly 40 years and under their stewardship has earned a reputation for hospitality and really great fishing. The outfit is located seven hours north of Montreal on Lake Berthelot in the Abitibi region of central Quebec just north of the forty-eighth parallel. Geographic location has a lot to do with the quality of fishing in this part of the province. Berthelot's main lodge, situated on the lake's western end, is an entry point to an inter-connected water system stretching for hundreds of miles. Defined by the Macho and Metgiscane Rivers, the territory is in the James Bay watershed which flows north toward the arctic. Pike and walleye are dominant species with little competition compared to those bodies of water further south which flow toward the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River. The wilderness surrounding Berthelot is mostly government owned crown land and also part of the first nation people's Beaver Reserve. The Koch's have the exclusive outfitting rights and so pressure on fish populations can be carefully managed. "It takes a northern pike at least 15 years to grow to a length of 40 inches, you are just not going to find these big fish with any consistency in waters that are subject to uncontrolled fishing pressure." Gary points out. "Add to that our lack of competition for food sources and spawning areas common factors affecting fishing quality in many of the lakes to the south and you end up with an environment conducive for supporting a larger population of mature fish." For Berthelot's clients that means big fish and more of them. When Gary started working for his wife's uncle 40 years ago, the mainstay of the business was commercial fishing for sturgeon. Using tangle nets these prehistoric monsters were scooped from the bottom of the region's wild lakes to be smoked or shipped as caviar to markets in Montreal, Boston and New York. The first clients were friends who were hosted at primitive outposts sometimes 50 miles up the river system. In the early days sport fishing was secondary to moose hunting. Presently, Berthelot still hosts hunters for both moose and spring black bear but what draws their primarily American clients is the lure of catching lunker northerns and deep bellied walleye. The lodge area is on the site of an old sawmill long since destroyed by fire. The current main building houses a sunny bar and dinning area, and a mini-store where guests purchase hunting and fishing licenses as well as necessity items. There are 12 housekeeping cabins and a common shower/laundry facility. Each lakeside cabin has a kitchen so guests have the option of less expensive European plan packages where they bring and prepare their own meals or enjoying the convenience of dining in the main lodge where hearty meals of incredible variety are served. Additionally, the outfit has 12 outpost camps scattered on lakes throughout the territory. Clients are flown in on one of Berthelot's two Beaver floatplanes to a fully equipped camp with boats, gas and motors waiting at the dock. Sports bring their own sleeping bags and food for a week of solitude and great fishing action. The outposts accommodate up to eight and are a favorite with larger groups and families. The upcoming 2004 season will be an especially busy one for the Koch family and their staff. Gary has acquired exclusive rights to a 300 square kilometer managed territory surrounding Lake Saint Cyr and Cherrier, two pristine and nearly virgin pike sanctuaries. There plan calls for the construction of new lodge facilities on each lake and by 2005 they hope to be hosting clients there. Gary explains, "our philosophy has always been to try to view our package offerings from the standpoint of; if we were the clients what would we want?" The addition of the new lakes and lodges will allow the Koch's to offer nicer accommodations including food options on wilderness waters previously only available to clients willing to rough it at the outposts. "We also intend to provide truly outstanding fishing by controlling mortality with catch and release restrictions. This way the mature pike and walleye populations that currently exist in these lakes can be maintained, providing the opportunity to catch really big fish year after year." During the winter months the Koch family enjoys the simple pleasures of their rural Sheldon home that Gary built a quarter century ago. With the approach of spring, they make the rounds of the sport show circuit. And, come May they will be back in the wilderness doing what they love; hosting hunters and fishermen many of whom return year after year to Quebec's Berthelot Lodge. |
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