Unique Beauchêne

In the twenty years of hosting the PBS show "Streamside" I have been blessed with experiences I could have only dreamed of as a child. The show took me to exotic locations throughout the entire North American continent. I have caught Arctic Char in the far reaches of Ungava Bay, Atlantic Salmon in fabled rivers of New Brunswick, massive Lake Trout and pike in the cold clear waters of Lake Athabasca, and virtually every other species as I have traveled to the fringes of our fishing frontier. And yet, there is only one place that has lured me back time and time again. For sixteen years I have returned to my personal "Shangra-la.
La Réserve Beauchêne seems to work its way into the angler's soul. It has beckoned me like no other, spreading its roots deep into my being. It is apart of me, as much as the enchanting area of my youth and more than anywhere else I have lived. What is there about this place that seems to draw folks into its web? In an attempt to discover its appeal, I have interviewed several people that have returned to Beauchêne. To a person, everyone cites an "aura" that seems to pervade. As one enters the Reserve, the harsh landscape beckons a surprising sense of peacefulness. Its as if a spell has been cast on all that enter where the best of their spirits emerge.
I have always believed that the nicest people come to Beauchêne: but maybe Beauchêne just brings out the best in us. Worries are quickly forgotten as the wilderness panorama unfolds before us. Small shimmering lakes tease as rising fish fuel our growing fantasies. By the time we reach the lodge, our smiles are only matched by those of our hosts who welcome us to our new home.
Does it matter that Lake Beauchêne is home to the largest average size smallmouth of any water in Canada? Do six pound native brook trout really make that much of a difference? Does having forty different back lakes at your disposal, all teeming with one or more of the seven major species found here count for much? Does having all of your needs fulfilled by an extraordinarily capable and friendly staff mean anything? Does knowing that after a day on the water a meal fit for royalty awaits your pleasantly tires bones add to the experience? Ya think!
What does Beauchêne mean to me? It means a place where I can feel more alive, more of who I really am than any place in the world. It's a place where my best friends and I usher in each spring as a celebration of our continuing presence in life's throbbing rhythm. It's a place where I laugh more, where tall tales nourish our meals, where trophies live and will always live to stoke our spirits and our memories.
Beauchêne is so much more than the sum of its parts: It is a place where every cast can find a special gift. Bass, pike, walleyes, lakers, brookies, splake, and even whitefish could be the prize. Endless pristine vistas make an ultimate backdrop for whatever drama each moment unfolds. Our stay will never be measured by the size or number of fish we catch. One does not have to wet a line to experience the magic of Beauchêne. It is just in the being that we experience something that we can feel but maybe not explain. Beauchêne is that rare place that hopefully all of us will someday find.