NNSL (Apr 02/97) - When 37-year-old Montgomery Scott Doohan hooked into that 14-kilogram Lake trout last autumn at Blachford Lake Lodge, he knew he wasn't just an average tourist in from the U.S. for a quick trip.

"I absolutely love Yellowknife. It's a complete 180-degree change from California, which I hate," he said Monday morning, wrapping up his second visit to the North.

Doohan first accompanied his famous father, James "Scotty" Doohan, to the city for a fishing trip last September.

"It was kind of a dare from some people I met who thought that I couldn't handle the cold. I also wanted to try ice fishing, so I called a travel agent and was here."

But when Doohan recently spent three days ice fishing with area boy scouts, he got an "A" for effort and became an official scout leader.

He also entered Caribou Carnival's ice-sculpting competition and served as a judge in the Great Northern Melt the Ice Chili Cook-off.

"I'd never been on a snowmobile before, so it was great. We crossed seven lakes and travelled about 100 miles (160 kilometres) in just three days. Just being able to sleep without the sounds of gunshots going off in my ear was a treat," he said.

Born in Toronto, Doohan was whisked off to California at the age of five where his father played the role of chief engineer Montgomery Scott on the original Star Trek series.

And despite having a 32-second role as an extra in 1979's Star Trek The Motion Picture, he's pretty well lost interest in following his father's footsteps as an actor.

Instead, he worked for 11 years as a maintenance engineer at the Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Calif. Doohan is now retired and, in partnership with his twin brother Christopher, is investing in a chain of Sci Fi Cafes at movie studios in Hollywood.

But living near where Bill Cosby's son was murdered is finding Doohan preferring to be out of the state more and more every year.

"Because it was Bill Cosby's son that was murdered there was so much attention. The fact is it happens all the time. That area is very secluded and serves as a common dumping ground for bodies."

But could he live in Yellowknife? "I'd love to," he answers.

Doohan is considering an offer to house-sit for a teacher who's leaving Yellowknife for the summer.

But first things first. Doohan is now off to his boat in Arizona, where he's taking part in a striped bass fishing tournament along the Colorado River.