Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 12/04) - Warren Plummer, 86, founder of the Plummer's fishing lodge empire, died March 2 at Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg with his three children, Valery, Chummy and Berva, at his side.

Many of the world's richest people, as well as some of its most famous and powerful, have ventured to Plummer's over the years, to test their luck and their wits with record-breaking Arctic char, pike, lake trout and Arctic grayling.

Plummer built his first lodge at Talthelei Narrows on Great Slave Lake in 1949.

He first ventured North in 1938 from Flin Flon, Manitoba, landing in Yellowknife where his dad -- Chummy Sr. -- ran a pool hall down in Old Town.

That summer, the pair travelled by canoe, equipped with a four horsepower motor, to the now famous narrows and discovered that the stories of monster lake trout and grayling were true.

Plummer would later begin flying fishermen up to the site from Sioux Narrows, Ont. Today, the company boasts five lodges across the NWT and Nunavut.

His airline, Sioux Narrows Airways, is the oldest continuously running air charter in the Northwest Territories, according to Plummer's son Chummy.

"He actually flew up George Bush (Sr.) when he was 82, when they went fishing together at Great Bear Lake," said Chummy.

Founded tourism association

Plummer was also the founder and past president of the NWT Tourism Association.

He said his dad started the fishing lodge business for two reasons: one because he had fallen in love with the North, the other, because he knew a good thing when he saw it.

"The fishing always slows down here in Ontario in July and August, and he said: 'well, I know where there's some good fishing. Let's go back up there,'" said Chummy.

He said his dad continued to come North and fish right up until last year.

He figures the largest trout his father ever caught exceeded 50 lbs.

Wallace Finlayson, owner of Trophy Lodge -- another hot fishing spot on Great Slave Lake's East Arm -- said Plummer and his father Doug often engaged in a bit of friendly rivalry at the end of the fishing season.

"The NWT Fishing Lodge Association used to have a conference in November and one of the prizes they used to give was for the tallest tale," said Finlayson.

"Naturally, that's when all the boys would all pull out their tales. Warren was responsible for getting my father interested in the lodge business."

Plummer is survived by his children, his wife Adeline, one sister Jean, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for this summer at one of his lodges.