Coppermine (Aug 18/03) - It took Millie Aklok just one day to reel in enough fish to win a trip to Yellowknife.

Aklok, 42, did not expect to catch anything when she entered the Kugluktuk fishing derby with common-law husband of 24 years, Charlie, and two of their children, Susan, 13, and Morgan, 3.

"The first time I tried was when it first opened," said the mother of four, from her home in Kugluktuk where she has lived most of her life. "I figured sitting on the boat was so boring."

She gave it a try 15 years ago, but didn't catch anything. This year was different. Aklok was a char magnet. Her family watched in awe.

"My common law said he was going to enter this time to try and win," she said speaking of the Ekalukpik fishing derby which was held July 17-22 in Kugluktuk.

"He said, 'we might as well go. We might see caribou on the shoreline if we don't catch any fish,'" she said, explaining how he tried to sweeten the deal for her.

The two love hunting. But fishing had never done much for Aklok in the past.

Evaglok encouraged her to join him on their 18-foot boat and give it a try.

"He said, 'don't sit in the boat all day like we did the first time.' And then I catch a nibble. I thought my hook was stuck on the bottom of the ocean. I told him, 'my rod is stuck,' because I never felt a fish at the end of my line for many years. And there was a little tiny fish at the end so we put it back."

That first one was only about one foot long. But she kept catching them, and they got bigger.

"I was the only one catching fish.

"My arm was sore from reeling them in."

When she finally caught a "14 pounder," she decided it was time to go home.

But even after such a great day on the water, Aklok still didn't think she would win the derby.

"I'd seen other people with their big fishes."

But the combined weight of three of her char added up to 41 lbs which was enough to get her the grand prize trip for two to Yellowknife.

When they called her name at the end of the derby, "I just about cried," she said. "I couldn't believe it. It was the first time I won something like that."

The couple will travel to Yellowknife sometime this month and do a bit of shopping, said Aklok.

They have friends in the city, but Aklok said, "I would rather stay in a hotel."