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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
No matter how long Yellowknife residents have been boating, it seems most agree that hitting the water around Yellowknife is a true blessing, with plenty of seclusion and great fishing.

Sandy Burns rides his 2010 Legend with 19-month-old son Cooper on Back Bay, Sunday. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

Yellowknifer talked to a few residents hitting the water Sunday morning at various locations around town.

Warren and Vicki St. Germaine were at the Giant Mine public dock launching their Trophy boat, which they call "Tirianniaq," an Inuktitut word for "white fox." The two have been boating all their lives and swear by the North Arm as the best boating destination.

"We like to head off to the North Arm because there are not very many people around there, there is a lot of bird life, and good pike fishing in the spring," said Vicki.

She said the boat's best feature is probably that it carries lots of gas really well as it holds 617 litres.

Sandy Burns was preparing his 2010 Legend Excalibur for the weekend. He is still trying to figure out a name for it as he purchased the boat this year - the first vessel he has ever owned.

"It is both for my family and to take out my buddies to go fishing," said Burns. "It has been great. For three weeks I have been really enjoying it. It is just an awesome perspective of being on the water and seeing the land."

Burns said he really likes to go to the old Mink Farm on the southwest side of Yellowknife Bay because of the pike fishing that is available.

Burns' wife Heather, who has owned boats in the past, said this year's choice to purchase a boat was a negotiated decision over an all-terrain vehicle.

"I thought we wouldn't be going on the four-wheeler, myself and our baby Cooper, so a boat seemed to be a better option," she said.

Burns' particular model serves as an ideal "transitional" craft for his family and fishing buddies, he said, because it has a fishing platform and folding seats.

It is also very stable on the water for four people.

Over at the Great Slave Yacht Club in Old Town, Laura McBridge was cleaning and launching her father Randy's Bayliner with boyfriend Brandon Wiseman to begin the boating season.

The boat is named Arctic Rose in memory of Laura's Italian grandmother Rose, who died in and around the time the craft was built 10 years ago.

The family was looking forward to the first major excursion of the season this week.

"We really like to go out to the Eastern Arm because it is out of the way and it has good fishing," said Laura.

Both Laura and Brandon agreed that lake trout was the best species to go after. As far as features on the boat, the two said its sleeping, cooking and washroom facilities were its best attributes.

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