Skip to main content

Find out more about the current wildfire and wildfire-related concerns in the NWT.

Home Story A violin concerto in the unlikeliest of places

A violin concerto in the unlikeliest of places

Chummy Plummer is a legend of the North.

He’s been guiding fishers north of the Arctic Circle since he was 13, and he’s been the owner of Plummer’s Arctic Lodges for nearly 50 years, connecting devout anglers and fly-fishers with some of the biggest and feistiest freshwater fish on the planet.

Plummer’s Lodges, nested into remote paradises on Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake, are also renowned for their five-star amenities and heroic hospitality. It’s common for a guest to make the trip one summer and then to return with their family every year afterwards, turning it into a family tradition.  And each trip brings new surprises.”You never know who’s going to show up at the lodge each week,” says Plummer.

One evening a few summer ago, as he chatted with guests at his lodge, he met Joe Scheer, a retired Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist. “I told him it would be great if he would play for us at our weekly Thursday Wine and Cheese event, but he said he did not bring his violin: the only instrument he had packed for this trip was his fly rod,” says Plummer. “I don’t think he believed me when I told him I would get a violin for Thursday and that he should be ready to play.”

Plummer called his Yellowknife fixer, Yvonne Quick—a Northern female bush pilot pioneer. She called around and quickly found a violin and had it on the next plane up.

On Thursday evening, there was an instrument waiting for Scheer, he took the case to his room to tune.

“When he returned, he surprised us with a hand-written letter he’d found inside the case, written by Yellowknife wildlife biologist and territorial politician Bob Bromley, who had lended us the violin,” says Plummer.  Scheer read the note aloud to the crowded room:

In 1965, as a 14 year old, I, my father Peter, and dentist Ian Calder, paddled from Great Slave Lake to Great Bear. We ran out of food for a few days before the trip’s end. No shortage of jackfish, but a growing lad was hungry! When we pulled into Chummy’s lodge, his crew fed me like I will never forget. And gave us a box of food to take with us as we paddled on to Sawmill Bay, from where we had Ernie Boffa take us back to Yellowknife in a Norseman.  As soon as we had paddled out of sight of the lodge, I insisted we make camp and start cooking.  Chummy has been a giant in my mind ever since, and I’m happy to be able to offer this wee favour with the violin.

That’s when Scheer, accustomed to playing under world-famous composer John Williams, began to play a Bach Sonata to a small group of fishers, just north of the Arctic Circle, returning a charitable deed performed nearly 50 years earlier.

“It just shows that you can never know what’s going to happen on a fishing trip up North,” says Plummer.

 

Check out all that Plummer’s Arctic Lodges have to offer here.

Creating Memories for a Lifetime Nonacho Lake Fishing Adventures offers trophy lake trout and northern pike fishing. Wildlife abounds at......

Destination NWT Limited is a tourism operator located in Yellowknife, Canada. DNWT specializes in outdoors adventures, aurora photography, and cultural experiences: Best rated Snowmobile Tour, winter gears included, exciting trail riding Aurora Tour in a Luxurious lakeside Lodge Unique Aurora tour while Ice Fishing indoors Full panoramic moonroof vehicle for Aurora Viewing DNWT’s tours allow […]...

DISCOVER A MOMENT THAT LASTS A LIFETIME. Aylmer Lake Lodge is located in Rocknest Bay, which is on the Barren......

Fly-in fishing lodge located 150 air miles (240 kms) south of Yellowknife. Full American Plan or unguided....

With over 30 years of living in Yellowknife, we offer a variety of tourism experiences for our guests. We are......

Book an adventure with us at Trail Blazer Tours for an unforgettable experience! Your adventure with us will create lasting......

100% Indigenous owned!  We are the world’s first Aurora Hunting tour company, we know Aurora. Learn about Aurora, why Yellowknife is the......

If are looking for a spectacular weekend retreat nestled in the serenity of the Mackenzie Mountains at Ten Stone Mountain Lodge. North-Wright......

Remote private wilderness paradise on Little Doctor Lake, 100 km west of Fort Simpson. Accommodates 20 in cabins. Fishing, swimming,......

Great Slave Lake Tours offers winter and summer trips on Great Slave Lake, the ninth biggest lake in the world......

With Bluefish Outfitting you’ll get an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. Bluefish Outfitting offers personalized, guided fishing trips and boat tours on......

One of the finest Pike and Lake Trout waters in North America, on the 60th Parallel. Enjoy luxurious private cabins......

Yellow Dog Lodge is a comfortable lodge with 3 private cabins for our guests. The lodge is a short (15 minute) floatplane ride from Yellowknife. Located on Duncan and Graham Lakes, the lodge is your hub for adventure. Choose from an additional 5 lakes for guided day trip excursions. Each lake is unique and offers unspoiled first class fishing. We are the only lodge that operates guided trips on each of these remote lakes located in the NWT taiga wilderness. Packaged trips feature superb sport fishing and safe outdoor adventure. The lakes and streams offer the finest Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Arctic Grayling in the region. As an added bonus, our guests will enjoy the midnight sun and may even catch the northern lights later in the fall or early spring....

World Class Fishing Within Reach Yet Beyond Belief For 3 generations we have been honing the Kasba experience to be like no-other. Our level of hospitality, dedication to the fishery, and a legendary passion for the experience that permeates through our entire team is undeniably contagious. No matter what you’re looking for in your fishing […]...

2 Seasons Adventures is a family-owned company. Our professional guides boast a lifetime of experience enjoying the unique lifestyle of......

“Like No Other Place On Earth” We are the only fly-in lodge located a 50 minute float plane flight from......

Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge provides you access to known waters teeming with monster lake trout. Their current record is a......

Book this entire cabin in the remote wilderness of the stunningly breath-taking, Mackenzie Mountains. This cabin is hands down the......

Create your own story. We offer a variety of services to make your Sahtu adventure a reality! We offer everything from......

Our goal is to provide unique customized services for high-end customers. We excel at making personalized tours. You can see......

Exceptional fishing on Gordon Lake, 100 km northeast of Yellowknife. Fish for Lake Trout, up to to 56 lbs! Fly in by......

Northstar Resort is a remote fishing lodge located on Thekulthili Lake, 95 miles (152 km) northeast of Fort Smith. Operates from......

Ena Lake Lodge is a one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive luxury fishing and outdoors experience in Northern Canada. Come and experience authentic fly-in......

Welcoming and friendly with a rustic charm and all modern conveniences, Grey Goose Lodge immediately catches your eye as you......

Warburton Bay has a magic of its own. Located on the southwest end of Mackay Lake, it is close to......

To truly experience the Northwest Territories, take your camping gear for a highway driving adventure! Long ribbons of road without......

Remote naturalist’s lodge snuggled in the Mackenzie Mountains, in the largest mountain wilderness in North America. Located along the Canol......

Fish for Trophy Lake Trout and Arctic Grayling at our all-inclusive lodge located in East Arm, Great Slave Lake. Fly......

Born & raised in Inuvik, Northwest Territories our experienced lead guide Jimmy Kalinek is ready to help you discover the......

Outfitter offering sport hunts for trophy Dall’s sheep, Alaska/Yukon Moose, Mountain Caribou. We ensure that every detail of the hunt......

An Arctic Barrenlands trophy fishing adventure for the serious sportsman. Located on Lynx Lake (420 km east of Yellowknife) Lynx......

Call us about our exciting year-round packages and experience the best of the Dehcho region and Denendeh....

We offer: Nature and wildlife viewing Snowmobile tours Fishing tours Boat tours Polar bear and muskox hunts. Contact us for......