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Home Story A violin concerto in the unlikeliest of places
Joe Scheer plays the violin at Plummer’s Arctic Lodge, on the Great Bear lake in the Northwest Territories

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.

Plummers Arctic Fishing Lodge on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories

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.

A violin in a case

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.

Joe Scheer plays the violin at Plummer’s Arctic Lodge, on the Great Bear lake in the Northwest Territories

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.

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Sport Fishing Package

Yellow Dog Lodge, Inc.

Activities

Fishing Fly Fishing Nature and Wildlife Tours Wilderness Lodges

Packages Include: Accommodations – main lodge rooms Bush Plane charter transportation – return Boat Rentals and Fishing Rods & Reels Fuel and oil for boats All home made meals All home baked snacks Complimentary coffee, tea hot chocolate, juice, water Outdoor hot tub, sauna, screened gazebo, hot showers Paddling equipment: kayaks, canoes, peddle boats, paddle […]...

Starting At

$1,615

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Aurora Package

Yellow Dog Lodge, Inc.

Activities

Aurora Aurora Lodges Fall Aurora Fishing Nature and Wildlife Snowshoeing Tours Wilderness Lodges Winter Activities

Packages Include Accommodations – main lodge rooms Bush Plane charter or snowmobile transportation – return All home made meals All home baked snacks Complimentary coffee, tea hot chocolate, juice, water Paddling equipment: kayaks, canoes, peddle boats, paddle boards, float tubes Self guided paddling and nature trail hiking Satellite WiFi, satellite TV, satellite telephone, movies, games, […]...

Starting at

$2,143

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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The Ultimate 7-Day Fishing Trip

Trophy Lodge – Great Slave Lake

Activities

Arctic Grayling Aurora Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Tours Wilderness Lodges

From Saturday to Saturday enjoy 7 Days on the water! Come enjoy our pristine lake, our abonnement of fish and our beautiful lodge. Numerous rivers, unique rock formations, abundant birds and wildlife and crystal clear waters make this a prime nature site, in short the scenery is terrific. We can comfortably host up to 16 […]...

Starting at

$3,899

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Full day Ice Fishing Trip

Yellowknife Sportfishing Adventures

Activities

Burbot Fishing Fishing Day Trips Ice Fishing Lake Trout Northern Pike Tours Whitefish Winter Activities

Join us for a Full day! 8 hours from 8AM-4PM for a private Yellowknife ice fishing experience! You will be the one catching all the fish on an ice fishing rod and having all the fun. We provide you with a licensed fishing guide, heated transportation (in our 6 seater side by side),  cozy tent and […]...

$999

CAD + 5% GST + Per 1-4 People
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Winter Aurora Package

Blachford Lodge

Activities

Aurora Aurora Lodges Cross-Country Skiing Cultural Demonstrations Ice Fishing Snowmobiling Snowshoeing Wilderness Lodges Winter Activities Winter Aurora

Welcome to Blachford Lodge. 2025 New Moon dates: January 29, February 27, March 29, April 27 Opening in December, 2024 will be our 5 newly renovated cabins. We are adding more comfort, beauty, and overall enhancements to your experience with us. Winter outdoor activities include cross-country skiing on 20 kilometers of groomed trails, snowshoeing, sliding, ice skating, […]...

Starting at

$3,597

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + $499 Air Charter + Gratuities (10%)

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Two people in a boat holding up a huge fish at Blachford Lake Lodge

Summer Fishing Adventure

Blachford Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Canoeing and Kayaking Fishing Housekeeping Lodges Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Stand up Paddling

Summer Adventure & Relaxation Welcome to your summer getaway, north of 60. Far from the noise and bustle of any city, Blachford Lodge is happy to be your home away from home in the summer months. Bask in the midnight sun (yup, you can read a book outside all night long!), catch a trophy fish, […]...

Starting at

$2,997

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + $499 Air Charter + Gratuities (10%)

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Okpik Arctic Village Winter Package

Tundra North Travel

Activities

Arts and Culture Aurora Cultural Demonstrations Dogsledding Nature and Wildlife On the Land Tours Western Arctic Wilderness Lodges Winter Activities Winter Aurora

DAY 1 Arrive at Okpik Arctic Village. Start off by settling into your home away from home. We’ll show you around our Eco-Village where you will learn about our local manufacturing and food production programs and why they are so important for Northern food security, economic leakage, as well as providing culturally relevant jobs in […]...

Starting at

$3,500

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Half/Full Day Pike Fishing

Half Day and Full Day Pike Fishing Trip

Trail Blazer Tours

Activities

Fishing Fishing Day Trips Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Tours

This half day or full day adventure takes us onto Great Slave Lake in search of the great Northern Pike. During the trip there are opportunities to see local birds and wildlife in addition to some local sights. We’ll enjoy a fabulous shore lunch of your freshly caught fish! All fishing gear is provided. Half […]...

Starting at

$250

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Nahanni Mountain Lodge

Nahanni Mountain Lodge (3-night stay, 2 people)

Simpson Air

Activities

Fishing Paddling Wilderness Lodges

Escape to Nahanni Mountain Lodge for an unforgettable wilderness retreat unlike any other. Immerse yourself in the pristine beauty of Canada’s Northwest Territories with our exclusive 2-person, 3-night stay package, designed for those seeking solitude, adventure, and tranquility amidst nature’s embrace. Nestled on the serene shores of Little Doctor Lake, our cozy cabins offer the […]...

Starting at

$3,548

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Petersons Point Lodge - Aurora Experience

Aurora Experience

Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge

Activities

Aurora Lodges Fall Aurora Nature Photography Wilderness Lodges

Approximately every 10 years the northern lights are stronger than any other time and that time is now. Book a special trip this autumn miles away from city lights and crowds of people, right under the auroral oval. Our remote fly-in lodge provides the ideal location to see the northern lights with viewing opportunities right […]...

$4,159

USD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Kasba Lake Lodge

Fly Fishing

Kasba Lake Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Arctic Grayling Fishing Fly Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike

A Fly Fisherman’s Paradise. Kasba Lake Lodge offers fly fishing opportunities for both advanced and novice anglers. The ability to fish all three species of Northern Pike, Lake Trout, and Arctic Grayling on the fly is what really sets us apart. Catching these aggressive predators on the fly is one of life’s great sporting experiences […]...

Starting at

$5,395

USD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Kasba Lake Lodge

All Inclusive Lodge

Kasba Lake Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Arctic Grayling Fishing Fly Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike

Place yourself in Canada’s untamed Northwest Territories, on the edge of the barren lands. Over 1500 square miles of untouched wilderness exclusive to Kasba anglers. A fishermen’s paradise whether spin fishing or fly fishing, Kasba fishing is beyond belief! Your dream come true fishing trip includes: air transportation from Winnipeg, private luxury cabins with on […]...

Starting at

$5,395

USD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Aurora Viewing Cabins

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Trail Blazer Tours

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

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Destination NWT

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Destination NWT Ltd.

Day Trips Northern Lights Winter

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 […]...

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Aylmer Lake Lodge

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

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Northwest Territories Tourism acknowledges that we are located in Chief Drygeese territory. From time immemorial, it has been the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and more recently, the homeland of the North Slave Métis Alliance. We respect the histories, languages, and cultures of Inuit, First Nations, Metis, and all First Peoples of the NWT and Canada, whose presence and cultures continue to enrich our vibrant communities.

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