Inuvik, in the Northwest Territories, is the farthest north you can drive in Canada—except for when the Mackenzie River Delta freezes and you can travel the ice highway, right up to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. Many will make the trip far above the Arctic Circle, just to say that they’ve been there. Kyle Kisoun Taylor of Up North Tours in Inuvik arranges boat and plane travel to Tuk’ for many of these visitors.

The young Inuvialuit guide will also take guests with the time and inclination fishing in a powerboat for pike and coney. But ask him for a singular experience, something he would do for fun on his own time, and he’ll load you into his truck with his dog, Muktuk, for a 40-minute drive out of town. 

Soon, you’ll find yourself in hip waders, splashing up a picturesque stream—but one that you’d never have noticed speeding along the Dempster on the relentless drive north. As you meander your way farther and farther up the river, away from the road and deeper into the boreal forest, the dark pools hold greater and greater promise. The quarry you seek is Arctic grayling. 

Usually no more than a kilogram (2 lbs), they punch far above their weight, punctuating hard runs with impressive aerials. If you get hungry, Taylor might stop to cook a chunk of caribou meat over a small open fire. There’s plenty of time to relax with the long summer days.

As you sit back to savour your surroundings, he’ll share stories about local life, about joining his late grandfather at his fish camp and on beluga hunts. Later, when you land the first of the silvery, iridescent grayling, with its distinctive sail-like dorsals, it will feel like a fine addition to an already perfect outing. But this kind of northern experience might not make it on everyone’s tick-list. It’s less about latitude than, well, lounge-itude. 

www.upnorthtours.ca
www.spectacularnwt.com

video:
Experiencing Northern Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9irm2J_fQA