The long weekend in May always finds Arctic Bay wrapped up in the annual Fishing Derby, which is sort of the kick off to the Spring camping season. (Much like the long weekend in May kicks off "summer" down south. As I watched komotiq after komotiq returning to town last night into the early morning I bemoaned the fact that for the second year running I was stuck in town.
The fishing derby is a BIG event here, and you’ll find that almost everyone in town participates. Although it would be wrong to call Arctic Bay a ghost town this weekend you wouldn’t be far off. Just us unlucky souls who have to work, have no means of getting out on the land, or who truly have no interest in it are stuck here in town. Again this year there are five "lakes" that serve as locations for the derby. Each location has its own set of prizes for as you get farther from town, the Char get bigger, and it wouldn’t be fair for someone here to have to compete with someone fishing farther south.
By far the most popular location is at Iqalulik, about a forty minute trip by snowmobile. It is an absolutly beautiful location. A lake tucked upstream in a wide canyon. The canyon can be seen in the background of this picture from a couple of year ago in May. 
A little farther south in Moffat Inlet, about four hours away by snowmobile is Ikpikitarjuk. Although I’ve never been there (I’ve only snowmobiled past it) it is a very popular spring camping site. Leah spent a fair amount of her childhood’s springs there. To get to the next two spots one follows a low valley at the foot of Moffat Inlet back across the land to, or almost to, Admiralty Inlet. Both spots are on the Magda River, basically just wider spots on the river. Kugaraujuk is farther upstream and slightly closer to town, while Toolakaq is near the mouth. Both are about 8 to 10 hours by snowmobile away from town. Here is a shot of Kugaraujuk, looking down from the low hills above. 
The tents are pitched on the "lake".
And for those who can’t or don’t want to leave Arctic Bay for the weekend, there is a small lake on the way to Victor Bay. It has a population of landlocked and very small char (for those of you who are unfamiliar with Arctic Char it is usually an andramous fish, meaning it spends part of its life in fresh water, and part in the ocean. In its case it spends the winter in freshwater, migrating up streams in the fall. There are populations that are land locked.
Hilary and I basically were left to our own devices this weekend, as Leah and Travis spent pretty much their waking hours at the lake. Infinitely more patient than I am, Leah managed to bring home 10 tiny fish. Tiny fish. A large char from this lake would may be grow to eight inches. These weren’t that big. But they enjoyed themselves and now we await the results, probably tonight, but I’m not quite sure. 
Spey rod used: No
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Far from the arctic, that kind of fishing has always intrigued me, I’d love to try it.