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DAUPHIN, MAN. TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1984B1Pioneer of northern fisheriesBY MARY PR0K0P0W1CHFred Chiupka does not consider sport fishing much of a challenge.“It’s good to go fishing,” he says “but I still like commercial fishing best!”This entrepreneurparlayed an interest incommercial fishingwhich started as a necessity to make a living into a lucrative business which, at its peak was shipping a million pounds of fish a year from northern Manitoba lakes.nthe rhen I old,”“I star ted going lake with my dad ' was four years says Fred, “and I’ve liked it ever since,”His father, Jacob Chiupka, who farmed on the east shore of Lake Dauphin, was one of the original commercial fishermen on Lake Dauphin, starting in 1913.Fred Chiupka finished his grade eight at the Million district rural school, fishing with his dad after school and on Saturdays. As he and his brothers grew up in a family of thirteenchildren, the boys helped with work on th farm as well.To bring in some extra cash, Fred and his brother, Walter, started mink ranching on an adjoining acreage, feeding fish and horse meat to the mink. They expanded their operationuntil they had 600 mink.th'eButie North wasbeckoning young Fred, then 22 years old.“My brother and I decided to go fishing near Mafeking. We thought the fishing would be better if we went north.”So, starting with 100 nets and some hired help, they set up two fishing camps of lo buildings situate about eiaparton the north shore of Lake Winnipegosis.“There was plenty of work. We had to cut logsfor ourwithIfcamSwede saws and axes no chainsaws then. Butthe fishing was good —northern pike, pickerel and Tullibee. We began money.Then tragedy struck. His brother, while crossing the ice to reach Fred’s camp, chancedon some thin ice, and drowned. His body was recovered the next day. This might have deterred someone less single-minded. But Fred was determined to carry out the plans which he and his brother had discussed to go even furthernorth.Northern lakesSherridon and that’s where I moved in 1946.“Sherridon had about 2,500 people then. Later most of the town-site was moved to Lynn Lake, 110 miles north. I was determined to try fishing on Laurie Lake about 120 miles north of Sherridon. There had been no commercial fishing on Laurie Lake. But you had to fly in. It took four flights with a small plane to move all my stuff — five men, enough groceries to last for two months, all the fishing equipment and seven husky dogs.“Another brother, Tony, joined me and we set up camp four miles apart. This time I had adeal with KeystoneFisheries at The Pas to sell all the fish to them. So we needed two fish-houses, one for frozen and one for fresh fish. And we had to cut enough wood for the winter.“I was the camp cook, even baked bread. But I had to plan my cooking so I could get out on thelake with the men too.“By the middle ofDecember, planes could land on tne lake and they started hauling out our fish, mostly trout and whitefish. The fishing was way better than Lake Winnipegosis. By March, we had our limit 120,000 pounds.“The men got paid $75 a month and their board. Jobs were scarce, so there were always plenty of men ready to work. But, halfway through the season, I could see that hauling fish out by aircraft was too expensive. I had to pay for the hauling. That ate up the profit.“So, the next season, I bought a bombardier. But there was no road part of the way so I hired two natives to help me cut a trail for thebombardier through rough country. The bomabout 3,000 pounds. The plane hauled only 2,000. And the bombardier could travel from 20 to25 miles an hour. It was 160 miles one way, so I often got little sleep, a few hours in the bombardier and kept goingagain.“Whenthe fishingseason was over, I went freighting with the bombardier, haulinggroceries toPukatawagan, Granville Lake and High Rock on the Churchill River. Trappers and fur traders would ride with me at so much a trip.”South Indian LakeAfter a summer of no fishing because he was sick, and another season when he worked in the mine at Flin Flon, Fred Chiupka went back to fishing again, this time at South Indian Lake.“TheFisheriesBranch was looking for experienced fishermen to go to South Indian Lake to supervise natives in commercial fishing. I could get a license to fish the lake, as long as I’d hire natives and teach them about commercialFred Chiupkafishing. I could bring in five men of my own.“We were supposed to fly in but I changed my mind, decided to cut a trail for the bombardier, about 120 miles. Four of us started out,aerialusingphotographs, until we got to a spot where themap said ‘unmapped’.Just went on our own and, in two weeks, we had a winter road.“Our fishing season started late February but we had the bestfishing ever. Prices good and fish plentiful. Then we were notified that South Indian Lake would be opened for the“Wevirginhad heard oflakes north ofFirst airplane, a Tiger Moth, leased by Fred Chiupka in the winter of 1950
Newspaper Details
Dauphin Herald
Dauphin, Manitoba, CA
Tue, May 22, 1984
Page 15
Full Page
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Anonymous
CA 12 Oct 2021
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