Acclaimed wildlife artist catches trophy lake trout at Webber's Lodges North Knife Lake Lodge

Acclaimed wildlife artist Linda Besse (www.BesseArt.com) and her husband Jim Olson made the trip to North Knife Lake Lodge this summer and went home with a canvas full of colorful memories that included a 35-pound lake trout.

“It was the biggest thrill of our trip,” said Linda from her home in Washington. “Certainly the biggest fish I have ever caught. And it had the fattest body both Jim and our guide had ever seen.”

Linda caught the monster trout on a lure picked out by Jim, an avid fisherman who has fished all over the world.

“It was an overcast day and Jim thought a green flatfish might show up well in the water based on the light conditions,” said Linda. “He was right!”

“I probably had it in the water for oh, a good 5 minutes before zzzzzzzzzing, my rod bent hard into the water.  Every time I'd get the fish close to the boat, he'd make another run. There weren't any sharp jolts, the fish would just plow down lower and lower in the water and reel off line. Four times he took off. My arms were killing me. I finally got him close enough to the boat and begged the guide to net him. When he surfaced, he looked like a monster!”

Linda wasn’t sure how much she would enjoy fishing at North Knife Lake Lodge. Her husband was the real fisherman. A general contractor who specializes in custom homes and remodeling, Jim tries to squeeze as much fishing as he can in between contracts. He’d always wanted to take Linda on a trip they could both really enjoy, but knowing Linda’s passion wasn’t fishing, he knew it would take something very special.

He surmised that Linda, a wildlife artist who has traveled the world, might enjoy the beautiful scenery and first class lodge at North Knife Lake. And he was hoping the fishing action and a knowledgeable guide might get her excited about fishing. He was right.

 “Jim is the real fisherman,” said Linda. “I had fished for king salmon in British Columbia, but that was mostly trolling. I hadn't used a spin cast reel for years, but once I saw North Knife Lake I was determined to give it my best shot. Casting into the clear water, motoring past picturesque bays, watching eagles on their nests, I thought it really didn't matter if I caught anything. Despite my rusty technique, I was astonished at how many fish I caught!”

Calm isolated bays allowed Linda to perfect her casting technique and by the end of the trip she could pick a spot a foot from the shore and nail it. Her trophy trout was caught on the final day of their trip.

“There were some windy days when I decided to just enjoy the beauty of the lake and sit and watch Jim fish,” said Linda.  “As a game, I decided to count how many northern pike he caught one afternoon. 38. On a less windy day, I caught 22 northern pike in one bay. But, the big thrill was my lake trout.

"Jim also caught a 35-inch lake trout, which made him a Manitoba Master Angler, but it was mine that made him happiest. He was so thrilled I caught the biggest fish!

“The Lodge is a wonderful place to stay,” continued Linda. “Our two-story room had a beautiful view of the lake and was off in the woods and the food at the main Lodge was to die for! 

"Exquisite dishes - no wonder they have their recipes in a cookbook. The before dinner cocktail hour had wonderful hor d'oeuvres, but more importantly, it gave the guests a chance to talk to others about our fishing day and other past adventures.”

In addition to the fishing, Linda was also able to get some excellent wildlife photos as references for future paintings, including some great shots of eagles in flight.

“It really was a wonderful trip," said Linda. “I would recommend Webber's Lodges and North Knife Lake Lodge to both novice and expert. We had a marvelous time. “

About Linda Besse

A self-taught artist, Linda Besse creates compositions designed to reflect the inherent artistry of nature. Painting exclusively in oil, because she likes its luminosity, depth, and intensity of color, she uses a mostly wet-on-wet technique to capture the immediacy of the image. She lives in a country setting surrounded by deer, wild turkey, grouse, quail, coyotes and the occasional moose and mountain lion.

Enchanted with animals and nature from a young age, Linda was further  drawn to the outdoors through her geology degree from Colgate University, followed by a Master of Science, which enabled her to experience the back country of Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana. She has now traveled to over 27 countries to photograph wildlife for her paintings. Her most recent trip took her to Africa, where she was able to take some spectacular leopard photographs.

Linda's galleries, exhibits, and shows have included:

Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2001-2006;
Birds in Art 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005-2007  National Tour
Art and the Animal VIII + IX, Bennington Center for the Arts, VT;
Scissortail Art gallery Solo Show, November 2007
Three Woman Show, Holland & Holland, New York City, 2003:
Art of the Hunt Gallery, Greenwich, NY;
NatureWorks, Tulsa, OK, 2002-2007;
- Best In Show, Natureworks 2007
- Best In Show - Miniature , Natureworks 2005
Safari Club International, Reno, and Las Vegas, 1999-2007
Waterfowl Festival, Easton, Maryland, 2003-2007
Society of Animal Artists 44th + 46th Annual Exhibition + Annual Tour 2004-2006
Society of Animal Artists Miniature show, The Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO  2007

Below is a small sample of some of Linda's wildlife paintings. To view more of her work
please visit: http://www.besseart.com