Landing a nice payday while doing something you absolutely love to do is not something people get to experience every day.
But Allysha Sateana Tologanak had herself a very good day during the recent annual Trout Fishing Derby in Rankin Inlet from May 9 to 12.
Tologanak claimed the $9,000 prize money for second place with her catch of a lake trout measuring 44 3/4 in. in length, trailing only winner BJ Tanuyak’s $10,000 catch of 45 1/16 in.
Rounding out the top 10 were Josephine Kigeak (44 1/20), Ross Tatty (4 1/8), Remi Pissuk (43 11/16), Cathy Towtongie (43), Bobby Misheralak (42 13/16), Sandra Simik (42 3/4), Oden Tatty (42 5/8) and Moses Misheralak (42 1/2).
Tologanak said she doesn’t have a secret fishing hole anywhere — she landed her fish at Meliadine Lake.
She said she didn’t even think her fish had a chance at all, let alone claiming second place.
“Looking at pictures on Facebook, I didn’t think my fish was big enough for me to qualify for the Top 10,” said Tologanak.
“I brought it up to get measured anyway and then they did the announcing of the winners later on in the evening and I found out I placed second.”
The second-place finish was the first time Tologanak had ever won big money while fishing.
However, once she starts talking about the sport, you can tell quite quickly that the prize money was just a bonus.
“I love fishing. I enjoy different things about it depending on the fish I’m catching.
“It’s the tug if it’s trout, the number we catch if it’s cod and, with char, I like the fight. I enjoy everything about it.”
Tologanak, 35, said she went fishing with her family a lot when she was growing up.
She said she was only eight years old when she starting getting the fishing bug for real.
“It was only about 10 years ago when I was finally able to take myself out and I didn’t need to ask anyone to take me anymore.
“I’ll keep fishing my whole life because I love it so much.
“So far, my kids like following along with me and, if they don’t like it, they just go home. But I’ll take them anytime they show an interest in going.
“To me, fishing is a 10-out-of-10 experience and I’ll always love going.”