GREAT SEA

What is the push and pull of big water? Why does it capture the souls of so many?

As someone that was born and raised on Lake Superior, Luke Kavajecz has known it as something of a dance partner. Sometimes Luke leads in a dance of sun, glassy surfaces, shallow depths, and bronzebacks. Other times the Lake rages and moshes while Luke succumbs to simply keeping up and maintaining a sense of balance. There is a seasonal give and take; a time of reflection and tranquility, and a time of severity and instinctual survival. Through fly fishing and surfing, luke has learned to embrace both.

Lake Superior has seen many souls. The Anishinaabe call it, “Gitchi Gami”, meaning “great sea”. It has proven to be a reality unto itself. It pulled at the heart and mind of notable Lake Superior surf pioneer Tom Blake, as well as Luke’s big water fly fishing mentor Rodger LaPentor. They connected with the lake and left their mark, like the seiche that moves water back and forth under the surface.

If one is driven enough to find devices and ways to understand and interact with Lake Superior, they may consider themselves lucky. These souls have found a way to keep the conversation and the dance alive, as a small entity into vast expanse, present at every turn of the seasons. Luke is one of these lucky souls.