BRITISH COLUMBIA
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CUTTHROAT, BULL TROUT – ELK RIVER DRAINAGE, FERNIE:
Just to the west of the Continental Divide of the Canadian

Rockies flows the Elk River with its many small tributary

streams.  It is a fabulous native West Slope Cutthroat

fishery that the BC government has done an admirable

job of protecting from too much fishing pressure.  Also

falling under protection is one of the few remaining very

strong native bull trout (a member of the Char family)

populations.  While the cutthroat provide the dry fly

numbers action, the opportunity to get a double digit bull

trout is very real.



In addition to the spectacular scenery and the fishing,

the area of Fernie has an ambiance befitting a jet setter

wintertime ski destination, which it is.  When the skiers 

leave, that ambiance remains giving Fernie a wide variety

of accommodation options.This is a great spot to enjoy the

Canadian Rockies with a fly rod in hand, a family fly fishing

adventure, or to keep a non-fishing spouse content.



B.C. STEELHEAD:

LOWER DEAN RIVER – Simply put, the Dean has the finest

summer steelhead run anywhere.  And, the lower section of the river provides access to the hottest fish on the planet, fresh from the salt with lunker-size available.  We have had spots reserved for several years on the lower Dean for the prime time of late July and early August.  Usually, you need to come off the “wait list” to get one of these spots.



BABINE RIVER – The fall steelhead run on the Babine is world famous as one of the best places to get a 20+ pound fish.  We have space at the Babine Steelhead Lodge for a  prime early October week each year.

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LOWER SKEENA – Nicolas Dean Lodge on the lower Skeena not only accesses the runs on the main Skeena, but also many of the famous lower tributaries such as the Copper River.  Uniquely, they specialize in a short window in late March and early April that usually provides a good spring steelhead fishery in addition to their fall run fish.



RAINBOWS -- WEST COAST:

While the basic rainbow trout fishery of British Columbia will not make anyone forget about the giant rainbows of Alaska or New Zealand, they compensate for size in numbers of aggressive, feisty, native fish.  Rivers like the Blackwater and the Upper Dean, just to name a few, have fabulous native rainbow fisheries where taking over 100 fish on dry flies in a day is not unusual, providing your trip is timed  right.  Fly out wilderness lodges, like Moose Lake Lodge, offer access to many fast action rainbow fisheries as well as coastal salmon rivers.  If you want to get closer to nature, one of the more famous float trips in North America is the Blackwater River float.



Click on the following links for additional information and/or client comments about this destination:​

Fernie: