Whistler Flyfishing

New shop in Squamish

2011-12-31T13:20:00.000-08:00

Its about time! if you're in Squamish, come Check out our new fly shop location downtown Squamish at 1316 Main Street on the ground floor of the Artisan Building. Stocking hot local patterns and a good selection of tackle, drop by for a while and pick Brians brain for some local advice. 604-567-8777

Kanektok River King Salmon and Rainbow Heavyweight Combo for Malcolm Wood

2011-05-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

The Kanektok river is a special place that you should fish, especially if you want to catch monster King Salmon on swung flies and gagger Rainbows on mouse patterns in the same day. Malcolm Wood joined us for week #5 last year at Alaska West and on the last day of his trip caught the King and Rainbow pictured here. The King required a short boat chase to land and was caught in the morning. In the afternoon Malc went Rainbow fishing and coaxed up this beauty on one of guide Kevin Price's signature mouse patterns.

We still have some last minute space for week #5 at Alaska West, July 8th-15th 2011. Give us a call if this inspires you to join us on the Kanektok for this fun week.

A Steelheader is born

2011-04-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Super stoked on his first chrome, sea-lice covered Steelie! A regular visitor of the shop here in Whistler, Mekhail decided that it would be a good plan to try Steelhead fishing for the first time while visiting here in town. Fishing with head guide Pat Beahen, he got his first fish in a matter of hours and could not be more happy about it! well done buddy

A Steelheaders birthday

2011-04-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of shots at a birthday fish for our good friend Yos Gladstone a few weeks back. We had some real fun fishing for winter chrome.

Sweet shot of the sticks that we use. Craig Mumby photo

Putting an arc on the Metal detector and no, its not snagged..

A shot of all the boys, look forward to it again next year!

Sweet fly Tees from Patagonia

2011-03-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

Just got some sweet new T-shirts in from Patagonia with a classic Green-Butt Skunk design printed on the back. Original artwork by Jeff Kennedy and printed on Patagonia's standard organic cotton fabric with PVC- and phthalate-free inks. Check them out on our online store!

Epoxy minnow fly

2011-03-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

When you fish salmon bearing streams at this time of year, you will notice the amount of salmon fry present on shorelines and back eddies. Nothing quite satisfies hungry trout and Steelhead like a protein packed salmon fry, so much that most fish won't even look at anything else.
This fry pattern utilizes Ostrich for the back and Diamond braid for the body with stick on eyes, simple ingredients that make it quick and easy to tie. The epoxy coating insures durability, weight and gives the fly a brilliant sheen, adding an extra touch of realism.

Start off with an appropriate hook for the size of the fry you will imitate. This is a size 4 straight eye 1750 Daiichi. Whatever works for you, though try to avoid down turn eyes. Using White or Grey thread, wrap a strip on lead along the bottom of the shank.

Tie in the diamond braid out the back of the hook and some Olive Ostrich herl out the front.

Wrap the braid forward, overlapping just a little bit and tie off close to the eye of the hook. Tie in some red "string", here I used larva lace, but red wire, yard or thread will work. Wrap a few times for the gill and tie off. Whip finish.

Tie in at the tail of the fly, pull the Ostrich back and tie town. Whip finish. Take a lighter and burn off all the long fibers from the back of the fly (not the tail). Any longer fibers will make the epoxy stick out and look pretty bad.

Pinch the tail about .5" back and rip off the excess Ostrich dangling from the back of the pattern. Ripping rather then cutting gives it a more natural appearance. Add stick on eyes and your pretty much done the fly.

Add your epoxy, it is good to epoxy a bunch at a time rather then just 1 or 2. 5-10 minute epoxy works, though it tends to shatter a little easier then 24hr cure epoxy. A rotating dryer is a great tool for the longer cure stuff. Add the epoxy evenly and don't add more then you need. If you can, try to keep more on the belly of the fly to insure it rides right side up in the water. Done!

Making Prawn eyes

2011-03-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a simple method of making quality prawn/shrimp/bug eyes with a few basic materials. They look just as good as pre-made eyes but much cheaper and customizable. You will need: 40lb mono or 50lb Slickshooter, a lighter, Black permanent marker and Krazy glue.

First, light that sucker up. Keep too much heat from the ball of molten mono and work it until it is a desired size. It shrinks when it cool as well, so make it a tad bigger then you want it to look. Make sure not to get any liquid mono on your hands, it really hurts!

It should look like this when its done and cooled off. Don't heat it too much afterworks or it will burn and become brittle. Stick it in some cold water to cool it right away.

Color it up with some permanent marker. Black works the best.

Now Krazy glue or Zap-a-gap and your done! its easy to make a few dozen eyes like this at once so you have a decent supply. They look sharp, last a long time and can be made using a variety of materials. Next step, I'll actually find a use for them, time to make some Prawn flies!

A Steelhead family

2011-03-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

A well made video of the life of a real Steelhead family, the Clays. Check it out if you haven't already!

Video by Andrew Hardingham

Rigging Mono running line with Shooting head Spey lines

2011-03-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

Got all your gear for a new setup but not too sure how to rig it all up? This is a very easy and dependable way to set up a Slickshooter (or Mono) running line with a Compact Spey head (Skagit, AFS, Scandi, etc.)
Starting off with backing, there are a few knots you can use to tie it off. I use 2, the first being the end loop knot which is strong and easy to tie but a bit Bulky.

The End loop knot

The second is the Bimini twist which takes a bit of practice but is the strongest of the bunch. Make sure that the loop of backing is big enough to go around the reel or spool of running line.
Then I take my Slickshooter and tie in a perfection loop.

Perfection loop with the Slickshooter flat against itself right before tightening

IMPORTANT! when you tie your loop, make sure that the Slickshooter is lined up flat and there are no twists, otherwise when you tighten the knot the sharp side of the line will cut through itself. You will know very quickly if you did it wrong when you test the strength of the knot. If done right, you should have a perfect loop that shouldn't break for any good reason.

Loop to loop

Loop the Backing on the running line and reel the rest on. Tie a perfection loop on the other side of the Slickshooter and attach the Line. Easy!

When attaching Airflo Shooting heads, remember that black is the back

Bad weather Bulltrout

2011-03-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

Nice Bulltrout caught in a cold, gusty winter storm yesterday. The weather these fish bite can be quite surprising sometimes. This Bull took a Black Sculpin fly in some low and cold water.

The Alevin, sweet spring fly for hungry fish

2011-02-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Spring is when many Salmon fry start emerging from the gravel spawning beds they were born in. Warmer water temperatures generally start this "hatch" and it runs until summer runoff. When alevin start emerging from the gravel, the trout, Char and even Steelies really don't have a better source of food then a feeble swimming protein pack such as these young Salmon. Here is a pattern I came up with that with a little practice takes a couple minutes to tie. You will need: #10 or 8 egg hook, white thread, micro pearl Mylar tubing, orange yarn, Stick on eyes and Epoxy/Aquaseal = Krazy glue. The best way to fish it is like a Nymph or single egg. Floating line with some twist-ons and dead drifted with the occasional twich... be prepared to slay em!

Remove the yarn from inside the Mylar tube, it makes it to thick.

The hardest part of this pattern. Pinch the tubing and wrap a bit of thread close to the end of the tail and right up against your thumb were it is ridged. A few loose wraps followed by a couple tight ones and then hitch/ Whip finish and Krazy glue on the thread.

Put some thread on the hook, you don't need to work it any further down then the top 1/3rd of the hook.

Attach the other end of the tubing on the hook, try to keep it as thin and compact as you can. The body should be around 1.5x the hook length at max.

Fold a very thin strip of yarn in half and tie in under the head of the fly. Trim the excess.

Whip finish and throw some small stick on eyes on that sucker.

Add epoxy or Aqua seal on the head of the fly and let er dry. Looks killer in the water and the fish don't stand a chance!

looking forward to Steelhead season

2011-02-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

Skiing and Steelhead all in the same day, can it get any better?

With warm weather hopefully on its way soon, the Steelhead season here should start off strong and be in full swing mid March. Considering the amount of fish we have seen in January and February, this year is looking to be one of the better ones on record. If you're up In Whistler for a rip down the mountain, don't forget to bring your Steelhead gear! 7-9 weight short Spey rods like the 510 Metal detector or 8124 Loop Opti are ideal with around 12 feet of type 3-8 (type 6 being the Go-To) for a sink tip. Even t14 in and t11 are useful in cases were the river is deep and fast. If you like the single handers they do the job too, but they are not nearly as versatile as the double handers in our river systems. If you would like to learn to cast the big rod, this is the year to do it! For more info on casting, river conditions or the fishing, give the shop a call 604-932-7221

Haida Gwaii pics

2011-02-23T17:07:00.000-08:00

A few Photos of our trip to Haida Gwaii, I'll have a few more to follow soon. Seals and snowstorms just add to the experience fishing the tea stained waters of the Queen Charlotte's

Bryan and Shane doing a little early morning Watermaster drift

First fish for the Beaver

Tommy Tyee tying on a new fly

Scott Baker-Mcgarva with one of his numerous fish

Rental truck shenanigans, oh what fun

Big sitka Spruce trees, even more fun for hiking when they're horizontal

So thats how Steelhead look eh?

Pics courtesy of Yos Gladstone of Chromer Sportfishing and Scott Baker-Mcgarva

Sculpins for Steelhead

2011-02-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

Terry holding up a nice Squamish fish taken on a Sculpin Imitation

Everyone knows Winter Steelhead love bubblegum pink, egg sucking leeches and lots of other colorful flies. What most people don't seem to realize is that Steelhead love the Sculpins.
Pressured Steelhead or Steelhead holding in low clear and/or cold water are sometimes hard to get on generic colorful flies in many cases, however for some reason they don't seem to be able to resist a swung olive rabbit fly resembling a Sculpin or Lamprey.
Steelhead absolutely crush Sculpins and I know many fishermen (my self included) that use them specifically for Steelhead. Using a natural presentation ensures most trout and char in the area are willing to bite your fly as well which makes for a slightly fishier day. Flies like Silveys Sculpin, the egg Stealing Sculpin or Idlys Blossem are great Sculpin patterns that work for both Trout and Steel. Even the good old Muddler Minnow is a killer for low water fish. Next time you're out swinging for steelhead, try the olive in your fly box, you might be surprised by the results.

Frank with a Tank taken on an Olive Sculpin Imitation, just look in its mouth!

Steelhead Tube Fly of the Month

2011-02-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Rhea Tube fly has an entire flybox of its own in my collection. Intruder like in style, I tied this fly with with versatility and durability in mind. In blacks, blues, purples, oranges and pinks It's an awesome winter Steelhead fly. The tube is weighted as are the eyes so its very heavy, though a plastic tube would work fine to lighten it up as well. The under body is spun seal fur, though any stiffer synthetic dubbing will do. Wrap some rhea in front and finish off with a guinea fowl feather. After wrapping tinsel or guidebrod wrap for the body, repeat the steps for the front portion of the fly and add flash and eyes. Viola! done, it looks great in the water and takes minimal amount of time to make. Use a octopus style hook on a loop of mono when you rig it up. If you use crazy glue, the fly should last until you catch a tree with it. I will add step by step pictures when I have the opportunity.

Depth charges to say the least!

Calgary fly expo pictures

2011-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Talented and always classy Yos Gladstone took some quality photos of the trip to the Calgary fly expo this winter. Check em out!

New Whistler Flyfishing logo shirts

2011-02-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

Just got a shipment of new Whistler Fly Fishing logo shirts in. Check em out at the shop or give us a call for details.

Tying the string leech for winter fly fishing

2011-02-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

In our costal river systems, large presentations work great as most bigger river fish feast on the smaller fish and lamprey. Big flies are fun to fish, evoking an aggressive response in Char, trout and Steelhead/Salmon. The Sting leech is an easy to tie fly with a nice sillouette in the water. The rabbit looks realistic in the current and a trailer hook has good hookups. You can tie them in virtually any color, from pink to olive or whatever. You will need: Black Rabbit, black 3/0 thread, 30lb braided or backing line, Purple Schlappen, cone head of preferred color ( Orange or Chartreuse look good) and a Size 4 or 2 octopus with a large cheap upturned eye hook to cut.

First slide the cone on the hook you will cut, make sure the eye of the hook has enough room to double the braid or Dacron through.

Loop the smaller hook through the Backing and tie in on the big hook. Hang the hook back about 1.5"

Guide the Backing through the cone, through the eye, and then back all the way through again under the fly and tie down.

Wrap on some lead, tie down and Krazy glue. Tie in a section of rabbit a little bit longer then the trailer hook. Wrap the other end of the strip forwards with minimal overlap, when you hit the cone, wrap once extra and start tie off with the thread.

Cut the excess off an push the extra wrap you made under the cone while twisting it a bit tighter. Tie down the rabbit some more and add some flash.

Take the Schlappen feather and peel back the fuzz off the bottom of the feather. Tie from the tip were the stem is a bit stronger

Wrap the feather forward and tie off at the end. Trip the stem and whip finish.

Put the trailer hook in the vice. Tie on a base of thread, then take the sting length of rabbit and tie in. Pull back the furs in order to tie directly on the leather strip.

Cut off the bigger hook and file down the edges so the backing doesn't get cut. Krazy glue all thread you see.

Tying the Skagit Minnow, great fly for Winter Steelhead

2011-01-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Skagit Minnow is a simple, easy to tie and highly effective pattern for winter Steelhead all over BC. Not only does it require few materials, but it is easy to cast and because of the trailer hook, lots of movement and good hookups are the norm. I make these in a veriaty of colors and sizes but the same basic steps are used in all of these flies. You will need: Size 1 or 2 Octopus style Trailer hook, 30lb Dacron backing, Saddle hackle, 2 different Marabou colors, Chenille, Dumbbell eyes, Schlappen feathers, Krysal flash and a cheap hook to cut, or a 20mm Waddington Shank. Colors are up to you, I used florescent Orange Saddles, fire Orange and Pink Marabou, Pink Schlappen and Pink Chenille.

Start off with the Octopus Trailer, tie in 2 inward facing saddle hackles as the tail, kind of like a Deceiver fly.
Cut the tip off the Marabou feather, tie in and wrap forward until the eye of the fly. Add a few strands of Krystal flash and whip finish.

Fold the 30lb Deacron in half and thread it through the eye of the hook like a loop-to-loop connection. Make sure the 2 ends come of of the front of the eye.

Feed the Dacron through the eye of the other hook/shank and tie down on both top and bottom. Make sure the backing is tied in straight so the hook rides right side up and doesn't twist.

Make a ball of Chenille, tie off and add another Marabou feather of the same color. Tie it in against the Chenille ball and wrap forward.

Keep adding feathers until you are half way down the shank.

Add the 2nd Marabou color and some more Krystal flash. Wrap in a couple of Pink Schlappen feathers.

Tie a set of eyes on the bottom of the shank. Whip finish and glue. Krazy glue and Zap-A-Gap are what I use, keeps the fly together even after a few fish and rocks have ripped it up a bit. Piece of cake to tie, try it in olive or black for Bulltrout, Browns or whatever eats baitfish. A great fly for BC waters and an awesome fly for the Squamish river.

Squamish guided trips, winter Trout and Char

2011-01-18T13:13:00.001-08:00

Dean with a nice Bull

This winter has been a particularly good one for Rainbow Trout and Bulltrout, check out some of our recent pictures from guided trips on the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers.

Elaine with a beauty Squamish Bow

Harrison and Pat with another nice Rainbow

Stuart with a chrome Char

The release

Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition, Whistler flyfishing goes to Calgary Fly show

2011-01-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

Calgary expo, the Whistler Flyfishing team photo from last year

As with years previous, Whistler fly fishing will have a booth at the Calgary Fly show from January 28-30th. Our booth will be stuffed with our popular Whistler Flyfishing logowear and sweet deals on fly gear, along with Metal detector rods and clothing among other things. Our western Fly expo booth will have tying demonstrations done by local guide and Loop prostaff, Maxwell Robinson. Fishing encyclopedia Scott Baker and Haida Gwaii big deal Yos Gladstone will be hanging around the booth offering advice, instruction and security services. Of course Brian Niska will be there too, showing off some casting techniques, advice and instruction. If you are in the area, check us out!

Opti Creek, sweet reel for Lite gear

2011-01-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you ever fish small creeks or very light tippets, check out the Loop Opti Creek Reel. With a large diameter for good pickup on reeling in and keeping light lines from coiling up and retaining memory. The super smooth enclosed carbon disk drag works perfectly without ever needing maintenance, even if you hook a really good one you have the advantage. At 120 grams, you could put this reel on rods from 0-4wt and have a field day on the local pan-fry population or fish Spring fed creeks with big spooky Browns, Check it out.

BC winter Steelhead, Guided and hosted trips

2011-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Shop guide Pat Beahen with a huge local BC winter Steelhead

Its getting to be that time again, BC Winter Steelhead are making their way into their natal streams all over the province. Rivers like the Stamp, Gold and Vedder that have earlier runs of winter fish are all doing exceptionally well. Because of good ocean survival, that trend should continue for most BC Steelhead bearing streams that will be getting fish in the next few months.
Our local rivers like the Squamish and Cheakamus had better runs last year then many previous years in the past and should be very good this year as well. The Skeena system had a phenomenal run of steelhead this fall and there is no reason why it shouldn't continue for the winter and spring months.
Whistler flyfishing has hosted trips on alot of these winter Steelhead waters for the spring including the Kalum, Yakoun and the Nass river. Local Steelhead trips out of Whistler start in late February and run, weather permitting, until the end of May. For any info on these winter run rivers or information on guided and hosted trips, give the shop a call at 604-932-7221

Mike with a sweet local Steelie from May long weekend

March Fish around here are generally really Chrome

Patagonia Merino Wool Rabble Beanie

2011-01-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

We are about half way through winter now. Through it, one of the best selling articles of clothing in the shop here has been the Patagonia Merino wool Rabble beanie. As soon as we got them in I knew I had to have one and I can say with confidence its the best fishing/outdoor toque I've ever worn (I worn alot of different toques, seriously). After not removing it from my head for a matter of a few years now I have found it to repel water, especially away from face and neck. It never gets waterlogged, its super durable and most importantly (Maybe not to you) it doesn't ever smell. Marino Wool with a fleece inside make it really comfy and it works pretty well for Steelheading or any winter sport (skiing or boarding, it fits under helmets quite nicely too).

Lots of snow, good for Skiing, good for the Fish

2011-01-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

The view outside the Whistler Fly Shop, lots of snow everywhere

With all the new snow that we have here falling in our area, it's looking a little different then recent years with lower snowpacks. Thank La Nina. The snow is not only good for the skiing among many other things, but great for the glacial runoff rivers we have here as well, as long as it doesn't all melt at once.
The milder and wetter weather create favorable fishing conditions in our rivers during the mid winter. With cloudy overcast days the norm, the valley temperatures stay on the milder side and fishing is generally good. Sunny, dry artic outflows make for less then desirable days on the water, but a few fish will continue to bite until the rivers or your line guides freeze over. Globugs and fleshflies work really well right now, find the spawning salmon and you will find the Char and Trout.

When you start finding Bulltrout Popsicles, It might be a little cold to fish

Bird in the shop

2011-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

A Black Bird taking a good long look at our logo ware before flying into the window. Apparently we don't have the correct sizing for birds. That or it saw the fly tying wall

Sweet Steelhead and Chinook flies

2011-01-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

A good friend of ours Stuart Foxall Is an excellent tier, and when at home in the UK he ties like mad until its time for Steelhead and Spring season here. Big Chartreause and Blue work well for the Chinook, and smaller Purple, Blue Black and Pink are great for the ocean fresh Steelhead here. All the flies seen here were tied on tubes and regular style Steelhead hooks.

Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Island Steelhead

2011-01-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Dave tailing winter Chrome

Haida Gwaii Winter Steelhead

Often referred to as the Galapagos of the north, Haida Gwaii offers a truly unique Steelheading experience in a lush wilderness rainforest with incredible biodiversity.

We are very excited to partner with Frontier Farwest on their new Copper Bay operation on Haida Gwaii. This is winter Steelhead fishing in it's purest form.

The Haida Gwaii season runs from December through March and we have a variety of dates available including hosted weeks with both Mike Orlowski and Whistler flyfishing guide Pat Beahen.

Pat with A sweet Yak fish

The price for this trip is $4100 + tax and includes gourmet home cooked meals, 7 nights accomodation and pick up and transfer from the Sandspit airport. Flights are about an hour and a half from Vancouver airport

Copper Bay Lodge is located on Haida Gwaii in the northwest corner of British Columbia. This rustic lodge sits in the coastal rainforest overlooking the waters of Hecate straight and offers good access to great Steelhead rivers like the Pallant, Copper, Tlell, Mamin and Yakoun.

Yakoun Steelhead are world famous for both their size and strength with many fish in the high teens and even fresh fish up over twenty pounds. This river enjoys a high percentage of multi salt fish meaning these are some of the largest winter runs anywhere.

Aggressive Cutthroat Trout as well

Vancouver Steelhead Guided Trips

2011-01-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Whistler Flyfishing offers Vancouver Steelhead guided trips with some of the most experienced Steelhead fly fishing guides in British Columbia. A lot of the best fishing in the winter and spring is done in and around Squamish which is just north of Vancouver. We provide guided flyfishing trips for wild Steelhead and Char for our Vancouver clients, picking them up at their Vancouver hotels or meeting them in Squamish. Whistler Flyfishing guides are on the water every day, on the search for winter Steelhead and Trout. We supply all the gear, from waders to lunch. For more info call 1 888 822 3474 or 604-932-7221.

Great day to fish the Squamish

2010-12-29T17:39:00.001-08:00

Bulltrout love the single eggs

Although the Steelhead are not around yet and there is about 2 feet of snow on the road, there are still fish to be caught in the Squamish, and great scenery to go with it. If you find spawning Coho, egg patterns are a good bet for the trout in the area, otherwise Sculpins and ESL's work well enough. Thanks to a phenomenal Coho run, the trout and Eagle numbers are the highest I have seen in a long while at this time of the year.

Snow and fog in the upper valley

Lots of eagles just hanging out, eating the dead fish

A Surprising place to Speyfish for Chrome Salmon

2010-12-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

It would be understandable for you to expect that the big Salmon in this picture was caught floating a remote river somewhere on the coast of British Columbia or Alaska. In fact it looks lot like the Chinook Salmon we catch speyfishing BC rivers like the Dean, Kalum, Lillooet and Skeena. It also looks pretty similar to the King Salmon we catch every summer on the Kanektok river in Alaska. In fact, it wasn't even caught in North America. In Chile, guides and few guests have been experimenting with the emerging Chinook fishery in some of the rivers in Chile. Though most have been caught on gear, they have been taken on flies and are fished the same cast and swing style we do up here. These fish however have no real competition for spawning beds, no nets or commercial fishery's to worry about and few fish actively feed on their eggs or fry. Their numbers grow more year to year, relatively unimpeded and seem to have a large average size.

Chile west guide Trevor Covich hoists a hog

Whistler fly fishing has started booking destination trips to Chile west in 2012. Chile West is on the edge of an emerging king fishery while still boasting some of the finest Brown trout and Rainbow trout fishing as well. Email the shop at info@whistlerflyfishing.com or call the shop 604-932-7221 for any info on Chile West or Chinook fishing

Nice Chilean Brown Trout

Loop Evotec Double hander

2010-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Loop is always on the cutting edge of Speyrod designs. Their new Evotec Spey series is a sweet new addition to an already great lineup of double handers. The handle is formed with loop's newer rubberized cork rubber grip, which actually grips better then regular cork and lasts much longer. Loop's "form follows function" philosophy also incorporates a balanced reel seat that is adjustable at both ends to precisely balance the reel on the rod, pretty nice to have on the bigger sticks. The Staff and guides at WFF have been using the Evotec for a while now (see pic below) and love the power and action of this stick. From a 11'6' #7 to 15' #10 there is something for whatever it is you swing for, and a nice progressive action appropriate for many different types of lines.

Steelhead Speyfishing

2010-12-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

Wow just sorting through some photos and just wanted to say I that I really can't wait for Steelhead season on the lower Squamish river. This is some of the best Steelhead Speyfishing fishing around, chrome bright wild Steelhead just minutes from the salt.

Whistler Flyfishing Facebook Group

2010-12-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to our Whistler Flyfishing Facebook group which is a great place to share photos

Vision Fly Tackle at Whistler Fly

2010-12-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

Vision's Fiberglass Stick

Vision fly tackle, a popular Scandinavian Rod/Reel/Line manufacturer is now available at Whistler flyfishing. Vision makes ideal Steelhead and Salmon double handers which include the perfect all rounder NITE, or powerful GTfour Catapult. The Cult fiber series single hand rods are modern fiberglass rods that run from 3-6wt and are fun rods to catch trout with. They have nice reels too. The GT is a pretty slick large arbor reel, with the smaller sizes utilizing a click-pawl drag and larger sizes using a smooth disc break. Koma reels are also large arbor in both regular and interchangeable cassette versions. They are die cast Aluminum to keep cost down but still very durable. Check em out on our online store

GT Reel

Gift certificates at Whistler Flyfishing

2010-12-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

MS paint can make any photo look festive in about 4 seconds

Whistler Flyfishing has gift certificates now available for guided trips, flyfishing lessons and shop items. If you can't think of anything specific for the Fly fisher on the gift list, a gift certificate is a great way to go

Whistler fishing report December 1st

2010-12-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

WHISTLER FISHING REPORT - December 1st, 2010

FISHING REPORT
December 1st, 2010

BIRKENHEAD RIVER-the Birkenhead river is fishing good with some nice Rainbows and Bulls being Taken on single Eggs and flesh patterns.

CHEAKAMUS RIVER (lower)- Coho, Bulls and Bows, use your favorite patterns egg pattern as well as flesh flies and sculpin imitations.

ASHLU RIVER -good fishing for nice Bull Trout and Rainbow trout with egg patterns and sculpin imitations.

MAMQUAM RIVER-decent Rainbow Trout fishing on the upper waters.Still some late run Coho Salmon fishing in the lower Mamquam below the canyon.

SQUAMISH RIVER-river is in nice shape with some late run Chum and Coho to fish for on the lower river as well as Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout(Char).

www.whistlerflyfishing.com

Pieroway Metal Detector rods pass the test

2010-11-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Our New Pieroway Metal Detector rods have been put through some extensive testing over the last few months including rivers like the Dean, Kenektok, Skeena, Humber and many others, becoming a favorite stick to alot of fishy people. They are easy to use for beginners but experienced casters can throw some lazer loops with the skagit style lines they were designed for, compact Skandi lines cast equally well too.

Max loading up the 12' butter stick

Instead of designated line weights, they are sized in grain weights so you know the right line to use to get the best out of the rod. The 6ish weight, 400Grain 10'5" mini Skagit is equally good at throwing compact skandi lines both Spey and overhand. A perfect size rod for any trout like creature that resides in rivers. The 510Grain 7-8 weight was designed as a Steely stick and is perfect for most moderate sized Steelhead and salmon bearing rivers. At 12' its ideal for even some of the smaller streams, but loads up super well to chuck t14 and 5" bugs as far as you want, if needed.

Rob and a nice fish on the 510 Metal Detector

The 720 is the Chinook rod of the bunch. At 13'5" It throws the biggest Skagit lines and the heaviest bugs to dredge up some of the largest fish you can find in a river.

Brian and a big Dean Spring on the Metal Detector

If you would like to give one of these sticks a wiggle or to cast one, give us a call or drop by the shop

Really Big Chinook Salmon on the Fly

2010-11-27T03:03:00.000-08:00

Filed in the category of really big Chinook Salmon on the fly or King Salmon you will never forget. Nice work Mr. Matt you fishmeister you.

Whistler Flyfishing Steelhead Article

2010-11-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

Check out Whistler Flyfishing's article in the "Whistler Traveller" magazine. Pick one up at any of the local stores for free and check out our article on winter Steelhead fishing in our area.

Winter, a great time for Bulls and Bows

2010-11-23T10:43:00.001-08:00

As the remaining Chum and Coho Salmon start to die off and the temperature plummets in the Sea to Sky corridor, the trout keep on eating. Generally whatever is left of the Salmon is food for the Trout, like flesh and eggs. The winter is a great time to fish for big Trout/Char but they are not always hanging out were you expect them to be, especially when the temperatures are extreme. For up to date info on were to fish and what to use, drop by the Whistler Fly Shop or give us a shout

Whistler Flyfishing die-cut vinyl stickers

2010-11-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

Whistler fly shop just received a shipment of die-cut Vinyl stickers in a variety of colors and sizes. If you are looking for a chance to grab one of these popular logo decals this is it, as they don't tend to last very long here in the shop...

Tying the Squamish Poacher shank style

2010-11-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Squamish poacher is a local favorite for fishing the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers. However most people don't seem to know the trick in tying it. In this case I put my own spin on it and it looks a bit different then the original but hey, but its the same technique, and its not like the fish really care. Having the fly on a shank with a trailer hook however is a big advantage to a regular hook, as you tend to loose less fish after hookups and the little gammies used on these flies can be easily swapped out for nice sharp ones once they dull. You will need:

SHANK - Partridge waddington 25-55mm
LOOP - 35# slickshooter or Rio knot-able wire
THREAD - White or Orange G.S.P or stronger type thread
HOOK - octopus #2
TAIL - Red/Orange Polar bear and a few strands of pearl flash
BODY - Orange Chenille
HACKLE - Orange Schlappen
SHELLBACK: Edge Bright/Lazer wrap
EYES: Melted 50 pound monofilament
WEIGHT: lead wire wrapped along the shank, this is very important if you don't want your fly to swim upside down!

Krazy glue optional

Start off wrapping the shank in thread. Feed the slick shooter through the eye of the shank (hook attached) and tie it down on both top and bottom. I like to Krazy glue it after too.

Wrap Some lead wire along the lower portion of the shank. Then wrap the chenille in for the head but don't cut it. Add the Polar bear (or something similar) and some flash. Then tie in the set of eyes. I like to use some more Krazy glue at this point too

Tie in your Schlappen (or similar) by the butt end and wrap the rest of the chenille to the eye of the shank. Then wrap the Hackle up to the eye and tie off.

Cut off a strip of Lazer wrap about the some width as the body of the fly and tie it in starting at the shank eye. The original pattern has the shell back attached at the tail as well but I think this way gives the fly a little more movement. Tie the shellback off in about 3 or 4 sections and make sure to give each segment a few wraps. Tie off the fly right about where your hackle starts. Cut the lazer wrap into a point above the mono eyes, and a V cut out on the other side so the there is room for the line. Krazy glue any thread you see.

Done!

Sweet Steelhead Fies

2010-11-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

Although we tend to tie our own flies when we go out Steelhead fishing, there are a few commercially available patterns out now that I like to have on me as go-to flies. They look awesome, are tied durable and catch lots of fish! These are just a few of my favorites;

From the right side going counter clockwise; the Blue Charm is an great low water fly as is the Hobit spey tube. The Hoh-bo spey in blue or purple is a very effective pattern on the Bulkley and local waters, as is the heavier Pick yer Pocket. Both Silveys Squid and Silveys Prawn look great and work great on Steelhead and big Chinook too! Check out some more great patterns from Idylwilde (read their blog here!) on our online store, as these are just a few of many sweet patterns we carry

Looks Like Some New Water on the Dean

2010-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

October 2010 was one of wettest months on record for all of British Columbia. The Dean river was especially hard hit with some major flooding. Here is a photo of the river mouth taken by Wayne Sissons of Bella Coola Air. Looks like some new water to explore as the river has split just above the mouth and this new river left channel looks like it has some great potential. I guess I will have to wait until next June to explore it when I am teaching a Chinook Salmon spey instructional weeks at BC West. If you are interested in joining us for Salmon or Steelhead trips on the Dean please give Whistler Flyfishing a call at 1-888-822-3474.

Speycasting Lessons in Whistler and Vancouver

2010-11-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

Whistler Flyfishing offers speycasting lessons in a variety of formats. Our classes are taught by FFF certified THCI instructors and predominately focus on modern northwest and skagit spey techniques.We offer hourly private lessons, full day private speyfishing schools as well as group lessons and destination spey schools in a variety of locales.

In 2010 we offered speycasting lessons on the Bow river in Alberta, the Humber river in Newfoundland, the Kanektok river in Alaska as well as the Dean River, Skeena river, Bulkley river, Kalum river and Squamish river here in BC.

We teach private speycasting lessons in Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler throughout the year, including the winter months.Please contact the fly shop at 1-888-822-3474 for more info or to reserve your time.

Lots of Chum Salmon in the Squamish river

2010-11-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a nice Chum my client caught in the Squamish river last week. Lots of these super strong Salmon around right now making for a great fishery for the salmon angler. Speyfishing is the perfect method to target these fish which range between 7 pounds and 35 pounds. Whistler Flyfishing offers full day and half day guided trips on the Squamish river throughout Salmon season which typically runs through till mid December. Please call the fly shop at 1-888-822-3474 for more info or to book your trip.

Loop Tackle Story

2010-08-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a great video of Loop Tackle owner Christer Sjoberg talking about the company and its' origins.Loop was the originator of the large arbor reel design and continues to lead the pack when it comes to fly tackle innovation.

BC Interior Rivers Bait Ban Petition

2010-08-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

There is now a petition posted online for individuals that would like to see the province manage the Thompson and other interior Steelhead stocks in consistency with the same conservation based tackle restrictions that have proven to protect wild Steelhead in other BC regions. This is in keeping with the mandate to harmonize and simplify fishing regulations throughout the province while increasing the quality of the Thompson fishery and the longevity of these important fish.

">sign here

To: BC Minister of Environment

To the Honourable Barry Penner, British Columbia Minister of Environment.

We, the undersigned, hereby request that a “bait ban” sport fishing regulation be implemented for Interior Fraser River steelhead prior to the next sport fishing opening. (Interior Fraser steelhead rivers include the Thompson, Chilcotin, Seton, Bridge, Nahatlach and all other rivers in the Interior of BC where steelhead are known to inhabit.)

The principles of a bait ban as outlined in the BC government document “Bait Ban as a Management Tool” (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/2001/bait_ban.pdf) demonstrate that such a regulation would be desirable among the angling public.

These steelhead
- are highly accessible;
- are vulnerable to capture; and
- every spawner counts.

Further,
- there is a need to protect juvenile fish;
- the steelhead population is small; and
- there is a need to spread the catchable supply of steelhead over more anglers.

According to the current BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations the definition of bait is: ‘“Bait” is any foodstuff or natural substance used to attract fish, other than wood, cotton, wool, hair, fur or feathers. It does not include fin fish, other than roe. It includes roe, worms and other edible substances, as well as scents and flavourings containing natural substances or nutrients.”

Dean River Chinook Salmon

2010-07-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

Here is some video from a hot fish I caught on the Dean river in June. We chased it all the way from the island at Tony's to tidewater

Metal Detector two handed Skagit rod

2010-07-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

A sneak peak at Peiroway;'s Metal Detector series rods designed specifically with Skagit casting in mind. The rod is available in 470, 510 and 720 grain line weight sizes to fill in the niche. The big 720 is perfect big water or Chinook rod, the 510 is an excellent light Steelhead rod and the 470 is perfectly suited for anything Trout/Char. They will be available later in the season

Fly Fishing catching on with women

2010-05-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

An article for the Chronicle Herald
By DENE MOORE The Canadian Press

When April Vokey was a girl, her dad would sometimes take her out on a lake with a worm on a hook but he was far from an avid fisherman.

At 16, on a whim really, she decided to give salmon fishing a try. She packed up her little trout spinning rod and headed for the Chilliwack River.

It wasn’t exactly a scene from A River Runs Through It, since she broke her rod, lost the fish and went home empty-handed, but she was hooked — even if the fish wasn’t.

"It’s so romantic. If you can break away from the crowd . . . if you get away from the people and you’re alone on the river, it’s so cleansing," says Vokey, now 27 and the owner-operator of Fly Gal Ventures, a fishing school that takes her across Canada and around the world teaching fly fishing to women.

Vokey compares her hours on the river to yoga.

"You cannot believe the comparison of how much Zen and how much peace there is in fishing," she says. "You know how you get home from a hike and you just feel cleansed and refreshed and you feel at ease with yourself and at peace, because you listened and you appreciated nature all day long? It’s like that with fishing, except you actually have the excitement of getting a huge fish."

Vokey is not alone. A growing number of women are taking up fishing and a growing number of guides, suppliers and resorts are trying to reel them in.

There are pink fishing reels, pretty boots and a plenty of fishing classes for the lasses. What has traditionally been the beer-friendly domain of men is getting in touch with its feminine side.

At Whistler Flyfishing, owner Brian Niska says women now make up about 10 to 15 per cent of his clientele. He has had three female guides working at his shop and one of their classes this August, on the Skeena River in northern B.C., will combine learning to SPEY fish with yoga.

They’ve had female-specific camps for about five years.

"They’re growing in popularity," Niska says. "And I think we’re probably on the leading edge of that, just being based in Whistler where there’s a lot of outdoorsy girls and just being a younger shop."

And it’s not just British Columbia. New Brunswick was one of the first provinces to see outfitters cater specifically to women and students who learned to fish at Pond’s Resort in Ludlow, N.B., quickly dubbed the school "Broads with Rods." Ontario also has several resorts and guides who offer lessons specifically for women.

Vokey is finalizing details on a fly fishing school in Ontario in June, and she’ll be teaching classes on the Bow River in Alberta in August. In August she’ll host a three-day school at the Nicholas Dean Lodge in northern B.C., her favourite place to cast.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation is doing all it can to encourage more women to get out on the westernmost province’s lakes and ocean, and into its vast wilderness.

The conservationist group offers fly fishing, basic angling and float tube fishing as part of its popular Becoming an Outdoors-Woman retreats, to be held this year in Winfield, B.C., and Mission, B.C.

The three-day courses also include instruction in shooting, archery, canoeing, orienteering and wild game cooking, among other things.

Vokey is a "catch-and-release" fisherwoman, meaning she releases a fish back into the water alive, after she’s reeled it in. For her, it’s not about the catch but spending a peaceful day on the river.

"A man will walk right by a waterfall when fishing. He’ll look at it, but he’s fishing. A woman will reel in her line and go and check out the waterfall because it’s about appreciating it. The guys are all about ‘we’ve got to get the fish,’ whereas the women are a lot more easy going," she says.

For the two years she’s been offering courses, Vokey has taught about 200 women how to fly fish. Recently, she was in Salt Lake City, Utah, teaching and last year she was in Iceland doing the same.

She’s amazed at the number of women taking up the sport. It keeps her going in what hasn’t always been an easy career choice.

"I get a lot of grief because I’m a woman. I get picked on a lot. People think it’s smooth sailing because of being a young woman but it is not easy," she says. "There’s a lot of men who don’t like me here and there’s a lot of men who do like me here."

While Vokey admits she has a pink fly and reel, which she bought because they raised money for breast cancer, she urges women who want to take up the sport not to show up in pink hip waders — and, yes, apparently there are pink hip waders out there.

"(Marketers) think the answer to everything is if you make it pink they will come," she says with a sigh. "No. Pink waders are awful. They’ll scare away the fish."

Spring Chinook on the fly in Whistler

2010-05-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Chinook fishing is a bit like Steelhead fishing except everything is bigger, the water, the gear and the fish are all jumbo sized. We are lucky here in Whistler to have some awesome fishing for chrome Spring Salmon right on our doorstep. The Springs we have are some of the earliest returning Chinooks on the coast.They enter fresh water in the early spring and will not start spawning until late summer, making them a very unique Salmon.
At this time of year they are Chrome and take to the fly very well. Gear of choice is anything around a 9/10 weight with a 600+ grain skagit is an appropriate rig to be able to toss some of the very heavy tungsten tips and giant flies used for these fish. Me, Brian and a couple good friends Pete and Mike took a trip and risked dirty water conditions to see if there were any around. Water clarity was decent and there was a huge salmon fly hatch going on which was pretty interesting.

Thousands of hummingbird sized bugs like this.

I got lucky and got into a nice high teen Spring. Sometimes they're there, sometimes they're not, and if they are around, big intruders work well.

Like this

A good day on the lower river

Alta lake Cutthroat

2010-05-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

As soon as the ice comes off Alta lake sometime in late march (new regs say the lake is open for fishing on April 1st), there is good fishing to be had for a few months for some of the largest Cutthroat trout you will find in the corridor. Originally Alta lake was stocked a few years ago with sterile Cutthroat trout to control the local stickleback population. With the release of new Cutthroat trout in the lake every year or two and a single barbless/catch and release restriction on the lake, the fish have grown to an impressive size. Fishing for these Cutties can be quite good with some of the larger specimens surpassing the 24" size bracket.

Very nice Alta Cuttie

Rainbow trout also exist in the lake with the occasional one reaching larger proportions, but there are alot of them around. The weed beds at the north end of the lake were the River Of Golden Dreams outflows and Scotia creek inflow across from lakeside park are the best spots to fish, but any of the docks on the lake make great casting platforms and good spots to catch these fish as well. Streamers are the norm, but these fish have what you would call a "see food" diet... they see food, and then they eat it, everything from midges/Chronnies to deceivers seem to work for these fish, but micro leeches, buggers and Muddlers are your best bet with full intermediate lines.

Rainbow trout looking deceiver patterns apparently work too

Womens' learn to Flyfish in a day course

2010-04-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Whistler fishing guide Terry Macdonnell is doing a one day 'Learn to Fly fish' course for Women only. This Womens's Learn to Flyfish in a day course is a fun and Comprehensive introduction into the dynamic world of Flyfishing, all in our own Whistler back yard! At completion, you will have the skills and know-how to go out chucking flies and fooling fish on your own.

The course includes;

-Approx. 1.5hrs at the flyshop covering such thin gs as knots, gear, lines, flies and accessories. Fish and bug identification (entomology) are covered as well.

-Approx. 1.5hrs of casting instruction were you learn 3 basic casts, accuracy, presentation, distance, etc.

-Approx. 2hrs of fishing on a local lake or river where you learn how to read water, learn proper fishing techniques, etiquette and proper fish handling

There are Lessons on May17th and the 25th. The cost is $99 + tax. All gear is provided Except for your fishing license. If you would like to find out more, give the shop a call at (604)-932-7221 or call Terry-Anne at (604)967-1475.

Squamish area Steelhead

2010-04-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of recent Squamish area Steelhead from the last few weeks by staff and friends. Hopefully the fishing here will continue into may as it did last year, but its nice here for now

Ryan and a nice Cheak Chromer

Nice Squamish fish on a sunny day

This fish took some sort of a jungle bug intruder fly

As did this one as well

Chrome Squamish buck, they don't come much nicer

Haida Gwaii Steelhead

2010-03-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I took a trip with some friends to the Haida Gwaii to go fish for some Bc winter Steelies. The water conditions were extremely low with seals in the river (25km+ up from the salt water) but there were still a few fish to be caught. Check it out!

Birthday Steelie

2010-03-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

A quality team photo from the other day at a birthday barbeque on the river. The fish was a sweet bonus. Happy Birthday Yos, and nice fish Scott

Olympic Pictures week #2

2010-03-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the second week of the Olympics and yes, a loop yellow 9132 doubles as a fantastic flagpole

Creative castings wildlife pins

2010-02-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

Some of our most popular Olympic souvenirs are the hand painted fish and wildlife pins created for us by the fine folks at Creative Castings. The pins are an accurate representation of the plentiful fish and wildlife you can find in the Whistler area. The pins are manufactured and painted in the United States and come in a nice presentation case. They make a neat decorative piece for your clothing or to be displayed in their wooden case. From Steelhead to Elk, we have pins representing most of the critters you can find in the Whistler area.

Olympic Whistler photos

2010-02-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the first week of the games here in Whistler

Whistler Flyfishing story in the Drake

2010-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Check out the Drake for a story about Whistler Flyfishing. The Drake is by far the most legit fishing magazine out there. The printed version of the Drake is published 3 times per year and is by far the most legit fly fishing magazine going. We just got in extra copies of the new issue,get yours today.

2010 Olympic Bronze medalist goes flyfishing in Whistler

2010-02-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

After getting Bronze in the Whistler 2010 2 man Luge, Patric-Fritz Leitner had another dream to finish the games in whistler, with a day of flyfishing in BC Canada before he went home to Germany. Armed with a camera Crew and whistler fly fishing head guide, Pat Beahen, Pat had a great sunny day out on the water and even got into some Bulltrout! The trip was briefly featured on a German TV news station. Here are some pics of the day, taken in the upper Squamish valley.

Whistler winter fishing during the 2010 Olympics

2010-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

The most common misconception people have about fishing the Whistler area is that fishing is non existent in the winter... its quite the contrary actually!
Generally winters here tend to be mild, which makes for some nicer fishing conditions usually starting in February. The weather we have been having for the last few weeks is quite exceptional, with warmer average temperatures and light amounts of rain in the Valley, the Rivers around whistler have been fishing quite well for the last few weeks and should fish great Into the upcoming 2010 Olympic games.
Sea-Run Bulltrout, Rainbow, Cutthroat and the odd Steelhead are around right now with plenty of char being taken in the 24"+ size bracket.

One of those Big Bulls, fat N' silver and full of Coho eggs

With The temperatures this warm, the Salmon Alevin/Fry migration should be happening soon, and when this does happen (with a little rain to help as well), you can expect fishing to get really good in almost any local river that had Salmon spawning in it.
Bring your 7wt switch or small Spey if you can, or a single hander can work too. Olive Zonkers and Muddlers work quite well during that time, as do flesh patterns, Alevin, Glo-bugs and good ol ESL's. No Need to switch up flies for Steelhead either as they are consistently taken on swung Egg suckers and olive Zonkers fishing for Trout!

Pat and Stuart with a beauty Rainbow

Good News for Wild Salmon and Steelhead

2010-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a cut and paste from an email that I received from wild fish advocate
Alexandra Morton. It features some good news in her fight to rid BC's coast of the fish farms that are endangering wild fish with their sea lice infestation:

Today BC Supreme Court ruled in our favor once again. Justice Hinkson granted the federal government a suspension order until December 18, 2010 so that Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) can further prepare to assume control of regulating salmon farms. However, Justice Hinkson forbade any expansion of aquaculture during that period. Specifically, the province cannot issue any new fish farm licences and cannot expand the size of any tenure. He recognized the First Nation interest in this matter by granting the Musgamagw-Tsawataineuk Tribal Council intervenor status, which is essential as this case is based in their territory.

On the matter pursued by Marine Harvest at the Court of Appeal and sent back to Justice Hinkson to reconsider (that is whether the fish in the farms are privately owned by the companies and whether the Farm Practices Protection Act (FPPA) is still in force), Hinkson confirmed that the FPPA, will no longer apply to finfish aquaculture and thus no longer protect farms from nuisance claims.

On the question, does Marine Harvest own the fish in their pens? Justice Hinkson found that this was not the place for this decision. Marine Harvest will have to bring this before the courts themselves. For now, we know that the aquaculture fish are now part of the fisheries of Canada.

Today’s decision is met by the unrelated announcement by US box store chain “Target” that they have eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen, and smoked seafood offerings in its stores across the United States, because of farm salmon environmental impact on native salmon.

There is an enormous amount of work ahead to translate any of this into better survival of our wild salmon, but the courts seem consistently interested in bringing reason, the constitution and the law to bear on the Norwegian fish farm industry in British Columbia.

While I am truly sorry that jobs will be lost in ocean fish farming, bear in mind the industry is in deep trouble with mother nature herself in the fish farming strongholds of Chile and Norway. Trying to hold this nomadic fish in pens is never going to work, because it causes epidemics, unnatural sea lice infestations and drug resistance. Salmon farming is not sustainable and ultimately we are better served by our wild fish.

Alexandra Morton

Scandi Casting with Francois Blanchet January 10th 2010

2010-01-09T07:54:00.001-08:00

Whistler Flyfishing is proud to present another day of free speycasting instruction. On Sunday January 10th join Whistler Flyfishing guide and Loop tackle pro staffer Francois Blanchet for a FREE day of underhand casting instruction. Francois i9s well known for his mastery of the scandinavian aka underhand technique. Meet at 10am at the Mamquam bar in Squamish. For more info or to pre register please contact the fly shop at 604-932-7221.

Currie Artworks

2010-01-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

Dave Currie is a long term Whistler resident, and all around fantastic individual, who loves to fish, paint and cook(perhaps even in that order). When not busy at work as the head chef at Whistler's popular Dubh Linn Gate Pub,Dave can most likely be found speyfishing for Steelhead on one of the local Whistler rivers or painting in his studio. Here are some examples of Dave's work. We have prints of most of these available at the fly shop as well as our online store. Dave's latest work features the inukshuk from the top of Whistler mountain with Black Tusk in the background. We are honoured to have the original of this piece on display at Whistler Flyfishing. Check out more of Dave's work on his website.

Winter Fly Fishing In Whistler British Columbia

2010-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Winter fly fishing is in full swing now in Whistler with good fishing for Bull Trout(Char), Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout in the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers.This is one of my favourite times of year to be on the river as I enjoy the quiet of winter as well as the charm of fishing in the snow. Char fishing is especially productive during the winter months and these fish can reach considerable size in both the Squamish and Cheakamus rivers.

Last Minute Gift Ideas from Whistler Flyfishing

2009-12-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

just a reminder for anyone looking for a last minute holiday gifts

Whistler flyfishing offers mail order gift certificates for shop sales.

Can't find the perfect gift for that special angler or angler to be? Give the gift of knowledge this holiday season, Whistler Flyfishing has gift certificates for the following courses taught by FFF certified pros

-Learn to Flyfish in a day class

-Private casting lessons(spey or single hand)

-Steelhead speyfishing course

-Womens only flyfishing camps

-on the water winter trout fishing schools

-fly tying instruction

Please call Whistler Flyfishing at 1-888-822-3474 or 604-932-7221 for more information.

FISHTILDEATH clothing

2009-11-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

Tattoo Dave Allen has a new clothing company featuring Dave's own T shirt designs. Check out his new website which includes fishing T designs and some great photography from Dave's fly fishing adventures.

Skeena Speyfishing School

2009-11-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Scott Young with a nice Steelhead. Scotty used to guide with us here in Whistler but relocated to Terrace about 3 years ago to guide with Z-Boat lodge.Wanna catch some nice shiney fish next spring and improve your speycasting at the same time? Please consider joining me at Terrace's Z-Boat Lodge April 18-24 2010 . We will be fishing for wild Steelhead on the Kalum, Kitimat and Skeena rivers as well as targetting some of the earliest returing Chinook Salmon on the coast.These are ocean fresh fish, chrome bright and strong as can be. The setting is stunning, wild rivers, lush coastal rainforests and snow covered mountains as far as the eye can see. This trip is open to spey anglers of all abilities, from never before beginners right on up to expert casters. I will work hard to ensure that your speycasting reaches new levels. In the evenings we will enjoy delicious home-cooked meals and the warm hospitality that ZBoat has become famous for. If you would like to be included next spring please contact Whistler Flyfishing at 1-888-822-3474 as soon as possible as space is limited and at only $3600 CDN this trip is sure to fill up.

Whistler Blackcomb peak to peak

2009-11-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it, not really much to do with fishing here (at all), but still a really cool video to watch. On The Shoulders of Giants.
Enjoy!

Squamish River Chum Salmon Fly Fishing

2009-11-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

This has been a fantastic year for Chum Salmon flyfishing on the lower Squamish river. Weather and water conditions have been all over the map with many sunny days along with lots of big storms.Every rise in the river brings in a steady migration of ocean bright Chum Salmon ready to eat well presented flies.Expect excellent Chum Salmon fly fishing to continue through right till the end of November. Here are a few pics from the past few weeks.

Fraser river Sockeye Judical Inquiry

2009-10-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

If you like salmon, you should give this a read and a sign. This is a judical inquiry calling attention to the 9 million Fraser river sockeye salmon that disappered over the summer. We also have the petition in the shop if you would like to sign it here too.
In Alexandra Morten's words.

Hello All

Good News Finally! Peter Julian, Member of Parliament – New Westminster has just launched a petition for a Judicial Inquiry into the Fraser sockeye crash.

CONSIDER THIS: If there had been a Judicial Inquiry into the declining North Atlantic cod, we would have rebuilt that fish stock by now because we would have discovered that the critical research by Dr. Ransom Myers of DFO was being suppressed by DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans).

Here we are again. DFO is completely silent, they have not even acknowledged that the Fraser sockeye crash pattern is extremely specific and provided the media with misinformation.

A judicial inquiry will place people under oath so they can be heard over the politics.

Please go to Peter Julian’s website: http://peterjulian.ndp.ca/node/864

And download the petition document, and sign: http://peterjulian.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/Petition_A%20call%20for%20an%20independent%20judicial%20inquiry%20on%20salmon%20crisis_October%202009.ENG_.pdf

This has to be a paper copy, there can be 1 signature on a page, or a full page of signatures, the address is on the document and postage to the federal government is free.

You cannot say you care about wild salmon if you don’t make this effort. This will make a very big difference in the future of BC and the eastern pacific.

Alexandra Morton
Www.adopt-a-fry.org

April Vokey hosts Bonefishing trip to Andros South

2009-10-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

Andros South March 20th-27th 2010 $3850 US

Whistler Flyfishing is proud to offer an exciting women's instructional bonefishing week at Andros South with BC's own April Vokey.This is a great opportunity for beginner and intermediate fly gals to chase Bonefish with one of the most patient instructors out there. A week fishing Bonefsih with April in the Bahamas is sure to be an experience you won't forget.April is an FFF certified flycasting instructor and guide who has dedicated her life to increasing women's involvement in fly fishing. April will be your host on this fantastic bonefishing adventure to the perfect and endless bonefish flats of South Andros Island in the western Bahamas.Please call Whistler Flyfishing 1-888-822-3474 for more information.

Thompson River bait ban

2009-10-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

At 11 Steelhead caught so far the in albion test fishery, hopes are high that the Thompson opens this year. This is one of the few rivers left in BC that still allows the use of bait for wild Steelhead. Frankly, I believe bait is completely out of place on a wild catch and release classified Steelhead fishery. Bait has been banned in most other BC rivers where wild Steelhead exist to protect the remaining fish from the proven higher catch and release mortality rate that it is famous for (usually caused by deep hooking), and to reduce the overall number of fish caught, reducing the post-release mortality that's inherit with a catch and release fishery to begin with. The BC ministries own creel survey data proves that a bait ban will be a valuable tool to reduce angler impact on these special fish. Please consider joining this facebook group to send a strong message to BC's fisheries managers. I encourage you to invite your friends and post links to this group anywhere you see fit.

Squamish river salmon are here

2009-10-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

With all the Pinks pretty much dead, its now time we can turn our attention to the Chum, Coho and Trout until the Steelies start rolling in later in the winter. And from what we have seen, this is looking to be a promising year. With the cold weather finally making a presence in the sea-to-sky corrider, the rivers are low and clear, but there is no shortage of salmon, especially with the Coho. These fish seem to be running strong everywere this year, Squamish river system being no exception. With the water low and clear, Rolled muddlers, sparse egg suckers and sculpin flies seem to work as well as anything else.
Chum are pushing up the river as well, with fishable numbers in typical Chummy water along the lower reaches of the Squamish and lower river mouths (like the mamquam). There are plenty of trout in the mix as well, and simple to catch (egg patterns, Flesh or egg suckers), If you can find them. When in doubt as what to use, tye on a purple or Black egg sucking leech and see how far that takes you, you shouldn't have to change up. 10-15 ' of type 3-6 sink tips with a 7-9wt setup for the Salmon, and a 5-6wt rod with floating line for trout would be the gear to bring about now.
As for up to date water conditions, check out the Squamish river levels here, or give the shop a call at 604-932-7221

Loop Classic reels

2009-10-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

Tradition with an attitude" Loops Classic series of reels are a great choice for the 2 hander. These reels will put up with the abuse that a hardcore steelhead/salmon fisher can dish out, and have a drag big enough to handle the biggest ocean fresh Salmonoids. Using the same waterproof Power Matrix Drag incorperated in all other loop reels, it is silky smooth "with a pronounced 'click' that signals “fish on” through your ears"... Meaning it absolutly screams when that big fish smashes your fly and starts taking line. It comes in 5 sizes, from a trout 4/6 to a king sized 10/13.

Andros South Bonefish trip with Pat Beahen May 2010

2009-09-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Explore some of the best bonefish flats in the world with Whistler Flyfishing lead guide Pat Beahen. Pat will be hosting a bonefishing trip to Deneki Outdoors' world famous Bonefish destination Andros South from May 22-29 2010. Whistler Flyfishing guides Pat and Terry visited Andros at this time time two years ago and were blown away by the spectacular fishing and friendly island vibe. Andros is a popular destination for Bonefish beginners and experts alike as the island offers both size and numbers of Bonefish.The guides are top notch and have many years' experience guiding the island's endless flats for these fish. Andros is a Bonefish paradise, May is a nice time to get away, Pat's a pretty fun guy to fish with and at $3850 US per angler this is an exceptional fly fishing value.Please call Whistler Flyfishing at 1-888-822-3474 or 1-604-932-7221 to reserve your space on this exciting tropical angling adventure with one of the funnest fishing guides around. $500 deposit payable at the time of booking.

Skagitmaster

2009-09-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

While fishing at Alaska West this summer I had the pleasure of spending the day with Skagit originater Ed Ward and writer/photographer Jeff Mishler as they put the final touches on their long awaited Skagitmaster DVD.

Jeff and Ed have put together a fantastic instructional DVD that comprehensively covers the sensible and efficient Skagit technique, arguably the greatest innovation in the history of two handed casting.

Check out the Skagitmaster website

Alaska West Photos

2009-09-10T03:59:00.000-07:00

Alaska West Wilderness Lodge is truly a great place with fantastic guides and a prime location on the lower Kanektok river near the Yupik village of Quinhagak.The Kanektok is home to plentiful runs of all five species of Pacific Salmon as well as Leopard Rainbows, Dolly Varden and Grayling.

Each summer Alaska West offers a series of spey improvement weeks each featuring a different guest spey instructor. Most recently Dec Hogan, Charles St Pierre, Michael White, George Cook and myself have all lent a hand making sure guests are getting the most out of their Kanektok river experience.

The spey improvement weeks offer a unique opportunity to catch ocean bright Chinook(King) and Chum Salmon minutes from the Bering Sea. As well guests get to experience the ultimate in Trout fishing, casting switch rods with mouse patterns and swinging light two handers for Leopard Rainbows.

There are still some spaces left for Alaska West's Spey Improvement Weeks in 2010. Please contact Whistler Flyfishing at 1-888-822-3474 or info@whistlerflyfishing.com for more information.

Here are some photos from week 4 and week 5 2009

Tying an Intruder

2009-07-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've been asked a few times to reveal the steps I use to tie our intruder. The Intruder has become more of a style of fly than a specific pattern. The original was tied by legendary Washington Steelhead guide Ed Ward. This variation of an Intruder is tied on a wadington shank with a small octopus style hook rigged in a loop of slickshooter. This set up enables one to change the hook so as to be always be fishing with a sharp hook. Different sizes and colors can enable you to target trout, Steelhead and Salmon, especially Chinook. We have used this fly with great success in the kenektok river Alaska West for Springs, as well as our west coast Steelhead and Chinook. Smaller patterns in olive are great for Bulltrout as well.

SHANK - Partridge waddington 25-55mm
LOOP - 35# slickshooter
THREAD - black
HOOK - octopus #2
TAIL - Polar bear and Arctic Fox on a dubbing loop
BODY - Guidebrod flat braid
HACKLE - Ostrich or Rhea wrapped over spun white polar bear
COLLAR -Mallard, fake spey or Schlappen hackle
HEAD - finish off with a nice set of machined eyes of your preference

First I Slip a hook on a length of slick shooter. Tie the slickshooter, or whatever your using for trailer line, on the top of the shank. Feed it through the eye of the shank and tie it underneith the shank as well. Make sure there is enough room to remove the hook when you need to change it.

Make a dubbing loop out of thin silver wire and put a bit of polar Bear in it. Colors are up to you. I find the softer and shorter fibers work the best. Twist the loop, wrap the Polar Bear and repeat the steps with normal thread and arctic fox right after.
You can either strip your rhea/ostrich and wrap it similar to hackle, or cut the individual fibers off and tye them in. I prefer wrapping, as it wastes less room and material. Tye in your body material, here I used BlueGuidebrod metallic braid, but use whatever you like...

Repeat the first few steps with more polar bear, Arctic Fox and Rhea tied up front. Like I said, colors are optional, pick a favorite fish catching color and work off of it with different shades and similar colors mixed in. I finished off this fly with Chartruese Amherst tied individually, pearl Krystal flash and black fake spey hackle, but Shlappen and large Mallard feathers work great wrapped up front as well. Finish the head with a set of nice dumbell eyes and zap-a-gap.

Mark's first Kanektok River King(Chinook) Salmon

2009-07-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

First off here is a photo of Mark on his first day taken by Alaska West guide Blake McHenry. Mark hit 3 Chinooks with Blake which made for a great start to his trip.I know first hand that Mark was really looking forward to this trip as he was in the fly shop many days prepping his gear and adding to his vast fly collection.

Alaska West Speyfishing day 1

2009-07-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's just before dinner on day 1 at Alaska West. The weather has been beautiful, the lodge staff amazing and a great group of international guests is making for a fun week on the Kanektok river. I spent most of today helping folks with their speycasting and am happy to report that no ears or eyeballs were hooked.

Fishing has been good with lots of nice Chinooks(King) Salmon hooked as well as chrome bright Chum Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden Char and some tasty Sockeye Salmon. Here is a pic I took of Laurie's first ever Salmon on the two hander, a beauty Chum fresh in from the Bering Sea.

Lots of fresh Chum Salmon in the river right now and they are a tonne of fun on the fly rod. I spent a good part of today with the father and son team of Wright and Jim. These guys managed a limit of nice bright Chum Salmon and made great progress with their spey casting. I also spent some time with Mark and Jon in the Pipeline run and lost track of the number of fish they hooked in between casting practice. Mark hooked some nice King Salmon first thing in the morning down at tidsewater including monster dime bright King that tried to take all of his line. I will try and post a pic of Mark's big King Salmon a bit later in the week but in the meantime here is a picture of Jon and guide Blake with another chrome Kanektok river Chum Salmon.

Here are a couple of King Salmon picures taken by Mike of fish he and Hayden caught with their guide Ben shortly after I fished with them in the morning. These gentlemen have made King Salmon season on the Kanektok an annual event and are pretty much the skagit masters of the UK.

That's it for now I'm off to the Independance day bonfire on the gravel bar in fron of the camp.

Brian

the rebirth of blog ...... Alaska West 2009

2009-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so I must admit I have neglected our poor little Whistler Flyfishing blog. I mean we weren't exactly the Moldy Chum or anything but there was a time when regular blog entries were the norm around here. Then I got lazy..........however this my friends is the rebirth of blog.n I am sitting in the Millenium hotel getting ready to meet our crew in the lobby enroute to the Anchorage airport in less than an hour. God willing and through the miracle of modern aviation I should be knee deep in the Kanektok river by this afternoon. I will be supplying frequent updates of our trip via Alaska West's satelitte internet connection. In the meantime be sure to check out Deneki's facebook page for the skinny on what's up on the Kanektok.

Brian

Whistler lakes are fishing great

2009-06-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

With the Steelhead run over and the local rivers running high with spring runoff, most people are now turning their attention to the local lakes such as Alta, Green, Lost, Ivey and Loggers, which are fishing better and better as the bugs start hatching and the weather warms up.
local lakes right in town are fishing exceptional as the large carpenter ants that fly around in the first few weeks of hot weather are devoured by the fish. Flying ant patterns in a size 8-10 work great but Leeches, dragons, damsels, caddis and mayfly patters are all working great as well.
A personal favorate setup for the local lakes that rarely fails me is a 5-6wt setup with either a floating line down to type 3 sink tip with a 15 foot leader and a size 10-14 black micro leech fished slow. The micro leech is a very versitile pattern and in different colors and sizes can imitate almost everything the local fish feed on such as leeches, dragons, damsels, chronomids, black ands, caddis, etc. This method of fishing is very simple and I rarly switch up flies unless there is a prolific hatch happening. Fish in the local lakes will seldomly pass up a well presented Micro leech.

Hustle and fish!

2009-04-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

"Hustle & Fish" is an epic fly fishing adventure chalked full wacky characters, near death experiences, sharks, bears, wolves, and most of all breathtaking fly fishing footage and plenty of fish porn. Shot on High Definition with 35mm lenses "Hustle & Fish" is Rollcast Productions highly anticipated follow up to the indie Fly Fishing hit "Fishizzle!"

Fulfilling Steve’s life-long dream of getting paid to fish should be simple. Make a fishing movie, fish, sell the movie, fish, make loads of money and fish... but will anyone want to buy a hilarious movie about fishing? Will Steve get to go on the epic fishing adventure of his dreams?

Filmed on location in Alaska, Canada and Washington.

Rivers are starting to look good...

2009-03-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

The weather is warming up, and everyone knows what that means... Fishing is going to get good. The rivers on the coast have been very low and clear. With 4 arctic outflows this year, its no wonder! The rain and warmer weather has been bringing water levels up, so Steelhead and Bulltrout fishing should start picking up in the next few weeks here. The Cheakamus and Squamish rivers are good choices, though the Lower Lillooet Should be producing Steelhead as well as the odd Spring right now as well.
Big flies are a good choice for the Steelies as well as Springs. Fish are few and far between and big flies cover water fast. The fish are quite aggressive and so most favorite patterns will work. Intruders, leeches and prawn/shrimp patterns are all good choices. As with Steelheading anywhere, this is not a numbers fishery and any fish caught should be considered a trophy. Always practice proper catch and release habits, keep the fish off the sand and rocks and fingers out of its gills. Never let the fish go in fast water. Along with treating the fish well, treat your fellow anglers with respect. Proper river etiquette improves everyones day out on the water!
If you would like to check out river levels for the Squamish and Cheakamus, check out this website. For any other info, check out our website, or give the shop a call.

Fish eye view of the Birkenhead

2009-03-14T16:50:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share a video I took a few months ago of a Birkenhead river Bulltrout (Char) fighting just under the surface. The fish was landed a few seconds after the video ends and was quickly released.

Spring on the Lillooet

2009-03-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

While the water is low and clear, and the Steelhead are few and far between in Squamish, there are few better places to catch fish then the upper Lillooet river. Between January and April, when the water can be very low, cold and clear, the Lillooet system can be a rewarding place to fish for the day. Cutthroat, Bulltrout and Rainbow trout can be caught regularly on Salmon fry, Alevin and most Sculpin/Streamer patterns, which are the most common food items available for these fish at this time of year. Although most fish average between 14-18 inches, some larger fish are caught on a regular basis. This river has easy access along most of its stretch from the town of Pemberton to the bridge crossing. A great river to fish for a few hours and still be able to catch a few fish, don't overlook the Lillooet the next time your going out on the water. For current river conditions and reports for the Lillooet, give us a call at the shop anytime at 604-932-7221.

Baby salmon make a great snack

2009-03-05T15:05:00.001-08:00

The days are getting longer and warmer and most people are getting excited about spring and the sun. I am however getting excited for the imminent salmon fry migration that should be occurring over the next few weeks. With Chinook, Chum, Sockeye and Coho fry due to make (or making) their appearance within the next few weeks, the Bull trout, Cutthroat and Rainbow fishing should be as good as it will get in a long time. One of the best early-season patterns in Squamish is the Alevin Fly. A very simple pattern that uses a bit of colored wool, pearl flash and a couple of stick on eyes to create an incredibly deadly pattern for early season trout. Alevin are very poor swimmers and easy prey for larger fish, the Trout will hang out near small creek mouths, along with the classic water were they gorge themselves on helpless fry caught in the current. These Alevin flies are best fished on a dead drift with a floating line and long leader in order to imitate the helpless, easy meal trout expect.

HOOK - TMC 200r #6-10

BODY - Pearl metallic braid

WING - Natural or Olive Mallard Flank

BEARD - Orange Wool or Mcflyfoam tied in a loop

EYES - 1.5mm stick on eyes

THREAD- Olive or Grey 8/0

HEAD- Aquaseal or epoxy, doubles as weight

BC Steelhead, Provincial Fish?

2009-02-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

January 15th, 2009

Steelhead Society of B.C.
232 W. Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
V5Y 1P6

Premier Gordon Campbell
Room 156, West Annex,
Parliament Buildings,
Victoria, B.C.
V8V1X4

Dear Premier Campbell
re: Designation of Steelhead as an Official Emblem of British Columbia (Provincial Fish)

Further to our earlier request of February 26, 2004, the Steelhead Society of B.C. again asks the government to give serious consideration to designating the wild steelhead (Oncorhynhus mykiss) as B.C.’s provincial fish for the following reasons:

- B.C. has a provincial flower (Pacific Dogwood, designated in 1956), a provincial gemstone(jade, designated in 1968), a provincial bird (Steller’s Jay, designated in 1987), a provincial tree(Western Red Cedar, designated in 1988), and most recently a provincial mammal (Spirit Bear).However, despite the cultural significance of fish to British Columbia, a provincial fish has not been designated as an official emblem of the province;

- Wild steelhead (and their land-locked equivalent, rainbow trout) are distributed throughout most of B.C. British Columbia is the only province in Canada with native, wild steelhead populations.These populations are the largest remaining in North America. The world records for the largest steelhead caught in fresh-water, and the largest steelhead caught by fly fishing, are both from British Columbia;

- B.C. is world famous for its unequalled wild steelhead sport fisheries, which are an economically and culturally priceless part of our heritage. The designation of wild steelhead as our provincial fish would add to these values.

We look forward to your response.

Yours truly,

Jason Tonelli
President
Steelhead Society of B.C.

Mike Orlowski's Steelhead Prawn

2009-02-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their favorite Steelhead shrimp/prawn patterns, this would be my favorite. Originally tied as a larger version of the General practioner for Squamish Steelhead, some major tweaking created this version that looks nothing like the GP but has the action and looks Steelhead love. It is tied on a Waddington shank with a small octopus style hook rigged in a loop of slickshooter as to change up hooks when they get dull. A small amount of dubbed Polar Bear hair at the back of the fly keeps the tail fibers flared out and in constant motion in the water, similar to an intruder style fly, and some lead tied onto the bottom of the shank keeps it right side up and gives it more then enough weight to get it to were you need it. The Eyes are made melting 30lb mono into a ball and add a touch of realism to the fly.
SHANK - Partridge double waddington shank, 25-55mm

HOOK - Gamakatsu Octopus hook, 6-1/0

TAIL - Orange Amherst, orange Rhea or Ostrich, 2 dryfly grade Grizzly hackles, Krystal flash

BODY - Orange Seal fur or substitute

HACKLE - Orange Mallard flank

RIB- Copper wire

WING - Fake Burnt orange Spey Hackle

BEARD - Orange Rhea or Ostrich

EYES - Burnt 30lb monofilament

THREAD- Shrimp pink 6/0

HOOK LOOP- 50lb+ Fire line or 35lb Slickshooter doubled over the shank

WEIGHT- Lead wire tied onto the bottom of the shank

Fishing The Mamquam

2009-02-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people drive over it every day and most don't bother a second glance at it, the Mamquam River is perhaps one of my favorite rivers in the Squamish area to fish. If you have ever fished it, Chances are it was during Salmon season for the plentiful Chum, Pink or Coho. Thats usually the extent of most fishing experiences on this urban river. But this river has exceptional Trout fishing as well. During the winter and spring, the Mamquam holds some of the largest sea-run Bulltrout encountered anywere in Squamish, more Cutthroat per Kilometre then the Squamish or Cheakamus, Rainbows, Springs, lots of Coho and even a late run of Steelhead. The Canyon water Holds lots of Rainbows and the reaches above the powerhouse hold Rainbow and bulltrout for almost 20km up the river. Winter tends to be a slower time to fish this river as it is very low and clear, but if you can find a couple nice runs, you can usually get into some larger sea run Bull, sea run Cutthroat and Rainbow trout. When the Cheakamus and Squamish Blow out during high water, the Mamquam usually gets back into shape the fastest. Large flies tend to work well for most species here, especially for the Char, but a simple egg sucking leech, rolled muddler or even a stonefly Nymph will work almost anytime of the year for the smaller trout. If the opportunity arises, don't be afriad to test your skills on the Mamquam.

Bulkley River Steelhead Speyfishing

2009-02-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my favourite fishing pictures. I took this photo of Jack Hemingway speyfishing on the Bulkley River a few months before he passed away. I guided Jack for a couple of years while working for Maxwell Steelhead Guides.I took this photo as Jack was fishing a run in up river from Trout creek called Paradise Lost. Jack was a joy to fish with and I can honestly say from what I could tell he lived life to the fullest.

Winter Fishing in Whistler Article in Mountain Life Magazine

2009-02-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

David Smith, a writer and photogropher based out of Whistler, recently spent a day on the water with Whistler Flyfishing lead guide and Loop tackle pro staffer Pat Beahen.Dave wrote a short story about that wintery day back in December which appeared in Mountain Life Magazine. Check out the story here.Dave got some amazing photos on the trip, Pats Loop opti jacket contrasting perfectly with the river and snowy background. Check out more of Dave Smith's work at www.davidmauricesmith.com

Loop Opti Switch Fly Rods Coming Soon

2009-02-12T16:02:00.001-08:00

The staff at Whistler Flyfishing has been helping in the development of a new series of switch rods from Loop. Switch rods are the perfect fishing tool for the angler that values versatility. They are equally at home beach fishing for Coho Salmon as they are swinging flies for winter Steelhead. Much lighter than most switch rods currently available,the new Loop's were designed as single hand rods that speycast well. They are light and fairly fast with a smooth progressive action that is distinctively Loop. There are two rods In the Opti Switch series, both featuring Loops' stylish and comfortable new grip and durable cross weave technology. We expect these Opti Switch rods to be available early this spring.Give the fly shop a call at 1-888-822-3474 for more info on this and any other Loop tackle products

Queen Charlotte Islands Steelhead

2009-02-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

This past month, I took a trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands to fish for Steelhead on the famous Yakoun River. The Yakoun is the largest river on the islands and has one of the largest Steehead runs there. The river flows into Masset inlet with the town of Port Clements located right at its mouth. Although there was a over a foot and a half of snow to drive through and the river conditions were low, the Steelhead were more then willing to hit the peach colored intruder flies that were used primarily throughout the trip. The rod of choice was a Loop 7120 Multi Combined with the Multi reel and a 510 Compact skagit using type 3-6 Sink tips. The rod had enough backbone to handle the larger fish and at 12 feet, was perfect length for this smaller river.

My bad, forgot to remove my gloves

2009-02-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Check out flybc.ca for the best in British Columbia fly fishing information, whether you be looking for information on BC Steelhead rivers, beach fishing for Salmon or stillwater fishing for Kamloops Rainbow Trout, flybc.ca is a great resource. Flybc has a great online fly fishing forum including discussion boards specific to speycasting, rod building, fly tying and fish politics. There is also a special 'ask the experts' stillwater section featuring advice from Brian Chan, Phil Rowley and Doug Porter.Spend some time on flybc you will find the online community to be one of the friendliest around.,

Fish Alaska West and Receive Casting Instruction from Dec Hogan and a Free Rod and Signed Copy of a 'Passion for Steelhead'

2009-02-06T02:26:00.000-08:00

We're announcing a special program for the week of June 12 - 19 at Alaska West. This week involves swinging flies for the hottest, brightest king salmon of the season, and includes spey instruction by the legendary Dec Hogan.
Guests who book a trip with us from June 12 - 19, 2009, will receive at no charge, courtesey of Deneki Outdoors, a single- or double-handed fly rod of their choice. In addition, Dec will autograph and give to each angler a copy of his book A Passion for Steelhead at no charge.

Here are the details.

- Single- and double-handed rods from major manufacturers all qualify. Custom and bamboo rods do not qualify.
- This offer applies only to the week of June 12-19, 2009.
- Rods must be selected by April 1, and will be either delivered to guests at Alaska West or shipped upon receipt of final payment for the trip.

Incredible king fishing, spey instruction from Dec Hogan, Dec's book and the rod of your choice - what could be better?

photos by Cameron Miller