View Full Version : BC Freshwater fishing vacation?
My wife and I take a 10-14 day flyfishing vacation into our lovely interior once a year. The past two has been to The Elk river and Wigwam in Fernie. And i am trying to come up with another idea. I was thinking the Horsefly river. Anybody have any ideas on somewhere to go? We prefer rivers. Anybody else do this and have a nice spot to go catch a few fish.
I might not have a boat, but i should have a pair of tubes. Any input would be great.
bforce750
06-23-2010, 04:26 PM
If you are going to be in the E.K. the St.Mary River or the Kootenay for some big bullies.Horsefly river is deadly!!!! My family has a cabin out there.good luck!!
If you are going to be in the E.K. the St.Mary River or the Kootenay for some big bullies.Horsefly river is deadly!!!! My family has a cabin out there.good luck!!
I would love to go back to the EK, Actually thoes rivers were where i was thinking of next. The wife doesnt know if she is into the drive. But that is still up for debate. How do you find the access on the Horsefly? I have hunted right there but i was hunting and not fishing. I did have the impression that it would be alright for a walk and wade.
204rug.ftw
06-26-2010, 01:47 AM
st. mary is good in the fall if thats when you were planning. other than that bull and elk river are also great for cutthroat and bulls
jessbennett
06-26-2010, 06:26 AM
I would love to go back to the EK, Actually thoes rivers were where i was thinking of next. The wife doesnt know if she is into the drive. But that is still up for debate. How do you find the access on the Horsefly? I have hunted right there but i was hunting and not fishing. I did have the impression that it would be alright for a walk and wade.
acess to the horsefly all over the place, via the ditch rd, and black creek and mckinley rds. lots of trails to the river, and for alot of it, these roads are rights beside the river. if you have a hard time finding these rds on a map, just ask locals at general store, they are always helpful in there. :-D
dryflyguy57
06-26-2010, 10:55 PM
Last year my son and I fished the Blackwater River out of Quesnel and then spent a couple of days fishing the Stellako River , downstream of the outflow from Francois Lake . My son and I rented a waterfront cabin at Nithi Lodge on Francois and caught fish off the wharf for the evening bite . All on the fly . Great trip !
acess to the horsefly all over the place, via the ditch rd, and black creek and mckinley rds. lots of trails to the river, and for alot of it, these roads are rights beside the river. if you have a hard time finding these rds on a map, just ask locals at general store, they are always helpful in there. :-D
Awesome stuff Thanks!
I am reasonably familiar with the area. As i have hunted around there before. But like i said i wasnt thinking fishing! It is good to hear access is good though, it makes it easier to plan if i know i will be able to get my feet wet! :mrgreen:
Last year my son and I fished the Blackwater River out of Quesnel and then spent a couple of days fishing the Stellako River , downstream of the outflow from Francois Lake . My son and I rented a waterfront cabin at Nithi Lodge on Francois and caught fish off the wharf for the evening bite . All on the fly . Great trip !
I would love to fish the Blackwater, Trouble is I hear the access there is very limited unless you Charter a drift. My finance for that is non existant!
Stellako? now that river i didnt think of. How is access to that?
jessbennett
06-28-2010, 09:48 AM
Awesome stuff Thanks!
I am reasonably familiar with the area. As i have hunted around there before. But like i said i wasnt thinking fishing! It is good to hear access is good though, it makes it easier to plan if i know i will be able to get my feet wet! :mrgreen:
class 2 water tho!!!! im sure you kno. im just mentioning it in case.......:mrgreen:
class 2 water tho!!!! im sure you kno. im just mentioning it in case.......:mrgreen:
Yup I do! Thanks though. That is part of the reason i want to go there. If it is that important it just might be good there!
jessbennett
06-28-2010, 12:13 PM
definately worth the trip........ fishing is amazing............ big fish.....
I watched a show on it and it looked like the fish were nice, Another good thing is the wife loves to take holidays in September. She just last year passed her core and she does have a .270. Trip might get multi purpose!
newhunterette
06-28-2010, 01:47 PM
We have very good family friends who live right along the Stellako, his inlaws own and run the Stellako Lodge. With Francois Lake being just around the bend. Awesome fishing on Francois and the river but there are strict fishing regs on the Stellako but it is easy to wade in and give a good fly fishing day. There are nice little cabins for rent at the Lodge and lots of information from the locals in Fraser lake and along the way who love to give pointers to the travellers.
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Binta%20Lake%20Outfitters%20-%20Fraser%20Lake/P1010024.jpg
Beautiful waters of the river
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Binta%20Lake%20Outfitters%20-%20Fraser%20Lake/P1010021.jpg
pristine clear waters of the Stellako
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Binta%20Lake%20Outfitters%20-%20Fraser%20Lake/P1010018.jpg
the view from our friends property of the Stellako River
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x185/ioarana/Binta%20Lake%20Outfitters%20-%20Fraser%20Lake/P1010100-1.jpg
Happiness is a big fish :) from the surrounding lakes
hotload
06-28-2010, 04:51 PM
The Stellako is Pristine,Blue Ribbon waters to fish. Americans leave their famous rivers to fly in and fish the Stellako. The fish are a beautiful strain of rainbow like I have never seen before. They have a very wide beautiful rainbow on them and they fight hard. The river is very wadable from the bridge at Francois all the way down to where the river bends right, and then there is deeper water to fish called The Cabin Pool. There is a path down both sides of the river to make it very accessible. Other parts of the river are accessible off of the road that brings you in from Fraser Lake. The Stellako is asthetically 7 miles of one of the most beautiful rivers you will ever fish. There is large caddis hatches, large may hatches, and big yellow Stone or Salmonfly hatches in July. If you don't tie fly's there is a good sporting goods store in Fraser Lake that can supply you with fly's and up to date info on the river. The lodge has space for RV's,guest cabins and a restaurant, that will need reservations to dine there.
Hotload,
That is starting to change my mind. I will be fishing this river some time soon i think. You description of this river makes me think of how i would describe the Elk river or WigWam or the Cowichan or Gold and a few more.
Definate thanks
Newhunterette,
Thank you for your help reguarding this river, your help via PM is awesome! i am thinking this is good!!! These types of places stick with us!
newhunterette
06-28-2010, 07:09 PM
Newhunterette,
Thank you for your help reguarding this river, your help via PM is awesome! i am thinking this is good!!! These types of places stick with us!
My pleasure :) - I sent you a couple more photos in pm and i will call harry and Nat either tonight or tomorrow before I head out of town to our cabin. I'll send ya a pm with the info.
Stellako,
Between Francois and Fraser lake?
newhunterette
06-29-2010, 12:16 PM
Stellako,
Between Francois and Fraser lake?
Yes the Stellako River is between Fraser lake and Francois lake
http://www.bcadventure.com/ianforbes/stellako/stellako.phtml
Yes the Stellako River is between Fraser lake and Francois lake
http://www.bcadventure.com/ianforbes/stellako/stellako.phtml
Thanks I didnt quite get to google last night!
hotload
06-29-2010, 03:09 PM
Hotload,
That is starting to change my mind. I will be fishing this river some time soon i think. You description of this river makes me think of how i would describe the Elk river or WigWam or the Cowichan or Gold and a few more.
Definate thanks
The beautiful rivers that you mentioned are near and dear to me as well, and they all have their very own qualities about them. The Stelllako is the 7 mile water connection between Francois and Fraser Lake. What makes this river very special is the way it has been handled by the government and flyfishers. For a very long time it has had strict rules governing it and it has flourished because of them. After many years of fishng this river I can say the government for the most part will put regulations of waters like this because of the flyfishing community that demanded it. The total credit of this river goes to the flyfishers that have put their heart and soul into the maintenance of the Stellako. I would sit in the lodge and listen to ardent Flyfishers mention how they would ditch the Madison,Big Horn,Henry's Fork,Yellowstone,and many other very prolific rivers to fish these waters. The difference being in how many fish per section of water,quality of fish,size of fish and the ever present visual of lack of population on the water. Every flyfisherman at some time in their life has to walk and wade and breath in the experience of this majestic cobblestone dream come true.
Hotload,
Do you write for a outdoor magazine? If not you should :)
I think where we are now is calculating gas. It is going to be a tight season for me. Holidays and hunting trip are close togeather. I guess it isnt too to far from Horsefly?
hotload
06-29-2010, 07:15 PM
It is very, very, close to Horsefly. When you have the want, eveything that is valuable to you is just over the next knoll.
Wood butcher
06-30-2010, 07:28 AM
Wow Hotload, thats got me wanting to load the truck and head there right now.
So much water so little time....
It is very, very, close to Horsefly. When you have the want, eveything that is valuable to you is just over the next knoll.
That is the problem!!!! over the knoll is a river then over the next is a lake then over that one is another river!!!!!
Damn BC! life would be cheaper if i liked the City!
harbinger
07-01-2010, 09:15 AM
Did you give any though to a trip to Smithers? There is great river fishing there as well!
I am trying to keep this year a bit closer to home. I've just finnished spending some money. We are a touch limited as to how far we can go. That is unless i give up my hunting trip this year.............NOT! so we stay closer!
Id like to go up there again though. Eddotennajon or however you spell it lake is awesome!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.