Spincasting

  A special place, unique in so many ways... - We spent 4 nights and 5 days at Blackfish Lodge and loved every minute of it. There are dozens of quality lodges in British Columbia and we searched... read more hard to find the best one. Our efforts were rewarded. My review tries to high-lite what sets Blackfish apart.

There were 5 of us. Blackfish is small and intimate. Our group had the entire lodge to ourselves. It's amazing how that really sets the tone and interaction with one's hosts. Everything they did was dedicated to making our trip that much more special. We didn't want to spend a week with 45 of our "new fishing best friends".

The lodge is in the Inside Passage, just off of the Johnstone Straight. The waterways east of the straight are full of wonderful islands, sea passages, and incredible waterway nooks and crannies. The horizon was filled with snow-capped peaks. The beauty was incredible, but the most significant benefit for all of this was how protected the water was. Rough water and waves were never an issue. Remote, yet protected. I recall one lodge that advertised their halibut fishery, but when you dig a little you find out it's an hour boat ride on open ocean. The halibut one of us landed was caught within three miles of the lodge.

Blackfish Lodge is a small, floating lodge, in a delightful cove of Baker Island. The lodge is the only thing at Baker Island. Access is by float plane or boat. One would think this could present logistical challenges. Not at Blackfish; the float plane ride (a blast, and certainly part of the adventure) was all arranged and details shared by the Blackfish team. Very easy.

The food was certainly a highlight. The quality was top-shelf all the way. We had fresh (harvested day of) crab one day, the next fresh prawns. We had fresh salmon and even fresh halibut fish and chips. Did I say desserts? Yum! And truly, the best granola (house made) I have ever had.

The wildlife bonanza was on par with the scenery. We saw humpback whales, killer whales, a black bear, seals and sea lions, and eagles galore. And while not "wildlife", Isla the camp dog, was a sweetheart.

And of course the fishing. The guides were all first rate, helpful, and fun. We all learned much, even the more advanced of us. We caught King Salmon, Silver Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Halibut, Ling Cod, and Rockfish. Fishing was in both salt water and fresh water. With private access to the Wakeman River, Blackfish sets itself apart again. A beautiful float trip down the river with my fly rod was my personal highlight.

We looked at many, many lodges to host our big trip and anticipated that Blackfish would check all the boxes. They certainly far exceeded our expectations!

  A slice of paradise in British Columbia, Blackfish Lodge - My brother and I found a slice of paridse in a remote location, Blackfish Lodge. We arrived by float plane and were greeted by Hannah, Juan, Elody and Isla... read more (the black lab) and promptly served freshly made salmon chowder and fresh crab from the trap off the dock. After lunch we went fishing with Al and caught our day 1 limit of king and coho salmon. Later that evening we met Chris and Robin (the daughter of Hannah and Chris), and had an amazing dinner. Blackfish lodge is 5 stars in a stunning location, exceptional fishing and fine dining and incredible views. We went fly and spin fishing on the Wakeman river, learned about salmon restoration projects, saw humpback whales, white sided dolphins, sea lions, and golden and bald eagles. An amazing location with amazing people who even found time to seranade us with music. Chris, Hannah, Al, Robin, Elody, and Juan made our trip special and unforgettable. We will be back.

  Unforgettable experience, warm hospitality - This lodge is a truly special place. The natural beauty is unmatched, the wildlife spectacular, the fishing world-class but most of all, the hospitality of this family run lodge are... read more what we will remember.

On arrival (via stunning float plane ride), host Chris pulled out a crab pot full of fresh crab for lunch. Meanwhile a bald eagle swooped from the nearby tree to grab a snack our hosts had thrown to the water. Spectacular!

The food on the trip was way beyond expectations and was worthy of a fine restaurant. Fresh crab, salmon, prawns, prime rib, venison, homemade desserts, all prepared with care from scratch with ingredients from their greenhouse.

The accommodations were very comfortable. I travelled with my two teenage sons. They had their own room (with two beds) and their own bathroom. Leaving me with my own separate room and bathroom. Hot showers, fast internet, electricity day and night every amenity was present despite the off grid location.

And finally the fishing . This is one of the few lodges that can offer both a saltwater experience (trolling for salmon) and fresh water river fishing. We did both. While trolling for salmon we saw bears and humpback whales. The Wakeman river float trip was a highlight. We spin cast for salmon in the river, then fly fished for both salmon and trout. Our guide Chris was very patient and we came away better anglers with a huge haul of salmon, lingcod and rockfish, which they vacuum sealed and froze onsite. Their fishing equipment was outstanding: Sage fly fishing rods, waders, boots, flies, you name it. You don’t need to bring a thing.

Highly recommended to anyone seeking a true wilderness experience, warm hospitality and great fishing! We made some great memories at Blackfish!

  Scottie Jon and JC September 2024  - A return trip after fifteen years and the fishing, food and experience were still as fabulous as ever.
For Chris - “Fricken Blackfish Lodge! Fricken Fishing, Fricken Amazing, you’d... read more be Fricken Mad not to book now.!”
Thank you Hannah, Chris and family for our outstanding trip!

  Best Kept Secret Family Run Fishing Lodge in British Columbia  - Blackfish lodge is truly a family run fishing lodge with guides and staff that make you part of the family immediately. The food is unbelievable and prepared fresh daily... read more rating with five stars. I have made two trips to the lodge and looking forward to a third very soon. The guides know the waters and can put you on the fish.

  Best Fly In Fish Lodge!  - Wow, wow, and wowza!!!
Giant King Salmon, expert captained boats, phenomenal food, perfect accommodations, and the hosts were beyond great.
That’s not mentioning the great wildlife you witness... read more .eagles, whales, seals, and sea lions.
Seriously, Chris and Hannah know what they’re doing and have great views with nobody around.
Private rooms for the four of us with comfy beds and private bathrooms.
Breakfast, lunch, amd dinner were five star so good.
Captained boats that you could move around in and enjoy the fishing and wildlife.
Lodge was warm, clean, and very comfortable and had fantastic views.
Hannah is a phenomenal cook and each meal was prepared like you were in a Michelin restaurant.
We caught giant king salmon, halibut, and lincod I even leaned how to fly fish.
By far the best fly in fishing lodge we’ve experienced and it had exclusive amd remote fishing. It was like we had the entire area to ourselves and it was easy to get too!
Thanks Hannah and Chris for knocking it out of the park!!!

  A little piece of heaven and a truly unforgettable experience  - An unforgettable once in a life-time off-grid experience. I highly recommend Blackfish Lodge BC to anyone that is looking for a 5-star fishing experience with an incredibly experienced family led... read more operation. Amazing food, spectacular scenery, incredible knowledge of the area and staying in a beautiful handbuilt home with the people that have built it - it does not get any more special than that. Thank you Chris and Hannah for squeezing us in and sharing your little piece of heaven with us.

  Fabulous Off the Grid Getaway in Gorgeous Surroundings  - Oh my goodness--what a wonderful time we had at Blackfish Lodge! Chris and Hannah are the most gracious hosts. In addition, Chris is a wonderful guide and a... read more real renaissance man. We enjoyed the conversations while fishing as much as catching fish. The lodge is warm and inviting and rustic and comfy. Hannah is an amazing chef--the salmon chowder--WOW! Not to mention the fresh dungeness crabs, prawns and tasty and fresh sides and desserts! We were two couples coming to fish in this incredibly beautiful wilderness and loved our time here. It was relaxing, entertaining (feeding rockfish to bald eagles) and fruitful (salmon and halibut were in our return luggage.). I can't recommend them enough.

  Wonderful time at Blackfish Lodge!  - ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING! This is a must-do (and for us, a must-repeat) adventure. From the initial booking to departure from this wonderful floating lodge everything exceeded our expectations!... read more All we had to do was get to Vancouver from home (Florida and North Carolina) and Rick (who handles all the bookings and arrangements) took it from there. The Lodge is owned and operated by Chris and Hannah, with Chris as the head guide and operator, and Hannah as manager and the chef. Hannah is truly a CHEF! The food – all fresh and made from scratch – was Michelin-Star quality and no scrimping on the portions served family-style. The Dungeness Crab was the best I’ve had, with 30 minutes from hauling out the trap to the table! The guides were great and knew exactly where to put us on fish. We limited out on salmon, but not on halibut since we had to release the 110 POUND MONSTER as it was too big! The Lodge itself is beautiful, with the inside and outside common spaces well-appointed and perfect for evening gab-fests, with a sauna just outside And thanks again to Rick for his great advice on getting our catch processed and shipped.

  Bucket list trip!  - Our journey to Blackfish lodge started with a fabulous sea plane flight from Port Hardy, the views are spectacular with a network of little islands and piercing blue water, we... read more even spotted humpbacked whales!
As the plane glided down, Blackfish lodge came into view, a charming wooden lodge with whisps of wood smoke ascending from the chimney.
We were warmly greeted by firstly the lovely black Labrador Isla, followed by Chris, Hannah and the team.
Chris our host and guide has spent his life in this part of the world and there is nothing he doesn't know not only about catching fish but many stories of the history of the local people and their traditions.
Hannah looked after us at the lodge and is a superb cook! you'll be treated to delicious fresh food, we were eating fresh fish, prawns and crab that had literally been caught less than an hour previously, you won't get better food than that!
The lodge is warm and cosy with small but adequate rooms with comfortable beds.
Not wasting any time we were out on the water shortly after our arrival, we had briefed Chris beforehand what we wanted to achieve with our fishing and he was delighted to accommodate us.
It wasn't long before we were catching fish, my first proper Salmon! and what a beautiful specimen.
We spent the next five days catching numerous species from a little cutthroat trout to a huge halibut!
So to sum up this lodge, there's nothing corporate about this place. It has a good honest warm feel about it and you'll feel like a guest in Chris and Hannahs lovely home.
I would definitely recommend a trip here, I would return within a blink of the eye.

  After a long pandemic absence, I was able to return to Blackfish. I've missed my annual visit and wanted to share it with my youngest brother. It was a great... read more reunion with Chris, Hannah and the children. The other 2 guests were great and we got along very well. Fishing was outstanding. I booked for next year!

  This was my fishing trip to Canada with my son, and the experience was nothing short of amazing! Chris and Hannah, the owners of Blackfish Lodge, were some of... read more the most knowledgeable, kind, hospitable people we've ever met and made this experience very memorable for the two of us. My son and I caught salmon, halibut and rockfish, all the while seeing bald eagles, black bears, humpback whales, dolphins, sealions, mink, ect-unbelievable amounts of wildlife. The lodge itself was large and beautifully made, the food was excellent, and my son and I were a big fan of the sauna every night. Highly recommended all around and can't wait to visit again!

  Fun family fishing trip. We had so much fun, My 7 year old grandson caught his 1st fish. He was pretty happy catching it was right off the dock.... read more He has taken the title of Rock Cod king.
We really enjoyed the food cooked by Hanna & Chris our guide were perfect hosts.
The scenery was just fabulous. Beautiful British Columbia is exactly that.
Thank you for the wonderful experience.

  Amazing time and can't wait to go again!  - This was my fishing trip to Canada with my son, and the experience was nothing short of amazing! Chris and Hannah, the owners of Blackfish Lodge, were some of... read more the most knowledgeable, kind, hospitable people we've ever met and made this experience very memorable for the two of us. My son and I caught salmon, halibut and rockfish, all the while seeing bald eagles, black bears, humpback whales, dolphins, sealions, mink, ect-unbelievable amounts of wildlife. The lodge itself was large and beautifully made, the food was excellent, and my son and I were a big fan of the sauna every night. Highly recommended all around and can't wait to visit again!

  1st Fish 🙂  - Fun family fishing trip. We had so much fun, My 7 year old grandson caught his 1st fish. He was pretty happy catching it was right off the dock.... read more He has taken the title of Rock Cod king.
We really enjoyed the food cooked by Hanna & Chris our guide were perfect hosts.
The scenery was just fabulous. Beautiful British Columbia is exactly that.
Thank you for the wonderful experience.

  My dad and I stayed at blackfish lodge for a week and had an amazing experience!

Chris was really attentive to the list of things we wanted to accomplish... read more and curated an experience that fit both of our experience levels with fly fishing (I'm pretty much a novice and my dad is quite experienced). Chris has a gift for teaching and gave me great guidance to improve my casting technique. I was blown away with the amount of wildlife we saw while fishing and at the lodge.

Hannah's cooking was out of this world. The culinary experience is what put the trip over the edge for me! The fresh seafood, desserts, local wine selection, and picnic lunches were such a treat.

10/10 I would definitely go back in the future