Things You Will Need
More Than a Toothbrush, But No Need For a Tuxedo
Fishing in British Columbia –
a little about our weather
Morning mist in Cramer Pass – the view from our deck
Our climate is typical of a coastal marine environment. You can expect wet weather and cool temperatures almost any time of the year. Spring, summer, and early fall high temperatures average in the high 50’s to low 60’s (14-18 C). Low temperatures are in the mid 40’s to low 50’s (7-12 C). Even though the waters are generally calm and sheltered, you should bring warm clothes, hats, gloves, and rain gear. Those 5 AM rides when going fishing for British Columbia king salmon are cool, even on a warm summer day.
Of course, when the sun does come out, you should have plenty of sun protection. Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and a billed hat are good to have in almost any weather. Shorts are rarely worn, even in summer, but they’re nice to have if you’re just hanging out at the lodge. Warm and waterproof footgear is recommended.
What We Provide
Saltwater Fishing Gear: The lodge has salmon fishing and halibut gear for our guests. Our typical setup is a 9’ mooching rod with a single action (a.k.a. “knucklebuster”) reel. If you’re more comfortable with a level wind or your own gear, feel free to bring it.
Fly fishing rods and reels for our guests’ use
Fly-Fishing Gear: We have a selection of 5, 6, and 8-wt. rods and reels with both floating/sinktip and sinking lines. We provide flies and fly-tying materials. We have a selection of waders and boots for most sizes.
If you have a very large or small foot or body size, please let us know well in advance. Depending on how large or small the foot or wader size is, we may or may not be able to provide properly fitted waders/boots.
Conventional Fishing Gear: We have a selection of spinning rods and lures for our guests’ use. As with fly-fishing, we have waders and boots in various sizes.
Optional Items You Can Also Bring
A casting lesson
Fly-Fishing: If you’re bringing your own tackle, a 5-wt. or 6-wt. rod is good for trout, or an 8-wt. for coho. If possible, bring a spool loaded with floating line and one with a good sinking line. A medium to fast sink tip (III or higher) is highly recommended on the floating line. If you’re coming in July and want to try to hook a freshwater king salmon on the fly, a 10-wt., 12-wt., or even 14-wt. with a super fast sink tip line will be necessary.
Good British Columbia fly patterns include muddler minnow, woolly bugger, clouser minnow, and for coho, marauder, tyrant, general practitioner, and polly wog-all in bright colors-work well. Use a #2 or #4 size hook for salmon and #8 or #10 for trout.
Because of the 12kg/25 lb. luggage limit on the floatplane flights, most guests prefer to use our waders and boots. However, you’re welcome to bring your own.
Fly-rods at rest in the afternoon shade
Conventional Freshwater Fishing: If you’re bringing your own gear for trout and/or silver salmon, a good light-to-medium-weight spinning or casting setup is recommended (on the heavier side for salmon).
As far as lures, a good lure selection of sizes and colors is suggested. Bright pink, red, and chartreuse are popular with the fish. Spinners in #2-4 (Mepps/Roostertail type) sizes are good. Only lures with single, barbless hooks may be used. If your lures have a barbed hook, the barbs may be clipped or pinched down.
Miscellaneous: Please note that for travel to fishing lodges BC, full passports (not cards) are required for ALL guests traveling by air from Seattle to Blackfish Lodge. As mentioned, we provide flotation suits, so you don’t need to bring life vests or the like. Do bring your favorite reading materials, toiletries, and adequate changes of clothing. Because we’re in a remote location, your cellphone will NOT work. The lodge has wifi internet access for guest use, so feel free to bring your laptop or tablet.
Mealtimes are very informal. If you’re bringing any liquor to the lodge from the U.S., Canadian customs regulations allow 40 oz (1.14 liters) of hard liquor or 52 oz. (1.5 liters) of wine per person.
One final thing to note when you’re packing is that, if you’re arriving via floatplane, most operators have a baggage weight limit of approximately 25 lbs. (12 kg) per person. Kenmore Air will bring your fish back to Seattle at no charge, but the Canadian floatplane operators will charge by the pound for anything (fish or baggage) over their weight limit.
