Equipment
When fishing in Northern BC, you should expect the unexpected. It can change from sun to rain to snow in 30 minutes, therefore good clothing is essential for a comfortable experience. As we use jet boats to move around the river, it is possible to store a dry bag in the boat with all your spare fishing gear and as many pre-strung spey rods as you wish to bring. We advise you carry a full set of spare dry clothing in the boat.
There are many manufacturers who make excellent waders; Simms, Patagonia, Reddington and Guideline to name a few. Wicking pants and long sleeved shirt below waders works well, with a layer of fleece pants over the top. As the steelhead season progresses, neoprene waders are better suited to the conditions. In colder weather, gortex can still be worn but an extra layer of fleece is recommended.
Wading boots are one of the most important items. Over the years we have tried a lot of different types and felt soled boots are our pick for the Bulkley. We strongly advise against Vibram soles as they simply do not have the grip of felt.
All the normal essentials are recommended; sun hat, woolly hat, fingerless gloves, sunglasses, wading belt, wading staff and buff.
Fishing Rods
Spey has revolutionized steelhead fishing on almost all rivers. Spey casting is a very effective fishing tool and a huge advantage when fishing the Bulkley. A spey rod in 12-14 ft range, in 7-8-9 wt, is perfect for the Bulkley. A single hander is still fun for when we are fishing dries and we strongly recommend you have one in the boat. Nothing beats a 36'' Hen on a 8,6ft 8wt.
The Skagit Spey is the most effective tool for throwing big heavy flies a long distance. Rio and Airflow make multi-tip lines which are an excellent choice. Steelheading is very much a depth game and multi-tip lines give the angler the flexibility required to get down to the fish.
Flies
Flies are a personal choice item, it's all about confidence. Over the years we have refined our list down to a couple of flies we have ultimate confidence in. We stock flies, hand tied by Luke Saffarek one of our guides, for purchase at the lodge.
String Leaches:
Blue Bunny
Pink Bunny
Egg Sucking
Low Water:
Freight Train
Signal Light
Green Butt Skunk
General Practitioner
Dry Flies:
Bulkley Mouse
Disco Mouse
Bomber
Angling Licenses
Angling licenses are available at the lodge and also online. Preferably guests will arrive with angling licences for guided days with classified waters and steelhead tags. We understand the regs can be a little complex to figure out, so if you are unsure, we can organize them when you arrive.