Called by some “the best dry fly fishing in North America,” Fernie, B.C., area offered some fantastic flyfishing on the Elk River and some of the surrounding waters. An International Angler trip to the Brooks Creek Ranch provided excellent fishing for West slope cutthroat trout and the occasional bull trout.
Our trip was early season in British Columbia. The waters were still high and cold from the snow melt. These conditions did not favor dry-fly fishing, though some stoneflies and large drakes were hatching. The trout were located close to shore and on shallow flats for the most part and were not eager to rise through the water column for a surface presentation. Anglers who were persistent in throwing dries were rewarded with some fine surface action. Subsurface presentations were more eagerly accepted and produced consistent action from fine fish throughout the day.
Brooks Creek Ranch is a luxury lodge overlooking the Elk River. The facility was equal to the finest hotels I have ever stayed. Most days, our fishing involved only a short trip to the section of the river we would be fishing. We also fished the St. Mary’s River about 1 hour away with similar success.
Nymph fishing was excellent each day as the cutthroat took a variety of nymphs, including pheasant tails, perdigons, and San Juan worms. Typical catches were between 10 and 20 cutthroat per day for each angler. As a bonus the bull trout (notorious fish eaters) also took the worm patterns. Most of the bull trout were over 20″ in size, with Rick landing 5 in the 22″-26″ class.
Lodge operations and fishing programs were run by Sweetwater Travel who provided their usual first-class program. Guides Curtis, Saxon, Mark and Aaron provided excellent boat handling and insights on where the fish were holding and what they would take.
The cost of the trip was $6800 (U.S.) for 6 nights and 5 days of guided fishing. License and tips were extra. Flight destinations could be Missoula, Calgary or Calispel, MT.
Peak dry fly season would be mid-July through August. September is a fine month for terrestrials.
British Columbia does an outstanding job in managing the fishery. Outfitters are required to purchase rod fees for each day of fishing access on the rivers. All fishing is done with single barbless hook flies. The fishery is regarded as a valuable resource that must be preserved for the future.
Tight loops and tight lines,
Al
