Rivers

Wild rivers & wild fish

Northern Lights Lodge offers guided fly fishing on four wilderness rivers in the Cariboo Mountains of BC. Our fish are wild, native rainbow trout that have likely never been caught before — fly fishing in its purest form. From mid-June to mid-October our guides work four magnificent river systems in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia.

Quesnel Rainbows are Aggressive Dry Fly Eaters!

Unique to the Quesnel drainage is the sought-after Horsefly strain — pound for pound the hardest fighting rainbow there is. Sporting a distinctive yellow coloration, these fish don’t spawn until age seven and feed with reckless aggression. Stripping a big foam fly across a deep run and watching one of these fish smash it is hard to forget. During summer our rivers produce some of the finest rainbow trout dry fly fishing anywhere. The rules of 7x tippets and size 20 midges don’t apply here. Caddis, stoneflies, hoppers, mouse patterns, and big attractor flies on 3x tippet — these fish eat big and reward anglers of all skill levels.

Bull Trout like nowhere else!

Our rivers are home to exceptional bull trout fishing. We target them with various methods depending on the time of year and water levels. Bull trout are migratory in these salmon-bearing rivers and our guides know exactly where and when to find them. Putting one of these fish in the net is something every fly fisher should experience.

Fall River Fishing

Autumn is our most productive season. We spend most days fishing egg patterns and streamers for rainbow trout and bull trout feeding behind spawning sockeye and Chinook salmon. The Quesnel Lake watershed hosts one of the largest sockeye runs in the world. Salmon begin their journey at the mouth of the Fraser River in Vancouver and swim approximately 500 miles north to the Quesnel watershed. As they move through Quesnel Lake toward spawning tributaries, they draw large rainbow trout and bull trout with them. The Horsefly and Mitchell rivers are the two dominant sockeye-bearing rivers in the system — our guides know them better than anyone.

The Details

We access our fisheries a variety of ways due to the ruggedness of the Cariboo. Drift boats, whitewater rafts with fly fishing frames, jet boats, and occasional hike-in wades all get us where we need to go. Most guests bring 5–7 weight rods. A 5 weight is ideal for summer dry fly fishing. In the fall, a heavier rod is an advantage if you’re throwing big streamers for bull trout. Trout spey and euro-nymphing are also effective methods for those inclined — skating dries or streamers on a single-hand spey rod can be particularly productive.

“This is an experience that is hard to find. You will likely not see another angler on our waters. That’s because Northern Lights Lodge is the only fly fishing lodge in the area. As a result, we hold over 70% of the licensed rod days in this 2,000,000+ acre watershed.” – Skeed Borkowski

Northern Lights Lodge has a 100% catch & release policy using single barbless hooks.