Fly Fishing at Kitimat Lodge

“HOT” best describes our trip to Steelhead Heaven. We caught a fair number of rod-jerking salmon and the weather was more like Mexico than Canada. We spent four days on the river in all with Tracey Hittel and had a blast. All of the staff had incredible and humorous personalities; surely among the best in Terrace if not BC. Tracey clearly knew the rivers well, and Harley and Mickey (the lodge hosts) have been well versed in delicious home cooked meals and spending quality story telling time with the guests. The accommodations were excellent and spacious composed of two bedrooms and a large combined kitchen, dining and living room (far superior to hotel room stays). The fishing/lodging/food were perfectly catered and allowed us to fish early and stay late (this might explain the wicked sunburn….). The only negative was having to go home! I’m looking forward to my next trip.

If you are looking for a real Canadian salmon fishing experience and a serious chance to land a steelhead and five species of salmon on the fly in one week, you need look no further than Steelhead Heaven at Kitimat Lodge in British Columbia. During a recent guided fishing trip with my father in July, we were treated exceedingly well in what we described as “Chinook Heaven” and boy was it ever heaven. Good river fishing is dependent on many factors; weather and the resultant water conditions probably being the most important. Having four rivers within an hour drive of the lodge afforded us the ultimate flexibility each morning of being able to decide which river we would fish. In my opinion, the guide will either make or break your trip. You will be very hard pressed to find a more dedicated and professional guide than Tracey. This was easily the best value for money fishing trip I have had the pleasure to take. 

Arrived at the lodge overlooking the Kalum last week of September; barely 3 months after major surgery and eager to try my luck. First drift with Ted, fished a blank all day, until we came to the last pool and “WHAM” everything went tight, in the neck of the pool, in the main current a leviathan had taken hold and for the next 20 min. It was touch and go who would be victorious. In the net it weighed 21.5lb, MAGNIFICENT and a great start to the week. Every day produced fish of outstanding quality, but what makes a trip like this work is the knowledge, expertise and dedication Tracey and Co. are willing to share with the guests at the lodge. They put you in the right spots with unnerving regularity and it’s up to you to make the most of this information and more often than not your into a screamer. As for the hospitality at the lodge, it makes for a fantastic trip to one of the most picturesque and unspoilt locations on the planet. Many thanks for making these trips memorable.

My brother (Roger) and I have done a lot of fly fishing for trout mostly in lakes within central BC and southern BC. This trip was Roger’s first experience fishing for salmon using a fly rod. Our Steelhead Heaven guide really advanced our skill level in learning how to take salmon on the fly rod. To break the ice, we concentrated our fly fishing on pinks and our guide put us into several excellent runs and lots of action. The chum immediately caught the fast water and within seconds Roger was into the backing as he played this fish. Barkley suggested to move downstream with the fish and work him into the quieter water. Roger worked the large chum for some distance down river on the gravel bar. I told him that when he gets to Kitimat he can get the truck and trailer for us. Well he didn’t get that far before landing a beautiful approx 18 to 20 lb chum which we held for a few pictures and then released back into the Kitimat River. Overall, we had a great trip and look forward to future fishing charter.

I am taking this opportunity to thank you for the excellent fishing experience this year on the Kitimat River. The action was steady, the fish were sparkling silver, and the river was mesmerizing and magical as always. I especially appreciated your kindness and hospitality both on the river and after hours at your home with your family. The black bear’s visit to your neighbour’s back yard while we were cleaning the day’s catch of salmon and crab added new meaning to this year’s adventure and experience. It’s a real pleasure to be around people like you that have a passion for what they do in life. It may seem to those on the outside that you live the perfect life fishing almost every day in a pristine wilderness environment. The truth is that you work very hard to supply, operate and maintain quality equipment and gear. I’m sure each of your fishermen feels comfortable, special and unique because of their time spent in your company. I certainly know that is true for me.