| home > Frequently Asked Questions |
Q. Do you offer fly fishing year-round
A. Yes. We offer guided fly fishing trips in Whistler and Squamish area year round for different
species of salmonids. Depending on the time of year you
are here in the Vancouver - Whistler area you may have
the option to catch trout,
salmon, steelhead,
or char. |
Q. How much time do I need?
A. If you require pick-up in Vancouver you will need a
full day fishing trip (10
hours). If you are able to depart from Squamish or Whistler,
5-8 hours. For the
greatest wilderness experience, heli-fishing
and float plane fly-in fishing
are available both requiring approximately 8-10 hours. There are also multi day fly fishing trips available. |
Q. What should I bring?
A. We supply all fly fishing and related
tackle on all of our trips as well as waders, boots, and
float tubes if lake fishing. You will be required to outfit
yourself with the proper clothing for the fly fishing season you are
here and rain gear. If you require clothing on this list, please
let us know and we will provide, in most cases, what you
can not or did not bring. |
Q. Do you offer other fishing methods besides
Fly Fishing?
A. Yes. We offer spin fishing and drift fishing for those
who would prefer not to fly fish. We can also arrange
ocean salmon fishing trips in Howe Sound. |
Q. Where are you located?
A. Our head office is located in Squamish, British Columbia,
however, we are a mobile guide service that will pick
up in Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton. We
are in the Pacific Time Zone (-08:00 GMT). Click here
for a map of our location. |
Q. How far is Squamish from Vancouver?
A. About 40 mi. / 80 km. or a 1 hour drive. |
Q. How far is Squamish from Whistler?
A. About 33mi / 50 km or a 40 minute drive. |
Q. Are the fish wild/natural or stocked/planted
in your area?
A. All fish are wild in our targeted rivers and streams.
Some lakes have been stocked annually, bi-annually, or
historically with trout. Some of these lakes are located
right in the Whistler Village area. Alta Lake has Cutthroat
trout up to 24". If you would like to catch only
wild fish, please let us know in advance and we will only
go to waters with wild fish. |
Q. How big are the rainbow trout?
A. The average rainbow in local lakes is 8-14 inches (20-30 cm).
A great trout would be anything over 16" (40cm) . An exceptional
trout is anything that breaks 20" (50cm). Destination fly-in
lakes and rivers, the average trout is 14" (35cm) and many
reach 16-18", however, there are many, many, many fish.
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Q. How big are the Char (Dolly
Varden Char and bull trout)?
A. These are the largest fish in our rivers besides salmon.
Char average 18", however, most bull trout are well into the 20"
range and reach into the 30" range and weigh up to 15lbs.
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Q. What size of fly rod do you recommend for
trout in your area?
A. We like to use 9-9.5' 5wt fly rods; however, a 4 - 7 wt in a 9-9.5' length will
do fine for most fish. Read more gear hints here! |
Q. What fly lines do you recommend for river
fishing?
A. We recommend a WF floating fly line and a sink tip line. Type
III or IV sink tip is used at on most trips and for most
char fly fishing situations, however, we can use up to
a 400gr. or type IV or V sink tip if pursuing large salmon and steelhead. Read more fly fishing gear hints here! |
Q. What flies do you recommend?
A. We supply all flies to our guests, however, if you
would like to bring or tie some of your own, we suggest:
Please
note that all hooks must be barbless by law when fishing
rivers in British Columbia.
- For Trout : Chironomid patterns(Buzzers) in black,
brown, olives; Mayfly nymphs and dry flies; caddis
nymph and dry flies; damsel nymph and dragon nymphs.
Hook sizes #8-#16.
- For Salmon: Squamish Poachers, Kelsey's Hope, Popsicles,
General Practitioners, Clouser minnows, Egg sucking
leechs / wooly buggers, articulating leeches. Flies with purple, pink, and chartreuse are commonly used. Hook Sizes #2-#8
- For Char: Sculpin patterns, fry patterns (chum fry),
large leech patterns, egg patterns, and egg sucking wooly buggers. Hook Sizes #2-#8
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Q. Do you supply food on your trips?
A. We supply a great gourmet lunch on our trips
that are over the 12pm to 1pm timeframe. |
Q. How much notice do you need to take my group
fishing?
A. The more notice the better, however, at least 24 - 48 hours for up to 3 anglers. For groups
greater that 3 anglers, we prefer to have 2 weeks notice
as a minimum. |
Q. What are your booking policies?
A. Our policy is available here. |
Q. Do you take groups?
A. Yes. We can accommodate large groups for day trips,
fly-in trips, and overnight trips to our partner lodges and resorts. |
Q. Will I see bears and should I be concerned?
A. Depending on the season we have a chance on coming
into contact with bears. During the salmon season, bears
often roam the same rivers that we fly fish. Generally
we evaluate our original plan and change our destination if we
think that bears are active in the area. Your guide will
be outfitted with bear spray and will give you instructions
on what to do if you should encounter a bear on your trip
briefing. |
Q. I am a beginner. How long does it take to
learn to cast in order to catch a fish?
A. We will have you fly casting for fish on the same day of your trip. Keep in mind that fly fishing is more difficult than spin fishing and 1 fish landed on the fly is a great day. |
Q. How many fish can I expect to catch?
A. None if you aren't on the water! and that is all we can guarantee for numbers of fish! Read On! |
Q. Is catching fish guaranteed?
A. No. We can offer you this guarantee: We guarantee to
provide a positive wilderness fly fishing experience to
all of our guests' beginner, intermediate, and advanced
fisherpersons alike. Fish, being fish, are not guaranteed.
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Q. How do I contact you?
A. You may call us toll free from North America at 1-877-858-7688
or +604-938-4458. We are in the Pacific
Time Zone (-08:00 GMT) and are open to calls between 7:00
am and 10:00pm PST. If you do not reach one of our guides,
please leave a message and we will return the call within
24 hours. Alternatively you contact us by emailing us
at contact@valleyfishing.com
or filling in our booking form here.
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