Squamish Fly Fishing with Valley Fishing Guides
Pure Wilderness fly fishing trips in Squamish BC.
Squamish Fly Fishing Trips
There is no question that the Squamish area rivers, the surrounding mountains, and the flora and fauna provide some of the most spectacular fly fishing locations in British Columbia. However, the scenery isn’t the only reason to make the trek to this mountain town. Rainbow trout, bull trout, steelhead, and four species of Pacific salmon frequent the Squamish river system.
River Fly Fishing
Each of our Squamish area rivers offers a unique fly fishing experience.
Cheakamus River
The Cheakamus river, or “The Check” as we like to call it is a tributary to the Squamish river. There is a run-of-river project on the Cheakamus and the flow rates are controlled by the operations at Daisy lake dam north of Squamish. Barring the flow rates are not too high this river is fishable most days of the year. Coho and chum salmon return to the Cheakamus in October and November , with steelhead returning in the spring. Resident rainbow trout and bull trout are available to fly anglers all year.
Angler fly fishing on the Cheakamus river in Squamish BC.
Squamish River
Our main local river, the Squamish, is fishable in the months of August through May. Resident trout are available from September through May with pink salmon returning in the odd years (2021, 2023, 2025 etc) and coho and chum salmon returning every year in late September through November. Steelhead return to the Squamish river as early as January, however, the bulk of the Squamish steelhead return does not occur until March through May.
Mamquam River
The anadromous reach of the Mamquam river is relatively short compared to the other tributaries of the Squamish. The Mamquam can be quite finicky as it can be out one day and in the next. Salmon also return to this river in the summer and fall with some trout fishing available throughout the year.
Pitt River
Since 2003, the Pitt River continues to be one of our favorite heli-fishing destination rivers for anadromous bull trout to 15 lbs and coho salmon. Being a wild river, every year the Pitt changes, new runs appear and old ones vanish! That said, it is always a producer of some of the largest wild char we have caught on a fly rod.
Heli fishing to the headwaters of the Pitt River with Clint Goyette of Valley Fishing Guides. Photo: Joern Rohde/www.joernrohde.com
Walk and Wade Fly Fishing Trips
Our standard walk and wade trips are between 4-8 hours long. Trips can start anywhere between 6am and 10am depending on the season and the target species. Granite and basalt stones that are not much larger than a bowling ball or soft ball line the rivers making the walk and wade trips quite enjoyable.
Float Trips by Raft – Drifting the Squamish River
We offer float trips for steelhead in February through May and trips for coho salmon in October through November where rafts and inflatable boats are used to get from run to run. These are remote trips often well out of cell phone range. As such our guides are trained in wilderness first aid, are certified in swift water rescue, and we carry satellite communication for your comfort and security.
An angler rigs his set-up while on a Squamish fly fishing trip.
Heli-Fishing Trips
Spectacular! Amazing! Unbelievable! My best fishing trip ever! These are just a few of the exclamations of our clients having gone on one of our heli-fishing trips. The flight through mountains, over ancient glaciers and into river valleys quite possibly is the most exciting way to arrive at a fly fishing location. The opportunity at crossing paths with a fish of a lifetime is always a bonus!
Watch our Video on Fly Fishing in Squamish
In the video you’ll see some of our guides fly fishing together on the Squamish River and Cheakamus River in April while on a walk and wade as well as drifting the Squamish river in one of our NRS rafts.
European nymphing, sometimes referred to as Czech Nymphing, as well as spey fishing and single hand fly fishing are used throughout the video. We teach more than one fly fishing technique on our guided trips!
The final day was an actual guided heli fishing trip to the Pitt River in July and our expressions are as authentic as it gets. Enjoy the video!
Book a trip with one of our fly fishing guides today!
Topo Films produced this video in conjunction with Tourism Squamish and FishingBC.com. The goal was to present some of the fly fishing opportunities that exist in the Squamish area. Sit back and enjoy a glimpse into what our Squamish fly fishing trips are all about…..