Northern Lights Lodge

THE FISHING

One of the really nice aspects to fishing from this lodge is their passion for and commitment to, dry fly fishing. The principal species to target when fishing at the Northern Lights Lodge, is the Rainbow Trout. So, where you’ll be fishing will depend a great deal on the time of year that you fishing? Regardless of when you go, you’ll be fishing in one of the great, pristine environments found anywhere in North America. Sharing the shoreline with Grizzley Bears is not uncommon!

Mid June – Sept 1st DRY FLY SEASON

During the summer months, the rivers produce some of the finest rainbow trout dry fly fishing found in North America. The Lodge’s home water rivers within the Quesnel Drainage hold multiple strains of Rainbow Trout that are voracious and feed aggressively. Think caddis, stoneflies, hoppers, mouse patterns and big attractor flies all summer long, on 3x tippet. The most aggressive of these strains is definitely the “Horsefly” or “Yellow Belly” strain. These fish are special and pound for pound the hardest fighting rainbows you’ll have ever fished for. These Yellow Bellies don’t spawn until they reach 7 years of age and they fight like hell, with spectacularly violent surface eats. There is nothing more exhilarating than stripping a Chernobyl ant across a deep run and having one of these beautiful rainbows smash it!

Sept 1-October 15

If you are looking for quantity and quality, Autumn fishing at the Northern Lights Lodge can be the most productive time of the year! During this timeframe, guests will spend most of their days fly fishing with egg patterns & streamers for trout that are feeding behind Sockeye and Chinook salmon as they spawn. A very special environmental factor here is that the Quesnel Lake watershed is host to one of the largest Sockeye Salmon runs in the world. The Sockeye and Chinook Salmon begin their journey at the mouth of the Fraser River in Vancouver and will swim north approx. 500 miles to Quesnel Lake. As they migrate through Quesnel Lake, the Salmon draw large Rainbow and Bull Trout that normally reside in the lake up the tributaries where the spawn takes place. The Horsefly River and Mitchell River are the two dominant Sockeye bearing rivers in the Quesnel system and the highly experienced guides know these rivers better than anyone. It is important to understand that that because guests will be fishing near the salmon spawning grounds, the salmon are not a targeted species. Guests will be focusing on trophy Rainbows and Bull Trout during the fall season.

The lodge also offers a comprehensive Stillwater package.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

The lodge uses a series of different boats for the trip and the type of boat you will be in that day will depend on where you are fishing. Clackacraft and Hyde drift boats are used on the Horsefly and upper and lower Quesnel Rivers. Jet boats are utilized for sections of the Cariboo and Mitchell Rivers. If you are floating still water lakes you will be using single person, inflatable pontoon boats.

GETTING THERE

From Vancouver, British Columbia, fly north for one hour on Central Mountain Air or Pacific Coastal to Williams Lake, BC, Canada, where guests will be met by a lodge staff member for the lovely one-hour drive to Northern Lights Lodge.
Slipstream is a full-service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2024

Summer Season

• 5 days fishing for $4,500 USD DBL
• 4 days fishing for $3,800 USD DBL

Fall Season

• 5 days fishing for $5,000 USD DBL