Fishing Queen Charlotte Islands on the fly

Springtime in Haida Gwaii is my favorite time of the year to experience variety in fishing opportunities.   A combination of swinging flies for steelhead and stripping fry for sea run Cutthroat is right up my alley.  Toss in an afternoon session trolling for chinook and halibut a few minutes from town and you will have seen the best of the islands all wrapped up in a bow for you in just one week. 

Mid April is the tail end of the steelhead season, however the fishing can be exceptional, and this year it was.  There tends to be just enough rain to keep the streams at a good water level.  There are a couple rivers close to our lodge that have a spring run of steelhead and late March and April are the time of year to fish them.  As always on our side of the island, we have these fisheries all to ourselves. 

We stay away from spawning fish by focusing on faster pocket water, deep pools and heads of runs.  It is here we consistently find the fresh aggressive fish that have just entered the system.  Water conditions can vary but there is typically less rain at this time of year.  A few days of rain a week keep the rivers at a perfect level for fish to push into the systems. 

May is in fact the driest month and often offers the best weather of the summer.  It is also the time when whales migrate right through the town of Sandspit. 

If you are interested in having a wide variety of fishing opportunities on Haida Gwaii, than Spring time may be your best bet.