Guided Dry Fly Fishing on Chilko River for Rainbow Trout - Great Fishing, Crystal Clear Water, Superb Scenery
Whether you are interested in fly fishing on Chilko River or trolling along the shores of Chilko Lake, we have great fishing for native Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout (Dolly Varden). All you have to do is step off the porch and you are there.



Amazing Fly Fishing on Chilko River
Whether this is your first fly fishing trip to British Columbia Canada or you’ve traveled the globe in pursuit of the perfect river fly fishing adventure, the Chilko River is an experience that should be on your bucket list!

We’ve got it all, the world-class River, the largest, high elevation fresh water lake in North America and a wild, scenic backyard as big as it gets. Chilko Lake and River are the spawning grounds of the second largest Sokeye Salmon run in BC, as well as the rearing area of the Chinook (Spring Salmon) and some Coho and Steelhead.
Guests that have fished all the big name fly fishing spots—New Zealand, Argentina, Alaska, Montana—they tell us Chilko River is the gem of them all.

The Chilko River is not stocked; these are wild native rainbow trout living in one of Canada’s top 4 salmon producing rivers. No dams, no logging, no developments, clear, drinkable fresh cold water, fed from glaciers keeps our rainbow population strong and healthy. 
Float a line from a drift boat, jet sled or float-tube. Wade the riverbank for total serenity. Spend the day on awe-inspiring Chilko Lake fishing the mouth of glacial streams. This is one of the very few wilderness lodges anywhere with this many ways to spend a day on the water. 

With over 52 years at Chilko, your hosts know how to operate a successful fly fishing lodge in this rugged wilderness. They have a proven formula—the food, the staff and the equipment—it all adds up to a great fly fishing trip, fun and good times.  


A #6 floating line, a 4X leader, and a 6 lb.native Rainbow ... Yes, that's what we love to do!  
The lodge stays offer some of the best River Fly Fishing you will find anywhere and is the ideal spot to bring non fishing partners -- there is excellent horseback riding opportunities for the seasoned equestrian.

Chilko River
Chilko River remains one of the premier streams in North America for wild, native Rainbow Trout. Its waters produce an abundance of insect life, making the river extremely productive for 'Catch and Release' fly fishing. Chilko's crystal clear waters with deep pools and long ledges, from calm to fast, offer an exceptional variety of fishing opportunities for the sport enthusiast.
Professional guides will take you downriver with state of the art flat bottom jetboats. You will float drift from the boat, wade the long ledges, or anchor in front of pools. Or use one of the popular U-Tubes and fish some of the calmer waters of the river.

Outstanding Rainbow and Bull Trout Fishing
The Rainbow Trout are all native to this system and as a result are vibrant, healthy and amazing fighting fish. It’s not uncommon to be taken into your backing and to see your fish torpedo across the surface of the water, cartwheel, jump repeatedly and to snap you off in an explosion of color and heart stopping action. These stunning Rainbows grow to extraordinary sizes due to the large late summer runs of Sockeye and Chinook salmon, the spring smolt escapement from the lake and the never ending summertime insect hatches make for healthy rainbow trout (see our hatch guide). Be under no illusions that you will encounter wild ‘bows over 20 inches and perhaps that fish of your dreams in the high twenty inch range!

Bull Trout are built for predation and here we target these apex predators both on the Lake and in the Chilko River. They grow to trophy sizes and are often seen hammering shoals of bait fish on the lake and will even chase down hooked rainbows to the boat. They offer exciting sub-surface action and it’s not uncommon to see Bulls of over 10lbs.


Season
Fly fishing season is from the middle of June to the middle or end of September. Best Dry-Fly season is in July and August.

How Do We Fly Fish the Chilko River?
The Chilko River has many different sections of the river that change speed, depth and shore vegetation. We fly fish on the Chilko River a variety of ways. We wade all the different pools and ledges in the first 5 miles or so. There is always guide support while you are wading. A guide will keep you moving from shelf to shelf and offer assistance when needed. We also drift fish from the boat. With one person fly fishing from the bow and one from the stern your guide can direct you over all the shelves that hold our rainbow trout. This can be very productive as you can cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Once at the end of your drift, the jet motor is used to move upstream for another drift. We also use float tubes to fly fish the river. A guide will drop you off upstream so you can drift down the river, stopping at all the shelves you want, and fly fish from your float tube. This is a very exciting way to catch that really big fish! Fly fishing at Ts'yl-os Park Lodge you can expect to have 2-4 fly fishermen per guide. We do our very best to accommodate your needs when guiding; we are always concerned with your safety and happiness on the river.



Chilko Lake
With her towering peaks and pristine beauty, Chilko Lake is a fly fishing dream. Wet fly fishing on the lake, we will catch primarily Dolly Varden at the creek mouths where they feed on Salmon fry. Dolly Varden average 22-32 inches. The setting is breathtaking and the fly fishing fabulous! This is a trip that you will not want to miss.

Professional Guides and Equipment
The McLean family has been guiding at Chilko since 1957! Theye pride themselves in offering excellent river guides who will do their very best to ensure that your fly fishing vacation is the best that it can be. They keep fly fishing rods on hand at the lodge for complimentary use by the guests in case you need one. There are float tubes and flippers ready, so you will not have to bring your own. The flat bottom jet boats are in excellent order, very safe and the best boat for the job. We suggest flies to bring but we also keep a stock of fly fishing supplies on hand, such as: leaders, tippit, our favorite flies and dry shake.
We ask all fly fishing guests to bring their own waders.

Angling Policy
The Chilko Lake and Chilko River have always supported a large population of Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout (Dolly Varden). In order to maintain these waters as premier fly fishing waters we ask all of our guests to release their fish back into the water with great care. Our guests and guides are very careful when handling the fish, because they know that she will still be there next year, a little bit wiser and a whole lot bigger!

Our goal is to ensure the Chilko River and Chilko Lake species:

• Remain a native species. No stocking of the system here….
• Retain or increase their quantity, health, and quality as beautiful healthy trout.

 
The pace is relaxed, the scenery superb, the waters are crystal clean, and the fish are healthy and strong!

Yes, we have great fishing !