Fishing at Babine Steelhead Lodge Ltd.

Customer Testimonials

Our lodge takes 8 quests per week. We run 21 foot aluminum boats with 55 horse mercury jet motors. Guests are rotated everyday with our knowledgeable guides.

The guides will assist you in single hand and spey casting. Spey casting is preferred, as it will help you cover more water.  Please be familiar with your equipment before you arrive, as this will increase your opportunity to catch a steelhead. 

Our season runs 6 weeks, September through October.  We have 16 miles of fishable water, and you can fish both upstream and downstream from the lodge.  The pools and fishing water are superb. The famous “Home Run” which is right in front of the lodge, is one of the most productive on the Babine.

September is good dry fly fishing using skating fly patterns and lasts well into October.  Wet flies produce extremely well all season. Dry flies used are ones that will produce large wakes across the water surface. The colors are usually browns and blacks, varying in sizes from #8-#2. 

Large dark wet flies are used in cloudy water and smaller ones in clear water.  These colors are usually purple, black, pine, orange and green.  Popular steelhead patterns are egg sucking leeches and any marabou flies.  Most common steelhead patterns all work well on the Babine River.  An assortment of these flies can be purchased at the lodge. 

Floating line used on the Babine is any tapered line that will give you good roll casting and shooting ability preferably a weight forward line.  Sinking lines used are any sink tips or shooting heads 150gr-300gr.  Rod length for single hand is 9-10 feet and 13 1/2-16 feet for double.

A spare rod and reel is recommended, and please try your system out to get a good feel.   Reels should have enough line capacity to hold a minimum of 200 yards of 20-30lb test backing plus whatever fly line you choose. A good drag system is beneficial.

The steelhead on the Babine range anywhere from 8lbs. to the occasional 30 pounder, averaging 14 pounds. They can reach 46” in length.  These world renowned fish work their way from rock to rock and pool to pool, and when you get one on, it will be an experience you will never forget.

The guides carry hand-made nets in their boats to help with the landing and releasing of the fish. We want to try and keep the steelhead as unharmed as possible. We do release every fish that is caught to ensure the survival of this magnificent species.

Please note there are three (3) fishing licenses needed to fish on the Babine River. The total cost is approximately $410 Canadian per guest per week. These licenses are provincially government priced and regulated. These must be obtained on line at www.fishing.gov.bc.ca, before you arrive

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