Elk River?
- Thread starter davew
- Start date
I haven't been up there in a lot of years, but my advice is don't not go 
. Make it happen.
. Make it happen.
I've only gone once, 2014. Stayed in one of the ski condos (off season) on the edge of town. Some decent restaurants whose names I don't recall, but the town is small enough that driving around a couple blocks and you'll find them. The fishing: don't waste time nymphing; those Westies readily rise to dry flies. Check the shops for the patterns needed at the time of your visit, but don't be caught without a few Fat Alberts in your fly box. The foam is home; cast there. Floating and wade fishing were both productive, but floating allows covering so much water - do it! You might want a 7 weight streamer rod for bull trout, but I focused on trout fishing - a 5 wt bamboo rod is all I used, and it got plenty of exercise. Planing: all the water is special $20/day ticket water, so knowing where you want to fish one or more days in advance will serve you well. It's a long river with more water than I could fish in a week, so plan on long days of fishing. That's all the memory bank popped up at the moment.
It’s a great trip, and closer than you think. Agree with Salmo on all points, including ski condo. A couple of the best-known tribs are restricted on access now, but we’ve found plenty of water within easy day’s travel if you aren’t floating. Some of the stuff over the hill, in Alberta, will take your breath away. The bear situation in parts of the area makes me nervous, so I’ve carried spray and shied away from primitive camping — but obviously lots of people do just fine. The Elk itself is a tremendous river. My kid stuck a nice one under one of the highway bridges, and we got a few hurrahs from the guides pulling out across the river…
DIY? Guided? Never have fished it but have enjoyed time with St. Mary Angler as a guide.
We're all fairly experienced fisherman but know nothing about Fernie or the rivers. We're planning a DIY trip in late July.
Should we bring the pontoon boats or can we get by with just wading?
I’m not at all familiar with this fishery, sorry. Kelly Laastch (Sp) is co- owner of St. Mary Angler, he’s told me quite a few stories about fishing the area.
Excellent floating available on the Elk, fine for pontoons if you’re careful. Easy shuttles, miles of river, mucho trouts. Lots of wading options if you want to bust brush off logging roads. The famous stuff gets pressure; if 12” cutts sound good you don’t have to see many footprints. Bulls probably take extra work.
Wading is fine and there are trails to follow even near town if I remember. But soooo much fishable water. Pontoons would be great. Float, pull over fish, work your way down....I would do this in a heart beat. I found Elk River Guiding Company and their shop super helpful. One evening wading we encountered deer, elk, and a bear...I would get/rent bear spray for sure.
That would make it very hard, at least for me to concentrate on fishing for cutthroat.
SF
And they sometimes inhale a hooked 12-14" cutthroat!!! Walking or floating, keep a 7-8wt rigged up with something big and white or shiny for sure. If a bull slashes at the cutty you are fighting have someone else immediately throw the streamer. That pissed off bull will come back to hit the streamer more often than you would imagine.
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
This is on my list. My grandpa was born in fernie, just talked to my mom about making a trip there to see his nursery and fishing for bulls. One of those inland dinosaurs is definitely something i need to tie into.
Is it a swingable river or purely a stripping game?
Is it a swingable river or purely a stripping game?
Westfly Refugee
Steelhead
1. Within an hour or so of Fernie are some very nice, yet, lesser fished rivers.
2. The Elk is the only river where I've experienced an early evening Green Drake hatch...memorable.
3. Up there beer is expensive and selection may be limited - bring all that you can get through CA Customs.
It might vary by month. I was there in September. It seems like the bull trout were holding in deep pools of the cast and strip sort, rather than swing.
By later September I found Bulls spawning in some of the smaller tributaries, of some tributaries, of the Elk River. I avoided those, and enjoyed catching Westslopes amidst a memorable size 10 Green Drake hatch. Those trib's require special, limited permits now.
During that first trip I was fishing a small out of the way tributary creek in a pouring cold rain, with bear spray strapped to my wader belt. I heard a crunching sound in the gravel behind me and was surprised by a game warden creeping up on me to check my hook for barbs, as well as my license. He sort of grunted and turned back around and headed back through the brush to the road. I was a little jumpy after that episode.
This was twenty some years ago, and there were few fisherfolks compared to many that were there in the couple of trips I've taken there since. I feel fortunate that I went back when I did.
Check well before your trip to see what permits are, or aren't available for where you plan to fish.
During that first trip I was fishing a small out of the way tributary creek in a pouring cold rain, with bear spray strapped to my wader belt. I heard a crunching sound in the gravel behind me and was surprised by a game warden creeping up on me to check my hook for barbs, as well as my license. He sort of grunted and turned back around and headed back through the brush to the road. I was a little jumpy after that episode.
This was twenty some years ago, and there were few fisherfolks compared to many that were there in the couple of trips I've taken there since. I feel fortunate that I went back when I did.
Check well before your trip to see what permits are, or aren't available for where you plan to fish.
Westfly #3 made me laugh. The first time I went to fish the Fernie area the customs agent at the border was grilling me about how much beer I was bringing up. She was surprised I had only a six pack. I told her, I'm fly fishing this is serious business! lol.
