guided Winter steelhead fishing
Donald F. Smith
“ I have had the great pleasure to steelhead fish on the Cowichan River with Tristan for a number of years. Tristan is a consummate fly fishing guide. He has an intimate knowledge of the water and steelhead, he is a patient instructor and he works tirelessly to ensure a fun and rewarding experience. Every outing brings something new and exciting for me. I highly recommend Tristan as your guide whether you are new to the sport or you are a grizzled veteran”
A true winter steelhead is one of the greatest rewards for any angler. All though this fishery can at times be challenging encountering just one of these magnificent wild creatures will be something you wont soon forget…
We are fortunate to have one of the strongest returns of wild winter steelhead remaining in southern B.C. Fish begin to enter the system as early as late December and chrome fish continue to push in from the ocean until the middle of march. With the system being lake fed the river remains stable and clean through nearly the entire season (baring the rare extreme weather event), providing anglers with a fair opportunity at a fish on any given day!
Christopher Redcliffe, President Redcliffe & Company
“Tristan and Liam under promise and over deliver. When it comes to fishing, a guest could ask for nothing more. For this reason, we highly recommend bconthefly for personal or business fishing adventures.”
We pride ourselves on being the only guide service on the river that specializes in fly fishing, especially catching fish on a swung fly, how ever we are well versed in all tactics and flexible depending on our guests needs and preferences. Catch rates are often higher when using float rods but to the dedicated fly angler, hooking one of these fish on the swing is the ultimate challenge.
The value in your experience with us goes beyond having the best possible chance at hooking a fish as we strive to give you an experience that will leave you a better caster with a better understanding of how to pursue these fish in your future endeavors. For beginners and those who are travelling light we can supply all the gear you will need for the day, from waders and boots to rods and flies.
If you are a gear angler but are interested in picking up a fly rod this a perfect opportunity to learn as the river provides excellent water for both fly and float anglers and we will be excited to teach you. Or maybe you just enjoy both types of fishing. Regardless of your angling preferences our goal is to cater the experience to what you will enjoy most.
Meet the guides
This guided program is run through Vancouver Island Fly Fishing owned and Operated By Ray Gouchie. The majority of our steelhead trips are guided by myself and my close friend and colleague Liam Longacre. To find out more about Vancouver Island Fly Fishing and our trout trips go to https://viflyfishing.com/
