Included / Not Included: –
Included: Accommodations and meals at the lodge, guiding, round-trip transfers to/from Smithers and lodge, HST, wine, alcohol, and licenses.
Not Included: Airfare to/from Smithers, accommodations and meals in Smithers, arrival and departure taxes, and staff and guide gratuities.
Travel Logistics:
Arrival Information: To get to Bulkley River Lodge you need to make flight arrangements to Smithers, BC, via Vancouver. Start and end dates change throughout the season due to the lodge offering several atypical packages, but a good many packages run Friday to Friday. In this case guests need to arrive in Smithers on Thursday and overnight. (Hotel not included in package).
Getting to the Lodge: In the morning you will be picked up by the lodge staff in Smithers and driven a short distance to the lodge.
Departure Information: On your departure day you will be transferred back to Smithers Airport in the morning for a departure to Vancouver, BC and points beyond.
Documentation Requirements:
You need a valid passport to enter Canada and it must be valid for six months after the last day of your trip.
Currency:
The Canadian dollar is the official currency in BC, however; US dollars are widely used and accepted.
Travel Cash:
As a guideline we recommend that each guest travel with approximately with $700-$900 for staff & guide gratuities, departure taxes, etc. The lodge accepts credit cards.
Gratuities:
We recommend guide and staff gratuities of $75-100 per day per person which covers the chef, lodge staff and guides. Tips are pooled and may be given to Dave Evans at the end of your stay for distribution amongst the guides and lodge staff. Cash is preferred for gratuities.
Fishing Licenses:
Fishing licenses are included and the lodge will issue them when you arrive.
Climate:
While the weather can be mild, always be prepared for cold when visiting the interior reaches of BC. Rain and snow can occur at almost any time and typical day temperatures range from 30-60 degrees f. For anglers visiting in October come prepared for hard frost and even snow. Boot foot waders are recommended for late season fishing.
Medical Facilities:
The closest medical facility is in Smithers, approximately 30 minutes from the lodge. Guests have the responsibility to disclose any special medical, physical, or dietary needs to the lodge ahead of time.
Power and Communications:
Bulkley River Lodge has 24-hour electricity. The lodge has wireless access. There is some cell phone coverage, depending on the provider (you may want to check with your provider to see if you can get coverage). Bulkley River Lodge has a business cell phone which guests may use on a limited basis. There is no satellite phone.
Clothing:
As the climate is extremely changeable and a wide range of temperatures and conditions can be expected, we recommend layering clothes. Anglers should be prepared with thermal underwear, fleece/soft shell jacket, a rain jacket, warm hat, and one or more pairs of fishing gloves. Synthetic fabrics are preferred to cotton. Dress at the lodge is casual.
Laundry:
Laundry is available upon request to guests during their stay at no additional cost.
Beverages/Alcohol:
Bulkley River Lodge provides wine and alcohol as part of the package price.
Tackle/Equipment List:
Rods: 9-10 ft single hand rods for line weights 7-9. 12-15 ft two-handed spey rods for line weights 7-9.
Reels: Any good reel with or without a disk drag and room for 100-200 yards of 30 pound braided Dacron backing.
Lines: Full floaters like the Mastery Steelhead taper, Mastery wet tip type 4 sink tip line, Teeny 200, Rio Versi-tip system (or comparable interchangeable tip line), floating spey lines as well as skagit style lines with interchangeable sink tips. The most poplar spey tips will be type 4 of 160 grains or less.
Leaders/Tippet: 9-12 ft leaders tapering to 12-15 pounds for floating lines, 4-6 ft level leaders made from 12 or 15 lb. Maxima for sinking lines. Maxima Ultra Green is the tippet material of choice.
Flies: Dry Flies: Bombers (black and natural), Waller Wakers, Morrish Pom Skaters, Greased Liner, Mudlers, and assorted other foam and deer hair patterns in sizes 4-8. Traditional Wets: Green Butt Skunk, Freight Train, Signal Light, Purple Peril, Blue Charm, Silver Hilton, and assorted spey flies in sizes 2-8. Streamers: Egg sucking leech (black and purple), black leech, Blue Bruce, Boss, Woolly Buggers, Popsicle, Morrish Medusa, articulated leech, and assorted marabou and rabbit patterns in black, blue, and purple sizes 2-6. Tube flies are also becoming very popular. Note: The Bulkley is a shallow river and fishes best with un-weighted flies.
Waders & Boots: Breathable gore-tex waders are typically fine for September fishing with neoprene and/or bootfoot waders becoming more popular throughout October and November. For anglers prone to cold (especially feet), boot foot 4-5 mm waders such as the Simms Boot Foot Extremes are excellent. Due to boat travel, spikes/studded boots are discouraged. Anglers that choose use breathable waders should bring several layers of mid/heavy weight fleece leggings.
Miscellaneous: Sunscreen, lip balm, hand-warmers, bandana, hemostats, tape measure, camera with spare batteries and film, floatant, and a waterproof bag for day gear.
