Included / Not Included –
Included: Accommodations and meals at lodge, cocktails and wine at lodge, guiding, round-trip transportation (private helicopter charter) between Smithers and the lodge and HST.
Not Included: Airfare to/from Smithers, BC, accommodations and meals in Smithers, fishing licenses, gratuities, satellite phone calls, flies.
Travel Logistics:
Arrival Information: To get to Silver Hilton Lodge you need to make flight arrangements to Smithers, BC, via Vancouver. The lodge itinerary for 2010 is Friday to Friday. All guests need to arrive in Smithers on Thursday and overnight. (Hotel not included in package)
Getting to the Lodge: Friday you will take a helicopter charter flight from Smithers to Silver Hilton Lodge. (Charter flight reservations will be made for you and included in your package price.) This flight normally takes about 45 minutes.
Departure Information: On your departure day (Friday) you will take a morning flight back to Smithers. Due to possible weather delays with this flight, we recommend not scheduling your departing flight out of Smithers until at least before 4:00PM.
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. To participate in the actitivites at Silver Hilton Lodge, guests will be required to sign their Terms and Condititions Form.
Helicopter Charter Flight Baggage Restrictions:
The government is clamping down on all commercial operators and how they load their charters. Please pack as lightly as you can and leave any truly unnecessary items at home. Guests who cannot make the normal transfer day either in or out of camp and who need their own charter must arrange the flight with lodge manager Brian Schneider: 250.846.5540.
Currency:
The Canadian dollar is the official currency in BC, however, US dollars are widely used and accepted. The lodge accepts cash, checks or credit cards.
Travel Cash:
As a guideline we recommend that each guest travel with approximately with $900-$1,200 for staff & guide gratuities, alcohol, etc. Checks or cash are preferred for purchasing licenses.
Gratuities:
We recommend guide and staff gratuities of approximately $300 per person. Tips are pooled and can be given to the manager, Brian Schneider, at the end of your stay to distribute amongst the staff. If you feel however that any of them deserve special attention you may also tip them directly in addition to this general tip. Cash is preferred for gratuities.
Fishing Licenses:
Fishing licenses are not included. Anglers must purchase their fishing licenses ahead of time Please go to the British Columbia Government website: www.fishing.gov.bc.ca/. The website has a tutorial on how to purchase a license. You will need a Basic Angling License (either 8 day or annual) and a 7 Day Classified Waters License for the Babine. The name to use for your guide is Brian Schneider.
Note: For Week #9, Oct 29 - Nov 5 you will need to purchase 3 day classified waters license–October days only.
Climate:
While the weather can be mild, always be prepared for cold when visiting the interior reaches of BC in the fall. Rain and snow can occur at almost anytime and typical day temperatures range from 30-60 degrees f.
Medical Facilities:
The closest medical facility is in Smithers, approximately 50 minutes by aircraft from the lodge. In emergency situations, a charter flight may be required to reach a medical facility. Guests may want to consider medical evacuation coverage. We recommend Global Rescue. Guests have the responsibility to disclose any special medical, physical, or dietary needs to the lodge ahead of time.
Power and Communications:
The lodge has full time internet access. Guests are welcome to bring their own laptops. There is also a computer in the lodge and may be used by guests on a limited basis. The lodge has diesel generators running, with power available to all guests, until lights out at 10pm.
Water: All water at the lodge is treated, spring-fed water and very good to drink.
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, and a rain jacket. Synthetic fabrics are preferred to cotton.
Laundry:
Laundry service is not available. Please pack accordingly. In the case of emergencies, guests may wash their own laundry.
Beverages/Alcohol:
Cocktails and wine are available at the Main Camp and Triple Header after the fishing
day has ended. Guests may bring their own beer and hard alcohol.
Smoking:
Silver Hilton has an array of fine cigars available for sale at its cost and smoking is allowed inside the lodge subject to unanimous group approval. Guests may smoke outside at any time but smoking is not allowed in the cabins because of fire danger.
Tackle/Equipment List:
Rods: 91/2-10 ft single hand rods for line weights 8-9, with eight weights being ideal. 12-15 ft two-handed spey rods for line weights 7-10.
Reels: Any good reel with or without a disk drag and room for 100-200 yards of 30lb braided Dacron backing.
Lines: Full floaters like the Mastery Steelhead taper, Mastery wet tip type 4 sink tip line, Teeny 200 and 300 grain heads, Rio Versi-tip system (or comparable interchangeable tip line), floating spey lines as well as ones with interchangeable sink tips. The most poplar spey tips will be type 6 or type 8. Custom spey tips made from Rio T14 in 12 and 14 foot lengths are also handy.
Leaders/Tippet: 9-10 ft leaders tapering to 10-15 pounds for floating lines, 4-6 ft leaders tapering from 10-15 pounds for sinking lines. Maxima Ultra Green is the tippet material of choice. Rio makes nice hand tied steelhead leaders from Maxima for floating line fishing.
Flies:
Dry Flies: Bombers (black and natural), Waller Wakers, Morrish Pompador Skaters, Quigley’s dragon gurgler, 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 1-6.
Streamers: Egg sucking leech (black and purple), black leech, Morrish Trailer Trash in black/blue, nightshade and sherbet, Morrish Medusas in black and blue, Black and pink and popsicle, starlight leeches, Woolly Buggers, Popsicle, articulated leeches, and assorted marabou and rabbit patterns in black, blue, and purple sizes 1-6. Tube flies are also becoming very popular.
Note: The Babine varies greatly from run to run so having flies of differing weights is very useful.
Waders & Boots: Breathable gore-tex waders are typically fine for September fishing with neoprene 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 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, wading staff, headlamp, towel, and a waterproof bag for day gear.
Both Silver Hilton and Triple Header have high quality pro shops complete with rods, reels, lines, terminal tackle and flies etc
The Babine:
The Babine is one of the world’s great rivers, and the fishery is entirely catch and release, single hook artificial only. Barbless hooks are required by law. Please handle your catch carefully and release the fish as soon as possible. Nets are not used for landing Babine Steelhead as the hard nylon mesh is damaging to the fish. Instead, we encourage anglers to use our special, soft “glove nets” for tailing a fish. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH LITTER, INCLUDING SMALL ITEMS SUCH AS CIGAR BANDS AND BUTTS. IF YOU SMOKE PLEASE CARRY A PLASTIC ZIP LOCK BAG AND KEEP EXTINGUISHED MATERIALS THERE FOR DISPOSAL BACK AT CAMP.
We also ask that all anglers at Silver Hilton respect the occasional white water float trip campers who camp along the river from time to time. The Babine River is a British Columbia Wilderness Park that is enjoyed and visited by several user groups.
In order to help protect the river, it’s fish and wildlife and the wilderness forests which sustain them, we encourage all anglers fishing at Silver Hilton to join and become involved in one or more of the conservation groups who are fighting to save the salmon, trout and steelhead rivers. Such groups include Trout Unlimited in Canada and our local chapter of the BC Steelhead Society. For information please contact Mary Lou Burleigh of the Bulkley Valley Chapter at 250.842.8026.
Silver Hilton has created “The Committee To Preserve The Babine Wilderness, Inc,” a non-profit Corporation to which you may make tax deductible donations for the legal expenses incurred by Silver Hilton’s on-going effort to protect and preserve the wilderness values of the Babine River and Park. For information on this organization please contact Lani Waller at Worldwide Anglers/Silver Hilton Steelhead Lodge 415.897.4997.
