Fly-In Fishing Lodge in the Yukon Wilderness

Day of arrival - You will board the floatplane at Watson Lake, and arrive at the main lodge around noon. Everyone is assigned cabins and given an orientation of the facilities. Coffee and lunch are provided. The rest of the day can be spent fishing, although quite often guests like to settle in and unpack that first afternoon.  Your week will be customized to your preferences and what you want to experience.  Here is an example:

Day 1 - The first full day is spent on the lake targeting lake trout and pike. Depending on weather we might have a shore lunch.

Day 2 - We will target lake trout in the morning and then head to the river and spend the day there fishing for arctic grayling. Guests will have the option to hike into Jacks Lake if they want to try it out for pike.  2 guests will be accompanied by a guide.  This hike can be done later in the week as well.

Day 3 -  We pack up and take you to the Upper Toobally Lake lodge outpost. This is about a 12-mile run by jet boat up the Smith river to upper Toobally lake.  We will fish the upper Smith river for grayling and lake trout on this day. A freshly caught fish dinner is a tradition on this day.  You will stay in the log cabins here overnight.

Day 4 -  Is spent fishing the upper lake for lake trout and pike. This area really has to be seen to be appreciated. It's a one in a million location.

Day 5 - Is the reverse of day 3. We travel back to the main lodge on Lower Toobally Lake, fishing the Smith River as we go.

Day 6 - There will be another opportunity for guests to hike into Jacks Lake. This day is very flexible. You can go after lake trout, and northern pike, or spend the day on the river fishing for arctic grayling.

Departure Day - Guests will pack up after breakfast, then we will spend the morning chasing lake trout or pike before we say our goodbyes. The float plane will arrive around noon to take you back to Watson Lake.

Medium-heavy, fast-action rods spooled with 20 lb mono or braided line are preferred for lake trout. The top choices are the T-60 Flatfish, Eppinger Husky Senior, and Junior spoons. Don’t forget to bring a few Five of Diamonds spoons, big plugs and crankbaits too.

Medium-heavy, fast-action rods with spin casting reels and 20-30 lb mono or braided line work best for this type of fishing. One to two-ounce, tube or bucktail jigs work very well. White, chartreuse, and black colored jigs are the most popular. Bondy Baits are another great lure for the lakers. These big heavy baits are very effective when slowly dragged on or near the bottom of the lake. They are simply irresistible to big lakers and mimic the baitfish and ciscoes that inhabit Toobally Lakes. Slowly drifting over the steeper drop-offs with a big jig is one of the most exciting ways to fish for lake trout.

A lot of fly fishers are surprised to find out that lake trout can be readily taken on a fly rod. From ice-out in late May through the first half of July, the top of the water column remains within the temperature range lake trout prefer. Large schools of lake trout can often be seen cruising across shallow shoals searching for prey. Deceivers, jointed saltwater rigs, rabbit fur strip streamers, and Clouser minnow patterns are all top producers for the fly fisherman. 8-10 weight fly rods with large arbor reels are a must for these fish. Your guides are expert fly fishers, too, and will offer tips and instructions if you want to try it out or improve your skills.

A personal ‘one on one’ guided trip option is available and is especially popular with fly fishers. This type of trip is suited for experienced fly fishermen who want more casting room in the boat, but it’s also great for new anglers wanting complete fly fishing instruction from your guide.

For Northern Pike, the most exciting method is casting into the shallows and drop-offs where the pike is lurking to ambush their prey.

Spoons are always a good first choice, as well as large jigs and floating or shallow-running crankbaits.

Good steel leaders are a must for these aggressive predators. Fly fishermen will do well casting big streamers early in the season when the big pike are waiting in the shallows and along the weed lines.

For Arctic Grayling, the fly fisherman will do very well using dark nymph and bead head patterns or dry flies like elk hair caddis or stimulators with a floating line. 3-4 weight rods are best. Spin casting using ultra-light gear, with small spoons, jigs, and spinners, is also a great way to catch grayling.