When I open my front door on Sunday, the first thing Rick MacKay does is ask me how many layers of socks I plan on wearing.
It鈥檚 January in Squamish, and it鈥檚 predictably wet, rainy and dark. Since we鈥檙e planning on standing in glacial rivers for hours today for my first attempt at fly-fishing, I head back in to put on another pair.
MacKay works for Pemberton Fish Finder. He鈥檚 my guide for the morning 鈥� taking care of everything from where to fish, to what gear to use, to how many pairs of socks to wear.
The owner of Fish Finder, Brad Knowles, has fished the area for a long time and took a stint as a fishing guide when he was younger. It wasn鈥檛 until 2010 鈥� during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler 鈥� that he seriously considered starting a guiding business.
But the key to making it work as a tourist attraction wasn鈥檛 fly fishing and open water; not in a place where the season only lasts three months.
鈥淚 did a lot of ice fishing, but I never looked at it as a business. People were looking for other things to do in the winter in Whistler. The light came on, and we got our start ice fishing,鈥� he said.
Seven years later, Knowles hires around 10 part-time and full-time guides during the summer, and four during the winter. Most of the guests this time of year are families heading out into the ice, on rest days from Whistler鈥檚 slopes.
Down in Squamish, in January, the rivers may not freeze, but the water is still very cold.
After a brisk and snowy hike down to the water, MacKay gives me advice on how to wade through the current. By the end of the morning, I鈥檒l have it mostly figured out. Right now, I鈥檓 feeling the tug of the cold and fast flow trying to trip me up as we wade in deeper and deeper. I鈥檓 trying not to panic.
I think there will be an article written if I slip into the icy water and end up downriver, but I might not be the one writing it.
MacKay is more optimistic, far as I can tell. He offers to hold the back of my waders as we move mid-stream. By the time we reach the bank I鈥檓 starting to trust the metal studs on my boots.
Having already rigged up our rods before the hike in, we鈥檙e ready to start a casting lesson.
In spin casting, the weight of a plastic or metal lure pulls the line from the reel and out over the water. In fly-fishing, it鈥檚 the opposite. The imitation fly is so light that an angler relies on the motion of the cast and the weight of the line to do the work.
It鈥檚 a beautifully intimidating technique, and I keep pausing to watch MacKay cast, trying to figure out how it鈥檚 supposed to work. The cast always feels like magic when I start the movement, but it鈥檚 easy to get the feeling wrong and end up with a knotted line or a loud smack on the water.
Sooner than I expect, MacKay gives me the go-ahead to try my sloppy cast towards the far bank, where he expects the fish to be waiting.
麻豆社国产is a beautiful place to fish, with iconic rocky banks and rising mountains, but it doesn鈥檛 have the remoteness of luxury lodges further north. Knowles explains that isn鈥檛 necessarily a downside for some clients.
鈥淲e鈥檝e started focusing on Whistler becoming a destination for fishing, rather than just catering to the people who were there,鈥� he says.
鈥溌槎股绻鷒ffers great salmon fishing, for all five specific salmon, and you鈥檙e not far away from the luxuries of Vancouver and Whistler. I think that鈥檚 what people find inviting. When you鈥檙e in these super remote lodges, it鈥檚 tough to get your families to join you. Now we can make it more of a family destination for fishing.鈥�
MacKay and I are hoping to tempt a bull trout or a rainbow trout; our lures made to imitate bits of salmon flesh or a salmon egg drifting downstream. It鈥檚 still early to expect to see a 鈥溌槎股绻鷘nicorn鈥� 鈥� a steelhead salmon 鈥� prized for putting up a tough fight.
In rivers and streams, all wild steelhead and trout are strictly catch-and-release. Anglers must have a fishing license, and only single barbless hooks are permitted.
Crafting the lures is another part of the hobby 鈥� many are hand-tied, and customized for different waterways. To appeal to fish, a guide has to know what the fish in any particular area, at any time of year, want to eat. The abundance of rivers, lakes, and streams provides a huge variety of spots to target.
鈥淭he scenery in 麻豆社国产is absolutely spectacular, and the proximity to the ocean makes for fresh fish, which is what everybody wants 鈥� fresh meaning not caught a lot, and still nice and silver,鈥� says Brian Niska, who owned a fly shop in 麻豆社国产for a time and operated a Squamish-based guiding company called Whistler Fly Fishing.
His main focus now is Skeena Spey, his fishing lodge in Terrace, but he still employs guides in Squamish. Some of his guests split their time between north and south, especially during steelhead season.
鈥溌槎股绻鷌s a real surprise for people, how good it can be when conditions are right, certainly the scenery is spectacular,鈥� said Niska. He explains that the appeal for many clients is to get on diverse waterways and explore both ends of the province.
鈥淚 think people enjoy it based on the whole full experience of being outside in nature,鈥� he says.
The fish in the river are far from the only nature we see spending hours on the bank. There are trees laden down with eagles, looking for the same fish we are. The much smaller dipper birds are looking for the type of treat I鈥檓 offering the trout 鈥� a little salmon egg.
MacKay has much better wildlife stories, including a startling encounter with a local wolf pack.
鈥淚 think you鈥檙e a little more in tune with your surroundings when you鈥檙e fly fishing,鈥� says Knowles. 鈥淭here鈥檚 quite a bit more to it, but once you have it, it鈥檚 very peaceful, but your hands are always doing something, there鈥檚 always motion.鈥�
I鈥檝e been disappointed fishing in 麻豆社国产before, with my spin-gear, but the challenge of trying something new in fly-fishing gives me a satisfying feeling. I know I did something right 鈥� I did feel, and lose, a fish on the line 鈥� but they aren鈥檛 very hungry today.
It鈥檚 difficult to explain the experience of being out on the water, the appeal of the challenging cast and the magic of landing a fish.
Fortunately, the sport has a rich history of old sayings to defer to.
鈥淭he iconic saying is 鈥楩ly-fishing is more than fly-fishing,鈥欌�� says Knowles.
Having been outwitted by west coast fishing again, I don鈥檛 have the first-hand knowledge to explain the feeling.
But fortunately, I also know my fishing clich茅s, and I鈥檝e always been comforted by the old adage that if you caught something every time, they鈥檇 call it 鈥渃atching鈥� and not 鈥渇ishing.鈥�
The day out on the Cheakamus is a reminder life is better when you focus more on the fishing than the catching.
*Please note, this post has been corrected since it was first published. Originally, bull trout was identified as bullhead. The Chief apologizes for the error, especially to the fish.聽
