| |  | | |  | PRINT | | Fishing in Canada on our Adventure Trips | |  |
 Inuvialuit fisher. Drying arctic char from the Coppermine River For many of our guests, fishing is a highlight of our wilderness river-based adventure vacations in Canada. Canadian fishing on the north's many remote rivers is a unique experience and one which every angler, novice to expert, should try. Having to survive in these northern waters, fish tend to be wilder and aggressive - preying on whatever bugs or fry come their way. Beginners can enjoy great success and experts have more fun fishing under these optimal conditions. Picture yourself standing under the midnight sun fly fishing and casting a lure or fly into a small eddy, watching the flash of Grayling - one after another - line up to snack on your presentation. With so many rivers and lakes to choose from and the elbow room to spread out from your fellow fishermen, fishing in Canada’s north can’t be beat. You’ll enjoy Canada fly fishing or tackle fishing for Grayling, Dolly Varden, Char and Innconn, species which are generally unique to the north and offer great sport fishing opportunities. And Babine River fishing for salmon (all varieties) adds that extra dose of adrenaline as the reel screams in your hands! PREPARE TO GO FISHING! Fishing Tackle, Rods, Lures and Flies - Please aim for compact “travel” configuration of tackle. Collapsible rods will be easiest to transport and least likely to be accidentally broken.
- Generally speaking Grayling, Dolly Varden, smaller Bull and Lake Trout can be taken with lightweight spinning gear or a 4-6 weight fly rod. Northern Pike, Inconnu and any salmon will require at least a mid-weight spin outfit with a solid reel or a 7-8 fly rod. Northern Pike are very toothy and will require a steel leader so as to not snap the line with their teeth.
- Lure selection varies greatly with Grayling, Bull and Lake Trout and Arctic Char taking smaller lures, like mepps, spinners or little spoons. Grayling are known for taking dry flies on the main riffle of a creek as it enters the main stream. Flies can be wet or dry, try the red tag, royal coachman, Klinkenhammers, bead-head nymphs or smaller woolly buggers. Salmon love pixees or anything resembling an egg or a fly with silver flash. Larger Lake Trout often like it near the bottom so anything that goes deep is generally a good idea. Northern Pike stick to cover or weed beds and attack small mice, muskrat or frog patterns dragged across the surface.
Canada Fishing Licenses By Species | River | Species | License | | Nahanni | Arctic grayling, bull trout, lake trout, northern pike, whitefish
Bull Trout - not Dolly Varden (192KB PDF) | Parks Canada $34.65
Regulations (341KB PDF) | | Mountain | Arctic grayling, lake trout, northern pike | NWT - $20 for resident Canadians and $40 for non resident aliens | | Wind | Arctic grayling, inconnu | Yukon | | Snake | Arctic grayling, inconnu | Yukon | | Burnside | lake trout, Arctic grayling, and landlocked Arctic char | Nunavut - $20 for resident Canadians and $40 for non resident aliens | | Coppermine | Pike, Trout, Arctic Grayling, Arctic char below the Fairy River confluence | Nunavut - $20 for resident Canadians and $40 for non resident aliens | | Firth | dolly varden char
Firth River Fishing (802KB PDF) | Parks Canada $34.65 | | Horton | | NWT - $20 for resident Canadians and $40 for non resident aliens | | Thelon | Arctic grayling, lake trout, northern pike | NWT - $20 for resident Canadians and $40 for non resident aliens | | Tatshenshini | sockeye, chinook, coho, chum & pink salmon, dolly varden, slimy sculpin- heavy glacial silt load - no sportfishing season
| | | Alsek | sockeye, chinook, coho, chum & pink salmon, dolly varden, slimy sculpin- only below Turnback Canyon, although recent surveys indicate a few may be making it through Turnback. Heavy glacial silt load - fishing not recommended. No salmon season.
| | | Stikine | sockeye, chinook, coho, chum & pink salmon, dolly varden, slimy sculpin | | | Taku | sockeye, chinook, coho, chum & pink salmon, dolly varden, slimy sculpin | | | Yukon | Arctic grayling, whitefish, | Yukon | | Babine | sockeye, chinook, coho, chum & pink salmon, dolly varden
Note: On the Babine you are fishing as an independent traveler. The raft guides are not fishing guides. | BC | | Soper | No sport fishing on the Soper- There are some land-locked char in the "upland lakes" according to the guidebook, but they have tapeworm cysts. Yum. And Soper LAKE has Greenland, Atlantic and Arctic cod.
| | Where to purchase your license: - (Firth, Horton Rivers) Invuik - Parka Canada (your guides will help you)
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(Burnside, Thelon, Coppermine Rivers) Yellowknife
- Wolverine Sports Stanton Plaza 100 Borden Dr. (867) 873 - 4350 -
(Nahanni River) FortSimpson - Nahanni National Park Office -
(Babine River) - Smithers -
(Wind, Snake, Stikine Rivers) Whitehorse
- Sports North 404 Baxter St (867)667-7492
 Firth River dolly varden char Catch-and-Release GuidelinesWe strongly encourage “catch and release”. A small number of fish may be kept for a meal if you wish. Tight lines! These guidelines provide basic information on the most beneficial catch-and-release methods for most small- to medium-sized freshwater and marine fish: - If you plan to fish with artificial lures, such as plugs and spoons, consider replacing treble hooks with single hooks. Single hooks are quicker and easier to remove, especially when dealing with such predatory fish as bluefish and northern pike. Consider pinching the barb on your hooks, since this will make releasing the fish much easier.
- Plan your release strategy. Decide whether to keep or release any fish prior to angling or at least before removing the fish from the water. Familiarize yourself with any regulations in effect for the species targeted, and gather any items that will facilitate handling and releasing the fish.
- When a fish is hooked, use a steady, deliberate retrieval technique. This can reduce the amount of stress a hooked fish undergoes when pulled up from the depths too quickly, or when physically exhausted from an overly slow retrieve.
- Once you have decided on releasing the fish, avoid netting or even removing it from the water if possible. Use needle-nosed pliers to pry the hook from the fish while it is still in the water. Fish that can be lifted by the leader – the short length of line used to attach the end of the fishing line to the lure or hook – can easily be released over the rail using a "dehooker." These devices, whether homemade or purchased, are gaining in popularity in the bluefish industry – to avoid the fish’s nasty teeth – and are useful for releasing a number of other species. A dehooker may simply be a metal rod with a handle at one end and a small upturned hook at the other end. If live bait or a lure is deeply embedded in the fish’s gullet, cut the leader close to the fish’s mouth and let the fish keep the hook. Studies have shown that fish can get rid of the hook up to 120 days later.
- When landing the fish, it is important to minimize out-of-water time and any fish contact with surrounding surfaces or objects.
- Avoid using landing nets if possible. If a landing net must be used, one with a neoprene bag rather than natural twine should be used. Neoprene removes less of the fish’s mucous coat.
- Do not use a gaff!
- Keep hands moistened. This helps prevent removal of the fish’s natural protective mucous layer, and reduces the chance of subsequent infections in the fish’s skin.
- Minimize handling, particularly of the gills and soft underbelly. Gently prevent the fish from battering itself on surrounding hard surfaces.
- Return the fish to the water headfirst. In most cases, it is best to point the fish’s head straight down and allow the fish to plunge down into the water.
Sources:
Klauber, A. 1992. Catch & Release. In: Nor’easter: Magazine of the Northeast Sea Grant Programs. Fall/Winter 1992. Malchoff, M.H., M.P. Voiland, and D.B. MacNeill. 1992. Guidelines to Increase Survival of Recreational Sport Fish. Cornell Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet.
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 NAHANNI RIVER ADVENTURESPO Box 31203 Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada Y1A 5P7 Phone (867) 668-3180 | Fax (867) 668-3056 | |  | RESERVATION: 1 (800) 297-6927
info@nahanni.com
© 2007 - Nahanni River Adventures |  |
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Nahanni River Adventures, Nahanni offers exceptional expeditions by raft and canoe on the great rivers from Alaska to Nunavut including: South Nahanni River, Tatshenshini River, Alsek River, Firth River, Snake River, Wind River, Stikine River, Burnside River, Coppermine River, Horton River, Mountain River, Yukon River, Taku River, Gataga River and Sea Kayaking and whale watching at Point Adolphus, Alaska, over-looking Glacier Bay National Park. Our expeditions encompass Nahanni National Park (South Nahanni River), Kluane National Park (Alsek River), Ivvavik National Park (Firth River), Glacier Bay National Park (Alsek River), Herschel Island Territorial Park (Firth River). Nahanni River Adventures operates in Alaska (United States of America), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia (Canada). Nahanni.com is the online presence of the company, Nahanni River Adventures Ltd. Nahanni River Adventures works with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to ensure the environmental integrity of our wild places. Neil Hartling, founder of Nahanni River Adventures, is also the author of: Nahanni, River of Gold...River of Dreams. Alaska to Nunavut - The Great Rivers. Nahanni River Guide. These books may all be purchased through Nahanni.com. Common misspellings of the name are Nahani, Nahannie, Nahanie, Nahoni, Nahonni.
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