Opening Weekend

Boats on the water at twighlight, this last weekend at Chaunigan Lake.

This past weekend we opened Chaunigan Lake Lodge for the season. After alot of hard work, we got to wet some lines for a few hours on the last evening. A fly fishing lesson was soon underway, as well as some spin casting. Fish were on the line immediately, and by nightfall we had caught at least a dozen wild rainbow trout between us. We kept a couple and enjoyed the first fresh fish of the season.


An eagle in the treetops by Chaunigan Lake.

Fish weren't the only wildlife around this weekend. We saw numerous wild horses, eagles, and black bears - even a grizzly sow and her cubs. During the evenings, the sun set across the lake, and the wild sounds of the loons reminded us of Canada's natural beauty all around us. At breakfast, from the dining table, we saw eagles perched up in the tops of trees - and watched one fly suddenly down onto the water and soar back up into the air, fish in it's claws. Later, we were putting in the docks, when we noticed a couple of common goldeneye ducks bathing on a rock. We watched as the drake kept watch on us, one golden eye fixed upon us as the hen cleaned herself with her beak on the rock. While driving out the next day to Highway 20, we had some final encounters with the animals of the Cariboo-Chilcotin. We came across a black bear on the side of the remote gravel road. We watched him as he stood up on his hind legs - his true size now apparent - and he stared at us curiously. A short while later, we saw some wild horses beside a pond - a mare and her foal - and they stood for a picture and then meandered off. Clearly, the Lodge is at the heart of Canadian wildlife viewing.

Your log cabin is waiting.



Our time at the lodge is over for now, and yours is now ready to begin. Nick will be at the lodge to welcome you this summer, and you can taste some of his hearty cooking. Chaunigan Lake Lodge is now open for some cold water fishing, some good food, and some relaxation around the water - or in it (in our wood-stove-heated hot tub). We hope to see you this summer at Chaunigan Lake.

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Chaunigan Lake Lodge Website

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An Ode to the Fish

This June the Chaunigan Lake Lodge opens for it's 77th year. A long history, both of the Lodge and the guiding area itself, is testament to the timeless beauty and draw of the area.

The success of the lake and the Lodge is due especially to the rainbow trout that inhabit it's waters. Before the beginning of this season, let's be naturalists and honour the fish that has provided the opportunities for a remote, natural vacation lodge and world class angling.

THE CHAUNIGAN LAKE RAINBOW TROUT

The rainbow trout of Chaunigan Lake average at around 2 1/2 lbs - but have been known to vary in weight up to 6 lbs. Silvery in colour, perhaps with a red or pink band along the lateral line, their backs, sides, and fins are covered in black spots.

As for their diet, rainbow trout mainly eat leeches, crustaceans, molluscs, and insects such as caddis flies and black flies; they also eat salmon eggs when available. Much of this feeding is done in the shallows (20-30 ft depth) around the edges of Chaunigan Lake. Of note from past fly-fishing trips was Ed's Point, in the northwest corner of the lake, by the rustic cabins. Here, an experienced angler could catch up to 50 trout a day!

More generally speaking, the Rainbow trout is an international fish, being found across Canada and around the world - as it adapts well to a variety of ecosystems. Besides lakes like Chaunigan, rainbow trout are versatile enough to inhabit water systems at various elevations, including apline elevation lakes and streams (usually those with pebble bottoms).

As such, there is more available at Chaunigan Lake than even just the lake itself! Fly-in fishing (by float plane) is available to any of the 6 lakes within the 70 mile radius of Chaunigan Lake. There is also the opportunity to hike or ride a horse in to local streams. With this season just begining, there's much to explore and many fish yet to be caught at the Chaunigan Lake Lodge.

We hope to see you once the lodge is opened, sometime in the middle of June, for some world class fishing.

- Adam Leson

CHAUNIGAN LAKE LODGE -- 1.888.879.8885 (toll free)

The only way to cover ground in the Chilcotins, winter or summer, was on horseback or team. Living in the Chilcotins meant overcoming obstacles, day and day out just to survive.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie was the first white man to cross the Rocky Mountains and view the Pacific Ocean from a North American shore twelve years before the more famous Lewis and Clark expedition. Mackenzie set out from Lake Athabaska in 1793 in search of an overland passage to the Pacific and arrived at his destination 72 days and 1250 miles later.

The trail left from the mouth of the Blackwater River west of Quesnel, followed the upper Blackwater up past Eliguk Lake, over the Rainbow Mountains and through what is now Tweedsmuir Park to Bella Coola and was designated as a Heritage Trail in 1987.

It's thought that the first occupiers of land west of the Fraser were the Shushwap Tribe which was nearly wiped out by smallpox in 1862. The Chilcotin or Tsilhqot'in people moved in to take their place from their traditional territory in the west (Alexis Creek to Ulkatcho).

While the tribes and white people had their problems, the Chilcotin Wars being most notable, most of the chiefs were very friendly and cooperative with the white settlers, particularly when treated with equality and respect. As a result, many natives went to work with the settlers as ranch hands, cowboys, packers and guides.

Tom Hance put up a trading post and post office at what become known as Hanceville (turn off to Chaunigan Lake). His wife Nellie was the first white women to come into the Chilcotin had a long trip to get to Hanceville in 1887 on horseback. She rode the whole three hundred miles (510 km) sidesaddle. Tom's place and later Lee's became a jumping off point for all points west and adventuresome men gradually spread through the country, settling their homestead and acquiring ranching stock. While many of their wives were brought from England, the States or Victoria, many married lasses from one of the Chilcotin tribes and more than one family, especially in the Anahim area, has a long history of intermingled families.

Take Care
Tom

Chaunigan Fishing

Hello Everyone

Here are a few of my favourite dry flies to use at Chaunigan.

Adam's Fly:

- One dry fly that is a "must" have in any fly box.

- This fly works for just about any mayfly hatch when you don't have the exact match. Since it resembles a lot of bugs it can work when the fish aren't keying on the current hatch.

- Believed to have originally been a down wing pattern that more closely imitated a caddis (designed by Len Halladay of Michigan in 1922 at the request of his close friend Charles Adams).

- Considered by many anglers to be the best dry fly pattern ever conceived.

- Have had quite a bit of success using this fly on Chaunigan when any type of hatch is happening.

Elk hair Caddis:

- Another one of the best flies you can have in your fly box.

- Quite a remarkable Caddis hatch on Chaunigan most years. Adult imitations work well any time of year caddis are hatching.

- Perfect fly for imitating both the newly emerged caddis flies' take off and the skittering female dropping her eggs under the evening sky.

- Had a fair bit of success with this pattern and definitely worth trying on Chaunigan.


Take care Everyone
Talk to you soon
Tom

Chaunigan Fishing

Hello Everyone

Here are even more of my favourite flies to use at Chaunigan.

Dragonfly Nymph:

- This nymph can be fished year round. Most interior Dragonflies are 'Darners' of the family Aeshnidae preferring the cover of weed beds.

- Usually the fly imitation is fished on or near the lake bottom. The retrieve can be still, or an inching motion to represent the nymph crawling, or short to moderate pulls to represent the dragonfly using it's jet propulsion system to escape the predatory fish.

- A sinking line or weighted flies with a dry line both seem to work.

- I have had quite a lot of success with the Peacock Dragon fly nymph. Really any nymph with light to dark green colour. Also I try to get patterns with the large eyes it has seemed to work good for me.

Tom Thumb (dry fly):

- One of the most popular dry flies throughout B.C. it is a very versatile and successful pattern to use.

- can represent a variety of insects including chironomids, caddis flies, and sedge flies along with others.

- You can fish this pattern to represent traveling sedges. Retrieve the fly in short sharp bursts. Often large trout will "slash" or "roll" over the fly trying to stop its movement. It takes a great deal of patience not to strike at the first sign of the fish. Often this "slash" or "roll" precedes a second attempt from the fish.

- Another way is to troll them on a dry line. Troll them on a dry line with lots of line out. I will usually do this moving to my next spot to cast.

Stay tuned for next blog and will cover a few more dry flies I like to use.

Chaunigan Fishing

Hello Everyone

Here are a few more of my favourite flies to use on Chaunigan Lake.

Black Rabbit Leech:

- I like the rabbit leech because when it gets wet the fur sticks together and forms a slick shape.

- An effective pattern that can often bring the fish out when nothing else seems to be working.

- I prefer a weighted head with a couple of fast strips then a pause letting the fly sink a bit on the pause. The fish will often hit on the pause.

- In the early evenings the dark colour creates a silhouette that is sure to catch fish.

Werner Green Shrimp:

- Very important fly to B.C. anglers. Many lakes including Chaunigan have an abundance of these small crustaceans.

- One of, if not the top food source for the trout in the lake. You can fish with this fly year round.

- The shrimp will often hide in weed beds so check these locations on the lake while fishing this fly.

- Floating Line Sinking Fly Method - In water up to 10 ft deep, attach enough tippet to get to the lake bottom. After casting wait until fly settles to the bottom then retrieve.

- Sinking Line Method - In water greater than 10 ft. deep, cast line along drop offs and let settle to near or on the bottom. Work the fly along slowly with short quick jerks to imitate crawling and swimming among the weeds.

Muddler Minnow (Silver):

- Don Gapen designed this fly in 1936 to imitate a sculpin, known as the Cockatush Minnow, to catch large Brook Trout on the Nipigon River in Ontario, Canada.

- Fly is so successful it is now known as a "must have" fly. Incredibly diverse fly that can be fished in all conditions, whether it be cold or warm, fresh or saltwater, clear or cloudy.

- The versatility of the Muddler Minnow stems from this pattern's ability to mimic a variety of aquatic and terrestrial forage, ranging from sculpins, to leeches, to grasshoppers, crickets, spent mayflies, emerging green drakes, stonefly nymphs along with many other creatures.

More of my favourite flys in next blog.

Chaunigan Fishing

Chaunigan is one of the best still water fishing in B.C. Not to many lakes can boast 30-50 fish caught per day.

Here are some of my favourite flies to use on Chaunigan Lake.

Woolly Bugger:

- a must have in any fly box this fly is one of the most popular streamers in use today.

- originally tied to imitate the Dobsonfly the Woolly Bugger is used to imitate leeches, baitfish, tadpoles. damselfly larvae, dragonfly larvae and crayfish.

- fish this pattern on a floating, intermediate, sink tip or full sinking line.

- works well using "pull and pause" strip, but can use just about any type of retrieve. Fished from a boat you can simply troll this fly or cast towards bank sides and draw back to get a strike.

Doc Spratley:

- Almost all B.C. anglers successfully fish this pattern. A very versatile pattern it is another must have in any fly box.

- It does not represent any particular insect, it serves as an adequate representation of major insects found in B.C.

- In larger sizes this fly represents leeches well.

- Most popular method of fishing this fly is to troll it with a full sinking line (type II of III). This fly should hit bottom occasionally while varying your trolling speed.

next fishing blog will cover more popular flies used on Chaunigan Lake