Fly tackle
Fly fishing Okanagan Lake, honestly explained
People search for fly fishing on Okanagan Lake and picture a caster on a flat. That is not how the big fish here are caught. This is.
The honest version
Okanagan Lake is 135 kilometres long and hundreds of feet deep. The trophy rainbows in it roam, they follow kokanee, and they feed near the surface mainly in the cold months. There is no flat to stand on and no seam to cast at. Casting a fly into it is a lovely way to spend an afternoon and a poor way to catch a big fish.
What does work is a fly, presented on fly tackle, moved by the boat instead of by your arm. A bucktail streamer trolled 150 to 250 feet back on a fast-sink fly line, at around 2.5 to 3 miles an hour, is the single most effective presentation on this lake between October and April.
The gear
Guests who want to fish fly tackle usually run a heavy single-hander or a switch rod with a full fast-sink line and a short leader. The rod is doing very little work on the presentation, it is there for the fight, and a fourteen pound rainbow that has been swimming in cold water its whole life gives you a great deal of fight.
Most of our guests fish line-counter trolling reels instead, which make it far easier to repeat exactly how far back a fly was when it got hit. Both are on the boat. Fish whichever you like.
Bring your own, or use ours
Every charter includes rods, reels, downriggers, terminal tackle and our own hand-tied bucktails. You do not need to own anything. If you would rather fish your own fly rod, bring it, and call Geoff beforehand so you turn up with a line that will get down where the fish are.
Common questions
Is trolling a bucktail fly fishing?
It is fishing a fly, on fly tackle, and a lot of our guests fish it on a fly rod with a fast-sink line. Purists will argue about the word. The fish do not.
Can I bring my own fly rod?
Yes, and plenty of people do. A stout single-hander or a switch rod with a fast-sink line handles it. Talk to Geoff beforehand about lines so you turn up with something that will actually get down.
Do you do cast fly fishing on the lake?
Okanagan Lake is a big, deep, open lake and casting to trophy rainbows in it is not a productive way to spend a day. Trolling flies is what works here. If you want a classic cast stillwater fly day, we will happily point you at people who specialise in it.
Ready to get on the water?
No booking forms and no waiting. Call or text Geoff and you will know within the hour whether your dates work. Half day $500, full day $800, per boat.