OUTDOOR LIVING

Miramichi River, NB

Duane Radford Article and Photos

These adventures have enriched my life far beyond just the fishing experience and have made me feel better connected to Canada.

I don’ t have a desire to travel to American destinations anymore, considering the political climate and poor exchange on the dollar, so for now, I plan to enjoy travelling in Canada( but I could be persuaded to take a winter trip to the tropics). More recently, I’ ve been considering fishing trips beyond Alberta’ s borders. I’ ve enjoyed trips in the wilds of British Columbia, Labrador, New Brunswick, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon to satiate my travel bug.

This year, I suggest checking out fall fishing excursions in British Columbia and Canada’ s Maritimes. Autumn is generally the best time to catch chinook and coho salmon in British Columbia and Atlantic salmon in the Maritimes, often in spectacular, unspoiled settings. Bull trout and steelhead trout in British Columbia are another draw, as they stage here prior to their fall spawning season. Plus, airlines aren’ t as crowded, accommodation is easier to book at cottages, country inns, and lodges, and restaurants don’ t have long line-ups. Best of all, the fishing streams are usually uncrowded.

Autumn weather is generally good across Canada, although there can be chilly, rainy days on streams in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. This area is often called“ Alberta’ s playground,” and its proximity makes it an obvious choice for an autumn angling getaway. If you haven’ t travelled to Canada’ s Maritimes, consider combining a fishing trip with a sight-seeing trip. There’ s no better time than autumn to visit the Maritimes, when deciduous trees explode in a kaleidoscope of orange, red, and yellow.

Fly angling for coho salmon is especially good in the autumn in British Columbia. I’ ve been on trips where I’ ve actually handed over my fly rod to fishing guides so I could take a break; catching fish non-stop can be tiring on some Coast Mountain streams, such as those near Terrace. The outstanding fishing for steelhead trout can be near the pinnacle of a fly angler’ s bucket list, as can chinook salmon fishing on the salt chuck out of Campbell River, Prince Rupert, and Haida Gwaii. Some truly outstanding chinook salmon— in the“ Tyee” category, topping 30 pounds— can be caught in the ocean. Bull trout fishing on streams like the Pitt River near Coquitlam or the Wigwam River near Fernie can be red-hot in the autumn.

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