With a rather good knowledge of the fly fishing possibilities in the Yukon and Northeast British Columbia, it’s nice to share your experience with others. Pacific salmon runs attract people, a lot of people, but there are not so many Pacific salmon and steelhead in this part of North America and maybe that’s one of the reasons why I love the fly-fishing in the Yukon so much. You won’t find any fishing pressure and the fly-fishing is relatively new as well. Most fly fishers that fished the Yukon over the years came from abroad. For local people, lake fishing is the most popular way to catch their fish and that’s probably why it is so well reviewed in fishing guides and reports. There isn’t much information about river fishing available and there is a lot to explore and discover. The opportunity of fishing unknown waters is what I like very much and Yukon offers the fishermen hundreds of wonderful streams, brooks, and rivers that are still peaceful and unspoiled.

When we travel by car we mainly fish the easy access waters but even there you don’t see any fly fishermen. You can float for hours in your belly-boat without seeing a single fisherman. Unfortunately, due to medical problems I can’t make long hikes in the wilderness anymore. I used to be able to easily walk for days beside riverbanks and through valleys, and I loved every single minute of it. It is still hard to miss all those exciting trips or wonderful campouts and to get over it I chose a new dimension in my life. I found a very good alternative by staying at fishing lodges more frequently so that I still can be as close as possible to the wild. Most lodges are located in perfect or wild fishing areas and therefore long hikes are not really necessary to reach the hot spots and enjoying nature and wildlife. Most travelling is done by boat and on those days that we fish on our own, or when a little hike is required, we just keep a radio in our back pack. When you get older and more fragile it is nice to know that there are people nearby just in case of an emergency. I often fish with fishing guides and native people. We share our knowledge and experiences and is an excellent way to make new friends.

How sparse the fly fishers really are in the Yukon is hard to say because of the enormous distances, but during a recent trip in June and July, I just met only a handful of them. In 2000 I only met three people in the entire province whom exclusively fished for grayling by fly. Maybe now you can imagine that there is a lot of space left in an area that is almost as big as Spain. Fly-fishing in the Yukon is completely different from all my other fishing trips and experiences and that’s another reason why I probably like it so much.

What makes the Yukon so special for the fly fisher
Let me try to explain why the fly-fishing in the Yukon is so special for me. First, there is a real big challenge to fish for six species of whitefish. When I talk about a real challenge I mean that fishing for whitefish by fly is not easy and maybe that’s why so few people are fishing for them. Many people still believe that whitefish only exist in lakes but they don’t. It depends on the species. There are some species that just stay in the lakes during the wintertime but as soon the rivers start to flow again they move up or even downstream. I also know about whitefish that stay in rivers all year round, for example in Scandinavia or Russia and you just have to review the catch reports about ice fishing in those countries. Some species of whitefish like rivers and this actually means a lot for a fly fisherman because in running water (including inflows and outlets of lakes) they usual are much easier to catch and are much more aggressive after flies too. In some of the Yukon lakes the whitefish catches seems easier then in other lakes but there are several lakes such as Dogpack, Wolf Lake and Tincup where it seems impossible to hook them by flies at first. It mainly is those difficult places that I have my biggest interest. Many people underestimate the whitefish as a game fish, but they do readily take dry flies and nymphs. For me it is a wonderful fish to pursue. I can assure you that if you like to fish for grayling, you will love to catch a nice whitefish as well. If you think that fly-fishing for whitefish isn’t really spectacular then I only can say that you missed at least one big opportunity.

Whitefish

Whitefish all over the world are an important species in the food chain. In the Yukon they are food for lake trout, pike and even big whitefish. If you find a place with a lot of whitefish you can be sure there is an excellent fishing for other species as well. Because the whitefish feed most of the time in the shallows of the lakes during summertime you can select one fish and try to catch it on sight, which surely is one of the most beautiful ways of fly fishing. I get many fish sight casting and it always makes my day. When you finally hook one you will quickly discover that they fight much stronger then grayling, but the risk of losing them during your play is pretty high too. Depending on the species the landing chances easily can be 40% only! This of course because of their small and very soft mouth. You will need some nice tricky flies to prevent slipping off the hook too easily. With curved hooks I finally increased the landing percentage up to 90%.

The most spectacular experience by far was the catch of my first inconnu. This species is the biggest of all whitefish and is better known as the Tarpon of the North. They easily can reach more then one meter in length. Why the inconnu grow so big, in the Yukon, is still unknown. There is still a lot to learn about this wonderful and rare whitefish and people are discovering them at more and more locations over the past 10 years. The inconnu seem to like big, muddy and silty rivers and associated lakes and the Yukon has plenty of them. Some people have told me they live in the big lakes and spawn in the rivers that feed the lakes. Other stories say that they come from the Arctic Ocean and follow the drainages to the south. However, one thing is striking: the fight of the inconnu is the most amazing I ever seen and because we use light tackle and flies the fish surely can play more freely than when hooked with a big heavy spoon on a stiff powerful rod.

Grayling
One of the Yukon’s favourite game fish, of course, is the arctic grayling. Grayling fishing in North America is completely different from what we know in Europe. In my personal opinion there are two groups of Arctic grayling in the Yukon. Of course there is only one species but it feels so nice to split them apart. The first group can be considered as the insect feeders. I also see them as the un-exhausted leapers and we mainly catch them in the Yukon Rivers or feeders and outlets from the lakes. You fish for them with light tackle and large dry flies or you use some nice realistic nymph imitations. During the fight they jump fanatically. Because many people fish for them with spoons they miss the magnificent and acrobatic leaping qualities of the Arctic grayling. At the Wolf River we recorded one Arctic grayling fish jumped 15 times in just one fight. Some leap for almost a meter straight in the air.

The second group of grayling I have labelled as "the aggressors". These fish take really everything and many of them have been caught while we were fishing with big nymphs or streamers for lake trout. To be honest I don’t like this latter group very much especially not when I hook them on heavy equipment. However, their aggressive strike and strong fight is much more powerful than we are used to in Northern Europe. The reason for this must be because they have more volume and aren’t as slim as the fish we catch in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Not all rivers in the Yukon have grayling or have grayling all year round and it surely has to do with the strong and long wintertime and depth of the river. Some rivers only hold grayling during summer and these surely are fish that stayed behind after spawning. Most grayling will be found in the Yukon lakes and the rivers that connect lakes.

Lake Trout
The species that surely makes the Yukon so interesting for fly fishermen is the lake trout (savelinus namaycush). It’s a member of the char family but not many people like it when you call them char. They grow big (up to 40-50 pounds) and they surely are the most powerful fish in the Yukon. The biggest fish usually take the biggest flies but I often caught fish around 4-6kg on nymphs and with light tackle while fishing for grayling. It’s a very risky action playing a big lake trout on a light Arctic grayling rig, and you need a soft rod to prevent your leader from snapping. Night fishing or fly-fishing on dull and dark days are the prime times for catching the biggest specimens. The most exclusive lake trout fishing I did at times when the lakers are feeding at the surface on sedges and beetles in the shallows. This is the prime time for me. Those fish usually are between 2 and 4kg and give an excellent fight on very light dry fly equipment. If you want to go after those real big monsters you will need at least a stiff #8 rod and long heavy sinktip lines. With a soft rod it will take ages to land the fish and they could be damaged by too intensive playing. There is amazing fishing in the fall - September - when the lake trout shoal up and prepare for spawning on gravel beaches around little islands and feeders.

Feeding and fighting behaviour of the lake trout
The average sized trout feed heavily on snails, nymphs, shrimp (scuds), and smaller fish. Since they have only about 3 months to eat and store necessary fat for the coming 8 months of lean winter, they eat prolifically, utilizing any available protein; they are even willing to scavenge. Flies can catch enormous lakers indeed but you will need to go out when the weather conditions aren’t very nice. In a boat that’s not very pleasant at times because mountain winds can be unpredictable. But everything has a good side too and while a lake in the Yukon can get stormy in minutes, you just need to go ashore for awhile and let it blow over. I have never had to wait longer than an hour so far, but of course this is no warranty. Let's go back to the big monster fish. They usual stay deep and feed at the bottom. The best way to catch a big laker by fly is at night when they come up from the deeps and feed on the steep drop offs or even hunt after whitefish and grayling on the shallows. They can handle enormous flies and I caught several by accident while fishing for pike with our famous Dutch Pike streamers better known as half chickens!
Lake trout have a unique way of fighting. Frequently, when initially hooked, they provide only token resistance – until they see you or the boat or belly boat. Then all politeness disappears quickly and a real strong fight begins. Although they rarely become airborne, lake trout do make very strong runs and demonstrate commendable strength. Even the smaller ones really don’t jump but when they run you will notice it clearly. A good and long backing will be indispensable. People who don’t fish often will smash a brand new 5 lb. tippet in seconds easily when the laker starts its run. Once they are brought closer to the boat or float tube, lakers change tactics. Frequently they begin indescribable gyrations around a fixed point somewhere within their heads. As a result they either wind themselves up completely with coils from the leader, or they pull the fly out of their mouth and get away. I have seen lakers pulling doubles or treble hooks out of their mouths using this method. I fish single, barbless hooks very fanatically and I never had any clear proof that a double or treble hook will land more fish. Because of this powerful fighting method I highly recommend people NOT use big barbed hooks or doubles and trebles because fish damage is enormous. Another tactic used by Lake trout when brought toward shore, is to dive nose first into weeds or sand to try to rub the fly out of their mouth. Be warned - they succeed well with this trick.

Pike

Finally there is the great Northern pike. The popularity of fly fishing for pike in the Yukon has increased enormously during the last few years. I have met several people who only come to the Yukon to fish for pike and I can understand that very well. The reason is quite simple: because the Yukon and NWT offer the fly fisher some of the most spectacular pike fishing you ever will experience. When you hit the right conditions it is no problem to catch several fish over a meter in a day. A bit stormy and cloudy weather with very bright sunshine in between seems a very good prospect to go after them but personally I prefer to catch them at dull and dark windy days. I only fish for pike one or two days each trip because the catches can be so plentiful sometimes that the challenge easily can fade away!

Wolf Lake Wilderness Lodge
One of my favourite fishing spots in the Yukon is Wolf Lake and Wolf River. Wolf Lake is located approximately 120 miles east of Whitehorse. There is only one accommodation available, which is Wolf Lake Wilderness Lodge, and the only way to get there is by air. To view Yukon by air is a spectacle. Your flight by floatplane into Wolf Lake will introduce you to the real scenic and rugged beauty of the Yukon wilderness. It also will provide an exciting transition into a wonderful environment of peace, serenity and spectacular outdoor adventure. Wolf Lake is 14 miles long, 3.5 mile wide and the deepest spot is about 275ft. The Lake has a high number of shallows and steep drop-off’s all over the place. Those are the absolute hot spots for the fly fishermen. There are also many sandbanks on which the trout are feeding on as soon the ice disappears.

Wolf Lake is located in the deep wilderness of Canada's Yukon Territories. The lodge itself is surrounded by breathtaking scenery with an abundance of wildlife that matches the incredible fishing. Twenty to 30 pound (+) lake trout are caught, photographed and released on a regular basis with many trophies up in the 50 pound range every season. Catch and release fishing is highly promoted, which makes the fishing better each year. The average lake trout are between 5 and 18lbs and easy to catch by fly as soon you find the magic touch and right flies. Trophy Northern Pike in the 20 to 30 pound range patrol the shoreline while the Wolf River is stuffed with the highest population of Arctic Grayling I have ever seen in the world.