Valhalla Lodge: Fishing Day

Thursday - Tuesday: Full days of fishing from the Lodge.

Breakfast is at 7:00 a.m. and afterwards clients depart for a full day of fishing. Lunch is prepared at the lodge each morning, or by the guide on the river. Lunch consists of homemade soups, sandwiches, bread and salads. If you have any dietary requests, please be certain to let us know ahead of time on your emergency and itinerary form so the chef can accommodate your special needs. Appetizers and dinner will be served in the evenings after everyone is back at the lodge.

One advantage of the Sustut over other steelhead fisheries (like the Babine, Bulkley, Kispiox, & Thompson) is the amount of time the river takes to clear and drop after a big storm; common in the fall in British Columbia. The Sustut claims to be the fastest dropping and quickest clearing of them all. The river can virtually be blown out one day and fishable the next.

Fishing on the Sustut is strictly catch-and-release with a single-barbless hook and, with little outside pressure, anglers enjoy a rare opportunity to fish relatively untouched water every day of the week. Most often, anglers are rotated on 3 sections of river; upper, middle and lower. Days are long at Steelhead Valhalla. Anglers will fish an average of 10 hours each day.

Steelhead on the Sustut are big, averaging twelve to fifteen pounds. Larger fish over 20 lbs are not uncommon, and occasionally a monster over 30 lbs is landed! This is trophy steelhead fishing, not a numbers game, but very rewarding to anglers willing to fish hard and put in a long day.
Steelhead fishing is, we think, for the most part made to sound like a sport for tough fanatical fishermen. Granted aficionados seem to fit this mold. However, that is largely due to the fact that many steelheaders are so taken by the fish and country that they pursue the fish like their lives depend on it…in some cases for months at a time eating canned meats and aged bread by a fire.

Contrary to public opinion, steelhead are aggressive and catchable for an angler of any skill level. You do not need to be able to throw a hundred feet of line or fish a 500 grain sinking line until your shoulder gives out. Without exception, if you listen to your guide, he will steer you into fish within your ability or interest. Fishing a dry fly is something that everyone should try for a few days. It is effective on the Sustut and is the most exciting way to catch a steelhead. You may lose a higher percentage of your fish, but the take is well worth it. In the end, you won’t remember whether you landed 10 or 12 fish for the week, but you will remember a fish boiling on your skated dry in a glossy tail-out.

Don’t let the rest of the camp scare you out of it...because they will.

The fish on the Sustut are among B.C.’s largest. The steelhead average 14 pounds and often reach well into the high twenties. There are 30-35 pound fish landed yearly. Consequently, we recommend you come prepared and with the appropriate gear.