Located in S.E. British Columbia, the Kootenay River is a large freestone river that has a good population of bull, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. Dave Brown Outfitters has been guiding on the Kootenay since 1999 and was the first fly fishing service on this historic water.
The Kootenay River
Fly Fishing the Kootenay River
Season
The best times to fish the Kootenay are from April into late May, then again from late August thru October.
Giant Bull Trout
Join us in the Fall for a Bull Trout expereince you will never forget.We use a jet Boat to move up and down the river in search of Monster Bulls.Check out our video .
Options
The Elk, St. Mary and Bull Rivers are all within an easy drive of the Kootenay and there are numerous small streams in the area.
Trip Duration
We suggest a one- to two-day trip on the Kootenay – an easy addition to a multi-day trip to S.E. British Columbia.
Accommodations
We have several lodging options in the Fernie area, including our own Tight Lines Lodge.
Special Equipment
For fishing streamers we recommend a 9-foot, 7- or 8-weight rod and a 200- to 300-grain, 30-foot sink tip line. For dry-fly fishing we suggest a 9-foot, 5- or 6-weight rod and a weight-forward floating line.
Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Salmon Fly | ||||||||||||||||||||
Golden Stone Fly | ||||||||||||||||||||
Yellow & Lime Sally | ||||||||||||||||||||
Various Caddis | ||||||||||||||||||||
October Caddis | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun | ||||||||||||||||||||
Western Green Drake | ||||||||||||||||||||
Red Quill | ||||||||||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olives | ||||||||||||||||||||
Midges | ||||||||||||||||||||
Grasshoppers |
* Hatches may very depending on elevation and watershed *