PPS Destinations Report 

Clearwater River, BC, Canada

Date:        July, 2007

 Reported by Dr. Richard Rotter, Washington, USA

Anyone looking for a pristine Canadian fly-fishing experience should consider the Clearwater river in Wells Gray Provincial Park, about an hour and a half north of Kamloops in Central BC.   My friend Steve Jennings owns a couple fly shops in the area, including the Little Fort Fly Shop,  and is an excellent source for info on regulations and access.  The river opens in mid-July and continues into the fall with a Salmon run.  There are Rainbow, Bull Trout, and Salmon later in the season.  I have fished this river for the last three years and it is one of my favorites because of the fishing and the beauty of the river. The river, as you can tell by the name, is very clear!   This year I fished in July and the water was quite high, however, there were plenty of wading opportunities.  I stopped counting at 50 fish each day on a combination of dries and minnow patterns.  The fish were 15-20 inches and are very bright.  I rarely see another person fishing there.  The river is popular for kayaking in the lower section, where there is world class white water.  Guiding is not permitted within  the Park boundaries, but you can get to where you need to by raft easily.  When the water is high, in mid-July,  a motor could also be used.  There are many pools, but the seams after fast water worked very well.  The river is primarily gravel with nice bends and braids to wade.  Early, when the river is high, the fish tend to be grouped, later they are everywhere.  I'm not an expert caster, so I would recommend this river to anyone from beginner to expert.  Enjoy!  

Richard Rotter

To view photos, please click on the thumbnail.  To return to this page, please use your back arrow.