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Catch &
Release
The first consideration we give is to the fishery at Fortress Lake.
Fortress Lake is considered Western North America's finest brook trout lake
and is set in a stunning, world renowned alpine location. While it is a fertile lake,
it is set in a fragile ecosystem. Because of this, Fortress Lake
Retreat is catch & release for guests.

Fortress
Lake is a very visible example
of how a small, responsible, commercial operations can be
conducted in pristine locations such as Hamber
Provincial Park. Please help us to preserve this
pristine wilderness location by minimizing your impact
on the fishery, the lake, and the surrounding
environment by following the simple steps as will be
outlined upon arrival.
"Fortress
Lake is one of the most memorable places I've visited in
my angling travels, and I recommend it highly for anyone
seeking the opportunity to catch a trophy-sized brook
trout. If the scenery doesn't get into your blood, the
big brookies will." ~ Northwest Fly
Fishing
The Fishery
Fortress Lake is 11km (7mi) long and
averages 1.5km (1mi) wide. Our retreat represents the majority of the
use on the lake and we accommodate a maximum of 16 guests. Our guests adhere to catch and release. We feel that the
opportunity to
enjoy wild places like this is accompanied by an
obligation to act as responsible guardians of the resource. We are the
only commercial operators permitted on the lake, no other guide,
company, or services exist or are permitted. The fishing is as good now
as it has ever been - let's keep it that way!
Wood
River
We don't just fish Fortress Lake. For stream fishermen,
there is a good population of brook trout in the
outflowing river at the west end of the lake. We shuttle
to the mouth of the river and wade our way downstream.
There are good pools and seams to fish with
some dry and wet fly, lures, and jigs. The river gets light
hatches of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies.
"There
are so many fish it began to seem like an Alfred
Hitchcock movie - one called
The
Fish"
- Conde Nast Traveler magazine
The Season
Our waters are cold year round
and the fishing is fairly consistent
at Fortress Lake, although the fish themselves provide a bit of a challenge as they move about
the lake with seasonal conditions. May - June and
September - October are the best sight fishing months, when
schools of fish can easily be seen and cast to. Late July through early
September can offers good, consistent fishing. Early July can be
temperamental and can see some
murky conditions due to alpine runoff, but at the same time some
of the best fishing can occur in July.
Angling Licenses
A current Province of British Columbia angling license is required to
fish our waters. We no longer issue licenses at the lake. BC
licenses are now issued on line.
Pontoon & Motor Boats
There are many points along the lake shoreline where fishing
is possible year-round. Some of the best are just a short
stroll from camp. Our boats are ideal for anywhere along the lake shoreline. Typically we drift with the wind
using small corrections with the oars, while casting to the cover lining
the shoreline.
We have 12 and 14 foot aluminum boats powered
with clean and quiet 4-stroke Honda motors. Guests wishing to use these
will appreciate the cost of maintenance and fuel at such a remote
location, as we fly all fuel in. Because of this, we do employ wind
drifting the shorelines rather than trolling - trolling is quite
ineffective, the best method to anchor and fan cast. A guide on the oars with
one or two anglers per boat is an ideal way to spend the day wind
drifting also.
Shuttles
We will shuttle anglers to various destinations along the lake and river
at their request. Guides may not always spend full days with you as you
may seek quiet time to yourself. Hence, being shuttled to various
locations is a great option. Float tubes and pontoon boats are available
and can be an excellent way to enjoy solitude.
Flies
/ lures
We use barbless, single hooks only when angling at Fortress Lake, per
provincial regulations. No double fly/hook set ups.
We use
streamers for much of the season. Chironomid fishing can be exceptional,
as can nymphing and fishing scud patterns.
Dry fly fishing is sometimes effective, though we
encourage guests to come prepared to spend most of their
time subsurface. Spin
fishers have excellent success as well. Various lures, jigs, etc are
employed. We will email a
packing list upon
booking.

Rods, Reels and Other Gear
We recommend 9 foot fly
rods with #6 quick sinking and sink tip line. Floating
line (with 9 to 20 foot leaders) can also be quite effective at given
times. Spin fishers should come prepared to fish a
variety of tactics, keeping in mind the heavy wood in
the lake and large trout. An exact packing list will be emailed to you
upon booking. We recommend purchasing the sinking fly lines at
Fortress Lake Retreat to ensure you get the right sink
rate to fish this lake. They are available in our guide
shack.
"Crystal clear waters, perfect for sight fishing. Anglers can cast to
pods of cruising trout or single out larger specimens." ~ Canadian Fly
Fisher Magazine ~

Your Trophy
We promote replica mounts and have an excellent artist we work with. All that is necessary is a couple of good quality color
photos of your catch, a length and breadth measurement, plus a quick
weight, and then you can return your catch to fight another day.

Our
fishing vacation packages include semi-guided fishing, which
entails that you will have time with a guide, but not your entire trip
(fully guided packages are available). You will learn about the lake, how to fish it,
fly/lure selection, locations of the lake that are fishing well - where the best fishing is at
given times. Our concept is
to provide the instruction required and allow you to fish with one guide
per two boats on the lake, and not have a guide over your shoulder the
entire trip.
"This
is a fishery which offers perhaps the finest brook trout fishing, challenging the legendary waters of Labrador and Ungava" ~
Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine
     
Each guest will receive guiding and instruction to successfully fish our waters. We strive for you to enjoy
your time on the water, with excitement and anticipation of angling
success. We will have an appropriate number of
staff on site for your group to be properly assisted in finding and
catching trout. Again,
through the years, we have found that it is not necessary to have a
guide with you all day as everyone enjoys varying degrees of personal,
quiet time.
"Powerful,
tough, and exceptional fighters!"
Le Moucher Mag (France)
Fishing Instruction is also included in your package. For people who
simply wish to learn how to fly fish, our guide staff is extremely
efficient in teaching the art of fly fishing. Our teaching process begins
by showing the end result in demonstration, then breaking down each
component of casting with each "student". Learning to fly fish
is fun, and what better place to do so? Once the casting clinic is
complete, we host each guest on the water and begin the process of
learning why the trout are where they are and how to catch them.
Spin fishers are given every consideration as brook trout are at least
as fun on spinning gear as the fly, often with greater success.
Ultimately, we ask the question... is spin
fishing or fly fishing the most effective technique to catch trophy
brookies? Perhaps your group of friends might want to do a little head
to head fishing and find out for yourselves...
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