Whistler Fly Fishing Information

Whistler is a year round resort less than two hours drive from Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. Whistler has all the amenities of a world class resort such as health spas, retail shops, a wide range of accommodations and countless restaurants and bars. Hidden deep in the Coast Mountains it is amazing a place like Whistler even exists, let alone so close to a cosmopolitan city like Vancouver. The coniferous rainforest, rocky peaks and expansive glaciers make the Coastal Mountains one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. The contrast of the glaciers against the dark green hue of the evergreen trees also makes it one of the most picturesque. Whistler supplies all of the amenities of civilization yet is surrounded by virgin wilderness. Garibaldi Provincial Park boarders the community to the southeast. In both that direction as well as west toward the ocean one could travel 150km without crossing so much as a road. The rugged mountains to the southeast serve as the setting to some of the most interesting folklore in BC history. Tales of the reclusive Sasquatch and of a long lost gold mine intrigue the imagination. The forest around Whistler boasts some of the tallest Cedar trees on the planet along with plentiful wildlife. There are Grizzly bears, Cougar, Moose and Wolves in the surrounding mountains, however, near town we just have Deer, Racoons, Black Bears and a variety of birds. In fact the world famous Squamish River, just 35 minutes to the south is home to one of the largest gathering of Eagles in the world during the winter months. Whistler first gained notoriety as a winter sports destination, virtually owning the top spot in ski industry magazine rating lists for the past fifteen years. Easy to see why as Whistler has the most consistent snowfall of any North American resort. The ski season runs from mid November and lasts well into August. Whistler/Blackcomb's twelve quads and three gondolas represent one of the largest high speed lift capacities in the world helping to access almost nine thousand skiable acres. With a base elevation of less than two thousand feet it also boasts the longest vertical in North America without any altitude discomfort. A great year round travel destination Whistler has countless activities for your whole family in both the summer and winter months. In the winter flyfishing is very popular as is snowmobiling, dog sledding and cross country skiing though downhill skiing and boarding are the main attractions. Besides flyfishing in the summer there is wildlife viewing, rafting, swimming, mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, waterskiing/wakeboarding, ATV tours, golfing, glacier skiing/boarding and shopping. In fact due to the weak Canadian Dollar, Whistler is a bargain hunter's delight. Of all the summer time activities golf is by far the most prominent. With three world class tracks right in town and four others within fourty five minutes drive Whistler is renowned as an international golf destination. Long before the skiing and the golf Whistler was famous as a fishing destination. Anglers came from all over to fish for Rainbow Trout in Alta Lake and stay in the resort on the west side of the lake. Although the lake is now lined with houses the fishing in Alta Lake is as good as it ever was. The rainbows are still there and have now been joined by some monstrous Cutthroat Trout. The rest of the Whistler area is a flyfishers dreamland with the many lakes and rivers in the area providing a multitude of fishing options twelve months of the year.