Columbia River Flyfishing

Columbia River Flyfishing specializes in guided fly fishing and spey casting tours for hard fighting rainbow trout. A typical trip is 6-8 hours and usually begins around 9:00 or 10:00 am depending on the season. River and current fishing conditions will dictate the launch site.

The main vessels are 18-foot center console jet-boat with a quiet 80 horse outboard jet. Each boat can accommodate two fly fishers and the guide. The great fishing spots are nearly everywhere, and all equipment is on-board so you will be fishing in minutes; all you need is your sunglasses and favorite fishing hat. Once you’ve fished an area the jet boat will zip you to the next hot spot.

There is a special spot on a big back eddy with a sandy bottom we like to call “the aquarium”. It’s a special place with crystal clear water that offers excellent fish viewing. At the start of the aquarium your guide will turn off the motor and begin to drift. As you drift through the 100 yard long aquarium you will see walleye, rainbow trout and spectacular white sturgeon in water that is usually only 2-6 feet deep.

Columbia River white sturgeon are a protected species that dates back to the Triassic period some 245 million years ago. They are the largest freshwater fish in North America and may exceed 19 feet in length and 1,700 pounds. They can live for over 100 years, but most sturgeon you will see in the aquarium are young teenagers about 6 feet long. In the aquarium it is difficult not to try casting for a trout or walleye as they are “right there”, but it is pointless as the water is so clear the fish see you and will just scoot off as soon as the water is disturbed.

Of course there are also ospreys, eagles, and other birds and wildlife to see, but the most abundant wildlife is the fish by a long shot. You see the trout on the surface rising all year long, and you see them in the shallows all the time. Columbia River fishing is an amazing thing to experience.

Columbia River Flyfishing has tens of thousands of hours of guiding experience and a long history of customer service in the sport fishing industry. They have been the featured guide for nearly 20 sport fishing television shows and have hosted trips for many authors as well as fly fishing equipment engineers and manufacturers.

Matt Guiguet
Matt is the owner/operator of Genelle based Columbia River Flyfishing and Kyoquot based Rugged Point Lodge on Vancouver Island. He is a full time fishing guide with 35 years of experience on both saltwater and freshwater. Matt has over 25 years of steelhead guiding experience on Vancouver island running jet boats on the Stamp-Somass rivers and drift boats and raft on the Gold River as well as many other island rivers.

Fishing has been a family tradition for as long as Matt remembers. His grandfather and uncle were both commercial fishermen, and Matt became infatuated with fishing for perch and “shiners” on his grandfathers dock when he was five. He began fly fishing at the age of seven, and when other kids rode bikes and climbed trees Matt was fishing and tying flies.

Matt is a family man and running two businesses keeps Matt and his wife Kristy very busy. The Guiguet’s spend three months in summer ocean fishing at the lodge for salmon, halibut, ling cod, and albacore tuna. They run 5 boats and 15 guests at a time on back-to-back trips, and even their five year old daughter pitches in as the Guiguet’s keep a half dozen rods setup for local kids and she teaches them how to fish.

In the fall the Guiguet’s return home to Genelle to fly fish the Columbia river for rainbow trout over the following nine months. When Matt began fishing the Columbia River eight years ago he was amazed at the sheer number and size of the fish. He stated the Columbia offers the best rainbow trout fishing he has ever seen. The Guiguet’s relocated to Genelle for the spectacular fishing and because the Kootenays are an excellent place to raise a family.

Bruce Kruk
Bruce is a long time Trail resident that has fished the Columbia River for 23 years. Bruce regularly competes in international spey competitions placing eighth at Speyomega while competing in Ireland and first at Redneckorama in the USA. Bruce can often be found on the Columbia River honing his skills and tutoring others in the art of spey casting.

A guided trip with Bruce will see you shuttled spot to spot where you will stop to wade the riffles and runs. Having fished the Columbia for 23 years, Bruce knows how to read the water and present the fly for the larger trout that are best found with a long spey cast and swung fly. Bruce will work with you one-on-one to perfect your casting and fly presentation. You trip will offer more than just a chance to catch a fish, it will offer a chance to hone your skills with a world renown spey caster and instructor.