Skeena Steel: A New Lodge with Deep Roots in the Heart of Steelhead Country

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On a clear day in the fall, when the blue backlit peaks of the Skeena are dusted in fresh snow, and their deep green flanks spread gently toward pale gray gravel bars edged in brilliant amber alder and birch, and a dreamy, milky-green river slides impatiently by, it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the beauty and promise of this place. At any given moment, a steelhead of 20 or even 30 pounds could be working its way upriver, making each moment spent without a fly in the water feel like a missed opportunity.

For those who have been bewitched by the simple magic of swinging flies for anadromous fish, and steelhead in particular, this system, without asking, cuts straight to your deepest cords, grabs them like a bowstring, and twangs them so fiercely that many are never truly the same. You can argue that such an experience is either a blessing or a curse. For most it proves to be both. But fundamentally, interfacing with the Skeena, a river that many, myself included, consider the greatest steelhead system the world has ever known, is nothing short of transformative, and tends to leave all who have sampled its wonders craving more.

The Salmonid SuperHighway

High on B.C.’s north-central Spatsizi Plateau, two watersheds divide. The waters that flow north create the transboundary Stikine, and the waters that flow south create the sweeping southwest arc of the Skeena, British Columbia’s second-largest river. While the main river flows 360 miles from its headwaters to Prince Rupert on the Pacific, the watershed as a whole drains 21,000 square miles of stunning topography dominated by rugged peaks and softly sculpted forested valleys of spruce and cottonwood. The Skeena winds through four mountain ranges and is home to 11 steelhead-bearing subsystems, some with household names like the Babine, Bulkley, and Kispiox. Lesser-known rivers include the Lakelse, Ecstall, and Kitwanga. It is also the ancestral home and current territory of multiple First Nations tribes, including the Gitxsan, Tsimshian, Wet’suwet’en, Tahltan, and Takla, whose stake in and vision for the future of the region continue to grow.

In addition to gas, mineral, and timber resources, the Skeena watershed is home to a great bounty of wildlife including wolves, wolverines, grizzly bears, black bears, and in the Terrace region, the rare, white, endemic black bear variant known as the Kermode or spirit bear. It is one of the greatest salmonid superhighways in the world, home to all five species of Pacific salmon, and two distinct races of steelhead that have made it an international Mecca for the world’s most devoted anadromous-fish anglers.

The watershed is accessed through two primary hubs. Smithers, located on the Skeena’s largest tributary, is the interior hub and a fall hotspot for steelheaders fishing the upper watershed, including the Bulkley, Kispiox, Babine, and Sustut rivers. Roughly 2.5 hours west of Smithers by vehicle is the larger hub of Terrace. Located 70 miles above the salt, near where the Kalum, Copper, Zymacord, and Lakelse join the mighty Skeena, Terrace may be the greatest location in the world for hardened Spey-fishing addicts, as it offers essentially year-round access to bright anadromous fish.

Powered by Passion

For Skeena River Lodge’s head guide Jeroen Wohe, the pull of the Skeena was so strong that in 2007 he sold his business and home in the Netherlands, told his lovely wife Manon to pack her things, and they moved to British Columbia to build a new life together rooted in swinging flies for steelhead and salmon. He had pursued Atlantic salmon throughout Scandinavia, and spent an extraordinary amount of time exploring and guiding on Russia’s Kola peninsula, but the profundity of fishing the Skeena and her tributaries demanded that he walk away from all that he knew and start over.

He bought a boat, and rod days (the tightly controlled permits allowing guides to work legally on B.C.’s classified waters) and, in 2009, built the first iteration of his highly successful Skeena River Lodge. I have fished with him often, and must confess that behind his dark hair and big rosy cheeks is one of the most confident and effective anglers I have ever met, with an uncanny knack for catching the largest fish in any given system.

In a parallel world, a Swiss man named Marcel Schneider—who at age six told his mother that he would someday "own the best fishing lodge in the world"—grew up to become an exceedingly successful international financier. Ten years ago, as a passion-based side project, he got to work on actualizing his childhood vision and bought a beautiful lodge on the banks of the Skeena 15 minutes upstream of Terrace. Because classified-waters days were hard to come by, he concentrated first on massive renovations and improvements, and next on creating B.C.’s premier heliskiing lodge. In 2020 his White Wilderness Heliskiing operation was voted the best heliskiing lodge of the year by Ski Canada. That same year, he struck a deal with Wohe that would set the stage to create one of the finest fly-fishing lodges in all B.C.

In the deal, Schneider purchased all Wohe’s classified-water days for the Copper, Kalum, and Skeena rivers. He also bought the name Skeena River Lodge, and retained Jeroen as head guide and fishing program manager. Schneider has subsequently purchased additional rod days, continued his massive capital improvements, and positioned himself to deliver on his vision of creating a world-class fly-fishing experience with truly the best of everything.

The Endless Season

One of the great blessings of the Terrace region, barring a tough winter and local rivers completely freezing over, is there is always some sort of great swing fishing to be had. Skeena River Lodge begins its season in April targeting big, bright spring steelhead. These fish are primarily on the main Skeena, Kalum, and Kitimat rivers. It tends to be an 8-weight Spey game employing light tips, 20-pound tippet, and often unweighted shell pink flies. While catch rates tend to be modest, the average size and overall quality of the fish are unsurpassed. Chrome 20-pound fish are not uncommon, and fish knocking at the mythical 30-pound mark are possible. Best yet, these fish tend to be in very shallow water and, for real gamers, can be taken on dry lines and even skated dry flies.

The next big season is king season. This kicks into gear in early June and remains prime until mid-July. The main systems in play include the Skeena, Kitimat, Copper, and Kalum. B.C. kings can be big, meaning over 40 pounds for the fortunate, and many of these rivers have powerful currents, making this a spectacular challenge for those willing to throw a 9-weight two-hander and heavy tips. After mid-July, chum salmon become the primary target species. The region has some of the world’s largest chums, which are terribly strong and can reach 30 pounds.

In August, the widest variety of species can be found ascending the Skeena. There are late kings and chums, sockeyes, pinks, good numbers of cohos, and the summer/fall steelhead migration moves into full swing. This is the month when your line stands the highest chance at getting repeatedly pulled tight, but it may be well into the fight before you can determine what you have hooked. While the majority of August fishing takes place on the main Skeena, the Copper also comes online as one of B.C.’s finest steelhead rivers.

When the trees turn in September and October, visiting fly fishers focus solely on steelhead, and occasionally fall back on smaller trophy coho systems when and if the larger rivers get high and dirty. From mid-September through the end of October, guests at Skeena River Lodge typically spend two days on the Skeena, two on the Kalum, and two on the Copper. Skeena River Lodge is the only lodge in the region that offers two Copper River fishing days during the seven-week period when the Copper fishes best.

The Trifecta

When it comes to the greater Terrace region and beyond, Skeena River Lodge is one place that has it all: the most diverse classified-water permits, exceptionally seasoned and productive guides, and a facility and service ethos unlike any other. For the past ten years, Schneider has been building these three pillars of his vision, and only recently have all the components come together to the point he feels ready to compete with the world’s finest fishing lodges.

With a sweeping 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains, the log lodge can accommodate up to 16 guests in single-occupancy cabins or rooms. The wide range of amenities includes a beautiful casting pond with trout, a cedar Swedish sauna, an infrared sauna, a ten-person indoor massage hot tub, and an outdoor hot tub. The lodge also has a bar, pool table, gym, ping-pong, foosball, and darts. For those who failed to let the rod do the work, massage treatments are also available. Last, but by no means least, they have a highly trained international chef who prides himself on creating meals sourced from the valley’s finest organic farms and ranches, and a very nice wine list to match.

But in the end, this remains a true fishing lodge where the pursuit and protection of the Skeena’s anadromous fish remains the ultimate goal. With that said, fishing remains fishing, and as a result the best outfitters control the things that can be controlled and create an experience that is rich and deliberate, which can become exceedingly important in the event that nature deals a challenging hand.

Few things are certain in fishing. But several things are certain on the Skeena and its tributaries: The opportunities for a staggering fish of a lifetime are palpable and real, and the very act of wading into these waters and swinging a fly will, for better or for worse, change you forever.

Book Your Destination

To get to there, you’ll fly from Vancouver to Terrace, British Columbia. From there, it’s a 15-minute drive to the lodge. Visit flywatertravel.com for more details.

Skeena River Lodge – skeenariverlodge.com

Recommended Gear

For summer/fall steelhead, most fly fishers carry two setups each day, a 7-weight two-handed rod with a floating line and an 8-weight with a Skagit head and a complete set of RIO InTouch Long MOW tips. 

• SAGE  R8 Spey 8130-4 rod $1,300
• SAGE  Spey II 7/8/9 reel $575
• RIO  575-grain Elite Skagit Max $64
• RIO  GripShooter running line $50
• RIO  15-foot InTouch Replacement Tips – 3-4 ips, 6-7 ips, and 8-9 ips $30 each
• REDINGTON  Sonic-Pro HDZ zippered waders $500
• Simms  G4 Pro Wading Jacket $699
• Patagonia  Guidewater Backpack $299

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Ken Morrish is the co-founder and director of travel sales for Fly Water Travel. He is also a well-known fly designer and an ambassador for the Portland-based Wild Salmon Center. He lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife Mia and kids, Lilli and Max.

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