05/23/2026
Spring BC interior lake fishing is now in full swing but this year I have spent almost no time chasing trout on my own. Instead, I have dedicated most of my time on taking our youngest and his friends so they get to experience the thrill of catching one of these torpedo trout.
This past week, junior and I visited Lac Le Jeune Resort for a few days. It is one of my favourite venue because the lake consistently produces quality fish. By quality, I don't mean the biggest fish that could become your PB, but every Pennask rainbow trout you encounter is likely to be in that 16" and 18" range. This makes Lac Le Jeune a fantastic fishery for kids.
Young anglers who are starting out aren't looking for the biggest fish ever. For a trip to be "perfect", they just need to see things, whether that's catching the odd fish, or witnessing a chironomid emerging from its husk and flying off, or sharing the stories from the water at the end of the day without the everyday distractions which you'd find back home.
The fishing for this trip turned out to be fairly close to what I had predicted. There were pretty solid chironomid hatches throughout the days. We lazily ventured out in our boat at 10:30am during our first morning, and within five minutes an 18 incher was already taking off with junior's fly. I anchored the boat in 23 feet of water, not too far from our cabin, as I could mark fish feeding close to the bottom regularly.
The setup was simple, and this has been proven to be a very easy and effective method during chironomid hatches when I have young passengers in my boat. I use 7' Shimano Scimitar kokanee trolling rods, which are light and whippy. Pairing with these rods are Shimano SLX XT150A baitcasting reels, which are the perfect size of this trout fishery. I spool the reels with PowerPro 10lb braided line which is thin and sensitive for detecting every bite in the deep. As for the terminals, a sliding weight is threaded onto the main line, followed by a bead before a swivel is tied on. A 2 feet 6lb leader is tied onto the other end, followed by the fly. Fly patterns used are size 16 chironomids in brown, silver or black, but it really depends on what bugs are hatching at the time.
This rig is dropped down until the fly is suspended a foot or so off the bottom. The rod is placed in the Scotty R-5 rod holder While we sat back and waited for the bites which are often violent as the fish would buckle the entire rod down into the water.
The first hour of our session was fast and chaotic. Junior ended up hooking more than a dozen before deciding that it was time to head back to the cabin for a "break". The remaining day involved popping back onto the lake every now and then in between rain/hail storms.
Although I got to play perhaps two fish throughout the entire trip (I actually just did not get any bites), this was a success as I ticked off most of the objectives on my checklist. Junior was able to learn the concept of proper fly replacement in the water, and did everything on his own from adjusting the depth to setting the hook and landing the fish. It was important to gain that sense of accomplishment and confidence, being able to bring home a few fish was simply a bonus.
Many thanks to Lac Le Jeune Resort for creating these memorable experiences. When asked what the top three favourite things were from this trip, junior first response actually wasn't the fishing, but the bon fire that we were able to have after dinner at the Evergreen Bistro & Bar every night. Both cabin and lodge room accommodations are available, and the restaurant offers breakfast, brunce and dinner so you can focus on the fishing instead of cooking. If you are looking for a family oriented lake fishing vacation without travelling too far from Vancouver, then you should consider this in the next few months. More information can be found at:
https://www.lljresort.com
Stay tuned for the video of this trip on my YouTube channel! Have a great weekend. 🙂
