Fly fishing lodge Newfoundland Canada - Salmon Hole Fishing Lodge Atlantic Salmon

Fly-fishing for Atlantic salmon is an unpredictable business. The 2007 and 2008 salmon fishing seasons were among the best that we’ve had. However, Mother Nature decided that 2009 would be an “average” year for the LaPoile River. Not only were there fewer fish in the river (compared to 2007 and 2008) but also the return of the salmon began a week or two later than normal. That said, the LaPoile River was fortunate in seeing a higher return than many other salmon rivers in Newfoundland and Eastern Canada.

In 2009, Salmon Hole Lodge hosted 53 guests - including 22 returning clients. The “customer who travelled the farthest” award goes to Mr. Hoban from Middlesex, England. With 309 rod-days of effort, a combined total of 287 grilse and salmon were caught. In addition to these Atlantic salmon, roughly 300 sea-run brook trout were caught – several in the 16”-20” category. As usual, the vast majority of both salmon and trout were safely released with hopes that they “go forth and multiply” and return another day!

Fourteen of our clients stayed at our Lower Camp, which is located at the mouth of the river. Once again, Phil Bond provided most of the guide services at the Lower Camp and, once again, our customers gave Phil top marks for his hospitality, guiding abilities and home cooked meals.

Thirty nine guests stayed at our main lodge, located 3 miles (5 km) upriver, where our seasoned guides Alex, Sid and Garland worked their usual magic to keep our guests fishing in productive pools as well as making sure no one came away from the table hungry. As in the past, customer feedback has been very positive in all regards ranging from Garland’s cooking to the first-class guiding and hospitality offered by all the guides.

Our goal is to provide all the ingredients for a memorable fishing vacation and, based on the feedback we received from our 2009 guests, we’re definitely moving in the right direction. Please check out our Comments page.

If you haven't fished with us before, why not treat yourself to a first-class fishing vacation in 2010! See our Availability page for dates. Don’t hesitate to send us an email if you have any questions - we'd love to hear from you!

Scott Smith - Owner