At Grizzly Creek Lodge the O’Farrells have been blessed with the opportunity to earn their living from the land since 1987. David started working at Grizzly Creek Lodge as a guide in 1989. Doug & Carol Skanse bought the lodge the following year and hired David and his wife Reggie to manage the daily operations. They stayed on in that capacity for the next 21 years. In 2012 they were able to purchase the lodge and realized a lifelong dream. With a love for everything outdoors, David & Reggie have continued to conduct business with an eye on sustainability and the honesty and integrity clients learned to expect from Doug & Carol.
Published Outdoor Writer
David is a graduate of the North American School of Outdoor Writing and has had many articles published in different magazines. He writes for Fur-Fish-Game and many other outdoor publications on a regular basis. David is currently a staff writer for Trappers Post magazine
Lodge Type
Fishing Lodge
SPACE
Cabins Lodge
Game Species
FISH SPECIES
Northern Pike Arctic Grayling Whitefish Bull Trout Lake Trout
Our main lodge is located on lower Toobally Lake; 90-air miles northeast of the small town of Watson Lake Yukon Territory. This is where your trip will start. Upon arrival in Watson Lake Yukon, you will fly by floatplane to our main lodge. The flight is about 45-minutes long. Once airborne you will begin to understand just how magnificent the boreal forest of the southeast really is. There are virtually no roads or infrastructure of any kind to be seen; just miles of untouched wilderness dotted with hundreds of small unnamed lakes. Upon arrival at our main lodge you will be greeted by the O’Farrell family and given a quick tour of the facilities. The coffee is always on and you will soon feel right at home. The fishing begins as soon as you are ready. On our typical seven-day package you will spend the first two days fishing lower Toobally Lake for lake trout and northern pike. You will also get a chance to spend one of those days grayling fishing in the lower Smith River about four miles south of the lodge. There is also a hike in opportunity available for those who really want to get off the beaten path. The hike is ‘moderate’ in difficulty, and the small lake holds nothing but northern pike. Big northern pike! Our camp record 50-incher was taken at this small hike in lake. The next phase of your adventure begins with a jet-boat ride up the Smith River. The upper Smith is a beautiful wilderness river teeming with arctic grayling, lake trout, and even northern pike. We will spend the better part of the day on the river fishing deep pools for arctic grayling, lake trout, and pike. Keep your camera handy on this day because you will see wildlife and birds of prey. Moose, beavers, otters, mink, as well as both golden and bald eagles, are common in the area. By late afternoon you will find yourself in one of the most beautiful settings the north has to offer. Our upper lake lodge, is located on a natural point that juts out into upper Toobally Lake. The handcrafted log cabins are set in a stand of old growth timber only a stone’s throw from the water. The natural beach along the water’s edge is a great spot to relax in the sun, or even do some shore fishing. Upper Toobally Lake is about 10-miles long and 1-1/2 miles wide. The fishing has to be seen to be believed. You will spend the next two or three days fishing upper Toobally Lake, before returning to the main lodge on lower Toobally via jet-boat. Remember to keep your camera handy! Once back at the main lodge you will get to enjoy one more day hunting for trophy size fish. The last evening of your stay Reggie serves a traditional Thanksgiving type meal with all the trimmings. This tradition started many years ago, and it signifies our thanks to each and every one of our clients.
Why Book with Us?
Access to more water than you could possibly fish, with NO costly fly-outs.
All three species can be caught in great numbers within 4-miles of the main lodge.
Our attention to detail. Because we are a small family run lodge that has been in the business for almost 30-years we have total control over every detail of your trip. We don’t leave it up to others. Lodge owners David and Reggie O’Farrell, are with you every single day. David and his son James will be your guides, and with over 50-years combined experience on these waters, you can be assured you are in competent hands. We have a proven catch and release program that has stood the test of time. Our small group size ensures you will receive personalized service you won’t get anywhere else.
David O'Farrell, his wife Reggie, and their son James, are all trained EMRs who work on their home ambulance crew in Tagish during the winter months when they are not out at the lodge. Our cleaning protocols at Grizzly Creel Lodge are designed and implemented with the same attention we are required to give our ambulance and medical equipment. This comprehensive cleaning program includes disinfecting all hard surfaces to include all doorknobs, on all doors. This cleaning in performed on a daily basis. We also maintain hand sanitizing stations at the entrance to all buildings.
Fly-in-fishing at its finest! Whether you choose to spend the day trolling or casting for big lake trout, fly casting for arctic grayling on the Smith River or fishing for huge northern pike at one of our hike in lakes, every day is an adventure! With over 20 years of experience we are confident in our ability to provide an excellent fishing adventure. 70% of our clients are repeat customers illustrates our commitment to providing our clients with an outstanding experience. However, we understand the uncertainty new clients feel when they consider booking a trip to the remote wilderness. We offer all first time customers the Grizzly Creek Lodge Money Back Guarantee. While staying at the lodge if you are not satisfied with your trip simply tell one of the owners, Reggie or David O’Farrell. If we cannot improve your trip to your satisfaction, we will refund the value of the trip excluding the $1,000 cost of the charter. Guaranteed!
Included in your fishing package
✓ All transportation to and from Watson Lake Yukon ✓ All meals, guiding and room service. ✓ We supply both fly and spinning rods and all lures/ flies. ✓ We understand the avid fisherman will prefer their own gear so please feel free to bring them. ✓ All transportation to and from Watson Lake Yukon ✓ All meals, guiding and room service. We supply both fly and spinning rods and all lures/ flies. ✓ We understand the avid fisherman will prefer their own gear so please feel free to bring them.
Not included
✓ Alcoholic beverages. Grizzly Creek Lodge serves a bottle of wine with dinner every evening. Any additional beverages we ask that you bring with you. ✓ Fishing licences are available for purchase at the lodge. ✓ $21.50 for non Canadian residents and $15.50 for Canadian residents. ✓ Transportation from your home city to Watson Lake Yukon.
Booking and Cancellation Policy: All bookings require a non-refundable deposit of $500 per person in order to confirm dates, with the balance due May 1. While deposits are non-refundable, they are transferable to another date (subject to availability) or another person within 24-months.
Exclusive 7 Day Fly Fishing Trip Includes
Grizzly Creek Lodge is a family operation, and we take pride in the fact that we offer all of our clients a very personalized trip. Our fly fishing trips take that to a new level. These trips are designed for the serious fly-fisher. Not only did we want to offer fishermen a unique experience, we wanted to offer them a trip where they won’t have to worry about competition from other clients. We only offer two of these trips each year, and only have room for two fly fishers per trip. Lodge owner David O’Farrell, and his son James will be your guides. Their over 30-years of combined experience on these waters ensures you are in capable hands. They know what to use and where to find the fish on any given day. Our fly fishing trips are one-on-one, meaning each fisherman will have their own guide. This ensures each trip is tailored to your personal aspirations. Whether you spend the day drifting over shoals casting for lake trout, drifting dry flies for arctic grayling, or chasing monster pike, it’s up to you. We run these trips early in the year to take advantage of the cold water. During this time lake trout are still feeding near the surface. On calm days you will see schools of trout feeding on the shallow shoals that are scattered throughout our fishery. It’s not uncommon to see a dozen or more big lake trout fighting for your fly. You can expect a lot of action. Catches of 40-60 fish per day is not unusual. Northern pike are very active during this time as well. In early June the big trophy class fish can still be found in their spawning bays. In my opinion this is one of the Yukon’s most underrated fishery. While our lake trout fishery is well known, few realize that the Yukon Territory is home to world class northern pike fishing. Here at Grizzly Creek Lodge, northern pike over 40-inches in length are caught on a regular basis. Our camp record is a whopping 50-incher! Two years ago a couple from Chicago caught and released 60 northern pike in two hours of fishing; only three were under 30 inches. Arctic grayling is another species you will get to enjoy. These fish are a fly fishers dream. They readily take both dry flies, and nymphs, are great fighters, and very photogenic. Since space is so limited on our fly fishing excursions we urge you to book early. A $500 deposit will confirm your spot up to a year in advance. While you are welcome to bring your own rods, we will gladly provide everything you need at no extra charge. This includes, waders, quality fly rods, and all flies. All fishing is catch-and-release. Hope to see you soon!
The true color of stain on the wood can vary wildly based on porosity, application, species, preparation and weathering, We highly encourage applying samples to your own wood so you are happy with the results. To that end, we offer free samples and even free shipping. Simply add the samples to your cart the same as any order.
You will notice 2 options at checkout. One for Free Shipping and one to Plant 7 Trees in Canada (Cost of $10). We leave the decision up to you but we certainly appreciate knowing for every sample that goes out we plant 7 trees and are making a tangible difference.