Travel

Fraser River Lodge

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 19 Nov, 2014 05:00 PM

British Columbia is world-famous for its salmon and sturgeon fishing, and there is no better place for the ultimate fishing experience than the Fraser River Lodge. Just an hour away from Vancouver, this picturesque lodge is situated in Agassiz, on the shore of the Fraser River and it offers year-long fishing for salmon, trout, sturgeon, and steelhead.

Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned fisher-man at the Fraser River Lodge, everything is done to ensure your experience is truly extraordinary. Upon booking, each party has its own private speedboat and is chartered by a professional guide - and you can customize your fishing adventure according to your preference. From one day fishing trips to week-long vacations to the types of fish and fishing methods, Owner Frank Staiger assures, “anything is doable.”

While the most popular fishing is for salmon, sturgeon and trout, the Fraser River Lodge is also a fly fishing paradise. “From June to September, we also have a lot of heli-fishing. There is also wilderness fishing,” says Staiger. “People love [it] because they really like going to pristine, absolute untouched areas.” Staiger, who has been fishing since childhood, has a team of professional guides. These seasoned experts know how to pick the best fishing spots, which means you rarely go home without a catch.

After an exhilarating morning of fishing, guests are treated to gourmet meals on board. “And depending on what you’d like, we can have a chef on the island, making dinner,” Staiger adds. As you return back to the lodge, your catch is carefully taken care of by staff, who clean, fillet and vacuum-seal the fish.

But what truly sets the Fraser River Lodge apart is their promise of exclusivity. “We are on the water, we have 18 private acres and we have no neighbours. When you book your group, you can have the exclusivity of the facilities; nobody else [will be] there, it’s yours,” says Staiger.

Their emphasis on privacy and exclusivity makes the Fraser River Lodge a top pick for corporate events. From team-building, corporate incentives to company Christmas events, they offer customizable packages year-round with a variety of activities ranging from fishing trips, river rafting, helicopter adventures to cooking classes. Their conference room at the rustic lodge house is a serene space, with a breathtaking view of mountains and wild bison grazing in the fields. The Fraser River Lodge’s unique, outside-the-box corporate packages are sought after by a number of distinguished clients. “I can’t mention names, but we have had presidents of certain governments, the CEOs of Mercedez-Benz, Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank [and] lots of Wall Street guys.”

This exclusivity also makes the lodge a popular wedding venue. The eight-bedroom main lodge and its neighbouring outpost lodge are usually entirely booked during summer by wedding parties.

“We can accommodate up to 200 people for a wedding, and bookings are made a year in advance,” says Executive Chef Lucky Dhillon, whose thoughtfully prepared gourmet meals are local, fresh and always delectable. With all-exclusive packages offered, the efficient wedding department at the Lodge makes sure that a couple’s special day is stress-free and memorable.

So whether you come to the Fraser River Lodge for a fishing vacation, a corporate event or a wedding, your stay is certain to be an unforget-table one!