Mckenzie river fly fishing lodge is the newest Labrador fly fishing destination and offers access to previously inaccessible waters.
Built in 2001 the lodge is nestled in the boreal forest of North Western Labrador Canada and accessible only by floatplane, it is located on Andre Lake at the head of the Mckenzie River. At 2520 sq. miles the Smallwood Reservoir is the 9th largest freshwater body in Canada, Brook Trout and Landlocked Salmon travel up the McKenzie River and through Andre Lake to spawn in the headwaters of the river system.
The Mckenzie river then flows through the unspoiled wilderness of the Labrador plateau for over thirty miles before emptying into the huge Smallwood reservoir.
McKenzie river offer an unforgettable fly fishing experience
Our guests have access to 3 sceni
View more...c rivers: the McKenzie, Quartzite and Comeback.
Wild intact rivers with abundant hatches and baitfish offering ideal habitat for Trophy Labrador Brook Trout.
Come experience fly fishing on 15 miles of pockets, riffles, runs and pools for Trophy Labrador Brook Trout, hard fighting Landlocked Salmon, Lake Trout, Northern Pike and Whitefish.
Enjoy a wilderness fly fishing trip in a remote wilderness, the Big Land, home of the Caribou, the Timber Wolf, the Otter, the Eagle and one of last places To fly fish for big wild native Brook Trout.
Species
Brook trout, Lake trout, Landlocked Salmon, Pike, Whitefish
Most of the time, depending on the period and type of water being fished, a variety of flies will allow you to catch Brook Trout form 2 to 8 lbs, Landlocked Atlantic Salmon from 4 to 10 lbs, Northern Pike from 5 to 20 lbs, Lake Trout from 4 to 15 lbs and Lake Whitefish from 2 to 7 lbs.
Our experienced and knowledgeable guides and staff do the very best to help guests enjoy their trip to this magnificent territory and world class fishery.
There is always trophy fish to catch and bring memories to last a lifetime.
… The angler forgets most of the fish he catches, but he never forgets the streams and lakes in Which they are caught …
Charles K. Fox
Flies : Labrador Brook trout are rarely selective, and will take a wide range of patterns. However the McKenzie river has abundant aquatic in View more...sect populations ( mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies , giant stone flies, choronomids) and bait fish ( Mottled sculpins, northern red bellied dace, sticklebacks , white suckers, baby brook trout and salmon parr). At times they will key into a food source and matching the hatch becomes the strategy of the day. Brook trout and landlocked salmon are taken on dries and streamers. Lake trout, which can be found stacking up at the river mouth and narrows early and late in the season are taken most often on streamers.
Flies are available for sale at the lodge but we recommend that you plan to bring a good assortment with you. The growing season is short in Labrador and Trophy fish like big meals. Large flies will catch less fish but trophy fish. Although as the water drops we sometimes switch to smaller patterns for continued success.
Dry flies : usually work best if matching the hatch, but attractor patterns work well also.
Orange Caribou bug sizes 4-8; Elk hair caddis # 10-16 or Cdc, orange, beige, olive body; Wulffs # 8 – 10, white, grey, Ausable, royal; Mouse patterns # 4 and deer hair poppers; Irresistible, Stimulators #6-10 yellow, olive and orange; Tchernobyl ants, Humpy
Bring some of your standard trout flies in case you have to match the hatch # 8-16, Adams, Pale olive dun, Grey drake, Black gnats, Klinkhammer, parachute Adams,
Streamers : sizes 2 to 6
Wooly buggers is the single most effective wet fly. Like Mr. Ford and his cars, any color will do as long as it is black! But olive and brown can be good also. Muddlers: standard, white, yellow, orange and Spuddler * ( grizzly hackle wing ). * very effective as it imitates a mottled sculpin Orange, yellow, white marabou or rabbit strip muddlers or McKenzie sculpin; Darren Dicks special, Zonkers, Neptune streamer, Black nose dace, Baby brook trout, Thunder creek, Saranac Ghost, Ballerina; Large black strip leeches, G3s, Brook trout strip leech; The DW special, two patterns designed by guide Danny Winsor is a top producer during the entire season. Clouser minnows are excellent early and have the advantage of hooking in the top of the mouth rather that the gills.
Nymphs : sizes 8 to14
Hares Ear, Prince, Pheasant Tail, copper john, red fox squirrel, 13A; Wooly Buggers # 8 – 10, black or black /olive; Stoneflies Kauffmans # 4 – 8, , golden # 8 -10.
Egg patterns have been effective early in the season during the white sucker run. A small nymph dropper below a dry fly is deadly for whitefish early and Brookies later in the season.
Big flies : 2 – 2/0
If you tie or own any saltwater flies, I’d bring some sizes 2 -2/0 in orange, red/yellow, red/white, blue/white. These work well for pike but also may temp some of the large Lake Trout at the river mouth, and we’ve known hungry 5 lbs Brook Trout to gobble large deceivers in other watersheds. Pike will take a wide variety of big flies, deer hair bugs, deer hair mice, Dahlberg Diver and poppers. The Lodge has a good selection of flies available for Trout and salmon as well as large streamers from Enrico Puglisi in stock for Pike and Lake trout.
Mckenzie river lodge provides full amenities for its guests:
Two cozy cabins for up to 3 guests each equipped with a slow burning stove, complete bathroom with hot water and shower, a refrigerator, table and chairs. Bedding and toweling are also provided.
One staff cabin
A main lodge with kitchen, dining room and a living room where you can relax, enjoy a drink and discuss your day on the water.
A yurt used as a social area to play cards, tie flies, enjoy a drink or cigar and watch the sun go down over Andre Lake while the loons sing.
Electricity is provided by a wind and solar system. We have a diesel generator back up.
A satellite phone is available for emergencies.
Individual toilets
Transfer Service In/Out
Guide Service
Boat
Spoken Languages
English, Français
Labrador, Canada 
