[Mark Yoshida]

So I am heading up to Kamloops to fish some lakes in May by myself. Did it last year without any issues. Now I usually fish by myself or with another person on occasion , but always at local lakes and always leave a note where I am going and when I should be home. I then text when I am off the lake after loading up the pram. I am not a extrovert and trend to not socialize with others while fishing unless asked a question.
I was discussing with my wife yesterday while she was shopping. Come to find out she was not happy I am going alone. It's kinda late to change plans as I have a amazing hotel rate in Kamloops ($9.00/ night)and will use that as my base of operation.
Up in BC, I am not sure of reception at some of the lakes, but plan to text when I get reception.
I am usually not a risk taker and have learned my lesson with wind on a lake this past month. I assume there will be others fishing on these lakes.
Do you usually fish alone?
Would you go to another country (it's only Canada) and fish for 8 of 10 days alone?
Hope this post does not jinks my trip!

 

[junkie]

Look into Spot or something similar. Or you can rent satelite phones for around eighty to hundred a week and check in after getting off every lake for peace of mind.
https://www.satellitephonestore.com...lP92DxxpSOgSvuqhmzHgmzPng4xj0Yul28hoCCKHw_wcB

 

[Chris Johnson]

Yes I usually fish alone, though when I go up to the interior lakes in B.C. I normally have another fisherman with me. I'd like to try that sometime ( though probably not for ten days), it sounds fun.

 

[J3000]

I've been carrying one of these for the past year when fishing alone:

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/

 

[spadebit]

Bear spray.

 

[Nooksack Mac]

With or without cell phone signal, fishing alone at a good Canadian lake hardly constitutes daring adventure. There will almost always be others camping and fishing there. If you get in trouble (other than falling in and drowning in 30 seconds), you can always ask for help, and usually get it. As one of many such trips, when Spring Quarter ended in the early 1970's, I headed for Peterhope Lake for twelve days. The only danger was self-imposed, when I kept eating long after the ice in my cooler had melted.

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

I went on a few solo trips up in BC. Mostly my trips were around Merritt as I liked Peterhope and Pennask. Nice thing about solo trips is when I wanted to switch to a different lake I just packed up the truck and took off. It was hard to find a level spot at Pennask and the mosquitos were bad. Peterhope(less) had nice camping spots

 

[SaltyTippet]

Do you usually fish alone?
Would you go to another country (it's only Canada) and fish for 8 of 10 days alone?

Average about 20 solo nights a year on adventures mostly fly fishing but also sometimes includes mountain biking.... of course sometimes I see other people and sometimes not.... back in the day it was all about solo excursions to climb mountains.... today a once yearly solo trip to BC or Alaska as well as multiple 2 to 3 days trips into my backyard range the Cascades is about as good as it gets for me.... was very open with my wife before we were married and she knows I need these little solo trips to keep me in tact with the rest of my life... the best advice is to always email a specific plan and never detour from that plan.... this year it is BC again for 8 days of some sea kayaking/fly fishing... but in the Cascades it is mostly car camping these days.... my favorite thing is to find a "peter out" spot as my buddy calls them... drive a spur road a few miles until it simply peters out at a meadow and if you are lucky and read the topo correctly a game trail to a small creek or beaver pond.... that is my jam these days.... sometimes the most memorable day of freshwater fishing of the year is an 8 inch brookie from an unnamed creek flowing out of the woods.... good times....

 

[Red Arch]

Nah too many things in Canada to go wrong. Just the other day a loon went berserk and poked holes in a bunch of Jon boats, government is still trying to ensure media doesn't get a hold of it

Your biggest problem will be cell service, unlike eastern canada (aka east of the Rockies) where it is flat there are lots of lakes with little to no service.

That being said very few lakes are secret, so odds are other people will be at the lakes especially those around Kamloops.

$9/night for the hotel? What the heck? Did you happen to get a room in the Tru residence by chance?

 

[jeff bandy]

I've been carrying one of these for the past year when fishing alone:

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/

Ditto this.

Did a way off the grid float in Alaska last summer. I was able to two-way text the wife every night. Also, she received a auto text from it four times a day (you set how often). It gave her my location on a map. MUCH better coverage than the spot or sat phones.

 

[J3000]

Another thing that is nice about the InReach devices is that someone can "ping" your location (well, the location of the device anyway) if they haven't heard from you in a worrisome amount of time.

 

[4357]

If you're just fishing the lakes up there, you're probably already aware that the most hazardous part of your trip will be the drive up and back. Wear your seat belt and watch out for the other drivers.
Every few years I take a trip to the interior of BC and Alberta to fish the rivers and creeks. I fish alone and take my calculated risks chances, and I do carry bear spray when there and am careful wading ( I carry a wading staff and use it), etc.

Just getting up and out the door every morning carries risk - might as well get out there and enjoy it while we can.

Mark, just tell the little misses if we don't get a post with a report from you in a month (or more~) we have a contingent of highly experienced and capable Mountain Men here on the forum that'll go up and retrieve you - nothing to worry about!

...and I'm envious of you trip!

 

[Jim Wallace]

Hey Mark, fishing BC lakes alone for 10 days is probably a safer bet than taking prescription medication.

 

[Mark Yoshida]

Thanks for the info on sat phone and in-touch. I will be researching these.
We talked about it some more today and she is better with the trip. All the lakes I plan to fish will be well known and my plans explained in detail.
The hotel rate was a data entry mistake of a misplaced decimal! Total cost will be under $100 for the hotel with kitchen. I double checked with AAA/Priceline and it's guaranteed. Will be able to spend it on the fuel, food and supplies.

 

[skyriver]

Not to get too in your business, but I would answer this question, for myself, based on if I have kids or not. I used to fish, hunt, hike, ride mtb and dirt bikes by myself. Once I had kids it changed my philosophy a bit. I still fish and hunt quite a bit by myself, but am much more safe about it than I used to be. With that said, car camping at Peterhope, Pennask or even Plateau up there should be fine. I agree with one of the comments...driving is probably the most dangerous part, especially if you have a mechanical or get lost. Carry plenty of gas, drinks and a sat phone. Have fun. Love it up there!

 

[blackbird]

Thanks for the info on sat phone and in-touch. I will be researching these.
We talked about it some more today and she is better with the trip. All the lakes I plan to fish will be well known and my plans explained in detail.
The hotel rate was a data entry mistake of a misplaced decimal! Total cost will be under $100 for the hotel with kitchen. I double checked with AAA/Priceline and it's guaranteed. Will be able to spend it on the fuel, food and supplies.

There were a few previous threads where the inreach devices were discussed, and what they were used for.

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/threads/sfr-lern-me-bout-tablets.102763/page-3#post-980110
see trappers post

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/threads/satellite-phones-messengers.106831/#post-1024584

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/threads/fishing-by-yourself.110148/
see Krusty's posts

j

 

[Jeremy Floyd]

Depending on the water temps, the lakes between William's lake and Quesnel may still be on fire. 70 fish days aren't uncommon right now on the local lakes within an hour of town, chironomid fishing.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Depending on the water temps, the lakes between William's lake and Quesnel may still be on fire. 70 fish days aren't uncommon right now on the local lakes within an hour of town, chironomid fishing.

Throw some gasoline on the fire, why doncha!

 

[Tsar Bulba]

On a serious note. Camping by yourself is not a problem.

Fishing by yourself on the water is when you are most exposed to injury. So make sure you carry a life jacket and are prepared for any un-expected events on the water.

 

[candr]

E