Exploring Whitehorse: A Full Day in the Yukon Capital

Setting Our Sights on Whitehorse

Well now, we have set our sights on Whitehorse, the charming capital of the Yukon Territory. We're planning to stay for two nights, which gives us a fantastic opportunity to restock our supplies, get the oil changed in the truck, do laundry, and perhaps squeeze in a little sightseeing if time allows.

Wildlife Encounters on the Road

Shortly after beginning our drive, I spotted a moose gracefully feeding in a small lake. In true tourist fashion, we stopped right in the middle of the road! Lucky for us, there was no other traffic, so we didn’t cause too much of a fuss. We managed to snap a few pictures, although the moose seemed annoyed at our presence and wanted to enjoy her meal in peace. After a while, she slowly meandered out of the water and into the woods.

During our drive, we also had a couple of other notable wildlife encounters. We spotted a bear who seemed indecisive about crossing the highway and a wolf that dashed across in a flash, clearly knowing exactly where it needed to be!

We pulled over at a few spots to check out the fishing, but access was limited or non-existent. However, fortune favored us when Highway 1 dipped south into British Columbia before returning to Yukon. During this little detour, we discovered a river crossing that looked accessible. Thankfully, large pull-offs were available on both sides of the bridge, allowing us to make a U-turn and head back across the Smarch River.

Scott grabbed his tenkara rod, and I joined him to take a look. Not wanting to set up my rod if there were no fish, I walked to the river's edge and spotted a pair of fish along the bank line. "Scott, I see fish!" I excitedly ran back and hastily assembled my 4-weight rod before returning to the river, optimism bubbling within me. On my second cast, I hooked a fish and brought it in. To my delight, it was an Arctic grayling—the first true northern species we came to target! This experience validated our trip's main idea: just stop and fish roadside waters along the way.

Before we packed up, I ended up catching four more of these long-finned beauties, relishing every moment. Whitehorse arrived none too soon as we were looking forward to a full day's respite from the road. It felt great to finally unwind and prepare for the adventures that awaited us in this unique northern capital!

Fishing Adventures at the Smarch River

North Louisiana Fly Fishers

Join us for fly fishing and fly tying adventures.

OUR mission

© 2025. All rights reserved.

★★★★★

It is the charge of the North Louisiana Fly Fishers to afford to the general public and our members in particular, a better understanding of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying. We wish to perpetuate the sport as a most pleasurable and exciting fishing method and provide education, instructions and the opportunities for relaxation to the membership.

The North Louisiana Fly Fishers (NLFF) serves the Ark-La-Tex area surrounding Shreveport. As the closest cold water fishery, we consider the Little Missouri (Little Mo') river near Murfreesboro, AR our home waters. We also fish the local rivers and lakes. We even have a growing group of kayak fishermen that, as well as the local rivers and lakes, will fish the gulf coast marshes for some saltwater action!