At River Run Guiding, our mission is to provide an unmatched fly fishing experience by sharing our passion and expertise on the water, educating and instructing anglers and giving clients the opportunity to explore our beautiful Ontario rivers. Whether you are new to fly fishing or a seasoned angler, we are able to accommodate any skill level and are committed to personalizing your Steelhead adventure. We are a fully insured and full-service guiding company specializing in Great Lakes Steelhead on the swing. We are a “swing” only operation with two-handed (spey) or single hand rods.
Located a short 30-minute drive from downtown Toronto and stretching over 90km in length, the Credit River’s headwaters start just above the Niagara escarpment and continues to flow south through Caledon and the cities of Brampton and Mississauga before draining out into Lake Ontario. Despite being a very urbanized watershed, the Credit River still boasts an excellent annual migration of Great Lakes Steelhead, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon. The watershed is also home to native Brook Trout in the upper reaches of the river. Additionally, in the 1700 and 1800s, the Credit River held an annual migration of native Atlantic Salmon. These fish would travel from the Atlantic Ocean, through the St. Lawrence channel and into Lake Ontario, eventually making their way to one of the many tributaries along the North Shore of Lake Ontario as their final destination. Many articles from the 1800s state that the Atlantic Salmon were so plentiful, you could “walk on their backs.” Unfortunately, these fish have nearly become extinct due to urbanization, climate, poor water temperatures and lack of river passage.
The Credit River is also home to a wide range of spectacular wildlife. This watershed is home to 1,330 plant species, 64 fish species, 41 mammal species, 5 turtle species, 8 snake species, 17 amphibian species, and 244 bird species.
Located just over an hour west of Toronto and stretching 280km in length, the Grand River is Ontario’s largest river completely within the boundaries of Ontario. The river has well over 12 tributaries, with it’s largest tributaries consisting of the Speed, Nith and Conestoga Rivers.
The Grand River has an excellent run of migratory Great Lakes Steelhead which can begin as early as Mid-August (depending on the weather and temperature) and remains strong until the river closes in December. The upper reaches of the Grand River is a world class fishery for resident brown trout and in addition to the excellent run of Great Lakes Steelhead and Brown Trout, the river is also home to many freshwater species. In fact, over half of the fish species listed in Canada can be found in the Grand River and they include Channel Catfish, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Pike, Carp and Crappie, to name a few!
The river starts its course near Wareham, Ontario and flows south through the towns of Grand Valley, Fergus, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, Caledonia and Cayuga before draining out in the town of Port Maitland, Lake Erie.
Located 2.5 hours northwest of Toronto on Ontario’s “West Coast,” the Maitland River begins its 150km stretch in the township of Arthur and flows west toward the community of Harriston before reaching the town of Wingham in the Municipality of North Huron. The river then starts to flow southwest from here through the community of Auburn before emptying out into Lake Huron in the town of Goderich, Ontario.
The Maitland River boasts a strong annual migration of Chinook and Coho Salmon and Great Lakes Steelhead as well as Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp, and Northern Pike.
Steelhead season on the Maitland River starts in October and continues until the river closes in December.
Located 2.5hrs from Toronto and stretching 160km in length, the Saugeen starts its course in Osprey Wetlands Conservation Lands and flows northwest through the town of Wareham. Then travels west through the Town of Port Elgin where it meets Lake Ontario.
The Saugeen River is known for its superb annual migration of Great Lakes Steelhead, regarded by many locals for its sheer number of returning Steelhead year after year. Additionally, this river is well known for its excellent summer fishery of Smallmouth, Muskie and resident brown trout in it’s headwaters. You can also find Chinook Salmon making their yearly migration to their spawning grounds.
Winston’s passion for fishing began at just six years old as he followed his father along the banks of many Great Lakes tributaries in search for the elusive Steelhead. Although he began by centre pinning, he would later take up the Spey rod in his twenties and has never looked back. Spey casting for Steelhead is not exactly known as the most effective method for landing fish, however the form, method, overall challenge and satisfaction of that tight line grab and fight with a hot Steelhead using this technique had him hooked. Winston’s love for Steelhead has led him to pursue the fish up and down the west coast from the infamous Olympic Peninsula in Washington to the fabled waters of the Skeena River and its tributaries.
Winston is a prolific fly tier with a deep respect and inclination for the “traditional” Spey fly. All flies provided on each guided trip are hand tied by Winston, single barbless, tried, tested and have been proven effective. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and skills with others and has hosted a few fly-tying sessions and instructional videos in the past. You can also find some of Winston’s original fly patterns featured in John Shewey’s latest book “Spey Flies: Their History and Construction.”
Outside of fishing, Winston is a dedicated husband, father of 9-month-old twins and proud human to a dog named Skeena. His other passion in life is food, leading him to his full-time career in the culinary industry. He is currently the Executive Chef at one of Canada’s most prestigious private golf clubs. Clients can look forward to a delicious chef-curated shore lunch while on the water with Winston!
