Canada's Original Catch and Release Fishing Lodge

Catch and release fishing first originated in Canada at Kasba Lake Lodge as a measure to preserve the tremendous fishing experience offered there. In 1973 Doug, Mike, and Rob Hill flew into the unknown and landed on a big body of water called Kasba Lake for the first time. It took only a few casts for the three of them to realize there was a tremendous amount of fish in the completely unspoiled lake that had never before been fished commercially or by sport fishermen. Having witnessed first hand how commercial fishing can affect freshwater fisheries they were keen to keep the tremendous Kasba fishery as pristine as the day they landed.

Catch and Release Fishing is Born

With that motto in mind Canada's Original Catch and Release Lodge was born. At the time, all other fishing lodges and many sport fishing writers thought a fishing lodge hoping to build a business on catch and release was crazy. As it turned out, Kasba became the first in a new style of fishing lodge that quickly became the norm thanks to the support of our original guests and the fantastic fishery of Kasba Lake.

There were numerous times during those beginning years of Catch and Release fishing on Kasba when a conservation officer would fly in to inspect the lodge freezer, expecting to see a freezer stocked full of huge fish just like every other fishing lodge. We would always tell them there was no need due to our Catch and Release policy, but they would never believe us, and once they arrived and saw our empty freezer all they could do was shake their heads in disbelief.

Being Canada's original Catch and Release lake was not always easy. In the beginning we would need to explain to new guests why they could not take fish home like every other fishing trip they had ever been on. Most were reluctant, some were even upset, but after spending a few days on Kasba Lake and witnessing the incredible fishing to be found first hand they soon become catch and release fishing converts.

Kasba's Barbless Hook Policy"

Kasba Lake Lodge's dedication to the success of the Catch and Release fishing program was solid. To allow the large Lake Trout, Northern Pike, and Arctic Grayling to to have the best chance of survival, Doug also implemented a strict barbless hook policy. At the time barbless hooks were nonexistent, so pliers went to work pinching each and every barbed hook that a customer brought to Kasba. Barbless hooks allow for a much easier, quicker, and less stressful release of the fish, thus drastically improving that fish's chance of survival.

Kasba Lake Lodge has been Canada's Original Catch and Release Lodge for over 40 years now and the conservation effort has become mainstream. The fishing at Kasba was fantastic when we started, and we are definitely proud to say that the fishing is just as spectacular today. 99% of the fish caught are released back into the crisp clean waters of Kasba Lake swimming away strong back into a healthy ecosystem, ready for future generations of catch and release sport fishermen to catch again.