Cast your line three hours in any direction from Seattle and you're bound to hit fish. The decision isn't so much when to go, but where to go. I invited my father- in-law, Oliver Dominick, an "avid fly fisherman for 50 of [his] 56 years," to join me on a heli-fishing journey in March among the northern rivers of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. We returned three days later with memories of 5-pound cutthroats and visions of one of the Northwest's most spectacular landscapes.

Lund, B.C., calls itself the "end of the world" for good reason. Route 101, the Sunshine Coast's sole artery, terminates in this quaint harbor town. The drive from Vancouver, including two ferryboat rides, takes about five hours. Or you can charter a seaplane from Vancouver directly to Ian and Donna Hobbs' Sevilla Island Resort, a four-bedroom inn perched on a rocky outcropping.

The setup couldn't be better: a beautiful four-star lodge, complete with cathedral window views of the Strait of Georgia, coupled with a host of ecotourist options like diving and bear watching. Sevilla Resort is located around the point from the beginning of Desolation Sound and its abundance of marine sanctuaries, fjords and island preserves.

I mention these options in case some members of your party, spouses perhaps, plan to do more than fish. In the morning, after noshing on delicious scones, you go off to heli-fish while your partner heads to the tide pools, cycles the trails of nearby Savary Island, or selects from another half-dozen expeditions.

But Oliver and I are here to fish, so we board the chopper, after it lands right in Lund, to carry us to the pristine rivers of remote British Columbia. There are certainly other options for fishing this area, but I've chosen Powell River Outback Adventures, a start-up operation run by Paul Marier, as sincere and dedicated an entrepreneur as I've ever met.

Paul appears years beyond his late twenties, perhaps because he grew up fishing the Detroit River in his native Windsor, Ontario, selling his daily catch to the locals by the time he was in fifth grade. Oliver, who has fished with his share of renowned outfitters, is charmed by Paul's knowledge of the area and his earnest approach. Paul is all about the fishing, and he clearly appreciates our coming to fish with his boutique operation.

As Ben the pilot ("he always flies us - even brings his own spool-rod") lifts us mythically skyward - no matter how often one travels in a helicopter, the magic never disappears - we quickly understand why Paul and Nathan "Patches" Demeester, his lead guide, claim that Powell River belongs among the world's best fisheries. Forty lakes and eight complete river systems boast coastal cutthroat running to 10 pounds (sea-runs up to 5 pounds), bull trout of 8 to 10 pounds, rainbows from 3 to 4 pounds, and Dolly Vardens of 4 to 5 pounds.

We head inland over the Bunster Range toward Powell Lake and Goat Island, then up and over Beartooth Mountain (at 6,250 feet), landing 20 minutes after takeoff on a gravel island just below the snowline.

"The snow has been incredible this year," Paul says, explaining that it has usually melted off by this time of year.

I agree to keep the river names off the record. "Guide's protocol, if you don't mind," Paul explains.

Oliver, who spent the late '70s in Seattle, but spends most of his time these days fishing for striped bass in the Kennebec River on the Maine coast, is giddy with excitement.

"Just looking at the geography coming in and the chance to ride in [this chopper] is worth the trip," he exclaims.