Canadians are among the friendliest people in the world. Relentlessly polite, self-deprecating and unbelievably gracious, it takes a lot to get under their skin (unless you’re on a hockey rink, of course). But the freshly minted trade war against one of America’s closest cultural, economic and military allies, for reasons known only to those who are initiating it, has Canadians taking a step back and eyeing their relationship with the United States.

For American anglers who frequent Canada, there might be some unanswered questions about planned trips up north, especially as the daily news cycle in the U.S. prominently features the grievances Canadians are lodging against their country in the wake of this economic imbroglio. Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of overt hostility with Americans in general — just with the government they elected last November.

Domestically, the immediate impact of the United States’ tariff impositions and constant posturing against Canadian goods coming into the country is on the lowest-hanging fruit: the travel industry. It’s among the first things Canadians can do in response to what most believe to be an unprovoked trade war. After all, it was under the first Trump administration that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement was negotiated — the tariff attack on Canadian imports seems to have come out of the blue. Scaling back travel and choosing to spend their money elsewhere is in response to that surprise.

In a recent blog post, John Grant, chief analyst for global travel platform OAG noted that flight bookings from Canada to the U.S. — particularly during the peak travel months of July and August — are down more than 70 percent from last year. For American tourism operators who depend on an influx of Canadians for summer cash, that’s just plain scary.

And, of course, the worry is that Canadian “snowbirds” who head south to Arizona, California and the Gulf Coast states each winter will take a pass when the weather up north turns nasty in about six months. Or worse, they’ll choose to go somewhere else.

Will Americans be welcome in Canada?

But American anglers who are planning trips to the Great White North during the summer fishing season, the question remains: how will this ongoing trade war and the souring relationship between the two governments impact their visits to lodges and far-flung camps? Will they be greeted with the same enthusiasm as before? Or are they all going to be guilty by association?

First, it appears that Canadians’ beef with the U.S. starts and stops with its government. Hardy Ruf, owner and operator or Dalton Trail Lodge, a fishing and adventure lodge in the Yukon Territory of northwest Canada, says the ire of Canadians is, for the most part, aimed at the government, and not at Americans themselves.

“Canadians still love their southern neighbors,” Ruf said. “Lots of businesses — like ours — depend on their American clients. Our guides, for example, have instructions not to talk politics or religion with our clients, and that has been in place for years.”.

“There are, of course, extremists on both sides of the border,” Ruf continued. “But, up north, we have a very close relationship with Alaska. Yukoners visit Haines and Skagway on weekends, and Alaskans cross the border and shop in Whitehorse. I can guarantee you that U.S. citizens will not be harassed in the Yukon, but loved and appreciated.”

That said, Ruf offers some practical travel advice that, quite honestly, just requires Americans to mind their manners.

“Of course, when visiting Canada, maybe don’t wear a t-shirt reading ‘Make Canada the 51st state,’” Ruf said. And, he said, as an aside, “I spent my winter in California and did not encounter any sign of not being welcome” in the U.S.

Fewer flights south means fewer flights north

Because of the drought in Canada-to-U.S. bookings on the schedule for the summer tourism season, airlines are now cutting back on flights from the U.S. to Canada, as well. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby noted that his airline, because of less air traffic coming into the U.S. from up north, would be forced to cut much of its service to Canada, as the market just isn’t there. Air Canada and WestJet, Canada’s two major airlines, are both scaling back on service from the U.S. to Canada this summer, and that includes direct flights between major hubs, like Los Angeles and Toronto and Washington’s Dulles Airport and Vancouver.

Of course, there will still be flights from the U.S. to Canada this summer, but the cutbacks could be noticeable. A Delta Airlines spokesperson quoted by the website The Points Guy, said the cuts in frequency are to "better align with customer demand.” A spokesperson from United told the site that the cuts amounted to the "regular adjustments to our flight schedule based on seasonality, demand and other market factors."

The message for Americans planning to travel to Canada to fish this summer? Travelers should book their flights soon if they haven’t already. There will be fewer to choose from. But, as Ruf noted, there’s no reason to change your travel plans — American tourists will be welcomed in Canada, and, for anglers, the fishing is still among the best in the world.

“Let's hope things will cool down again soon,” Ruf said, “and that our American clients will not be scared to visit Canada.”