Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORT dated April 27 – May 4, 2008

                                                     (Number 69)

Dear Fishing Friends:

SUMMARY:  The weather has been good all week but staying on the cool side.  It rained a little but not heavy. The main snow melt-off from the mountains has not started yet. We need warmer weather for that to happen. The water has been coming up slowly all week but is staying in fishable shape on most rivers. This is just what is needed to move in more Steelhead and Chinook (King) Salmon from the ocean. Conditions are near perfect on some rivers. The Kalum is clean and fishing good. The Zymoetz (Copper) is dirty and in turn is coloring up the Skeena into which it flows. The Kitimat River remains low but the Steelhead fishing is still pretty good.  See the Ron Wakita report below for more detail. The Skeena River is borderline fishable and Steelhead are being caught along with some early Chinook fresh from the ocean.  This is a good time of year to start doing some bar fishing before the river gets too high. Both fly and spin rods are working well. There is still time to book your trip in May for both Steelhead and Chinook, contact me anytime for available dates and all the fine details of who, what, where, when and why. 

When May comes around I cannot help but think of Chinook (King) Salmon on the Kalum River.  Actually, this is the time, everything being normal, when you can catch both Steelhead and Chinook on the same day.   

The photo was taken many years ago.  I am sorry I cannot recall the name of the young fellow but we all had a great day of fishing for Chinook on the upper Kalum this time of year.  It was a family and friends fishing day and I think everyone caught a fish.  It doesn’t take long to get the young folk “hooked on fishing” with catches like this.

The upper Kalum River is a non-retention fishery for BIG Chinook.  One is allowed to keep a “Jack” which is a small fish under 65 cm up until May 24^th.  The truth is you don’t catch many small ones.  I think this regulation, which has been in effect for many years now, has resulted in the returns of big fish being allowed to grow back to their historical numbers.          

FISHING GUIDE REPORTS FOR THIS WEEK ARE FROM:

Ron Wakita

Craig Murray

Chad Black

CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries: 

Type of fish caught:  Steelhead and Trout     

Thank you for using barbless hooks.  

FISHING THIS WEEK:

LARGEST FISH OF THE WEEK:  Specie: 25-pound Chinook   Where: Skeena Tributary    Angler:  Julian Smith             

Weather:   Cloudy.  60 percent chance of showers this afternoon.  Becoming windy this afternoon.  High 10.  Region normal:  Max. Temp. 16 degrees C.  Min. Temp. 4 degrees C.  Sunrise 5:49 AM Sunset 9:13 PM

WEATHER REPORTS VIA TELEPHONE:  Environment Canada taped messages constantly updated, giving current conditions and three-day forecasts.  Terrace 250-635-4192 Kitimat 250-632-7864 Prince Rupert 250-627-1155 Smithers 250-847-1958.

For current Terrace weather information please cast on:

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/cities/can/pages/CABC0292.htm?ref=wxbtnold

WATER CONDITIONS:  The Skeena is borderline fishable.  The Kalum (upper and lower) River is in good shape.  Kitimat River is clean.  Zymoetz (Copper) is dirty.  Small coastal streams are in good shape. 

current water heights FOR:

sKEENA rIVER:

http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/fullgraph.asp?stnid=08EF001

KITIMAT RIVER:

http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/fullgraph.asp?stnid=08FF002

Skeena River:  The water has colored up and is borderline fishable.  Fishing for Steelhead has been good if you know where to go and what to do.  I have reports of Chinook (King) Salmon being caught.  WOW, this is great…Steelhead and Chinook on the same day. 

Kalum River:  The water, both upper and lower sections are in excellent shape and fishing for Steelhead is very good…and the Chinook…are coming in also.

This is a Classified River year round and can be guided from March 15 through October 15 only.  The Steelhead record is 32-pounds.  To see a photo of this fish cast to: http://noelgyger.ca/records/Record003.jpg The angler is Dennis Therrien.

Zymoetz (Copper) River:  The upper section is closed to fishing as of December 31 but the lower section below the first canyon will stay open for Steelheaders to enjoy.  Water is dirty now.  

Area River Records:  Chinook Salmon: Skeena River, 92.5-pounds; Kalum River, 85-pounds; Kitimat River, 74-pounds; Steelhead:  Skeena River, 45-pounds; Coho Salmon: Skeena River, 27-pounds.

Fishing Report from:  Nicholas Dean Lodge for the Week of April 27 to March 3/08

Hello Anglers,

Warming temperatures combined with moderate amounts of rainfall have helped raise water levels in the Skeena and its tributaries.  While the Skeena itself is high, dirty, and not easily fishable, some of its tributaries are, and fishing has generally been good over the last week.  One of our long time repeat guests, Julian Smith, landed a white chrome 25 lb Chinook, and I’ve heard other reports of even more Chinook being landed.  These fresh fish are aggressive and hold one of the greatest opportunities for hooking (but not necessarily landing!) Chinook on the fly during the fishing season. 

Steelhead fishing has been superb on a few different coastal rivers that we fish, though access can be a long, laborious task.  A ride through the Ocean, timing of the tides and snow are all factors that must be considered, and it wasn’t until last week that we were able to fish some of these gems.  However, the wait was very much worth the effort, as guests Martin Walker and Ron Mallory hooked 9 Steelhead in one day and Jeff Bright and Julian Smith hooked 11 Steelhead another day.  Jeff Bright has called this time frame “Adventure Steelheading,” which I think is a very suitable name, both for the fish available and the wild spaces they are pursued in…

Jeff Bright jeffbright.com drifts and swings his fly through a bouldery pocket on a remote coastal stream.  Though hiking and trudging your way through snow and rocks is almost always a given, the rewards are usually well worth the effort.

After carefully working through a prime run, Jeff Bright jeffbright.com connected with this gorgeous Steelhead.  These fish are chrome, fresh from the Ocean, and "mean."
 

The Salmon fry hatch appears to be in full swing now, and all trout species, including Cutthroat, Rainbow, Bulls, and Dolly Varden have been taking advantage of these easy meals.  Stripping and swinging fry patterns on a dry line can be a very effective strategy and accounted for several trout yesterday for Dustin.

With Spring Chinook fishing well underway, we are also looking forward to our Trophy Chinook season on the Kitimat and Skeena, from June through late July.  This is the time period when, arguably, the largest Chinook in the world ascend these great rivers.  If you’ve ever wanted to try landing Salmon that are almost always in control of the fight, fish so large that all they have to do is turn broadside in the current to make your reel scream, this is a season for you.  Warmer temperatures and superb fishing make this a popular season, and spaces during prime periods do tend to book quickly.  Give Noel a call or email today and you’ll understand why so many clients book with him – not only is he one of the most knowledgeable anglers around, he’ll also be able to put together a package that works with your schedule and needs.  Make your casts this Summer with our guides, and you will undoubtedly understand what I mean when I say “tight lines and screaming reels…”

Best of luck on the water…

Chad Black

Operations manager

Nicholas Dean Lodge…where every cast is an adventure!

CURRENT REPORT and summary for Northern Coastal Rivers:

Fishing Report from:  Ron Wakita of Reliable Guide and Charters

KITIMAT RIVER:    The lower Kitimat River produced some fresh bright females earlier this week.  Aubrey Gerstel from Chetwind who has been fishing the Kitimat Hatchery run most of this week witnessed nine steelhead hooked on Wednesday April 30th with five landed.  Four of these were bright females.  Aubrey landed two Steelhead on Thursday and exercised his option to retain a hatchery Steelhead.  Regulations allow one hatchery steelhead per day may be harvested on the Kitimat River.  Once an angler harvests a hatchery steelhead on the Kitimat River he or she must immediately record the steelhead on the back of their fishing license and "can no longer fish those waters for the remainder of that day".  In simple terms, once you keep a hatchery steelhead you must stop fishing the Kitimat River for the rest of the day.  

I drifted on Saturday with Ron Egan and Richard Vello.  We hooked seven Steelhead and landed four.  Two of these fish were pretty bright, two were a bit colored and one was a kelt (spawned out).  The other two we didn't get a good look at. It is typical for this time of year to catch Steelhead in the various colours and stages of the spawning migration.

There were two Chinook caught in the lower Kitimat River this week, one at the Pump House pool.  This is a unique time of year when Steelhead and Chinook can be caught on the Kitimat River at the same time.  I think when I am finished this fishing report I am going to take my spey rod and join Aubrey down at the Hatchery Run. 

DOUGLAS CHANNEL:    Most boaters are crabbing and bottom fishing.  Not much has been reported from the Douglas Channel this week.  Harbour fishing for Chinook will start very soon.

Cast to this link for Kitimat tide tables http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/cgi-bin/tide-shc.cgi?queryType=showRegion&language=english&region=1

CURRENT REPORT and summary for Central Coast/North Van Island Wilderness Rivers:

Fishing Report from:  Nimmo Bay Resort

Once again Nimmo Bay is ready for another season of Heli-fishing and fun filled adventures.  As you can see here the reels are made ready with lines and flies to address the waiting steelhead.  First guests arrived May 2nd with the anticipation of a good catch.  Stay turned for more reports as the year progresses.

Craig Murray, Owner

Nimmo Bay Resort (Est. 1980)

To Fly is Human ...To Hover, Divine