The photo of the week shows a beautiful, buck Steelhead landed and released on the Kalum River by Rob Vodola and his Italian friend Silvio. Rob and Silvio landed three Steelhead this day and I managed to make a video clip of each fish. These "New" clips are now posted on my website at: http://www.noelgyger.ca/video-clips-web.htm Note: The videos clips are titled in both Italian and English. You could almost call this Italian week!
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Noel Gyger - Guided Fishing Adventures and Weekly Fishing Report
4012 Best Street, Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R8, Canada
Tel/Fax: (250) 635-2568
Cell: (250) 631-2678
E-mail: noel@noelgyger.ca
Home page: www.noelgyger.ca
Fishing Reports: www.noelgyger.ca/past-fishing-reports.htm
RECORD SALMON & STEELHEAD Spin or fly-fishing
RIVER, LAKE, STREAM or OCEAN!!!
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Home Page: www.noelgyger.ca
Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORT dated April 15 – April 22, 2007
(Number 15)
Dear Fishing Friends:
Weather is great with cool day time temperatures. The big snow melt is holding off. Water on most of our rivers is in excellent shape. Maybe too good, is that possible? Fishing has been very good over that last couple of weeks but it has slowed down now (at least for me). Why? The fish must be there but they don't seem to be biting like they used to. Let me try and explain. No science here folks just fishing theory. Water heights and clarity have not changed much over the last week or two and I think the Steelhead are "on to us". We need those "freshets" (water rising and falling). Anyway it could all turn around tomorrow…and the bite will be back on again. And then the BIG Chinook arrive. WOW Steelhead and Chinook on the same day, doesn't get much better than that. Fishing is always GREAT just that sometimes the catching is slow (for some). I have to remind myself of that from time to time. Can't have "blow out" fishing every time out. It may have been slow fishing for me but as you can read below the guides and their guests did pretty well.
The upper Kalum has risen a little bit but is still in excellent shape, very, very clean. The lower Copper and Skeena are cleaning up now. The Central Coast Steelhead fishing has started new update below.
Fish conservation: Friends of Wild Salmon (FOWS) Salmon Summit 2 happened on April 21. They vow to keep the true north FISH FARM FREE!
Fish politics: The Skeena Regional Quality Waters Management Committee will meet for two days on April 27 and 28 to review progress in development of the Skeena QWS program and to reach agreement on the general design of the Skeena Angling Management Plan (AMP) process. The ultimate goal is for quality angling for all user groups in the whole northwest region.
If I can be of service to find you the "best" guided fishing adventure let me know. Cast here to check out more of what I have to offer: http://noelgyger.ca/special-guided.htm
Be sure to check out my website at www.noelgyger.ca for more info on my history, Quality Waters Strategy, special guided fishing trips, video clips, scenic river photos, wildlife photos and others, comments from past guests, informational articles and archived fishing reports from 1996 through 2002. I hope it meets with your entire satisfaction.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries:
TYPE OF FISH CAUGHT: Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden and Bull Trout.
Thank you for using barbless hooks.
FISHING THIS WEEK:
POOR FAIR *GOOD EXCELLENT
LARGEST FISH OF THE WEEK: Specie: (estimate) 12-15-pound buck Steelhead Where: Kalum River Angler: Dr. Botha
WEATHER: Cloudy with Sunny periods. Highs to 8 degree C. Region normal: Max. Temp. 14 degree C. Min. Temp. 3 degree C. Sunrise 6:17 am Sunset 8:49 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: fair on most rivers
SNOW CONDITIONS: very little snow left
FOR CURRENT WATER HEIGHTS ON THE SKEENA RIVER PLEASE CAST ON:
http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/water/StnFrame.asp?stnID=08EF001
NOTE: this site usually works best in-season.
FISHING REPORT FROM NICHOLAS DEAN LODGE FOR THIS WEEK:
The only way to describe the quality of fishing in the Skeena Region near Terrace right now is very, very good. Water levels have been ideal on some Skeena tributaries, with the perfect "Steelhead green" colour that is often conducive to great fishing. Just ask Paul Catanese's group. After driving to the Kitimat only to find it high and dirty on their first day, they decided to drive back to Terrace to try a Skeena tributary. And well, after catching 10 Steelhead, with 2 fish over 20 lbs, they decided that it might be a good idea to stick on that river. This decision paid off very well for them, as they ended up landing numerous Steelhead, of which 6 were over 20 lbs. Then there is the story about the fish that got away (as hinted at last week)…
There was one pool in particular that had been very productive for Paul's group, so their guide, Greg Buck, decided it would probably be a good idea to work through it again. Using a spoon, Jerry Comingdeer hooked what he thought was the bottom, but which quickly turned into severe headshakes. Based on the weight of the fish on the line and the way it was fighting, both Greg, Paul, and Jerry thought that it was a big Spring Chinook (as they have started running up the rivers). But, after making a bathtub sized boil on the surface, and seeing bright red flanks, they all knew that it was a Steelhead. A very big Steelhead. And after making one more headshake, the spoon came drifting agonizingly back through the water, no longer attached to the giant Steelhead.
All of the guys quickly agreed that it was the biggest Steelhead that they had ever seen. Greg, who is very honest, and perhaps even a little conservative when it comes to estimating the size of fish, put the fish at high 30s or low 40s. Pounds, that is. A potential world record Steelhead. It is easy to understand why the Skeena and its tributaries are so special…
Until next week, tight lines and screaming reels.
Chad Black
Operations Manager
Nicholas Dean Lodge…where every cast is an adventure!
SKEENA RIVER: is now fishable for early run Steelhead. The water is in borderline shape, with some colour to it.
KALUM RIVER: has an "excellent" run of Steelhead. These fish are wintering over and will spawn in late spring. The water is rising but is still very clean and fishable. Having a large lake at the headwaters is helpful. Unless the lake gets dirty the river stays in shape. 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.
The Kalum River has "all" four runs of "wild" Steelhead: spring, summer, fall and winter. Other than the spring run, these fish stay in the river all winter and spawn in the late spring around late April, May and June. There is no hatchery Steelhead in the Kalum River.
Both spin and fly fishing work well on this river.
April 21: Rob Vodola, his friend Dr. Botha and I had a slow day. We went one for one. We may have had another bite or two but were not certain. Anyway, Dr. Botha did land his first Kalum River Steelhead. I managed to shoot a video clip of the fun.
KASIKS RIVER: fishing for Coho will start again next fall. This is the river where a 27-pound record Coho was landed.
ZYMOETZ (COPPER) RIVER: is closed now for angling (as of December 31, 2006 above the lower canyon) to protect the "wintering over" wild Steelhead. Winter fishing is still available on the lower end below the canyon.
NOTE: additional rivers will be added "in season" when the fishing begins in the spring.
OCEAN FISHING PRINCE RUPERT: update coming soon
A summary of what is available year round can be read in the Archived Fishing Report dated April 13, 1997. For a direct link cast here: http://noelgyger.ca/archived-fishing-reports/Old%20Fishing%20Reports%201997.doc
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.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Northern Coastal Rivers:
KITIMAT RIVER: The Steelhead fishing has been only fair on average. A detailed update is coming soon.
OCEAN FISHING KITIMAT DOUGLAS CHANNEL:
With the extended winter weather conditions and opportunities to fish for winter chinook has been limited. Most boaters are now focused on crabbing for Dungeness or Alaskan King crab. After a long winter a feed of fresh Dungeness crab is a delicious harvest that most sport fishers are eager to go out and catch. There are also some Alaskan King crab being harvested with the use of the traditional hoop traps. There are some new box traps on the market that have larger gates to allow King crab to be caught in the same traps as the Dungeness crab. These traps allow crabbers to leave the traps down fishing longer than hoop traps which need to be pulled more often. There have also been some reports of a few halibut been caught in the Douglas Channel. Nothing of any size has been caught yet but it is nice to see sport fishers starting to harvest the bounties the salt waters of the Douglas Channel. We are indeed fortunate to live where we do. Report by Ron Wakita
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Central Coast/North Van Island Wilderness Rivers:
April 19, 2007
Fishing report from Nimmo
The season started with promise. Fly fishers, and drift fishers were successful. The weather was a mixed bag. We had everything thrown at us, but as you can see in this picture, Craig Murray and his guest Wally and his group, produced one of many Chrome SH to 19 lbs. This particular day was filled with Sun.
From the streams of North Vancouver Island to the many untouched rivers of the Central Coast, guides Fraser Murray, Craig Murray, Perry Wilson & Dan Cahill along with the Nimmo Bay helicopter Pilots, sought out Steelhead, cutthroat and Rainbow trout, in the verdant river valleys where the sparkling waters flow, from the snow capped coast range Mountains to their Pacific destination.
Lunch this day was taken on the shores of a beautiful Island river where it flows into the blue green Pacific ocean. Calm seas and a pacific swell caused the breakers to come alive and dance for the satiated anglers as they dined on delicacies from the Nimmo Bay Kitchen coupled with a very tasty BC wine.
This 10 lb. hen is just one of the many fish Anglers caught, as once again BC gave up her darlings for a brief photo, then back to their cold, watery home they went.
One of the worlds greatest Trumpet Players, watched just out of camera range as Wally & Craig posed for this picture. It was his first Steelhead experience, but according to him, not his last.
Stay tuned. This Angling Odyssey will continue throughout October of this
year.
Craig Murray, Owner
Nimmo Bay Resort
FISHING REGULATION WEBSITES:
2005/2007 BC tidal waters and freshwater Salmon fishing information:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish
Effective April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007
2006/2007 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/intro.html
Effective April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007
NOTE: For In-season Regulation Changes posted on the web check the above URL's
2007 TV SHOW SCHEDULE FOR SPORTFISHING BC with host Mark Pendlington
CHANNEL Friday Saturday Sunday
Sportsnet Pacific 6:30 AM PST
(9:30 AM EST)
Knowledge Network 1:30 PM PST
(4:30 PM EST) 1:30 PM PST
(4:30 PM EST) 11:30 PM PST
(2:30 PM EST)
A Channel 7:00 AM PST
(10:00 AM EST)
World Fishing Network Check local listings
CATCH & RELEASE FORMULA: Chinook: girth squared x length x 1.54 divided by
1000. Steelhead: Steelhead: girth squared x length x 1.33 divided by 1000 (inches)
To receive my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT and PHOTO via e-mail please send your name and e-mail address to: Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca
GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!
Yours sincerely,
Noel F. Gyger
Back to: http://noelgyger.ca/past-fishing-reports.htm
Home page: www.noelgyger.ca
