The Magazine for those who like to catch big fish and lots of em! Spring & Summer Edition
THE BITE IS ON!
• • • •
IN SEARCH OF....... AUGUST .... THE MONTH OF ADVENTURES WHAT DOES A QUIKSILVER SANDWICH TASTE LIKE? THE WORLD’S MOST INTERESTING MAN....
2012 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3
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$19.95
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CONTENTS The Magazine for those who like to catch big fish and lots of em!
FEATURES Bull Country
p. 6
The Big Year!
p. 16
Feedlot for Flyfishermen How high can you count?
QuickSilver Sandwich p. 17 An article to satisfy your appetite!
In Search of ??
p. 19
SGS
p. 32
Remote & 5lbs
What could that stand for?
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly No western here p. 36
DEPTS One name is not ENOUGH!
p. 28
Editors Edge
p. 3
Technology IPhone 4 fishing
p. 4
August Adventures p. 10
Cooking the Catch Cedar Planked Sockeye
p. 18
The Year of Firsts A first time for everything
p. 25
Camp Lake
Liquid Lense An underwater world
p. 26
Cover:
Quiz Me What would you do?
p. 27
This fish menaced anglers on the Kitmat River in late July. Please do not approach if you see this fish. It may be dangerous!
Worlds Most Interesting Man p. 30 Words of Wisdom?
p. 29
Movie Review & Quiz The Perfect Storm?
Editor: Robert Bryce
p. 31
Hog of the Month p. 38 You will squeal when you see these oinkers! Page 2
EDITORS EDGE Taking the edge off Intake Grate Dilemma
On a recentt trip to Terrace we inadvertantly ran over a gravel bar and broke off two tines on the grate for the jet motor water intake. This allowed the entrance of about 30 large rocks to be sucked into the impeller and therefore plugging the impeller solid so it would not turn over and therfore no power for the boat. Fast forward to the boat launch ( see note below for full story) where we had a look at the impeller and broken grate to see the damage. As we were looking at the damage a mechanic from Ken’s Marine told us to bring the boat by to remove the rocks and put a new grate in. Now the dilemma; Ken’s Marine was not sure if they had a new grate but one of the managers thought he “might” be able to take one of a new boat but could not do it for awhile. To ensure that we could get back out on the water we decided to check the other Marine dealer in town to see if they had a intake grate. Lucky for us the mechanic had his own personal “new” grate and decided to sell it for $140 cash. The list price was $440.00 so I paid cash for the discounted price. I took the grate back to the other dealer where they had already taken a new one off another boat and were ready to put it on when I told them I had just purchased one. They were not impressed but I did not want to pay the $440.00 for their new grate. Overall good service at both dealers as we were back on the water in an hour.
Can I get a Lift and a Tow
Kudos to the the two jet boat owners who assisted us while we were incapacitated on the Skeen River. The
first boat shuttled my fishing partners across the river to get us closer to the boat launch. Secondly, to the jet boat owner that towed us up the Kalum side channel to the boat launch. Guys like this are true river gentleman. A big “Boo and Hiss” to the 5-10 boats in the area that did not come to our assistance.
Campground Squeeze & Fall
On recent fishing trip to Charlie Lake in Ft St John both campgrounds were full which left us wondering where to camp for the night. We decided to check to see if there might be an extra space to pitch a tent. The campground staff found us a lake front site which was unused that night. On down side: Charlie Lake is a shallow lake full of algae blooms in the summer which results in a green slime along the shore and boat launch. While launching the boat on their first class boat launch my friend Glen was preparing to unhook the boat from the trailer when he disappeared from sight. I hopped out of the truck to find a “man down” under the boat with a gash in his hand after falling on the green slime. The slimy boat launch truly was a major hazard and should have had warning signs or a slime removal program.
Deutschland Muscling
On recent float of the Copper River for Summer Run Steelhead we pulled ashore to fish a likely looking run. It proved to be a good choice as John hooked and landed a beautiful 8 lb Steelhead. But soon after that five German ( no offence to the German population as crowding out fellow fishermen is a universal problem) fishermen pop out of the woods and proceed to “muscle” us out of our run by postioning themselves above and below us. Totally not cool! I am always up for a good muscling ( as I am used to it when fishing with friends) but not from people I do not know.
Gloomis Break x Three
An unusual event happened this July. Myself and two friends all own the Gloomis Dredger Spey Rod which is a top of the line rod. Within two days all three of us had broke our rods and leaving us scrambling to patch together rods to get back on the water. Gloomis’s rod warranty program is excellent and will have us all back on the water in no time with new rods.
Got a gripe or good news story? Nice launch at first sight but beware!!
Let Fishtails air your concerns! Page 3
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IPHONE 4 FISHING Utilizing Technology in our every day fishing journals. • Facetime - ability to talk face to face to other Iphone users • Tunes - Rock out on the way to your favorite fishing hole. Other useful sites to utilize while out fishing.
Tyee Test Fishery Follow the daily catches of salmon & steelhead on the Skeena River
IPHONE 4 As a fisherman who is always looking for more information to help make each fishing day the best possible, I realized that the IPhone had a lot to offer. The portability and ease of use of this technological gadget has satisified my craving for instant information. The phone really does have many uses for the avid fisherman. After one year now of utilizing the Iphone 4 fishing I am not sure how I would do without it on my fishing trips. Here is a summary of the most utilized features I use on the Iphone: • Camera - always handy to take pictures of that next lunker • Internet - having the ability to check the various fishing related websites from wherever you are. • Texting photos - friends and family need to know asap what that next catch looks like. • Alarm Clock - waking up to your favorite tune in the morning • Apps & More Apps - a variety of apps from regs, flashlight, GPS to
Drive BC Highway Cams Check the view at strategically placed cameras along our highways
Spot GPS Track your fellow fisherman as they explore remote regions of our province.
Ministry of TransportationWeather Stations Follow the weather at strategically placed weather stations along our highways. Marine Forecast Check the forecast and hourly wind speed for marine areas on our coast. Page 4
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GEAR REVIEW Utilizing Technology in our every day fishing
The previous are the built in features of the IPhone, but these are just a fraction of the features or applications (apps) that can be downloaded to your phone. Many of these apps are free and take only minutes to get up and running. A few of my favorites are Google Earth, which in my opinion is one of the greatest advancements for fisherman in recent memory. Now you can have this at your fingertips 24/7. How about a flashlight built into the IPhone for those dark, early mornings when you are trying to find a suitable log to do your business. A few other popular apps which can be downloaded are: Dry Creek Tech Pouch This waterproof pouch provides excellent storage for a Iphone, Blackberry or GPS. The best insurance against drowning your technical device while in a rain jacket or vest pocket and best of all you look stylin while on the river.
Simms Sunscreen A fast-drying sunscreen lotion with excellent SPF 30+ sun protection. This will help you keep your skin looking young and fresh after many hours getting baked on the open river.
LifeProof LifeJacket Float for LifeProof iPhone Case Now that your iPhone is safe and secure in its LifeProof case, you need to make sure it won’t sink into the watery depths. Enter the LifeProof LifeJacket iPhone Case. The ingenious design works seamlessly with your LifeProof iPhone. Simms Lip Balm For those sunny and windy days on the Skeena River, this will keep your lips supple and moist.
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BULL COUNTRY Fishing in a land of underwater livestock!
Do you ever dream of fishing a fly fishing a run where almost every cast results in a 5-12 lb trout. We call these the honey hole, meat hole, etc. I was lucky enough to experience this on a recent trip to a remote Williston Lake tributary.
This trip was already a success as we had already caught some nice 10 lb bull trout, rainbow trout, arctic grayling and whitefish. Our last morning we decided to do some more exploring as we had a hunch about a new location, so we drove down a brushy road, ATV’d what we could not drive and then hiked what we could not ATV. The mosquito infested forest ( we lost our bug spray) tested our determination as we hiked amongst a cloud of bugs. The. 45 min hike finally led us to the destination. We rigged up our rods with our big and flashy flies and began to cast but dejectedly no luck. Looking down at another likely spot I ventured over and began casting and quickly felt either a tug or possibly bottom so I repeated the exact same cast and the same tug or bottom occurred. The third cast I stripped abit faster to rule out bottom when the line began to peel off the reel at a steady rate before I realized I was into my backing. I motioned to my friend Steve to come down and help land the behemoth.. Page 6
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BULL COUNTRY Fishing in a land of underwater livestock!
Magnificent Arctic Grayling
Wild Rainbows on the fly
Arctic Grayling
Arctic Grayling underwater Page 7
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BULL COUNTRY Fishing in a land of underwater livestock!
After a 10 min back and forth battle the pink spotted bull trout finally relinquished and allowed a quick picture before being released. What followed over the next 1.5 hours was truly amazing, I know fisherman can exaggerate about the fishing but literally a 5-12 lb fish every 1-2 casts. We even made made videos starting with the cast as we knew were going to get into fish. This fishing continued for over a 400 m space with no signs of letting up as we kept moving down to see if the fishing would slow down. The only thing that kept us from catching more fish was the time as we had to make the hike back out and start our return trip back to town.
It truly was“one of those days�.
Fish-On Page 8
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BULL COUNTRY Fishing in a land of underwater livestock!
The Effort
The Reward
One of Many
Big Bulls
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay The Quest for the finest steelhead and salmon waters on this planet will undoubtedly lead to the Skeena Region of northwest BC. The month of August provides fishing opportunities for all five Pacific salmon species and steelhead. The biggest challenge for us on this trip was, which river to fish and for what species. The trip ended up with 4 out 5 salmon species plus steelhead. We decided to mix up our destinations with a combination of remote locations and more popular easy access ones. We started out our trip with a quick run up the Skeena River to fish for Wild Steelhead. The river did not disappoint as we managed to land this beatuiful fish pictured below.
Enroute to our first adventure
The first afternoon provided a nice way to warm up the reel!
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay
Estuary of our remote destination
DID YOU KNOW! • The Skeena River is 570 km (350 mi) in length • The population of Terrace is 11,486 • The average summer temperature in Terrace is warmer than Prince George. • There is only so much space for territories in streams so the number of young coho is limited and there is intense competition for what space there is. Individuals that can not find or defend a territory do not survive well. Anticipation as we enter the estuary of our remote river
Coho migration routes Krome Koho Fish On! on a remote river
DID YOU KNOW! • Other names for coho include: Silvers, Blueback, Oncorhynchus kisutch. Northerns, Ho’s
Why do remote river Coho always look Chromer than urban Coho? Page 11
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay
The first remote adventure began with a 50 km run down the ocean to a river that was supposed to be full of fresh Coho Salmon. We left early in the morning with slightly choppy seas until our inlet provided a calm run up to the estuary. It quickly became apparent that the river was very low for this time of year so navigating up would be a challenge. S o m e scouting of routes and riffles were required to safely make it to our fish- A river full of chum and coho as well as Pink and ing spot. Chinook Salmon
The first fish was had within an hour and then many more followed soon after that. We ventured upriver on foot wading back and forth across the river past where any jet boat could get to. These runs proved to be very fruitful as we managed to land over 16 coho plus a few pink salmon, chum salmon and a chinook salmon on its last days. My fishing partner John had the coho dialed in as he managed to coerce fish after fish to his fly. Where can you fish for fresh coho on the fly with snow down to the valley bottom still in late August.
Big coho leaves a spey rod broken in half
The scenery was spectacular with snow down to river level, waterfalls cascading in all directions, glaciers hanging over the steep rock faced valley walls. I capped the trip off with a large coho that snapped my rod in half after an epic battle. The trip back out was uneventful as we carefully navigated the shallow waters back to a high tide at the river mouth. The ocean cooperated as well as we cruised back on glass like water.
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay
Wildlife was always nearby
Beautiful water laden with wild salmon
Calm Waters in the inlet and while leaving the estuary
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay
The next morning we awoke from campsite (me sleeping in the boat and John in a tent on the shoulder of a forest road) along the edge of the Copper River. We were excited to float this well known river for fresh Steelhead. We fished a few runs with no luck and then we drifted in a fishy looknig run with a bouldery head of the run and a sweet looking tailout. J o h n took the top and I headed to the bottom. The anticiapMinty Fresh Copper River Steelhead tion of the tug was killing me as I could feel it coming 4S - Skeena, Steelhead, Seattle Sombrero any second, and it did and I must have felt it through ESP as I looked upriver and John was into a fish. I scrambled up river to assist with the fish as he led a nice 8 lb steelhead to shore. John quickly had a couple more takes as he worked his way down the run. As I made my way back to my spot where I left off five german anglers came out of the bushes and proceeded to “muscle us out� as Skeena River Steel they put guys above and below us with no consideration for the water we had not covered yet. This made our exit a little quicker as we floated down river past a steady stream of bank maggots that were now inhabiting the shore of all the best runs. The float was successful so we left the river and began plannig our next adventure.
Steelhead just after realease
After a hearty lunch we decide to fish the mainstem Skeen again. The river was not very friendly to us that afternoon but we did witness a few anglers having success. Another home cooked meal
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AUGUST ADVENTURES A Quest for Salmon & Steelhead Nirvana - Photo Essay
awaited us at a friends house and then we were off that night to our next adventure. After an hour drive we camped at the boat launch so that we could be the first boat on the river the next morning. Just as we were dozing off for the night a car pulled up and two ladies walked down to the waters edge and began to singing aboriginal songs as we were serenedaded to sleep by their voices and the rivers flow. One of three “Slabs” landed that morning
Early in the morning we launched the boat and we were off to our next river where we managed to land 3 chinook salmon in a few hours. We drove back to Terrace and planned our next destination which came about after a friend sent me a clip from a well known Flyfishing TV show where they were catching fish at this location. We had never used this boat launch before and it was a steep drop down to the river which would m a k e for an interestIt doesn’t get any better than this ing trip back up. We launched the boat and we were off to our next destination at the mouth of a prominent Skeena River Creek. John’s first cast resulted in chrome bar attacking his fly but he could not keep it on. We then both had a few takes until finally I landed 4 lb Skeena Coho. We fished a few more hours as John had a few more hookups and then I managed to land a mint Steelie at a run below the creek just before nightfall. The next day on our last morning we fished a classic steelhead run near Kitwanga which Skeena Showers on Steelhead Run provided me with three hookups but only one to the beach. This ended 5 days of adventure in fishing paradise and as always the biggest challenge was deciding on what species to fish for and where.... Tough Choices! Page 15
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THE BIG YEAR! How many species in your Big Year?
Cutthroat
Bull Trout
Chum Salmon
Whitefish
Sockeye Salmon
Coho Salmon
Pike
Pink Salmon
Walleye
2012 BIG YEAR SPECIES 100 % FLY CAUGHT Brook Trout
Northern Pike Minnow
Arctic Grayling
Sculpin
Dolly Varden
Chinook Salmon
Rainbow Trout
Steelhead
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QUICKSILVER SANDWICH Take a bite out of this fishing trip!
What do you get when you combine three inflatables; two Quicksilver inflatables and an Aquamarine? ..... “Quicksilver Sandwich”. We did an annual trip into “Bryce Lake” with six of the northern interiors best fly fisherman, three inflatables, one trailer and an ATV. The short expedition down a deactivated road lead us to a fairly non descript lake or “pothole” as some may call it. This prolific lake did not disappoint as we probably “sore mouthed “ over 75 wild rainbow trout in a day. The tea colored waters were full of eager trout waiting to sample our offerings. The afternoon warmth triggered hatches along the shoals that kept our reels screaming. The fish were not huge but a respectful 14-18 inches for a lake this size. The remoteness of having a lake full of wild rainbow trout all to yourself is as good as it gets!
Beautiful Wild Trout
Getting geared up!
The Fishermen! Page 17
D O
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COOKING THE CATCH Cedar Planked Sockeye Steaks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Cut fresh sockeye into 1.5 “ thick steaks Rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels Soak a 6” x 18 “ piece of Cedar in water for 1 hour Brush on some Renee’s Gourmet Sauce - Lemon Pepper Pre-heat barbecue to 350 degrees Place salmon steaks on the soaked Cedar plank Cook each side for 8 minutes or until fully cooked Add some barbecued vegetables Add a tossed salad The meal is now complete!
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path
With more and more angling pressure on our local lakes every fly fisherman dreams of finding that remote, untouched lake where the fish are large, plentiful and have not seen a fly in years. These lakes are few and far between but we can always hope that one day we will come upon that special lake. These lakes are not within reach of a maintained road, or highway, they require “EFFORT” above and beyond what most anglers will exert. This effort can exist in many forms or combination of all.
The first trip this spring which povided the inspiration was an annual trip into ‘Bryce Lake” which could be classified as remote by some but I was looking for lakes that took far more effort to get into.
Typically these may include: • Access via deactivated roads • Access through overgrown forest roads • Driving long distances on dirt roads • Carrying float tubes along trail systems • Bushwacking through thick forest to access lakes • Paddling down creeks to access lakes • Using wheeled carts to pull inflatable boats Where do you start this quest for remote lakes? My first step usually starts with Google Earth. For me, this piece of software is one of the most revolutionary and helpful tools to assist with outdoor recreation since the internets’ inception. I can spend hours dreaming, planning future trips, and looking for possible access points. This spring I was inspired to re-kindle some fishing adventuring and attempt to find some of these special lakes.
The 2nd lake looks like it may hold fishbut I did not see any rise. The next trip I loaded up the ATV and dusted off my float tube which had not been used in 10 years ( still holding air) and headed off for adventure. This trip had three different lakes on the agenda for the day. I had been to one of the lakes in the past (about 15 years ago) and it provided some excellent fishing. After driving to my destination I unloaded the ATV and headed off on an old deactivated road. As I progressed down the road the brush increased to a level where the ATV was essentially driving through a tunnel of branches and leaves. The first lake was passed as the brush relented but I was leaving this small lake for the end of the day. The path opened up as I approached the second lake. It looked inviting but I was unsure whether it contained any fish. I walked along the shore looking for signs of fry or any rising fish but nothing.
The deactivated road to lakes 2 & 3.
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path well. This “fishing research” will allow me to come back at a later date and skip lakes two and three but definitely try lake #1.
I decided to head a bit further down the deactivated road to a landing where I would begin my jaunt through the forest to another lake I had fished 15 years ago. I loaded the float tube on my back and off I went. 45 min later I arrived at the shore and proceeded to paddle 500 m through the shallow end of the lake to two deep troughs. I was now over the “honey hole” but nothing . I decided to move to the 2nd trough in front of the inflow creek but nothing but a small 6” rainbow. Deciding not to waste any more time I kicked ( and used my net as a paddle) back the 30 min to the put in spot. ( Kicking only 1.1 km/hr and with net 1.4 km/hr). Back through the forest to the ATV and back to the 2nd lake for another look. Maybe with the warming temperatures I may be able to spot some rising fish but still nothing so I decide to skip this lake and head to the first lake I passed. I can barely see the water of the lake through the forest so a small bushwack and I will be at the lake. The first lake is very small ( maybe 500 m across) and maybe 15 ft at the deepest and crystal clear. I decide to try a chironomid under a float and cast to to recently formed dimple on the water. Within seconds the float disappears and the reel is screaming. A beautiful 16” rainbow is in the net minutes later. My spirits have lifted as I know there are fish in the lake. The afternoon continued with a dozen fish to the net, all good sized wild rainbows. With evening approaching it was time to hike back up to the ATV and head back to the truck and then back to town. Overall not a bad day; fished two of three lakes with one lake producing quite
The reward is always worth the effort.
Trout cruising the shallows Page 20
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path
The next adventure had come about after a conversation about three “fishy sounding” lakes called the “Caddis Lakes”. They certainly had a name that smelled of fish, but that needed to be proven. The lakes are not all that remote but two of the three need some extra effort to access them. A day was chosen to investigate; the infaltable boat, electric motor and the “wheeleez” cart to wheel the inflatable down the road. After reviewing the Google Earth imagery we decided to tackle the southern Caddis Lake first. It is a long lake with a decent sized creek for inflow and outflow. We got to within 1 km of the lake along a brushy road when a bridge across a creek was taken out and a ditch remained. We made a decision to hike to the lake to look for any signs of fish before we hauled in the inflatable boat. The old foresttry road got to within 80 m of the lake so at this point we bushwacked to the shore. Immediatley we saw small fry swimming in the shallow waters of the shore and then we saw small dimples of rising fish out in the bay. Our excitement instantly increased as there were no signs of any other fisherman or paths into the lake. Visions of 5lb wild rainbows on dry fly were passing through our minds ( or atleast mine). We then picked up the pace and headed back to the truck to load up the gear and drag the inflatable into the lake. The first barrier of the ditch across the creek required more carrying than pulling of the boat. After that it was
The remains of a removed bridge
Dragging the boat down an old forestry road relatively easy going to the point where the road neared the lake. We then dragged the boat through the forest to the shore of the lake. The anticipation was growing as the dimples of rising fish continued. We launched and headed out to the epi-centre of the rising fish. The first few casts occurred with no tug at the end of the line. Then more and more casts with no luck, so the theories and guessing of why we had no fish started.
The bushwack into the lake Page 21
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path
We moved locations, tried new flies and techniques but still nothing. We decided to cover some water by trolling and this resulted in a quick hit but it we could not land it ( not because it was too big). We made it to the far end of the lake with still no luck when finally John’s rod buckled and he managed to reel in a fesity 10” rainbow. Not excactly the size we were hoping for but it was a start. The next hour resulted in nothing else but one more small rainbow. We made a full loop of the lake and began casting to the dimpling fish but no hits so we surmised that the rising fish were just too small to eat our flies.
The unvisited northern Caddis Lake
Dimpling fish in the bay The “very small” reward
Different lake and the reward is only slightly larger. Page 22
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path
We decided to leave the lake and try our luck at one of the other two Caddis Lakes. The most northern Caddis Lake looked inviting as well but the effort to haul a boat through 500m of a forest plantation was too much for us at this time so we decided to try the much easier access to the middle Caddis Lake. We first watched over the lake the see if there were any fish rising but nothing for awhile until a fish was spotted leaping out of the water. That was enough convincing to carry the boat 50 m through the forest to the lake. Different lake but same story; only one small trout for our effort. A full loop of the lake only provided one fish and one sighting of a jumping fish. We were baffled as the lake had a beautiful outflow creek, lots of vegetation and depth. We packed up and headed home while still in a state of disbelief.
than I had anticipated. The road quickly became became brushier as I approached my first junction which would determine which lake I would fish first. I decide to take the right fork and head towards three of the lakes. The brush becomes increasingly thick and barely passable with the ATV. I manage to get within 100 m of the first lake so I decided to bushwack down to the lake to look for any sign of fish. After about 5 min of watching a few small rises appear in the bay. This was enough incentive to go back and grab the float tube. The lake is a fairly large lake that seemed to be quite deep and a rocky shoreline. I decided to float and cast down towards and incoming creek. There was no instant gratification on this lake as I had to work 2 hrs for one small trout that was about
The last adventure brought me back to an area I had explored 17 years ago with good success. I did my usual pre-planning of viewing Google Earth imagery and sending waypoints to my GPS. I had a a list of 5 small lakes on my agenda with a couple of them that looked like sure bets. I was heading out to the MacGregor Mountain area on a 2 hour drive, with the ATV and float tube joining me. As I began to get closer to my destination without knowing what lay ahead I came across another deactivated bridge that required the use of the ATV a bit earlier What else could you ask for in a remote lake 6�. I was shocked and in disbelief again that this prime looking lake only held a few very small rainbows. I packed up and head back to the ATV and was off to the next lake. It was evident after a couple of km’s that the brush was going to win out as the thickness was to much for me and the 4x4 ATV. I backtracked to another junction and looked at other options to get to the second lake. I decided to take an alternate route that may require a bit more hiking but it was worth a try. I ended up at a landing at the end of the road and pulled out my GPS which said it was about 1.1 km to the 2nd lake. I decided to giv it a shot. Page 23
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IN SEARCH OF Remote trout lakes beyond the beaten path but this only increased the anticipation. In minutes I was paddling through the clear waters but unfortunantely it was the same story - no fish!. A disappointing hike back to the ATV and the end of another remote lake fishing adventure. I have come to realize that just because a lake is remote, decent creeks, depth, and proximity to other productive lakes does guarantee it will be a quality lake.
Very brushy paths With my float tube on my back I started the trek which had me drop down into a brushy Alder filled gully when all of a sudden a big black ball of fur jumped to its feet and bolted off. I was not sure who was more startled me or the bear. This did not deter me as I still had visions of the 5 lb wild rainbows on my line. I made a bit more noise the remaining way to the lake. The lake was beautiful and had very similar features to Wicheeda Lake which is one of the most productive lakes in the region. The clear waters and patches of marl bottom were simply amazing. At first glance along the shore it was loaded with thousands of small fry. I was not able to determine the species
The unidentified species - One of thousands along the shore.
Beautiful lake Page 24
GU ES T
THE YEAR OF FIRSTS By Erich Franz
Justin brought his girlfriend Jill Kirk, who is a wonderful gal, and she caught her first chum (and brought in several more). Her enthusiasm and upbeat spirit was cool to be around.
Julian bought his first spey rod outfit (SAGE ZAXIS 8/9 wt) and broke it in on the Babine. It was the most amazing two days ever. Niel Hodgson was along and among the three of us we estimated that we landed about 100 sockeye. We had approximnately 20 triple headers. I never expect to experience a day as prolific as that ever again
Justin went salmon fishing with me for the first time ever and caught his first chum and sockeye (and caught several more of each). He caught the chum on an 8 wt singlehanded fly rod and caught his sockeye spey fishing. He took to spey fishing like (pardon the expression, fish takes to water. he made pappa proud.
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PH OT O
LIQUID LENSE Adding a New Persepective to your Fishing Photos
Courtesy of Steve Rooke Page 26
?? ?
QUIZ ME REEL WORLD FISHING DILEMMAS
No Waders quiz (based on real world situation)
You plan a belly boat trip in July to one the interiors premiere wild rainbow trout lakes-Wicheeda Lake. Upon arriving at the lake after a 1.5hr drive you realize that you forgot your waders. What do you do? 1. Drive back to town and retrieve them? 2. Fish from shore and hope to catch something? 3. Watch from shore and encourage your fellow fishermen. 4. Look for a plastic garbage and make your own waders. 5. Beg your fishing partners to share their waders 6. Jump right in with what you are wearing.
No Wading Boots (based on real world situation)
You drive to the town of Houston BC for some fall steelhead fishing. You have booked into a local motel so that you can get an early start fishing the following morning. You drive 30 minutes down a muddy forest service road at 7:00 am to where you start the fishing day. In the excitement ( and more likley early stage Alzheimers) you forget your wading boots. at the motel. What do you do? 1. Turn around and drive the 1 hour return trip to the hotel to retrieve your boots. 2. Fish in your waders without boots. 3. Share the wading boots of your fishing partner. 4. Squueze your waders into a pair of new running shoes. 5. Take the day off fishing and drive the boat all day. 6. Wrap your wading stockings in duct tape to make a boot.
To Tip or not to Tip (based on real world situation)
We tip or give a gratuity to all kinds of people in our lives for a service that is satisfactory or above and beyond. With fishing guides this also holds true. If the guides get you into fish or does his best to get you into fish but cannot control the conditions then a tip is probably deserved. You book an Ocean Charter fishing trip with a guide in search of Halibut. Our guide started by asking me to check the weather forecast to determine what day would have the smallest waves. (I thought this might be his job or area of expertise). The guide was pleaseant enough but did not seem meet our sense of what a guide should do. When asked for some tips on how to catch Halibut his answer was to “Just Fish”. He was very grumpy and terse when we were not sure on how some of the equipment worked and we felt like we could not touch anything on his boat without getting into trouble. When the rain started and the three of us were out in the rain fishing he was nodding off inside the cabin. When we did not catch any fish jigging we would seem to sit on the the spot forever without moving on. We did catch a few fish but over a full day and only three fish it seemed a like he did not go above and beyond to get us into fish. The one plus was that he did catch some crabs for us and boil them up for us at his house. What would you tip? 1. No tip - Make sure this guy realizes his service was sub par 2. $10 - This will surely be more of an insult than a reward 3. $40 - A small token, only because he boiled the crabs. 4. $100 - He must have been having a bad day and guiding is not easy 5. $200 - Maybe our expectations were out of line and this sleeping on the job was only so he would be refreshed for the boat ride back See page 34 for the “Reel World answers”
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A FISH OF MANY NAMES An Underated Sportfish on the Fly
You know them by many aliases: Snot Rockets Johnnies Jacks Headbanger Snakes Water Wolf Slough Shark Hammer Handles Gators Sewer Trout Swamp Donkeys Slime Sticks Jackfish Weed Kings Toothys but the Northern Pike or Esox lucius, is gamefish alot of us from the central interior are not familair with. These fish are common throughout the northern hemisphere but not in the province of BC. They are available in some of the lakes in the Peace Region of BC. This is where we headed to tangle with these “exotic”species. Flyfishing was our method of choice and the use of “Big and Flashy Flies” to attract our prey. These “Gators” did not disappoint as we hooked fish after fish until our arms were sore. We trolled, cast and stripped flies with all methods working. Even the highly touted “Figure 8” was deadly as we caught fish right next to the boat. We then decided to try some surface action and stripped some mouse patterns across the glassy water. This was quite the exhilaration as the “Snakes” would explode out of nowhere to rip our fly apart. The sharp teeth of the pike Did You Know? left us without a fly more often than not but the “tug” or in this case People introduced northern pike into Summit Lake, the ‘theft” was the drug. north of Prince George, BC on the Crooked River, presumably to improve fishing, It cost about $75,000 to do test nettings throughout the system for a year to determine that they had notbecome established. Summit Lake was on the fur trade route in B.C., as it is an easy portage into the Fraser River system. The Fraser supports a huge salmon fishery - Canada salmon. Well, northern pike carry the parasite Trienophorous crassus and are very predatory and could have had harmful effects on our native species. Toothy Page 28
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CAMP LAKE Small but Feisty
One of the gems of this region is Camp Lake in Eskers Park. Camp is a unique lake in many ways and is popular that reason. The lake is a hike or bike in only which allows only those willing to exert themsleves an opportunity to fish the lake. The lake is stocked with three species; Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and recently Kokanee which gives angler a smorgasboard of species to angle for. The lake is part of a series of walk in lakes that all provide excellent fishing opportunities. The fish are not huge which is probably due to the large number of fish in the lake. The are spread throughout the lake and are eager to eat most flies presented to them. The lake has some beautiful shoals amongst the crystal clear waters that are laden with trout willing to dart out of their cover to attack your fly.
Did you know? • Camp lake was barren of fish as of 1985 when gill net surveys revealed an absence of fish. • The lake was stocked with Rainbow Trout in 1985 • The lake wa stocked with Brook trout in 1988 • These original Brook trout naturally reproduced (shore spawned) as they were not sterile • In 2011 and 2012 over 5000 kokanee were released into Camp Lake Page 29
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The World’s Most Interesting Man Words of Wisdom to Live By!
I don’t often fish but when I do.....
I fish for Steelhead! Page 30
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THE PERFECT STORM MOVIE REVIEW & QUIZ
An unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercial fishermen unaware and puts them in mortal danger. This is definitely one of the best all time fishing related films that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats. The film is based on a true story and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Whether you agree or diagree with commercial fishing it gives an insight into the decisions made to get that one big haul.
How well do you know your “Perfect Storm� trivia? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Who was actor that played the Captain of the Fishing Vessel? What was the name of the fishing vessel? What species of fish was the crew fishing for? What was the name of the fising grounds that proved bountiful? Who was the co-star of the movie?
Check page 34 for answers
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SGS Salmon Grand Slam
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SGS Salmon Grand Slam
Grand Slam
If you are not familiar with the fishing term grand slam you soon will be. It is possibly the most difficult task in fishing (next to the bookend-see note for description). This feat has been attempted by many, but successful for very few. Your odds may be better at winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning, but this summer a group of five of the northern interior’s most accomplished fisherman did what most said could not be done. The word on the river was ; impossible, not a chance, good luck, why waste your time, you will fail like the rest, but this year was different, our group had mix of seasoned veterans, youth and newcomers. This special day started out like any other with the alarms going off at 4:25 am as the group gathered for the short walk to the vehicles. A stop for coffee and a snack fueled us up for the first leg of our day. We left the boat launch and the jet boat then
Sockeye
skimmed us up the mighty Skeena River to our destination. We each grabbed our rods like we do every morning, but totally unaware of what was about to unfold. The first species which is perhaps the easiest to catch “The Pacific Sockeye” was caught by everyone in the group without much fanfare. 1/6 The next species steelhead which is one of the most difficult to catch was caught be Glen Mikkelsen without much celebration as most of us did not even realize he caught and released it after a quick photo. 2/6. The morning session ended after a few hours and we were off to our next destination; the fish fertile waters of the Kitimat River. The third species and probably the most plentiful the mighty chum salmon was caught by all in quick order. 3/6. The next species which is much maligned by many, the pink salmon was brought to hand by a few of us in the first hour on this water course. 4/6.
Chum
The next species and most surprising was a mint bright hen coho landed by Daniel Erasmus. It was early for this species but not put of the question as we closely looked at the identifying features. 5/6. By now it was in the back of my mind that we only needed one more species to complete the SGS. Then I had to make one of the most difficult fishing decisions of my life. Do I tell the rest of our group how close we are or do I not mention it and hope for the best. Pink
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SGS Salmon Grand Slam
The odds of catching that final species, the king of all salmon, the chinook, were not great or really even remotely possible as the majority of the run had already been through and if there was a late straggler we would have to compete with the other 30 anglers below us. I also did not want to jinx the the team as I do not think anyone else had put the numbers together and realized that we were only one species short of the SGS. I also did not want everyone to try too hard as this can also cause fisherman to alter their casts and style. What came next was a bit of blur as the excitement of the moment left me unable to recall the exact details of the moment so the final event is what probably happened. One of our group’s rod buckled over with a take so ferocious that you could hear the strain of the rod. The line screaming off the reel so fast that the drag system was rendered useCoho less. The other anglers on the bar seemed to have had a 6th sense on what was about to unfold as they headed to shore and began to gather around in anticipation. The shore chat ensued with light wagering and expressions of disbelief. The epic battle was coming to a end? As the King of the Kitimat River slowly gave a final surge against the bend of the big stick. It was fruitless as it was dragged up to the first large boulder and bludgeoned with a softball size of sedimentary rock. The feat was complete, 6/6 the doubters had been silenced and the party began. A round high fives ensued, a mini wave amongst the fisherman rolled up and down both sides of the river bank with the extra length of the rods adding to the effect. The group was still in shock as I do not think everyone realized what had just happened. Note: In the excitement and chaos that ensued no picture of the Chinook Salmon was taken. Steelhead
Answers from “Quiz Me” from page 27 No Waders Quiz - #6 - Jump right in with what you are wearing No Wading Boots - #4 - Put those running shoes on To Tip or not to Tip - # 3 $40 The Perfect Storm Trivia from page 31 #1 - George Clooney #2 - Andrea Gail #3 - Swordfish #4 - Flemish Cap #5 Mark Whalberg
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SGS Salmon Grand Slam
THEY SAID IT COULDN’T BE DONE!
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THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY Lepeophtheirus salmonis
Sea lice are a discussion of all fisherman who fish rivers near the ocean. These small marine copepods live and feed off of fish and particularly our five species of pacific salmon. They attach themselves to a salmon’s skin, fins, or gills, where they stay and feed on the mucous layer secreted by a fish’s skin. So you may think the “Bad” & the “Ugly” are self explanatory when it comes to sea lice but how can there be a “Good” to these small creatures. The Good! As a fisherman who fishes rivers near the estuaries to hundreds of km’s upriver we get pretty excited when catching a salmon or steelhead that has sea lice on it. Why would we get excited? Well, they are an indicator of how fresh the fish is or how long it has been in the river. A fish with sea lice would typically have entered the river within the last 3-7 days as the lice are not tolerant of freshwater and will fall off after that time. If a fish has lice with one or two long stringy tails then it may be even fresher as these tails are where the female lice hold their eggs and they tend to fall off within the first 24 hours. The Bad! It’s really common for most all adult salmon to have sea lice attached to them. But its not so common for fry that are just starting their ocean life phase to be infested. Juvenile salmon or steelhead have thin skin and even one louse can inflict a fatal wound to an immature fish. Sea lice can also cause physical and enzymatic damage at their sites of attachment which results in abrasion-like lesions and these can cause stress within the fish. The Ugly! Just look at them; they are not very pretty. Just mention the word “Lice” and it sends shivers through most people. Everything about them says “Ugly”. Did you know? Some salmon are more susceptible than others. Adult pink salmon generally carry the most lice (5.8 adult sea lice per fish) and have the most infected population (92% of adult pink salmon have sea lice). Coho are the most resistant to lice. Chinook and Atlantic salmon have mid-range susceptibility.
The darker the color of the lice the longer it has been in freswater
Notice the long tail on the fresh Kitiamt River Chum
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THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY Lepeophtheirus salmonis
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OF THE MONTH The Readers have Spoken - the nominees are!
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OF THE MONTH The Readers have Spoken
And the Winner is!
This 20+ lb Laker was a late addition to “Hog of the Month� but needed to be added due to its substantial length and girth. The lucky angler was Mitsuhiro Iwasaki from Tokyo, Japan.
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KEEP YOUR EYE OPEN FOR THE NEXT EDITION Page 40