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October 25, 2006
October Treasure Hunt: Skeena Region Fishing Report
The title of this report/article/life in the day of a fishing guide in Skeena country BC, was an easy one and stuck in my mind so deep I had to write about it. Behind the small desk on a wall in a far away place is a framed assortment of Steelhead and Salmon prizes won my by new friend Hak, the six month man, so he says. Hak has been into Steelhead Heaven twice this year and having a 20lb Steelhead fall to his swung Spey Fly this April he was back to get into Coho Salmon, Yes, can you believe it, Coho!! I did not know this at first until I saw his backing line and he looked at me, and said Coho. As you can see in the picture attached Hak captured his prey, a big buck Coho, just what he wanted, as well a sizeable Steelhead, also attached to this text.
Hak is not alone when it comes to hooking big Steelhead, as you can see in this next pic Mrs. Nagasawa swung her husbands special home tied fly into the jaws of this bruiser, a 20lb plus fresh male Steelhead. This young woman can cast a spey rod like I have never seen before, effortless and precise. When we entered the pool she was using a type 6 sink tip from Rio. Having to cast and swing the fly into the tailout proved to be unnatural as she was always catching bottom before the fly entered the sweet part of the cast. For you, who have ever swung flies for Steelhead or Salmon you know what I mean. I watched as she worked herself into the deeper, faster water to get that perfect swing, still not targeting the shallow riffle of the dangle or hang down. These terms are what we call the last part of the swing before we strip line and cast again. This part of the cast is overlooked so often as most anglers want to get the fly back out there not thinking the Steelhead are downstream of them 2 feet from shore. This is why when entering a Steelhead lie the initial wade, if needed, is so important when you want Steelhead success. The Spey cast is definitely more efficient than a single-handed cast but can also spook the entire pool when a beginner or new Steelheader hits the water. The line slaps the waters surface where the fish are when an angler makes a faulty cast. So a good cast, consistently, is very, very important. A good caster does not always make a good Steelheader either. I have watched guys put out all their line and man does it look good, even though the fly is never near where the fish are. I find the angler that catches the most fish is a good reader of water and can tell where the fish are suppose to be. I remember one comment Ted made to a client this year, “Shorter cast”, the client looked at him thinking are you nutz I’m speycasting. Like repeat client, Troy Adams always says, “there are three rules to fishing success, listen to the guide…”
So I had Mrs. Nagasawa return to the top of the pool and fish it again, but this time using a type 3 sink tip, which was much lighter and she waded up to her ankles and casted, perfect I thought. She had already landed a small, but respectable Steelhead that day so when she tied into this one it was a tasty fight. At the time I was coaching her husband Yoshi on a boulder pool and he pointed downstream, she was into a bruiser for sure. When I saw the splash I was not sure if a late run of Chinook had come in. I hurried down to her and she said, strong fish! I thought oh ya what does a small 98lb woman know about a strong fish, but I took what she said and stored it away for the time being. I watched as her sink tip came into the rod guides then back out, back in back out. She eventually had most of the sink tip onto the reel and I was amazed that I was yet to see this fish. She was running a normal length leader of 4ft and still I could not see this rod bender. When I did, I almost crapped myself! Pardon the excitement, but it was not only a strong fish but also the biggest fish we had this fall Steelhead season! I had the net cocked and pulled the trigger, whoosh! As it cut through the waters surface like a razor, and into the net this large Male Steelhead came. It thrashed in the shallow water with such power I was not sure I could hold onto the handle of the net any longer. It was like a tug of war with a Pitt Bull and his favorite toy. We quickly took our photos and measurements and off it darted like it was all a dream. We stood there soaken from the splashes and the picture takings, there was this relaxing silence and we all could feel it. The Steelhead measured 36”x20”girth, the 36” may have been more as I took the length quickly. With the calculations we have published in so many magazines, I prefer to use this one, LxGxGx1.2 divided 800 comes out to 21.6lbs. I tell you what having that Steelhead in my hands took a large bit of might, as this thing was solid. This little girl showed most men, and convinced me that a strong fish means just that, what it is all about when it comes to swinging flies for Steelhead. It took allot of patience which most would not of endured and if we had not changed the sink tip would it have made a difference?? I feel it’s all about presentation and finding bottom when swinging flies for Steelhead.
The last picture in this report is a perfect example of fishing for the fish not casting the perfect cast. I watched as this fella casted his Skagit Spey line a short distance then stayed in contact with his fly each time. I knew it was only a matter of time before it paid off. He hooked a Steelhead each day out and I attached a pic of a fresh Coho that took his swung fly.
Over the winter months I will be reporting on the local streams and will also be updating the fly gallery as allot of clients and fly tyers are interested in our patterns up here in BC.
Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
250 632-9880
250 639-4277
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