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March, 2005
Skeena/Kitimat Region
 What a day we had. Angling guide Ted Dejong and I made our first trip
down a local stream this week and at first we wondered where the heck
are all the fish. By mid-day we hit the 10 mile pool and rewards were
handed out all around. Fishing the structure as we slowly drifted
boondoggin, was our first take of the day. Ted got into a fine hook set
and landed this beautiful doe 36x17, a respectable Steelhead. The sweet
thing about this fish is that while we drifted in the 41F water we
noticed trout were rising on the surface all around us and Ted noticed a
large surface swirl mid river, "I think its a Steelie!", he commented. A few casts later he was all smiles.
 After a photo shoot and a high five, Ted suggested we go back up to the
structure and try it again, two casts later another fine doe is hooked,
a clone of the first. Two hook-ups, two fish, fresh up streamers for
the spring season. Two pools later I was commenting to Ted on where we hooked and landed a
beautiful red Steelie a few years back that was 24lbs. right in this
tail-out, then wham! as we drifted along I thought I hooked bottom, it
was heavy not much movement until I noticed that the so called stick was
moving. Ted was on the oars and made a few pulls in the reverse
direction, then he saw it, a huge red male awaiting his fresh female for
the mating season. Then I felt the power as my rod toppled over and the
brute broke the surface showing his entire side and beautiful colors,
then it was gone, short and sweet. We laughed about it and carried on,
the day was awesome, the weather mild, the river quiet, perfect. With low water levels the clarity was about 2ft. the rapids making us
work the oars as large boulders were peaking out of the waters surface,
maneuvers like a F-14 were called for. We hooked into another Steelhead near the bottom of the 8 mile drift
but decided we should be going as Harley was using the backhoe to open
up the small slide area that is our switch back road back to the lodge.
 As we neared the take-out the roar of a diesel engine was prevalent as
Harley was hard at work opening a path for us to exit. We packed the
rods and off we went up the steep slope in our 4x4 climbing into the sky
until we reached flat ground. Once we were back at the lodge Mickey had
fresh donuts and cinnamon rolls waiting for us, what a great ending to a
fine day.
As March 15th is our first guided day we still have room for guests as
the 20th is day one for the 2005 season and Mr. Baldwin from the USA will
be testing his fly gear on our hot Steelhead.
Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
250 632-9880
250 639-4277
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