|
July 17, 2006
Skeena Region Fishing Report
Mainstem Skeena Chinook fishing has been very good as our last week on the bar was a rod bending, reel screaming good time. The Chinook are very fresh and our braided lines with 300 yards are no match for the Kings of the Skeena, where each hook-up is a potential world record. I watched as a Chinook took a large spinning glow held down by eight ounces of weight, the weight surprisingly feels like a feather when a Chinooks pulls the line. This weight expectantly snaps off as it is held with 20lb test from a three-way swivel. The leader material a whopping fifty-pound monofilament breaking strength. Quite a heavy unit to fish the Skeena, eh. We’ll, one hook-up from a Skeena Chinook will tell you soon enough you are under-equipped. The reel was stressed to the maximum and I was not sure if the line would snap or the reel would blow-up. Once they run, stopping the big ones is impossible, unless you have the jetboat warming up. At the time I thought about it. Hmmm get two comfortable boat clients to pull up there lines, push the boat out, start the motor, get the other client into the boat, at the same time trip over slippery boulders, keep the rod tip up, keep a tight line. I regrouped and said, we have to walk the riverbank downstream to gain line or it’s going to spool you. Sure enough the fish made a dash to shore and the elastic of the line made for a quick shake and was off, I remember the smiles when the dust settled, Skeena Chinooks!! The Kitimat River system is having an excellent run of fresh Chinooks as well a trickle of Chum and Pink Salmon. Yesterday we landed three Coho Salmon as a large school appeared, we BBQ’d one of the fresh fish on the open fire during our shore lunch break. The fellas fly fished from shore as I cooked our lunch as well some Spey lessons for Alexi, who has to tell his wife that he needs a thousand dollars for a rod, he will be back in the spring for our Steelhead run to try it out. His friend Eric landed this respectable 24lb Chinook.
Our Russian’s from the west were also in town for a week of Chinooks and Serge said one day how he cannot believe that such a small river can produce so many big fish. Attached is Serge’s fresh run Chinook. Also Mr. Ling from Provost proved that persistence pays off as this 30lber is held in his shivering grasps; it was a battle that lasted close to a half hour.
The Saltwater fishing out of Kitimat is also very good as the Salmon are running as well the bottom fishing has been rewarding as the Halibut are migrating to the sandy holding areas. The August month will also bring us Steelhead on the Skeena so our fly anglers will be in for a treat as river levels are dropping and clearing up.
Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
250 632-9880
250 639-4277
|
