A cold winter set the stage for the 2008 season in the lower Skeena Valley. The Kalum greeted guest Martin Walker, guide Jeff Langley and the host with a fine "welcome back." The often-moody river was flowing in amiable form: low, clean, green in the middle — and holding fish. On day one...
...while guest and guide were captivated by a thrilling episode of nature theater — wolves chasing moose — the host was busy beaching this bright doe.
After a day searching the lower Kalum, we returned to the upper river. Martin provided the day's highlight with this beautiful steelhead in a picturesque setting.
On the following day we concentrated efforts on the Copper, starting with a short hike into the lower canyon. The morning was crisp and the river in excellent shape...
Through the first several pools and the first half of the day, we found a number of bull trout, but no steelhead. Mid-afternoon, however, Martin connected with a substantial fish.
After a series of short but powerful runs a 36x18 buck was subdued in the shallows. It would prove to be the first of several noteworthy steelhead for Martin on one large black and chartreuse fly.
By a new formula proffered in Fly Fisherman magazine the fish weighed 16.9 lbs. By the old standby, 15.5. Either way, a good fish.
Less than 24 hours later, and back on the Kalum, Martin was again in front of the camera. This time with a mid-teens doe.
-------------------------------------------~
The only disappointing aspect of this trip was that Martin and I had such good fishing and no other guests to share it with. If I ever wanted to send wish-you-were-here postcards, it was during this trip!
We certainly enjoyed having the lodge and the fishing to ourselves, but I hope those who couldn't make it will be able to join us in 2009 — I'm already planning a two-week extravaganza. Dates will be March 29 – April 4 and April 5–11. It's not too early to secure a spot in the week of your choice.
Looking forward to summer:
Biologists in the Skeena region say (paraphrasing) "as goes the spring run, so goes the summer and fall runs." That Martin and I found good numbers of large healthy female steelhead in the Kalum would seem to indicate good near-shore ocean conditions and bode well for the spawn. Assuming the conditions hold and the commercial sockeye fishery is managed responsibly, I'm optimistic the rest of the year will see the Skeena system rebound from last year's depressed returns. We'll know more in August...
Jeff
10 April 2008
The ensuing morning began as an echo of the previous day. Back in "Martin's Run" the host scored a robust mid-teens buck. The fish hammered the fly...
...and ripped up the pool, belieing the cold water temperature. And though the numbers didn't stack up with the previous day's, we were satisfied when Martin capped the afternoon with a strong fish from this deep, slow tailout. The steelhead, a female estimated at 16-18 pounds, was remarkable for her broad tail.
Martin and the host topped off the trip with a couple of bonus days on Saturday and Sunday. With Dustin, the pair searched the main Skeena for fresh-running fish. Though, in this instance, the haystack kept its needles well hidden, the scenery was inspiring. Finding steelhead on the big river can be a challenge, but when done, the quality of the fish is nearly always worth the effort.
After the host landed two fish, 5 and 7 pounds, Martin followed with this handsome buck late Sunday afternoon. A perfect ending to a great trip!
Moments later, on river right, the host landed this one, another female. March 26 was shaping up to be a very good day...
15 minutes later, back on river left, Martin was into something big and Nicholas Dean's head guide Dustin Kovacvich was at the ready.
The Kalum shared one of its spring trophies: a heavy, double-striped male steelhead. This one measured 39x21, an honest 22 pounds, if not more...But Martin was not finished. He would beach two more steelhead from this generous pool for a tally of four in just over an hour's time!
Downriver, the host fished first through a productive run and picked up another bright doe. The fish put on a good show and posed politely for a photo. A second fish, a male in darker colors, rolled off at the bank. Dustin took a turn and landed a fish as well. In sum, 8 steelhead to the river's edge.
Then after the host missed a fish, Martin scored this pretty steelhead as the late afternoon sunlight began to fade. A nice visual moment captured.
Martin's black and chartreuse again worked magic. This time on Friday's first fish, another feisty doe weighing in the mid-teens. The river eventually confiscated the deadly fly.
Considering the Kalum's large cobble substrate, doubtless its steelhead need such attributes to be successful spawners.
