The photo of the week shows a beautiful "wild" doe Steelhead posed by Rob Vodola for Valerie Toupin. This was Valerie's first Steelhead. She landed it on the Kalum River on March 25th. In addition to this photo I did manage to capture the moment on video. To view the video clip please cast to: http://www.noelgyger.ca/video-clips-web.htm it is 2007 Steelhead Video Clip # 0031 and is titled: (Valerie first Steelhead).
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Noel Gyger - Guided Fishing Adventures and Weekly Fishing Report
4012 Best Street, Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R8, Canada
Tel/Fax: (250) 635-2568
Cell: (250) 631-2678
E-mail: noel@noelgyger.ca
Home page: www.noelgyger.ca
Fishing Reports: www.noelgyger.ca/past-fishing-reports.htm
RECORD SALMON & STEELHEAD Spin or fly-fishing
RIVER, LAKE, STREAM or OCEAN!!!
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Home Page: www.noelgyger.ca
Noel Gyger - WEEKLY FISHING REPORT dated March 25 – April 1, 2007
(Number 012)
Dear Fishing Friends:
We got "slammed" mid week with a major snow storm that dropped over two feet of the heavy wet stuff. This was a very unusual snow fall for this time of year. Things are looking much better now at weeks end. The upper Kalum is still in excellent shape. The lower Copper and Skeena are coloured up a little bit. In addition to the Kalum River, fishing on the Kitimat River and Douglas Channel has started. See below for more details on the Kalum River and an update for Prince Rupert Ocean fishing and freshwater rivers of the central coast. Fishing there for Steelhead will start soon.
If I can be of service to find you the "best" guided fishing adventure let me know. Cast here to check out more of what I have to offer: http://noelgyger.ca/special-guided.htm
Be sure to check out my website at www.noelgyger.ca for more info on my history, Quality Waters Strategy, special guided fishing trips, video clips, scenic river photos, wildlife photos and others, comments from past guests, informational articles and archived fishing reports from 1996 through 2002. I hope it meets with your entire satisfaction.
Notice Due to a cancellation the week of April 16 through April 22nd has opened up at Nicholas Dean Lodge for up to 1 person. Let me know ASAP if you want to book this "prime time" week.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Skeena and Tributaries:
Access to rivers is getting better as the snow melt has begun (again).
Type of fish caught: Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Dolly Varden and Bull Trout.
Thank you for using barbless hooks.
Fishing this week: POOR ____FAIR_ __GOOD__*__EXCELLENT _____
LARGEST FISH OF THE WEEK: Specie: (estimate) 25-pound doe Steelhead Where: Kalum River Angler: Rob Vodola
Weather...Cloudy and mostly sunny with high of -1 degrees Celsius:
Weather reports via telephone…Environment Canada taped messages constantly updated, giving current conditions and three day forecasts. Terrace 250-635-4192 Kitimat 250-632-7864 Prince Rupert 250-627-1155 Smithers 250-847-1958.
For current Terrace weather information please cast on:
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/cities/can/pages/CABC0292.htm?ref=wxbtnold
Water conditions...fair on most rivers
Snow conditions… almost gone…again
For current water heights on the Skeena River please cast on:
http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/water/StnFrame.asp?stnID=08EF001 Note: this site usually works best in-season.
Report from Nicholas Dean Lodge for the week of March 25 to 31, 2007:
The past week has been a very busy one for the staff and guests at Nicholas Dean Lodge. The first group of the season enjoyed some fantastic fly fishing for Trophy Spring Steelhead, swinging large flies on heavy sink tips through prime runs and tail outs. Early in the week, water conditions were ideal on the Kalum, and Jeff Bright and his group hooked and landed several Steelhead, with the largest around 18 lbs. After this first day, the fishing only continued to get better and nearly all the guests hooked into fish of 15 lbs and over. One lucky angler in particular, while using one of Dustin's favorite Steelhead patterns, the Hawaiian Punch, hooked a very large fish. Four rod-pumping runs later, and several hundred yards downstream, the angler skillfully angled the fish towards shore, and Dustin triumphantly tailed the bullet-chrome fish. Although Dustin did not have a tape measure with him, he quickly made a length and girth measurement using a piece of fishing line before releasing the powerful fish back into the icy waters. Back at the lodge, the length of the fish was finally determined – a 41 inch Spring buck with a girth of 20.5 inches. By Sturdy's formula for calculating Steelhead weights, the fish was 22.5 lbs – a great example of the type of fish that are caught by guests at Nicholas Dean Lodge in the Spring on the Skeena. If you like the idea of hooking into the largest, chrome-bright Steelhead in the world, come give us a try and make your reservation today.
Nicholas Dean Lodge…where every cast is an adventure!
Skeena River...is now fishable for early run Steelhead. The water is in fair shape, slightly coloured up.
Kalum River…has an "excellent" run of Steelhead. These fish are wintering over and will spawn in late spring. The water is low and clean, almost too clean. The fish are very spooky. This is a Classified River year round and can be guided from March 15 through October 15 only. The Steelhead record is 32-pounds. To see a photo of this fish cast to: http://noelgyger.ca/records/Record003.jpg The angler is Dennis Therrien.
The Kalum River has "all" four runs of "wild" Steelhead: spring, summer, fall and winter. Other than the spring run, these fish stay in the river all winter and spawn in the late spring around late April, May and June. There is no hatchery Steelhead in the Kalum River.
Both spin and fly fishing work well on this river.
Kasiks River…fishing for Coho will start again next fall. This is the river where a 27-pound record Coho was landed.
Zymoetz (Copper) River…is closed now for angling (as of December 31, 2006 above the lower canyon) to protect the "wintering over" wild Steelhead. Winter fishing is still available on the lower end below the canyon.
Note: additional rivers will be added "in season" when the fishing begins in the spring.
Ocean fishing Prince Rupert...good fishing for winter springs (Chinook) is now happening in Prince Rupert. A summary of what is available year round can be read in the Archived Fishing Report dated April 13, 1997. For a direct link cast here: http://noelgyger.ca/archived-fishing-reports/Old%20Fishing%20Reports%201997.doc Prince Rupert, being a coastal city, is always warmer than Terrace.
(update coming soon) Hello Noel: sorry for not sending regular fishing reports, just have not been out fishing for a while but the last time we were out we boated three beauties!! 15 to 20 lb winter springs, the weather is really starting to shape up and some early run Kitimat springs will be showing up in the next two weeks, also the halibut will be moving in anytime now so fishing will pick up in April! My boat will be ready for charters by April 10, then I will be out more and able to keep you posted.
PS: the ling and snapper fishing are fabulous all the time!!
CALM WATERS...Randy Janzen
Area River Records…Chinook Salmon: Skeena River, 92.5-pounds; Kalum River, 85-pounds; Kitimat River, 74-pounds; Steelhead: Skeena River, 45-pounds; Coho Salmon: Skeena River, 27-pounds.
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Northern Coastal Rivers:
Kitimat River… (update coming soon) Although the grip of winter seems to be still holding on, there have been a few days when a few hard core anglers have been able to venture out and catch some trout. Ariel and Pat (local anglers) drifted in pontoon boats and were able to catch five cutthroat trout. They drifted from the "Wash Out" to the "Pump House" (approx. eight miles) and never saw another angler but they spotted six moose. Last weekend Donny Webber while fishing for trout was fortunate to catch a Steelhead. "It was a 12lb. Wild Steelhead so I released it" says Donny. The Kitimat River has a retention fishery of one Hatchery Steelhead per day. The main Steelhead run usually starts in late March peaking sometime in April and carrying over into May. Report by Ron Wakita
Note: additional rivers will be added "in season" when the fishing begins in the spring.
Ocean fishing Kitimat Douglas Channel…(update coming soon) More schools of herring have been migrating into the Kitimat Harbour with only the Seals, Sea Gulls and undoubtedly feeder Chinook taking advantage of the migration. Rivtow Marine staff (who work right on the water) have reported signs of herring for a few days now but "No Boats"
The only report of fishing the Salt water is a local Kitimaat Village resident, Crosby Smith who was rewarded with a 28lb. Chinook. "It was a fat, tasty bugger" says Crosby who dined on his catch the same day that he caught it". They certainly don't get much fresher than that not to mention the nutritional value of the Omega 3 protein contained in these feeder Chinook. It has been a long winter and it appears to be fish in the Kitimat area we can only hope for better weather to be able to catch some. Report by Ron Wakita
CURRENT REPORT and summary for Central Coast/North Van Island Wilderness Rivers:
March 21, 2007 (update coming soon)
Greetings:
Tight lines, dry waders (they leak from the top), and floating flies:
We are still waiting for the 12th of April for our season to start. From all reports, the Steelhead season this year is better than it has been in the last 12 years in this region.
We are very excited to begin our Angling Odyssey. Heli-Fishing ensures that "No one is retired from fishing".
Perry Wilson & Dan Cahill will be two of our professional guides at Nimmo this spring, along with our seasonally returning pilots who fly our magic carpets. We can access over 40 rivers for Salmon, Steelhead and Trout.
Our fishery takes place within the southern section of the "Great Bear Rain forest: within the Central Coast of BC. There are no roads or people. To be alone while angling is a wonderful thing and one that is sought after by anglers worldwide.
Our shore lunches at 7000 feet are truly dramatic. We eat daily in a restaurant that is never crowded. Towering spruce, cedars and fir trees are constant observers of How You Cast., not that will ever say anything or comment on your style, but they add a measure of peace that only comes from standing on the shores of a coastal river in an un-logged river valley.
It has been snowing for the past couple of days, off and on. We have fished before in April where there has been snow on the banks of our rivers, but I do not think that will be the case this year. There is a good snow pack on the coast range Mountains, which will allow for a good run off to bring in the spring fish.
This will be our 27th season, fishing on the coast of BC. We know well where the fish are and how to fish these rivers. Our pilots have well over 3500 hours of flying and all have completed a mountain flying course. Weather is our determining factor as to where we go and what we do in any given day. The pilots are the captains of their air ships and will dictate what can be done on a daily basis. There are navigators of the skies and good fishers.
We will have a nice selection of hardy fly fishing gear in our angling academy. This is where flies are tied, stories are told, and beverages are consumed and cigars …..
We look forward to meeting new anglers and introducing them to a truly beautiful part of BC. We travel over 30,000 sq. miles from sea level to seven thousand feet. To boldly go where no one has gone before. It's your turn.
Craig Murray, Owner
Nimmo Bay Resort
Fishing Regulation Websites:
2005/2007 BC tidal waters and freshwater Salmon fishing information:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish
Effective April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007
2006/2007 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/intro.html
Effective April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007
Note: For In-season Regulation Changes posted on the web check the above URL's
2007 TV show schedule for Sportfishing BC with host Mark Pendlington
Sportsnet Pacific ………Sundays at 6:30 AM PT or 9:30 AM ET
Knowledge Network……Fri/Sat at 1:30 PM PT or 4:30 ET/ Sun at 11:30 PM 2:30 ET
A Channel……………….Sundays at 7:00 AM PT or 10:00 AM ET
World Fishing Network…Check local listings
Catch & Release formula...Chinook: girth squared x length x 1.54 divided by
1000. Steelhead: Steelhead: girth squared x length x 1.33 divided by 1000 (inches)
To receive my WEEKLY FISHING REPORT and PHOTO via e-mail please send your name and e-mail address to: Noel Gyger noel@noelgyger.ca
GOOD LUCK and GOOD FISHING!
Yours sincerely,
Noel F. Gyger
Back to: http://noelgyger.ca/past-fishing-reports.htm
Home page: www.noelgyger.ca
