Skeena River Camp - More From Week 1

Don Powell and Dustin Kovacvich with a bright Summer Run Steelhead caught at the Skeena Camp.  

Following up on last week's Skeena Camp blog post, I wanted to share a few more memories and highlights from the river.  Rumours from the camp this week are that Jeff Bright landed a 20 lb Steelhead.  He's a fishy guy so it's not surprising!  More photos on the second week of Skeena Camp forthcoming.

Skeena Summer Steelhead are very hot fish - here's evidence of that!

Don Powell is an experienced Steelhead fly angler, and this week was his 11th trip with us to date! 

Good friends, camaraderie and good fishing - exactly what it's all about.

Campfires - one of the quintessential camping experiences and a great way to cap off the day.

The sunsets at the Skeena Camp are pretty nice, too.

Camp cook and guide, Yvan Sabourin, gets in on the action after serving up dinner.

Skeena River Camp: Week 1 Trip Report

The Skeena River is in prime shape and these are the kinds of fish we're finding at our on-river Skeena Camp.  Here's head guide, Dustin Kovacvich, with a 20 lb hen Steelhead he landed while doing a demonstration for clients. Al Ducros photo

Our Skeena River camp is now in full swing and the fishing has been very productive for Steelhead, Sockeye, Pink and Coho salmon.  It's a great opportunity to fish all day for a week straight - 15 hours, if you like!  Here's some photos taken courtesy of Nicholas Dean guide, Al Ducros, from earlier this week.  On Sunday, Jeff Bright and several of his clients will be at the camp - stay tuned for more photos and details on their fishing...

Guest Don Powell with a Skeena Summer run Steelhead in the teens. Al Ducros photo

Sockeye Salmon are abundant on the Skeena this year!  They're great sport, and it's possible to catch a bunch of them in a day at the Skeena Camp. Al Ducros photo

Spencer Wernett with a large "humpy" otherwise known as a Pink Salmon. Al Ducros photo

Three generations of anglers are at the camp currently, including Bill Wernett (pictured here), his son Steven and his grandson Spencer.  Some of the wading was tough for Bill, so we helped him out by setting up a chair, right on the seam.  He's been catching a bunch of fish and having a great time. Al Ducros photo

The big one.  Dustin and his 20 lb Summer Steelhead

    

Skeena River Chinook - the Last Few Weeks

Big, bright, strong and over 40 lbs - a somewhat typical Skeena River Chinook Salmon just in from the salt chuck. Lloyd Martin Photo

With water levels dropping and clarity significantly better than previous weeks, Chinook fishing on the mainstem Skeena in the last week of July and first week of August was nothing short of incredible.  An average day saw 6 to 12 fish hooked, and the best day, experienced by father and son duo, Bill Stanberry and BJ Stanbery, was an amazing 22 fish hooked and 15 landed! Average size was 20 to 40 lbs, with many in the 45 to 55 lb range.  The Skeena sure is one amazing fishery - there aren't many places in the world where you can find fishing like this for trophy Chinook!  Even though our main 2011 Chinook fishery is now closed, there is still some great fishing to be had just outside Terrace.  Or, if you'd like to consider a trip for 2012, email me, or check out our Trophy Chinook brochure for more information.  Here's a few of the better fish our clients caught during the last two weeks:

Doug Martin joined his brother Lloyd for his first ever BC fishing experience, and what an experience it was!  Doug outfished his brother on a few days, and got one 60 lb monster too.  Lloyd Martin photo

Sky Richard with an average Skeena River Chinook Salmon - about 35 lbs. Lloyd Martin photo

You know it's a big fish because two grown men strain to lift it!  This is Doug's big 60 lb Skeena River Chinook. Lloyd Martin photo

Well over 40 lbs. BJ Stanbery photo

Mid 30s. BJ Stanbery photo

A chrome 45 lb Chinook for Bill Stanberry. BJ Stanbery photo

A 60 lb Chinook for Bill Stanberry - his biggest fish of the week. BJ Stanbery photo

Dustin Kovacvich and BJ Stanbery are both very tall men - 6'6" and 6'5" respectively - and this Skeena River Chinook still looks huge!  A good one in the mid 50s. Bill Stanberry photo

Even when the water was high, Sky Richard and his guest, Bill Kalm were able to find some fish on the Kalum River, by fishing seams just off the bank.  Bill Kalm photo

Bill Kalm is all smiles after landing this mid 20s Kalum River Chinook.

Prime Fall Steelhead Openings - A Great Dry Fly Week

A bright Steelhead that took a well placed dry fly, dead-drifted along a current seam in a long, bouldery tailout.  Because of a cancellation, we now have two spaces available in what can be considered one of our best dry fly Steelhead weeks of the year. 

Following up on our announcement yesterday of two spaces that recently opened up in April Vokey's Skeena Camp trip, we want to announce that we've just had two spaces come available in one of the best weeks in our Fall Steelhead calendar, from September 11 to 17, 2011.  If you're interested, please get in touch as soon as possible to reserve your space.  We can be reached at chadblack@nicholasdean.com or (250) 641-1551.  Lastly, we should mention - this week is often one of our best dry fly Steelhead weeks of the year, and if you've not had a change to experience Steelhead sipping your dry fly off the surface, or slashing at your waking fly, don't pass up this opportunity...

Skeena River Camp - April Vokey Week

Here's April Vokey with a bright Steelhead landed while fishing with us in the Spring of 2010.  April will be hosting a Summer Steelhead week at our on-river Skeena Camp in a few short weeks, and there is still space available if you're interested in joining her.

As you may know, we operate a Summer Steelhead camp on the Skeena River each year between August and mid September, which has become a very popular package with our clients.  The camp fishing focuses on intercepting the numerous Steelhead and Salmon migrating up the edges of the Skeena en route to their upstream tributary rivers.  Just days from the Ocean, these Steelhead are chrome, bright and easily our "meanest" fish of the year.  As it stands, we did have two last minute cancellations in one of our Skeena Camp weeks, which is being hosted by none other than April Vokey, a guide and fly fishing instructor who likely needs little introduction in the fly fishing world!  If you are interested in joining April during her scheduled week, August 29 to September 4, please contact me at: chadblack@nicholasdean.com.  For more information, check out my previous Skeena Camp blog post or our Skeena Camp brochure.