Spring Steelhead - the Last of Week 3

Along with big, bright fish, a great reason to fish the Spring is for the coastal mountain scenery - complete with snow capped peaks. All photos by Columbus Leth & Steffen Juhl

In our last post we posted a few photos from Jeff Bright's hosted week with his client Jim, Steffen Juhl and Columbus Leth.  We've since gotten a few of Steffen and Columbus' excellent photos and wanted to make sure that they received a wider audience than just us! 

Steffen with a chromer

Translucent fins = fresh

Columbus' big fish of the week!

Good Steelhead images wouldn't be complete without a rod/reel/fly shot...

Getting ready to go!  Jezz at Pioneer Lodge seeing the guests off in the morning...

Even after being landed, Spring fish still have lots of energy.

River transportation - ideal for skinny water

You know a fish is fresh, when...

High teens for Columbus!

We like it when the tape measure stretches this far...

Sky and Columbus with one of the 'smaller' ones for the week.

Now that fish has some shoulders...

Spring Steelhead 2013 - Week 3

Jim Leithliter with a bright hen and a big smile

When the fishing is as good as it is in a particular week, at some point it will eventually slow down as river conditions change or fish move through the system.  Fortunately, this was not the case last week as we again had one of our best Spring weeks to date here at Nicholas Dean.  Agent, writer and photographer Jeff Bright, hosted the week, and along with him were guests Jim Leithliter, Steffen Juhl and Columbus Leth.  Steffen is no stranger to the international fishing community, nor is Columbus.  Steffen is the owner and CEO of Salmon Junkies, a company that offers first rate  Atlantic Salmon trips on the famed Kola peninsula, and Columbus is a professional photographer who specializes in portraits, food and outdoor photography, and more recently, high quality travel/destination videos.  To see some of his work, check out Columbus Leth Photography.  

Below are a few snap shots from our fishing this week, courtesy of Jim Leithliter; look for more to come shortly from Steffen and Columbus.  In the meantime be sure to check out the Salmon junkies blog for their first and second trip reports from last week.

When the fish are this nice, everyone wants to photograph them!

The definition of white chrome - translucent fins.

Guide Scott Young's new ride - a covered 18' Thunderjet, for riding in style - and warmth!

A bright hen for Jeff Bright, at 18 lbs

Scott Young and Jim Leithliter hold a mid teens fish from the last day

Scott Young - the newest addition to the Nicholas Dean team

Scott Young - a super fishy guy and guide extraordinaire, with 18 lbs of chrome Spring perfection

We are pleased to announce that veteran Skeena guide, Scott Young, has joined our full time guiding staff this year.  Scott is a well respected guide from the Terrace region who brings a wealth of experience to the team.  He is an excellent caster, knows how to read water exceptionally well and is an all around fish magnet. Scott also has great communication skills and patience, and focuses on providing outstanding customer service, which makes him a real asset here at Nicholas Dean Outdoors. Welcome to the team, Scott!

Skeena Trips Just Got Cheaper!

Because of the recent changes from the federal Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) back to the old Government Sales Tax (GST) system in British Columbia, our trips have just gotten a slight break in price.  As of April 1, 2013, the GST is now in effect.  So, if you are a Canadian resident, taxes on trip costs will fall from 12% under the HST system to 5% for GST, and from 6% HST to 2.5% for GST if you're joining us from outside of Canada (including the non-resident rebate for tour packages). 

In the end, this means your total trip costs will be less, providing you with further savings on your trip - and more money in your pocket, which is always a good thing...

Spring Steelhead Opener - Part 2

Craig Gnos with an 18 lb buck, his largest caught to date.  Well done, Craig!

Yesterday we mentioned that the fishing so far this year has been pretty darn good.  If you need a little more convincing, just check out some of these photos below from last week with Donald and Craig from California! 

It's been a season of bright and large fish to date, and we're just getting started!  Look for more updates on our Spring Steelhead season soon - including remote coastal Steelhead, and hopefully the first of the Spring Chinook... 

Spring Steelhead Opener - At its Finest!

Now that's a big Steelhead!  Kris landed this 20 lb buck on his last day in Skeena Country.  It had been a goal of his to land a 20 lb fish on the fly and we are happy to have helped out.  Congrats, Kris! 

Simply put, it's been a fantastic start to our Spring Steelhead season here at Nicholas Dean.  Unseasonably warm temperatures, a good push of larger-than-average Spring fish in the rivers and happy guests have made the first two weeks of our season very successful.  If you are interested in getting in on this action, we do have a few last minute spaces available - inquire for more details and specific dates.  Check back here again soon - we'll be posting more photos from last week that you won't want to miss...

 

Another large buck for Kris, at 37 x 19.

Tonya with a bright hen from a long riffle.

Winter Steelhead Fishing

Nicholas Dean Ops Manager, Chad Black, with a bright Winter fish taken on a long cast, and a slow swing.  

Simply put, it's been a great Winter for Steelhead fly fishing opportunities here in the Skeena region near Terrace.  Temperatures have consistently stayed close to the freezing mark on most days since mid January, and there are some fish around.  Here's a few shots from our Winter Steelhead collection this year, as we look forward to starting our Spring guiding season in a month's time!

Fishing Coastal Rivers - with Henry Gilbey

Wait for it, wait for it… Guest Ken Morando swings through the dark water on a Spring coastal river. There’s nothing like seeing a flash in water like this, or your line tighten quickly. In all, it’s an extremely visual fishing experience and because the fish are typically found in smaller slots, you have a much more heightened sense of anticipation as your fly swings through the ‘fishy’ water. Henry Gilbey Photo

Last Spring we were fortunate to have renowned photographer Henry Gilbey tag along with a couple of guests and document their fishing over the course of a week, while targeting Spring Steelhead. Henry is a humble man, and at times we’ve heard him deflect comments about just how good his photos are. We will be posting several photos from Henry’s trip over the coming weeks, so will let you be the judge! And, of course, for more of Henry’s work, check out his website at: http://www.henry-gilbey.com/

Spring Steelhead 2013 - Prime Space Available!

Spring Steelhead - a variety of opportunities abound for what can be some of the largest fish of the year in the Skeena region.  Here's a big Steelhead in the high 20s landed by Yvonne Williams on the mainstem Skeena in mid-April from a few years back.  Mike Kenyon photo

There's no doubt that the Skeena region is best known for its Summer Steelhead fishing, particularly in September and October.  However, the lower Skeena region near Terrace, because of its close proximity to the Ocean, offers additional opportunities for Winter and Spring run fish in the big river itself, its tributaries, and small, not-to-be-named coastal rivers.  

If you are interested in seeing a different fishery that offers quality fishing on a variety of rivers, with the potential for some very large fish, you might want to consider our Spring fishery.  For more information, check out our general Spring Steelhead & Chinook brochure, or for a slightly different experience 'off the beaten path,' so to speak, our Adventure Steelhead brochure.  We recently had some last minute cancellations which have opened up space during prime weeks.  For more information or to book your trip, don't hesitate to get in touch at: info@nicholasdean.com or (250) 635-5295.