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

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.

Skeena Spring Steelhead 2011 - Part 1

George Widener's first Skeena Steelhead - a super bright, hard fighting 18 lb buck.

Our 2011 Spring Steelhead season is well underway, and clients have caught some exceptional fish since late March.  One of our most popular seasons, Spring Steelhead fishing on the Skeena and its tributaries in March, April and early May can be very rewarding, offering you a shot at some of the largest fish of the year.  Fishing multiple rivers during the week is certainly one of the allures of this season as well!  What follows is a three part photo essay of the fish we've been catching lately, the often dramatic landscapes and rivers where we find them, and life as a guest at Yellow Cedar Lodge where we base our operations. 

Dan Doughty with a bright 12 lb buck. Greg Lobdell photo

Searching for Spring fish on a smaller river, Greg Lobdell found this 14 lb buck in a long, boulder studded run. Dan Doughty photo

George Widener with his second Spring Steelhead of the day on the mainstem Skeena

Full of energy even after the fight...

Another mid teens buck from a small Skeena trib.  Don't let the growing trend in spey fishing for Steelhead fool you - fishing a single hand rod is still a very productive way to fish for these fish, and certainly one of the most enjoyable!

Bob Budd hooked this heavily spotted fish in a long, smooth boulder strewn run.

They don't get much fresher than this...

Despite its run in with a seal, this hen is still a stunning example of why Skeena fish are so special.

Spring Steelhead on the Skeena - Adam Tavender Photography

A few weeks back, Adam Tavender joined us with several of his friends and clients for some Spring Steelhead fishing on the Skeena and its tributaries.  Adam is the former owner of Nakia Lodge on the Dean River, and has also managed Steelhead camps on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula.  In short, he's no stranger to Steelhead!  Nowadays, he's focussing more on photography and getting those classic portraits and landscape shots that make fishing for Steelhead so interesting.  There's a good chance that you've seen his work in various fly fishing magazines, the latest of which is the cover shot of April Vokey in Fly Fisherman magazine (featuring Nicholas Dean Lodge too!).  On his recent trip to the Skeena system, he took some incredible shots and we wanted to share a few of these with you: Adam Tavender Photography - Spring Steelhead on the Skeena

Nicholas Dean Lodge and Social Media!

We all know just how much social media has changed the way people and organizations interact, and we here at Nicholas Dean Lodge are no exception!  The reality is that a lot of people are looking for real time, up to date information and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter make this incredibly easy.  If you want to see what's going on at Nicholas Dean and in the lower Skeena region near Terrace - including the latest photo albums of fish we've been catching, river conditions, promotions and more - I encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  The start of our Spring Steelhead season is well underway, and I've already posted a number of photos on our Facebook page, be sure to check it out!  Check us out at:
www.facebook.com/NicholasDeanLodge and www.twitter.com/SkeenaFlyFisher.

Spring Steelhead with Brian Chan!

Well known stillwater angler Brian Chan admires a hard won 10 lb Steelhead he landed on a local Skeena tributary. Brian Chan Photo

A long time ago when I first started fly fishing, a few friends and I went to the Izaak Walton fly fishing show in Toronto, and happened to see a very interesting presentation done on fly fishing strategies for trout in stillwaters, by Brian Chan. Little did I know that many years later I'd have the chance to fish with this well known angler on one of my home waters here in the Skeena region!

Brian, a retired fisheries biologist for the province of BC, is probably one of the most well known writers on stillwater entomology, presentation and fishing tactics, and I've read his articles in many different magazines over the years. So when our good friend Rob Vodola invited Dustin and I to fish with Brian, we jumped at the opportunity! Though low water conditions and cool, stable weather made the fishing more difficult than usual, Brian and Dustin both landed some quality Skeena fish. More below:

Dustin fights a behemoth from river left, as Rob helps direct the fish into the shallows.

The last critical moment of the fight, when many Steelhead are lost. Constant tension, keeping the fish' head in the water and nerves of steel are needed to land big fish in the shallows.

A trophy Spring Steelhead. At 39 inches long with a 19 inch girth, this fish was pushing 20 lbs and a handful even for an experienced angler armed with a spey rod.

A colourful selection of flies for Spring Steelhead fishing in a variety of water conditions.

Working deep, slow pools with a large pink and orange fly proved to be the best presentation with cold water temperatures and sluggish fish.

Though Brian has now retired from fisheries biology, he now operates guided fly fishing trips on his home waters near Kamloops. For more information, go to www.riseformflyfishing.com

Early Spring Steelhead Fishing on the Skeena System

Early Spring on the rivers of northwest BC - from March 15 to April 15 - is a time when the landscape emerges from its deep Winter sleep and both water levels and temperatures finally begin to rise. As a result, fresh, Spring-run Steelhead begin to trickle in with more frequency than they did over the previous months and become more active in their lies. For the Steelhead angler, this is a great time to be on the river, chasing away Winter blues and welcoming the start of warmer months, all the while waiting for that inevitable pull...

Spring Steelhead come in a variety of sizes and colours.  While most fish are in the 8 to 15 lb range, there are fish substantially larger than this caught on a regular basis, in the 18 - 22 lb range.  Looking for a fish in the mid 20s is not an unrealistic proposition on the Skeena and its many tributaries.  Here, Jeff Bright holds onto a mint-bright 18 lb hen Steelhead caught in late March - certainly one of his most memorable fish landed to date.  Jeff Bright photo

Lance Boen, a long time repeat guest and Spring Steelhead veteran, landed this solid 15 lb Steelhead in late March 2009 on a favourite Skeena River tributary. With low water conditions, the fish were holding in the deepest, slowest moving runs, which makes for an agonizingly long, but highly effective swing. Jeff Bright photo. 

Despite warming air and water temperatures, the rivers are still quite cool, and fishing large flies 3 to 6 inches long is one of the best tactics to motivate Steelhead from leaving the comfort of their lie and inducing a grab.  Flies in black, pink, purple, orange, chartreuse, or some combination show up well in a variety of water conditions and will serve you well.  A spey rod is an ideal tool for fishing large flies and heavy sink tips when targeting the large fish typically encountered during the early Spring.

In the middle of a long, deep pool, Martin Walker found this massive Steelhead, estimated in the 23-24 lb range.  The Steelhead took one of Martin's elegantly tied black and chartreuse flies.  Besides being a world class fly angler, Martin is also a rod-builder extraordinaire, crafting brilliantly designed cork handles on his rods.   

Legendary angler Lani Waller and Nicholas Dean Lodge head guide Dustin Kovacvich discuss fly selection prior to stepping into the run on a cool Spring day.  Jeff Bright photo 

They don't get much more chrome than this...

On his first day of fishing while guided by veteran Nicholas Dean guide, Greg Buck, Taft Ring landed this impressive 23 lb buck Steelhead on a local Skeena tributary.  Not a bad way to start the trip off...

A large fly fished on a slow swing through the heart of a deep tailout proved effective on this 18 lb Steelhead for Martin Walker.  Fishing large flies broadside to the current helps show the full profile of the fly and in our experience, induces a take much more consistently than a fly presented on a traditional grease line cast.

Interested in joining us for a Spring Steelhead trip?  Take advantage of our last minute 10% discount and inquire today on how you can search for the Steelhead of your dreams on the Skeena.