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.

Big Chinook on the Skeena - Late July Update

Now that's a big, bright Chinook - 40 lbs.

It's been a strange year for Summer weather.  Normally, during mid to late July you'll find temperatures in the 25 to 35 degrees Celsius range and two years ago it reached 42 C - the hottest on record in Terrace!  In contrast, the weather this Summer has been cooler, overcast and with much more rain than usual.  We'll be honest - while the Skeena has been dropping into shape lately, the past two weeks have not seen great water conditions on the mainstem.  However, because we have rod days on several of the best rivers and sections of rivers like the Kalum and Skeena (Classified Section), we've been able to get our clients into some great fish, despite the poor water conditions.  So, while we of course can't control the weather, our clients can be assured that they'll have the best possible chance at getting into fish on their trip, given the water conditions. 

In this post: Derald Goyette and Adam Chelini, from San Francisco's Bay area are no strangers to big Chinook and they had a great week with Nicholas Dean guide, Greg Buck.  I'd like to give a big shout out to Derald, who took the majority of these photos.

Derald Goyette with a chromer from the first day.

Adam Chelini is no stranger to big fish.  Here's another good one caught on a clean seam off the Skeena.

A cool action shot.

Derald about to release a large, chrome buck on the Skeena.

Adam and a high 20s Chinook on the Skeena.

That's a nice, girthy fish.

Putting the wood to a good one...

Big Chinook fight hard.

Adam with a respectable fish in the mid 30s.

Chinook Fly Fishing on the Skeena and Kitimat Rivers

Now that's a big Chinook!  Jason Haase landed this bright 40 lb Chinook in May on the mainstem Skeena, fishing a black and blue fly along a current seam.  Want to try this?  We've still got a few spaces left and are already booking into 2012.  Brett Hallinan Photo

Chinook Fly Fishing on the Skeena, Kitimat, Kalum, Copper and remote coastal rivers with both single hand and spey rods really is one of the most exciting fisheries in the Skeena region, particularly if you enjoy big game fishing.  After all, these fish average 15-35 lbs and can reach over 50.  Imagine one of those big Chinook, just days from the Ocean slamming at your 6 inch chartreuse tube fly and the ensuing mayhem? Bring an extra rod because there's a good chance you'll break your first one.  Here's a brief sample of some of the Chinook our clients have caught Spey fishing this year:

A fish this girthy and this fresh is not easy to bring in.  Brett Hallinan Photo

A face that looks like this means you know it's a heavy fish.  Brett Hallinan Photo

Jason Haase with a 30 lb hen Chinook caught on the Kitimat River.  You should see the video that his friend Brett Hallinan took - epic.  Forthcoming...

June Fishing Update - Chinook Salmon

John Sartinsky is all smiles after landing this 25 lb Chinook Salmon on the first morning of his trip. All photos by Harriet Sartinsky

It's mid June and we're off to a great start to our Summer Chinook guiding season here at Nicholas Dean Lodge.  Last week we had the pleasure of hosting John and Harriet Sartinsky from La Crescenta, California on their first ever trip to BC.  When we first started talking about the trip, John told me that Harriet woke up one morning in January and said, "I want to catch a salmon over 20 lbs."  A short while later, John and Harriet were booked in, and last week they found themselves reeling in several Salmon and enjoying the fine dining provided by Alf Leslie at Yellow Cedar Lodge.  We're happy to report that Harriet  did achieve her goal, landing a 35 lb Chinook on the first day of her trip!

At the end of their trip, Harriet told me that it was one of the best trips she'd ever been on!  This is about the best review we can receive and we're happy to have had the opportunity to guide these great people.  Check out some of the photos from their trip below...

Dustin launching the Clackacraft drift boat in a small creek, en route to the Kitimat River's bright Chinook Salmon.

Harriet Sartinsky and her first Chinook Salmon ever!

You can tell by the grin that Harriet is a very happy angler in this moment!

A good action shot - it's always a nervous moment until you get the fish in the net.

Fishing a clean seam on the main channel Skeena can be a productive way to target migrating Chinook Salmon.

The happy couple at the end of their trip.

Looking forward, Jeff Bright and his crew arrive next week to target Chinook on the Spey rod, as part of our "big game" Chinook Fly Fishing program.  Stay tuned for more details...

Promotion for the 2010 Season

Ever wanted to fish the world renowned waters of the Skeena River but just haven't made it there yet? Whether your preference is skating a dry fly in the tailout of a boulder-studded pool on the Copper River for trophy Steelhead or targeting the monster Summer Chinook (Kings) of the Skeena River - this is your opportunity. We are offering a promotion now that will save you money on trip costs and get you fishing. It goes like this: if we receive a 50% deposit prior to October 1, 2009, we will book you on a trip for the 2010 season at the 2009 rates. Contact us today to reserve your space during the best weeks in 2010 and see why the Skeena River and its tributaries have the reputation they do...