Skeena Camp - Week 3

Not all Steelhead caught on the Skeena in August are large fish, but they're all chrome bright and about as close to perfect as you could ask for.

It was another successful week for anglers in the third week of our Skeena Camp this year, with several new faces in the mix.  Bright fish close to the Ocean, spectacular scenery and the sheer amount of fishing time each day are major highlights of the camp.  It's  not unusual for guests to fish from 6 am to 10 pm!  Here's a few shots courtesy of Major William Mitchell, pictured above.   

Fishing the funnel. On the Skeena in August, you focus on the travel lane to find the many Steelhead, Coho and other salmon migrating upstream, which is most often just off the inside seam.

When targeting Steelhead and Coho on the Skeena, you sometimes never know what's going to take your fly.  There were some surprisingly large Chum Salmon caught by guests this year at the Skeena Camp that were well over 30 lbs.

Classic coastal BC scenery

Run, Will, run!  It's not always easy to keep up with hot Steelhead on the Skeena - but is sometimes very much necessary if you want to have a shot at landing them. 

This is a feeling you will likely experience at least a few times when fishing at the camp!  The Skeena's big, bright Steelhead are hot fish that can really be heat breakers.  Some are just too hot to handle, even for the most experienced anglers...

Mid August Skeena River Update

Fishing on the Lower Skeena for Summer Steelhead & Salmon presents not only great fishing opportunities for bright, silver fish, but also spectacular scenery.  Here, Ned Welch swings his fly into the shallows, just upstream from tidewater, in the heart of the coastal BC mountains.

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting Jim Britton and his friends and clients from Oscar's Adventure Travel in Smithers, BC.  With river levels dropping and about 2 ft of visibility in the mainstem Skeena, these were prime conditions for targeting Steelhead & Salmon migrating slowly up its margins.  Here's a few highlights of their week...

 

A mid teens buck showing just how fresh the Skeena's Summer Steelhead can be!

Bob Hass Jr. with a bright Coho from the mainstem Skeena.  Averaging 5 to 10 lbs in early August, these fish provide outstanding sport and sometimes they fight so hard you'll think they're a Steelhead...

A big one for Dave Mann Sr!

Camaraderie - a key element in any fishing trip!

Swinging in the riffles...

The view from the river near Yellow Cedar Lodge.

A great shot, in a series of photos taken by guest Dave Mann.  In the next several photos, this deer gets closer and closer to the anglers.  Sometimes, wildlife can surprise you!

As close to chrome perfection as we can think of...

One of the highlights of a Summer trip - relaxing on the front balcony at Yellow Cedar Lodge, drink in hand, and in good company.

Fine dining, anyone?  Red Seal chefs Alf Leslie and Jason Efford do an incredible job preparing meals at Yellow Cedar Lodge.  This one with Sockeye Salmon, fresh from the Pacific at Prince Rupert.

The scenery in the Lower Skeena is just hard to beat.

A classic black and white shot of an angler, mountains and a river.

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.